Towing Issue

[pryan]

Hi folks!
Last year we upgraded to our 31 foot Coleman. After getting some great advice from all of you in the forum, I ultimately upgraded my TV to a 2008 F350 (a good thing). I still have the following issue: going down the road, every now and again it feels like the camper whips to the side behind me. Not sure if it's a gust of wind (though it's definitely happened on perfectly calm days) or a rut in the road or what it is but it is a VERY disconcerting feeling. Feels as if I'm going to lose it though I know that I'm not. I use a Blue Ox Sway Pro hitch with 1500 lb. spring bars. Camper's GVWR is 9860 and tongue weight is (I believe) 935. Too much spring bar? Too little? More sway control? Is this something that just happens that I have to live with? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

[BarneyS]

See my answer to this question that you posted today here.
Barney

[pryan]

Thanks all for the advice and answers. I've been trying to figure out where to find a set of scales to weigh for some time but have thus far been unsuccessful. I'm really beginning to think that my hitch setup is off and that maybe the spring bars I have are just too heavy. Thanks all!

[dodge_guy]

pryan wrote:
Got the 1 ton so I'm all set there!

Yes I know. I was just saying that some would tell you right off the bat to get a 1 ton because that is supposed to be their fix for a poorly setup hitch.

Get that hitch setup. it will take some trial and error, but once you get it, you will be happy you spent the time doing it!

Good luck!

[pryan]

Got the 1 ton so I'm all set there!

[nolra]

What kind of tires do you have on the trailer?

[dodge_guy]

This is usually where everyone tells you you need a 1 ton truck, but as usual the hitch needs to be setup correctly! You need to verify the proper tongue weight based on your trailers ready to travel weight. Most all stability/sway issues come from improper setup hitches.

[gon2dadawgs]

When you set up your WD make certain the rear of the TV does not move up AT ALL. A bit low in the back of the TV is a good thing.....weight off the back will do what you are experiencing.

Michael

[Pauljdav]

The best way to know if the hitch setup is right is to weigh it. The second best way is to measure the fender height before and after hookup.

[pryan]

Yup, could definitely be the ruts. Neighbor said the same thing about the width. Just very startling when it happens!

[goducks10]

Could be the WD setup and or the crown in the road along with some roads have worn areas where vehicles travel. Your TTs wheels are wider than normal vehicles and may be be searching for the right 'groove'?

[pryan]

Thanks Ron. Is the issue I'm describing something that could be the result of a high or low tongue weight? Also wondered if the 1500 pound rated spring bars are actually TOO much and are having an effect or if there are recommendations for a different hitch setup altogether.

[Ron_Gratz]

The "dry weight" for that trailer should be around 6900# and the dry tongue weight should be around 930#.

The dry tongue weight percentage is around 930/6900 = 13.5%

However, those numbers don't tell us what your loaded weights are, so we have no good basis for saying whether tongue weight might be a problem.

It would be good to take your as-loaded-for-camping trailer to a scales so you could determine the TT's loaded weight, the loaded tongue weight, and the axle loads before hitching and after hitching with WD appplied.

Then we would have a better basis for providing weight-related advice.

Ron

[pryan]

I'm trying to figure out if this is something that just happens or if I need a different hitch setup or more sway control,....

[pryan]

Seems to happen on all roads from time to time.