Towing questions

[jermbob]

Hello all, I just bought a 2013 Jayflight 33bhts. I took for its 1st trip 3 days after buying it and it pulled pretty awful...I am towing with a 2002 F-350 7.3l diesel crew cab long wheel base with the 8ft bed and the camper weighs about 8900lbs dry. camper was a little down in the front as far as level goes but not by that much...it seemed to be really top heavy in the rear of the camper behind the axles of the camper...thats where it swayed real bad...from the front the truck to the camper axles seemed to tow straight. when I got home I lifted the hitch 1 notch and got the camper level and took it back to the interstate and it was a little better but still swaying(I can feel a little car passing me and get pushed a little bit so imagine the wind and big rigs)...filled camper tires to 55psi cold and truck had 70psi front and 75psi back cold and all tires are brand new E rated tires so i don't think tires could be the problem. It feels like there should be a 3rd axle in the back like theres just to much camper behind the axles

1. My truck has about 1-2 inches of play in the steering wheel(about to order a new steering gearbox to fix that problem)and am wondering if it could be alot to do with trying to overcorrect and playing catchup with the sway because of the steering that makes the sway way worse

2.The camper is not jam packed with stuff yet because we just got it and it's our 1st camper so it's going to take awhile to get every goodie we want so the back didnt have much in it...just some board games for the kids and clothes and stuff like that...it has the dinette table for the bottom bunk and the outdoor kitchen in the back though which I know adds alot of weight back there...could it be I just need alot more weight in the front or could it be something else?

3. should I run 2 sway bars?

4. Is there anything else I'm not thinking about that it could be...I want a nice smooth tow without the white knuckling which is why I did so much research when I bought my TV about a month before the camper and I was highly disappointed on the maiden voyage...please help me I dont want my family or anyone elses in danger everytime I tow

Thanks for any and all advice...its greatly appreciated

[BLACKF150]

Mr_MrsSchlepprock250 wrote:
I know I'm opening a can of argument here but if your rig is set up properly you won't NEED a sway bar..JMHO Dead level is good, but a little low in the front of the TT is good too. The axles of our TT are almost center, so like I said we load a little front heavy to add tongue weight.

X2 We have a 2500 diesel towing a 35' TT 9000 lbs. using a WD hitch and no anti sway......system. Semi's are no issue no sway at all.
Make sure your hitch is set up properly. Raising the ball to "level your rig" does not mean the weight is evenly distributed between all 4 axles. Search the net, there is lots of info on how to set up a WD hitch.
Good luck and happy camping.

[dodge_guy]

Before you do anything, get it weighed! it sounds like you have insufficient tongue weight. second while the friction sway bar is sufficient there are better sway control systems out there. I personally like the Reese Dual Cam.

[Mr_MrsSchleppro]

Before you go buying stuff, load the front heavy and see how much better she pulls.JMHO

[jermbob]

well I sure do appreciate all the advice...It's amazing having a place like this to come for the info you need...I'll get that gearbox put in then get it down to the scales and see what I'm working with...then I guess I'll see where I stand then when I order the 2nd sway bar or new hitch

[Huntindog]

There is nothing wrong with the friction sway control that you have.
Many millions of miles have been traveled using them. They are the original and in some ways the best ever made....BUT,,, over 25" or 5000# requires TWO of them.

I do not think that is the root of the problem though, as sway controls should be thought of as insurance, for less than ideal situations. Gusty winds, passing semis etc. Not as a band aid to cover the real problem.

You likely have two real problems. Too little tounge weight, made worse by a loose steering box.

Fix those two, and the sway will go away to the point where you may be tempted to forgo the second sway control.....Don't. You really do need it with that size TT.

[jermbob]

My WDH has the 2 round bars with the 1 sway bar with the brake in it...am I understanding right that the hitch I have isnt good enough...I thought that was the only kind of WDH they had?I wish I could remember the name of it but I'm at work for another 18 days so it'll be awhile before I get home to see what it is...is the reese dual cam and equalizer brand a different kind of sway setup? I'm new and I don't know what to do!!! lol

[MackinawMan]

jermbob, you and I have VERY similar setups. We tow with a 2000 Ford F350 with the 7.3L PSD with a crew cab and the 8 ft. bed (very long wheelbase) and we're towing a 35' Jayco (Eagle) that weighs in around 8500-9000 lbs. depending on the length of our stay.

So as far as TV and TT go we're almost exact. However, I wonder what type of WD/sway hitch you're running. We have the Equalizer Brand hitch which has the WD and sway control together as part of the hitch. It's the 1400/14000 lb. hitch.

Our setup tows beautifully. That heavy duty truck should have no issues with your Jayco if it's right mechanically. Honestly our F350 tows our Eagle pretty well without any sway control/WD at all...and with a good setup like the Equalizer Brand it tows wonderfully.

I'd get that steering issue taken care of AND upgrade to either a Reece Dual Cam or the Equalizer Brand hitch. That sway controller you're running is too little for a TT that long IMHO..

JMHO

[advntrs]

Sounds as if you DO need to fix your steering problem, beef up your rear suspension a little, add some weight to the nose of the trailer and you will not believe what a difference a WD hitch with sway control will do for you.

You have a monster truck. You just need to do a little weight and balance work and you will be very happy.

BTW, I agree with a previous poster, those anti-sway friction bars are a waste of time on a trailer that long.

[jermbob]

yes I was not a happy camper while towing...lol...the whole front end was just about replaced...only lacking passenger side ball joints but they appear to be good...and yes it feels like 36" of sway in the rear end...was not a good feeling

[Passin_Thru]

Check your tie rod ends. They may be worn. This will give enough sway to make it seem like alot, also a Reese dual cam 12k hitch will stop it when all is adjusted right. Load up and go weight you rig. Surprising but you'll weigh about 20K, then adjust axle weight with the dist. hitch where all axles are app the same. Lets see 1-2 inches play by a 3 ft moment = 36 in sway at the rear of your trailer. Frightening isn't it?

[fla-gypsy]

You must have a good WDH preferrably with an integrated sway control system like the Reese Dual Cam. Next and just as important is proper tongue weight to balance the load. 13% of the total weight of the trailer should be on the tongue ideally. More is OK, less is a recipe for problems

[lanerd]

I agree with others. Your problem is two fold. First is your truck's steering....you really need to get that fixed before you do anything else. Second is the tongue weight....you need much more on there. A dry weight of 8800 lbs mean in reality that your rig will probably be over 10,000 lbs and you'll need at least 1200 to 1300 lbs of tongue weight. Get a Sherline scale and be absolutely sure of the weights.

hope you get it worked out.

Ron

[WyoTraveler]

dadmomh wrote:
Question.....this is the first time I've heard of only using one sway bar. Why is that? Our Equalizer on the ROO has 2 and we've always used both. The new TT has a Blue OX 1000 hitch with 2 bars. Just wondering.

My neighbor has one of those one sway bar hitches. Never used one but they look pretty useless.

If the dealer talked you into buying it I would return it to him & get your money back. I towed my Jayco 19RD in 40 mph cross winds over South Pass & it towed very well with the Reese dual cam & trunion bars. Just make sure you get the right weight bars for your tongue weight. JMHO. Once set up properly you will have a good towing experience. Unfortunately some dealers never towed a TT & really don't have any idea what you need.

[Mr_MrsSchleppro]

I know I'm opening a can of argument here but if your rig is set up properly you won't NEED a sway bar..JMHO Dead level is good, but a little low in the front of the TT is good too. The axles of our TT are almost center, so like I said we load a little front heavy to add tongue weight.