BarneyS wrote: It would also help if you stopped at a scale and got some actual weights.
ask and you shall receive!
fist one is with out the TT.
Thanks for all of your advise guys.
Hi, I know I am late to this but I just read this thread and wanted to chime in because I've been through a similar problem.
When you weighed you found 920 lbs tongue weight and a 7820 lb TT. When you originally weighed you had lightened the front axle slightly because the weight caused the rear axle to act as a fulcrum. Your bars weren't "tight" enough. Your goal is about half of that tongue weight on each truck axle. Try to have at least 1/3 of the weight on the front axle, again half is ideal. But don't put more than half the tongue weight to the front axle. All this needs to happen with the trailer tongue level or a tiny bit low in front, AND the HP Dual Cam set up so the cams are centered in the saddles. Your tongue weight requires 1000 lb or 1200 lb spring bars. You should check all tires, set them to manufacturers specified pressure. Also put a wrench on the trailer wheel lugs and torque em each trip until they no longer require retorquing. New trailers require this until everything seats in, & they still require checking every few trips after that.
An F350 won't squat the way a half ton will so it will need to go to the scales again to confirm things. But the trip to the scales will be a good one when you have achieved balance.
Also your tongue weight is 11.8%, so when you pack put your weight in front of the TT axle, do this so you don't let the tongue percentage go down. If anything add a little weight there.
Good luck, I bet there is some reason you find that suddenly becomes apparent. Once you have it you'll be psyched.
05 F150 FX4 Supercrew, 5.4, 3.73 LS, Jordan Ultima 2020 Brake Controller,
04 TrailCruiser 30QBSS, Battery Disconnect,
Dual Cam HP, Ultra Fab Power Tongue Jack, Bal Lockarm Stabilizers
kc8yhk wrote: Got it all straightened out today, thanks to everyone for posting!
AND?
C'mon you gotta give up the solution!
I had a set up on my last trailer, I found that I needed to drop the ball mount further than it would allow, I got a longer drop and what a difference trailer was slightly down 3/4" nose down, WD bars level and parallel to the bottom of the tongue. The front and rear of the truck were within 1/8" rear actually higher, towed very well, best $140 I spent on the new drop shank.
Good Luck and Happy Trails
2007 Dodge 3500 4X4 MC,SRW,CTD EB
2004 Citation 29NP
Equal-i-Zer
Yamaha EF2800i
Nascar24 A lengend in my own mind, A Scary thought in someone else's!
Service guy came out and we checked out my hitch setup and he said it looked good so we went for a test drive.. about a mile down the road he said "**** you are right she DOES SWAY". Came back home and re-checked all the adjustment and eyeballed the axles.
Then he asked if the fresh water tank had anything in it, I checked the monitor panel and it read EMPTY. I asked him why it would matter because when we went to pickup the TT we asked about running with it full of water and the guy at the dealer said "Oh don't worry the water tank is dead center over the axles"
Back outside he turned the drain valve for the fresh water tank and it drained for any awfully long time for being EMPTY!!! He informed me that the water tank is BEHIND the axles, 46 gallons of water takes a lot of weight off the tongue! thats about 383 pounds of poor design.
Took it down the road again and it did pretty good but not great. re added my 200 pounds of sand bags to the storage area under the bed up front and she settled right down and towed GREAT.
All my headache and frustration was caused by bad wiring to the sensor in the fresh water tank... I feel dumb but happy all at the same time.
With our old TT we used to ALWAYS run with a full fresh water tank but I guess now I will have to haul it in the bed of my truck and use a transfer pump to get it into the TT, unless we camp someplace where we can fill up with water before setting up camp.
kc8yhk wrote: Service guy came out and we checked out my hitch setup and he said it looked good so we went for a test drive.. about a mile down the road he said "**** you are right she DOES SWAY". Came back home and re-checked all the adjustment and eyeballed the axles.
Then he asked if the fresh water tank had anything in it, I checked the monitor panel and it read EMPTY. I asked him why it would matter because when we went to pickup the TT we asked about running with it full of water and the guy at the dealer said "Oh don't worry the water tank is dead center over the axles"
Back outside he turned the drain valve for the fresh water tank and it drained for any awfully long time for being EMPTY!!! He informed me that the water tank is BEHIND the axles, 46 gallons of water takes a lot of weight off the tongue! that's about 383 pounds of poor design.
Took it down the road again and it did pretty good but not great. re added my 200 pounds of sand bags to the storage area under the bed up front and she settled right down and towed GREAT.
All my headache and frustration was caused by bad wiring to the sensor in the fresh water tank... I feel dumb but happy all at the same time.
With our old TT we used to ALWAYS run with a full fresh water tank but I guess now I will have to haul it in the bed of my truck and use a transfer pump to get it into the TT, unless we camp someplace where we can fill up with water before setting up camp.
Thanks for responding , I was almost falling off the edge of my seat , lol
I don't think assuming a new trailer's monitor panel/ sensor is working properly is dumb, what I think is dumb is the location of your water tank. Is there anyway you can move it forward? I know on my trailer, they just have four hooks that go over the top of my trailer frame with one screw in each to hold the tank support system and flex hoses running to the filler and up to the pump. I'm lucky my tank is directly over my axles,, but without much work I cold easily just remove the screws , hoses and wiring and simply slide the tank forward, and reconnect. My gray and black holding tanks are after the axles and I have ran on occasion with those full and the water tank empty and I was surprised it had little or no affect on the trailers handling. My last trailer was so heavy and sensitive if I left the 10 gallon HW heater full I would get a push making lane changes. I just can't figure out with all the technology today these manufacturers don't have these trailers engineered down to a "T" with a weight chart for proper and max loading of each area of the trailer and maintain a balance for ease of towing, it would make towing a lot more enjoyable.
I can remember years ago when ball mounts were welded together you would have a ball height right from the trailer manufacturer and a hitch assembly guide from the hitch manufacturer with simple but very good explanation of how to position the ball mount based on type of TV. For nearly 20 years I always had a welded ball mount and never had any trouble dialing in a hitch, now it's either your close enough or your not at all! I guess today it's better to be more convenient, than exact, JMHO
* This post was
edited 05/20/08 09:04am by Nascar24 *
Not sure if i could move it forward or not, this tt has an enclosed underbelly. I would have to get under it someday and pull it all apart just to look and see.
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