I have recently purchased a 1983 Coachmen 17.5' travel trailer. Towing something of this size is new to me. I'm using a Chevey Silverado Z71 crew cab with 327ci and tow package (Class III hitch), I installed a new Brake controller, and felt that I was all ready to go. I hooked up and took it down the road without the family, so I could play around with the brake controller setting's. As I was heading down the road with TT in tow, I felt like I was riding in a boat, hitting every wave. Not a good feeling. The Truck bounced like it had bad shocks (there not). the towing capacity is 7,500# the TT is at 4000#, and everything seems to be setting fairly level. The previous owner towed with a Ford F150 short bed reg. cab. He claimed no problems with towing up to 65 mph. He used no load levelers, weight distribution, or sway control bar. Any help would be much appreciated.
If it feels unstable, it probably is, and the fact HE claimed to no need sway control, etc. means NOTHING with regard to your rig.
Two things to check first: tire pressures all around, both TV and TT; and tongue weight. It is possible that you don't have enough weight on the tongue. Oh, and yes you do need to make sure it is level. If all three of those check out, then you will have to look into WD and sway control. You have a different truck, and there's no telling what baloney he told you to make the sale.
Porposing is usually caused by too light a tongue weight, target is 13 to 15% of FULLY LOADED TT weight. Note if TT was empty, it might be squirrely.
Other big cause is weight distributing hitch set too light. I'll be surprised if that light a TT needed WDH with your truck, but maybe. How do you know weight, did you weigh it? Might be a first step.
You only know you needed a sway bar when an emergency manuever causes your TT to end up on its side in the ditch. I prefer to get one BEFORE that happens.
Chuck
Wonderful Wife
Australian Shepherd
2010 Ford Expedition TV
2010 Outback 230RS Toybox, 5390# UVW, 6800# Loaded Not yet camped in Hawaii, 2 Canada Provinces, & 2 Territories I can't be lost because I don't care where this lovely road is going
If you can, stack some heavy items right up against the frontside wall of the trailer (liquid has a lot of weight) and test again. That should be an indicator of toungue weight too low. If your truck bed was empty, you could add some weight in there and see if that helps, also. Your truck should pull the TT with little trouble.
Where’d you get the 4000#, did you weigh it on a scale? Sounds like you had an empty TV and TT. When you load up for a trip it may feel totally different. I don’t think you should get that effect, but you won’t normally pull it empty anyway. When you do load it you will have a heavier tongue weight, too, and that’s when I’d be most concerned about the handling.
Myself, I’d go weigh it on a split scale to get the total weight of both, then unhitch and get the TV weight on each axle. You would then have good numbers to do all your calculations, including tongue weight. I don’t think empty numbers are much value since as said, you won’t tow that way. But it may clarify the tongue weight issue. When I loaded up for a trip with everyone and everything in the TV and TT I’d then weigh it over again on the way out.
I pull an ’89 16’ TT that’s 3000# loaded with no WD or sway. My tongue weight is barely over 10%, which is unusually low, but it’s solid as a rock. But I have been on a very few wavy roads that felt like a trampoline, it’s just been so rare an event I’ve ignored it. With a 4000# TT you may or may not need WD, but a scaled weight will give you a much better idea.
When I pulled with an ’86 Bronco I’d occasionally get some minor sway that I immediately tweaked out manually with the brake controller. I considered sway control at the time, but then when I replaced the Bronco with a longer wb F150 I’ve never had a hint of sway since. That TT should be an easy tow for your TV, you just need to identify what is causing the problem and eliminate it. Good luck.
I was towing unloaded, tire pressure was checked on TV and TT. I haven't checked tongue weight so that's going to be my first step. I checked if I was level by measuring the back of the camper compared to the front height, there was maybe an 1" difference, I'm not sure if close counts here....thanks for the information!
step
naturist wrote: If it feels unstable, it probably is, and the fact HE claimed to no need sway control, etc. means NOTHING with regard to your rig.
Two things to check first: tire pressures all around, both TV and TT; and tongue weight. It is possible that you don't have enough weight on the tongue. Oh, and yes you do need to make sure it is level. If all three of those check out, then you will have to look into WD and sway control. You have a different truck, and there's no telling what baloney he told you to make the sale.
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