Bad handling TT

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As Carl explained, you were right on target when at link #4 on the equalizing bars.

So forget the equalizing for now and get the tongue weight measured and adjusted as indicated.
 
In my old age, I am becoming dumber than a piece of wood...

where did I go wrong.. ...

Before - 39 10/16 - 37 9/16 = 2 1/16
After -  38 8/16 - 37 9/16 = 15/16

That is  difference of 1 2/16 which is more than 12/16..wouldn't I need to pull it higher ?

When I went to buy, the Canadian dollar was low..now that we are about par, I suspect it would be a lot cheaper  :)

my whole rig goes in Friday..I will update you afterwards..

Thanks for keeping this thread alive..
Ian
 
Before - 39 10/16 - 37 9/16 = 2 1/16
After -  38 8/16 - 37 9/16 = 15/16

Damn!  Flunked fractions again.  15/16"  is correct and you are out of spec.  Sorry, my bad.

OK that gives you one more thing to try.  Go for the 5th link.  Hitch up the trailer.  Raise tongue with the trailer jack until you are taking all the load off the ball and are raising the truck rear end a bit.  Now use a 3 foot piece of 3/4" GI pipe to raise the chain lifts on the 5th link.

You still need that tongue weight and trailer weight scaled.
 
LOL  I figured something like that out of you,  LOL  Heck  we all error sometime or another.  I got married  and that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it,  for a while anyway until she reads my posts  LOL
 
OK, your arithmetic is better than Carl's. But you are using a micrometer on a problem that is best dealt with with an axe.

Your truck was not level to begin with, which I suspect is a result of the pressure in the air bags. But with the trailer on you actually get closer to level, which is goodness. You are probably OK as far as truck loading is concerned, but the real issue is the sway and truck loading is not the issue there. It is a trailer balance issue, not a truck loading problem. Fix the trailer balance problem first, then adjust the equalizer bars to get the truck more-or-less level.

You really don't need the air bags if you have the Weight distributing hitch and I would adjust the hitch with no pressure in them, but that's a personal preference.
 
Gary,

One of the reasons I have the bags is that for at least 13 times a year I have a mx bike, 45 gal of water, sprayer , generator and tools sitting in there...I know, the original shocks will do but my last truck had bags and I think I was spoilt  :)

On a bit of an off topic, hasanyone noticed that when it rainsnow, it pours ??  Had to pull over this morning because I couldn't see the rain was so hard...

Ian.

 
One of the reasons I have the bags is that for at least 13 times a year I have a mx bike, 45 gal of water, sprayer , generator and tools sitting in there.

Air-assist has its place and leveling that sort of load in the truck bed is one of its uses.  Nothing wrong with that.  If they are not the remote adjustable kind, I can see why you leave the 10 psi in the bags all the time. Not a big deal either way, though, and this minor point should not get in the way of solving the trailer sway problem.
 
Update....of sorts...

The RV had my trailer for a day and couldn't get around to checking it during the normal work ours so when I picked it up we had a conversation.  What they zeroed in on were my LT tires on the truck...basically, you need heavier tires...

Kinda tired of being told I need "new" stuff to fix this problem, I suggested very strongly that they take my rig out with their pull truck...

They came back as believers asking my how in someone's name could I tow this....well, if you never towed before and an expert kept telling you it was your set up, why would you believe otherwise...

So they now agre with the general opinion here and wanted to add weight...they were going to guesstimate however, I am getting them to do the job properly (with your guidance).. however, the two scales I visited today Will only handle my truck or trailer, not both...

Will update this story soon..
 
Kinda tired of being told I need "new" stuff to fix this problem, I suggested very strongly that they take my rig out with their pull truck...

They came back as believers asking my how in someone's name could I tow this....

Yup.  Having to manage the fool thing yourself can change expert opinion.  ;)

So they now agre with the general opinion here and wanted to add weight...they were going to guesstimate however, I am getting them to do the job properly (with your guidance).. however, the two scales I visited today Will only handle my truck or trailer, not both...

Well you can unhitch and weigh the truck, rehitch and pull the trailer on and then weight it with the trailer hitched and then unhitched.    See our trailer weighing procedure.

It is also about time for you to pick up that Sherline scale I recommended.  You are going to need to track that hitch weight closely from here on out.  Don't trust the experts down at the shop to get it right the first time and then you are going to have to monitor it in the future as you pack for trips.  For a $100 or so, it will really be of assistance.
 
Another update.

Scale ha been ordered.

I measured the toungue weight with a bathroom scale device...you get a weight and X by three...total weight - 390.

Found a set of scales that allowed both my truck and rig to sit on it......did the procedure...toungue weight worked out to be a tad under 460.  Hmmm.  Trailer weight 4700 Lbs fairly empty.

Went to a welding shop and instead of adding weight..they want to lengthen the toungue.

I mentioned that th company Forest River has hidden itself behind many layers...does anyone have contact info for this company..but not a dealer becuase with dealers, problems do not exiist.

Too it 900 kms this weekend..drove just under 60...easier rided but not the answer.  Doing another 1000 kms this weekend...then I have a couple of week to play.

Thanks
Ian.

 
grassy said:
Another update.

Scale ha been ordered.

Good! 

I measured the toungue weight with a bathroom scale device...you get a weight and X by three...total weight - 390.

Found a set of scales that allowed both my truck and rig to sit on it......did the procedure...toungue weight worked out to be a tad under 460.  Hmmm.  Trailer weight 4700 Lbs fairly empty.


Went to a welding shop and instead of adding weight..they want to lengthen the toungue.

Whoa Nelly!  Your trailer acts as a 2nd class lever.  { click HERE. }  Your axles are the fulcrum, your trailer center of gravity is the load, and your coupler is the acting force.  Lengthing the tongue will increase the force arm relative to the load arm.  It will decrease the acting force, the tongue weight.  To increase the tongue weight, you want to increase the load arm by moving the CG forward.

Lever math is pretty simple:  load x load arm = force x force arm.  Do the math yourself and you will see what I mean.

I mentioned that th company Forest River has hidden itself behind many layers...does anyone have contact info for this company..but not a dealer becuase with dealers, problems do not exiist.

Sorry cannot help you there.

Too it 900 kms this weekend..drove just under 60...easier rided but not the answer.  Doing another 1000 kms this weekend...then I have a couple of week to play.

Driving under 60 mph may well be your answer, I fear.

If this happened to me in California, I would be seriously considering complaining the the state's Highway Patrol that the dealer/manufacturer had sold me a highway vehicle unsafe for the the service it was intended, just as if they had sold me a machine with defective breaks.

 
Carl,

I am no physics whiz, but I remember the stuff I learned in high school...I had the same visceral reaction so I left...I wonder what the laws are in Canada...getting tired of running around..I really expected the dealer to take care of it...

Going to sit on my hands until after the nationals...have to focus on my little fella first..after the nationals, I will deal with it..

I think I am going to drop down to the department of transportation...

Will post again soon.

Ian.
 
Hi Folks...


Had to put the trailer problem off for awhile..my son's schedule is a bit crazy and I got tired of banging my head...

Anyway, my sherline came in and the toungue weighs smack on 450 pounds..not too far from the "weighing" method.

So, with a trailer weight of 4700 lbs I need at least 20 pounds but to be safe, I should add @ 125 pounds to the front.

Suggestions ?

Thanks as always.
Ian.
 
The first idea that springs to mind is water.  Stuff weighs some 8 lbs per gallon.  Where is your fresh water tank -- ahead of the trailer wheels I hope.
 
grassy,

I hope this isn?t a boring story, but it illustrates the need to have a level truck, and a level trailer, along with proper tongue weight.

When I bought my truck I installed a leveling kit in the front end to level the truck from font to back. I loved the way it looked and rode. I then bought my travel trailer, and just could not get it to level out no matter what I did. Trouble was, my truck started level, and it sagged no matter what. So I got a brilliant idea! I spent a bag of money and put airbags on the rear of my truck. Now I could pump up the bags, hook up the trailer a viola, a level rig. Wrong again, now when my truck got level my trailer was high. I messed around spending more money on drops and this and thaties, and I was pulling my hair out.

I ended up taking out the airbags, and the leveling kit out of my truck, and now I have no problem leveling things out. I usually have to put most of my food and clothes, and etc. in front of the axels to get a good 15% tongue weight. But my rig tows like a dream now.

One other thing, I did have to get rid of the spongy p-rated tires, and went with some stiff D-rates. It helped a lot
 
I am completely lost on this one...

..just a note..I ran w/o air bags on the truck while pulling the trailer...the truck bottomed out on a regular basis and the handling was not particularly good...added the bags..I can adjust the air from the cab...truck is safer now...

I have done a bunch of measurements and the trailer and axles seems square to me...

I popped the shereline on the trailer hitch this morning and put a 45 gal tank as close to the front as possible...I pumped in water 'till the sherline registered almost 700 lbs...then took the trailer with the load leveling hitch, etc, out on the road...

At just a tad over 60, she started to twitch and sway again..the extra weight just made it heaver to pull...I am baffled now..

Ideas ?

Last race next week...

Thanks
Ian.
 
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