32' 6300lb Trailer Towing issues
- Thread starter mauracoog
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Scott 3
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2016
- Posts
- 694
Yes
Lou Schneider
Site Team
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2005
- Posts
- 13,331
680 lbs. hitch weight on 6354 lbs dry weight is 10.7% of the overall trailer weight. That's right at the low edge of 10-15% hitch weight recommended for a pull trailer.
Too little hitch weight will make the trailer unstable. Especially one that has a 29 ft. long box to catch wind and passing semi truck bow wakes. (29 ft. box + 3 ft tongue length)
Try adding cargo to the front of the trailer to bring the hitch weight up closer to 15% of the trailer weight. Adjust the equalizing bars so the truck and trailer are sitting level with the new weight and see if this improves the handling.
Here's a short video that demonstrates the concept of keeping the trailer weight ahead of the axles (i.e. by having sufficient hitch weight):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q
8muddypaws mentioned not to correct sway with the steering wheel. Sometimes you can induce sway without realizing it by making small steering corrections and then overcorrecting in the opposite direction to stay in the lane. In this case the trailer lags the changes in course of the tow vehicle, so by the time it changes direction you've twitched the steering wheel the opposite way, making the trailer appear to be swaying. I had a supervisor who did this while driving a TV live truck and he couldn't understand why it handled so poorly for him while I had no problems driving it.
Try driving with your arm braced against the window sill or something else so you can concentrate on keeping the steering wheel stationary and see if this helps.
Too little hitch weight will make the trailer unstable. Especially one that has a 29 ft. long box to catch wind and passing semi truck bow wakes. (29 ft. box + 3 ft tongue length)
Try adding cargo to the front of the trailer to bring the hitch weight up closer to 15% of the trailer weight. Adjust the equalizing bars so the truck and trailer are sitting level with the new weight and see if this improves the handling.
Here's a short video that demonstrates the concept of keeping the trailer weight ahead of the axles (i.e. by having sufficient hitch weight):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q
8muddypaws mentioned not to correct sway with the steering wheel. Sometimes you can induce sway without realizing it by making small steering corrections and then overcorrecting in the opposite direction to stay in the lane. In this case the trailer lags the changes in course of the tow vehicle, so by the time it changes direction you've twitched the steering wheel the opposite way, making the trailer appear to be swaying. I had a supervisor who did this while driving a TV live truck and he couldn't understand why it handled so poorly for him while I had no problems driving it.
Try driving with your arm braced against the window sill or something else so you can concentrate on keeping the steering wheel stationary and see if this helps.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
You need the actual [scaled] weight as you tow it, then figure the tongue (hitch weight) as 10%-12% of that. 12% of actual should yield good towing manners.
At a guess, a trailer that weighs 6300 lbs "dry" probably weighs 7500-8000 lbs loaded, which would yield a desirable tongue weight around 900-960 lbs.
At a guess, a trailer that weighs 6300 lbs "dry" probably weighs 7500-8000 lbs loaded, which would yield a desirable tongue weight around 900-960 lbs.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
LT (Light Truck) type rather than P (passenger) type. LT has stiffer sidewalls and a higher load rating.
grashley
Well-known member
Welcome to the Forum!
Before I bought a different tow vehicle, I suggest several much less expensive steps.
Verify the PROPER setup of the WD hitch. It is not hard, but it is easy to get careless (dealer) and not get it right. I am not an expert on setting them up, but others here are.
Verify tires are inflated to max inflation allowed on the SUV. Also check the load rating on the side of the tire and make sure it can carry the load. As others have said, it may still need LT tires to correct the issues you have.
The advertised hitch wt is useless. Same for dry wt. Nobody goes camping in an empty camper, so, as Gary said, the camper will likely weigh close to 8000 lbs when you go camping. That is what you are really towing. Make sure the hitch wt is 800 lbs or more, or it WILL tow horribly. Here is a link to how to weigh the hitch.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-how-to-determine-trailer-tongue-weight.aspx
Take it out for a test drive and see how it tows then.
To figure minimum payload required, add together weight of all passengers, pets, car seats, snacks, toys and other cargo in the SUV. Add 80# for the WD hitch. Add 10% - 12% of ACTUAL camper wt or measured hitch wt WHEN PACKED FOR CAMPING, making sure it is more than 10%
This would be 350# passengers, 200# misc cargo, 80# hitch, 900# hitch wt = 1530# minimum payload. My guess. Use your real numbers.
Before I bought a different tow vehicle, I suggest several much less expensive steps.
Verify the PROPER setup of the WD hitch. It is not hard, but it is easy to get careless (dealer) and not get it right. I am not an expert on setting them up, but others here are.
Verify tires are inflated to max inflation allowed on the SUV. Also check the load rating on the side of the tire and make sure it can carry the load. As others have said, it may still need LT tires to correct the issues you have.
The advertised hitch wt is useless. Same for dry wt. Nobody goes camping in an empty camper, so, as Gary said, the camper will likely weigh close to 8000 lbs when you go camping. That is what you are really towing. Make sure the hitch wt is 800 lbs or more, or it WILL tow horribly. Here is a link to how to weigh the hitch.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-how-to-determine-trailer-tongue-weight.aspx
Take it out for a test drive and see how it tows then.
To figure minimum payload required, add together weight of all passengers, pets, car seats, snacks, toys and other cargo in the SUV. Add 80# for the WD hitch. Add 10% - 12% of ACTUAL camper wt or measured hitch wt WHEN PACKED FOR CAMPING, making sure it is more than 10%
This would be 350# passengers, 200# misc cargo, 80# hitch, 900# hitch wt = 1530# minimum payload. My guess. Use your real numbers.
rbrdriver
Well-known member
Just go ahead and get a 1 ton dually and you will be able to handle that trailer and then later whatever bigger rig you move up to in the future...... 8)
rbrdriver
Well-known member
See how I solved that "problem" with some one else's money....... 8)
Gizmo100
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2018
- Posts
- 3,065
rbrdriver said:
Maybe the OP can get a student load to cover the cost...I mean he is getting an Education ;D ;D
Moving on....
I saw something today that made me think of this issue. A pickup truck pulling a TT. The truck was squatting pretty bad but worse the TT was leaning strongly to one side. It appeared that the trailer had a bunch of weight on just one side.
Oldgator73
Well-known member
Gizmo100 said:
That was me. I had a cow, two pigs and a horse in the TT. They must have slid over to the side when I made a sharp turn. As for the truck squatting, we carry a buffalo on the bed in the front of the TT. Idon?t Travel w/o the pets. ;D
Man, you have no idea how I appreciate the humor posts. They are relieving some of the financial pressure to rectify this issue. So here is where we are. We have realized the expedition can't do it and I have been presented with a really good offer (good friend at a dealership) to get either a 2016 Nissan Titan XD 5.6L gas or 5.0L Diesel. 5.6 has more payload but less towing. Gas model is a bit cheaper but both fit the specs needed as for payload and towing cap. Any opinions or experiences?
Oldgator73
Well-known member
mauracoog said:
You will learn that some of us on this forum can make fun of almost any situation. The reason being we have been in almost all of the situations posted here; and lived through it. In 1998 I purchased a 1 ton, crew cab Chevy with a diesel. Found the 5th wheel we wanted and when I went to pick it up I was told I would have to sign a letter stating I understood my truck was not rated to pull that 5th wheel. I traded that truck for a Dodge 2500 with the Cummins diesel. Cost me a small fortune. You gotta do what you gotta do. If either of the Nissans you are considering will comfortably handle your trailer and you are happy with the truck and the deal, then go for it.
I remember reading about people having some kind of handling problems with the Titan diesel. I would look into that before making a decision. but as others have said, if your first trailer is that big, i would consider getting a truck big enough to tow the NEXT trailer. It's amazing how fast a few years go by and then you could be in the same situation all over again.
Already have those. Would've been better off using my wife's student loan for a truck but it still wouldn't have covered the cost of a new truck.
"Maybe the OP can get a student load to cover the cost...I mean he is getting an Education ;D ;D
Moving on....
I saw something today that made me think of this issue. A pickup truck pulling a TT. The truck was squatting pretty bad but worse the TT was leaning strongly to one side. It appeared that the trailer had a bunch of weight on just one side."
"Maybe the OP can get a student load to cover the cost...I mean he is getting an Education ;D ;D
Moving on....
I saw something today that made me think of this issue. A pickup truck pulling a TT. The truck was squatting pretty bad but worse the TT was leaning strongly to one side. It appeared that the trailer had a bunch of weight on just one side."
grashley
Well-known member
Humor is a well documented stress reliever! It is a good way to break tension in tense situations. A good laugh makes you feel better.
And then there are Old Gators. ;D ;D
And then there are Old Gators. ;D ;D
