Towing

[dmflt]

Nother newbie here. After some explanation, I have a question.

I've towed several small travel trailers with no ill effects. Just purchased a 35' super lite bla bla bla. I'm towing with a 07 Tundra that has a capacity rating of 10,600 lbs. Trailer dry is 74 and some change. At this very moment, I can't remember the brand of weight distribution hitch but it's a good one. I had the hitch expert at the dealer check it all out while hooked up and he said everything looked great.

My deal is; while towing now I can feel weird sensations in the towing vehicle that I haven't experienced in the past. When big trucks take the air off me, my truck feels like it wants to drift. It doesn't, but it sure feels like it could swap lanes on me.

The hitch guy told me that was normal and I should be fine and that I would 'get used to' it. :

My question is; Is he right? Is it something that I will get used to, or is it not normal? I realize I'm catching a lot more air now but it just doesn't feel comfortable. I don't feel like I have total control.

Ok, I know you guys have answered this a thousand times, but like I said, I'm new. Please feed me your thoughts.

Thanks in advance

 

[Water Dog]

What is your trailers gross vehile weight rating? The dry weight means almost nothing.

 

[Ned]

Better yet, what does the trailer actually weigh ready for travel and what is the hitch weight?  It sounds like you have too little weight on the hitch.

 

[dmflt]

Sorry for the delay...my wife took over my computer when she came in from work.

The trailer weight is 7460 lbs. Hitch weight is 795 lbs.

 

[dmflt]

I actually believe there is too much weight on the bumper because the front end of the truck feels light.

 

[Ned]

The trailer experts here will be along soon but it sounds like the weight distribution hitch isn't set right.

 

[Frizlefrak]

A handful of questions if you don't mind......

Does the truck look level? 

When you say the truck feels like it wants to drift, do you mean the steering feels light....light the front end is "porpoising"? 

Does the rear of the trailer sway? 

When a semi passes you, does the entire truck and trailer feel like it wants to drift toward the semi as it approaches and away as it exits? 

How fast are you towing?

 

[Water Dog]

Are these scaled weights or the weights that are on your trailer documentation?

 

[dmflt]

A handful of questions if you don't mind......

Does the truck look level? 

When you say the truck feels like it wants to drift, do you mean the steering feels light....light the front end is "porpoising"? 

Does the rear of the trailer sway? 

When a semi passes you, does the entire truck and trailer feel like it wants to drift toward the semi as it approaches and away as it exits? 

How fast are you towing?

Truck and trailer are level.

Yes on steering feels light.

No on trailer sway.

Yes on both accounts with the big rig passing question.

Traveling at 60-65mph.

 

[dmflt]

GVW=9000

 

[Marc L]

Ideally, you should go to a commercial scale and get the truck and trailer weighed as it is loaded to hit the road. 
If you can weight just the trailer axles while hooked up, and weight the entire trailer unhooked, the difference between unhooked and hooked is your tongue weight.  That number should be 10 to 15% of the unhooked(total) weight.  If it's not, moved some gear/cargo/stuff from the back to the front of the trailer until it is.

You can also weight the tongue by itself at the house using a bathroom scale (http://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx), but without the actual weight of the trailer loaded, it's not a very useful unless it's less than 10% of the dry weight, then you know your tongue is way too light.

You could also just move some stuff to the front without weighing to see if it makes a difference, but it would be best to know for sure.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Check the setting of your equalizing arms on the hitch.  They're designed to force the front of the truck lower - i.e. compress the front springs more, a.k.a. transfer weight to the front axle.

Their setting can change between an empty trailer (as the dealer set it up on his lot) and what the trailer weighs loaded with your stuff because your hitch weight normally changes after you get your stuff loaded.

Back the truck under the hitch, and measure the truck's height at the front and rear bumpers.  Now hitch up and measure the heights again.  If the equalizing arms are properly set, the truck should settle evenly - going down the same amount in both front and back.  The height difference may be small, so measure accurately.

What you don't want is the front end height increasing - that is, less weight on the front axle than without the trailer.  If this happens, make the equalizing bars tighter by drawing them up more.

You also don't want to remove weight from the drive wheels, which will happen if the arms are too tight.

 

[Tom]

Adding to Lou's comments, here's an article in our forum library on adjusting a weight distributing hitch.

 

[Derby6]

At a glance, I'd say a 35' trailer that is probably about 9K loaded is waaaaay to much for a Toyota Tundra.  Looking, the only Toyota tundra that that is rated for 10600lbs is the SR5 King double.  The other Tundra's with the same wheelbase and everything come in at 8000lbs or 5100lbs.
I think you are going to be hard pressed to ever get that truck to ever pull that trailer comfortably--level and with out any (or at least minimal) sway.  Even the most experienced of drivers pulling trailers wouldn't get used to and feel comfortable driving that combo down the highway.

 

[Gerry R]

Why are people so reluctant to weigh their tow vehicle and trailer loaded as they intend to use it to actually find out if they are within specs and balanced correctly? I weigh my rig whenever it's loaded different and sometimes to recheck. It's only safety.

 

[berky]

At a glance, I'd say a 35' trailer that is probably about 9K loaded is waaaaay to much for a Toyota Tundra.  Looking, the only Toyota tundra that that is rated for 10600lbs is the SR5 King double.  The other Tundra's with the same wheelbase and everything come in at 8000lbs or 5100lbs.
I think you are going to be hard pressed to ever get that truck to ever pull that trailer comfortably--level and with out any (or at least minimal) sway.  Even the most experienced of drivers pulling trailers wouldn't get used to and feel comfortable driving that combo down the highway.

X2. I tow a 7000# TT (loaded) with a 1/2 ton Silverado rated at 9600#.  I am right at the TV's limit for GVWR and FAWR.

There's a whole lot of surface area on a 35' TT. A passing truck is going to put a lot of force on that area. I can felt it even on my 26' TT.  I can only imagine what it would feel like with a 35' TT.

If starting out with 800# dry tongue weight, that means a loaded tongue weight of more like 1000#. With a 1/2 ton TV, that means there's about 500# left for one driver, one passenger, a full tank of gas, and NOTHING else.  If you're running down the road with any more than that, you're overloaded.

You could try putting LT tires on the TV.  They won't give you any more load capacity, but they'll take away some of the squirm that you get with P tires.

Don't rely on the dealer's WDH setup.  Mine wasn't right from the dealer.  Do it yourself using the link from the other poster.  Don't end up with a front end lower than the the TV's unloaded weight.  1/2 ton TV's have very little spare capacity in the front axle.

Bottom line if you must stick with your present rig:  Set the WDH right, no cargo in the bed of the truck, and drive 55 MPH.

 

[John From Detroit]

Why are people so reluctant to weigh their tow vehicle and trailer loaded as they intend to use it to actually find out if they are within specs and balanced correctly? I weigh my rig whenever it's loaded different and sometimes to recheck. It's only safety.

Two answers:

1: They are afraid that they will find they are overweight and figure ignorance is better than knowledge.. (YES, I know, don't say it, Stupid right?)

2: The natural avoidance to doing it the proper way or spending a few dollars on the scale fee. (See comment on answer 1).

 

[dmflt]

X2. I tow a 7000# TT (loaded) with a 1/2 ton Silverado rated at 9600#.  I am right at the TV's limit for GVWR and FAWR.

There's a whole lot of surface area on a 35' TT. A passing truck is going to put a lot of force on that area. I can felt it even on my 26' TT.  I can only imagine what it would feel like with a 35' TT.

If starting out with 800# dry tongue weight, that means a loaded tongue weight of more like 1000#. With a 1/2 ton TV, that means there's about 500# left for one driver, one passenger, a full tank of gas, and NOTHING else.  If you're running down the road with any more than that, you're overloaded.

You could try putting LT tires on the TV.  They won't give you any more load capacity, but they'll take away some of the squirm that you get with P tires.

Don't rely on the dealer's WDH setup.  Mine wasn't right from the dealer.  Do it yourself using the link from the other poster.  Don't end up with a front end lower than the the TV's unloaded weight.  1/2 ton TV's have very little spare capacity in the front axle.

Bottom line if you must stick with your present rig:  Set the WDH right, no cargo in the bed of the truck, and drive 55 MPH.

This has been the best response "for me" as yet.

I have measured the drop when hooking the WDH. I know it's right. What I'm getting out of this is, most of you assume that I have over-loaded, or that my TV isn't up to the task. I have wondered that myself, but I can assure you that I haven't over-loaded and I have owned trucks in the 250 class, and I tow heavier loads than my TT. I have checked the towing capacity on all the HD trucks, and none can match the Tundra. The Tundra has more ft lbs of torque than any of the other HD vehicles in the 250 range.  I don't have any problem with power. I did put 10 ply tires on the truck and it did help some because I can safely put more air in them. I will admit that the Tundra probably isn't as strong in the rear suspension as a HD vehicle, although with the towing package, they make it stronger than the ordinary 1/2 ton truck, which they claim matches a 3/4 ton.

My question was; is it normal to feel the suck and push when a big rig passes. From here, and talking to friends who have large TTs, I have gotten my answer....it is normal.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Gord N.]

Why are people so reluctant to weigh their tow vehicle and trailer loaded as they intend to use it to actually find out if they are within specs and balanced correctly? I weigh my rig whenever it's loaded different and sometimes to recheck. It's only safety.

Hi Gerry:
Frankly, it may not be as easy as you find it to be where you are.  For instance, in my area (within 30 to 50 miles, there are probably 10 to 12 Government Weigh Scales for "Commercial" Truck traffic, 6 or seven private scales at Gravel Pits, and 5 or 6 scales at Lumber Mills/SawMills for their own haulers (logs in  and lumber out).  None of these are accessible to the public.  There is even a scale at a local garbage dump that weighs incoming loads for assessing payment.  None of these many scales are accessible to me as a general member of the public, for the purpose of weighing my rig.  I have not been able to locate a scale that I could weigh my truck and trailer combo at. 
My rig was weighted (5th wheel only) at a gravel contractor because the person I bought it from was a paving contractor himself and he was able to get access to the scale through convincing one of the employees to stay after work and do it for him.  I have those weigh results and I will just have to rely on the stated weights of my truck on the vehicle sticker on the door post, for now.

I should say that I am in Canada, province of British Columbia.  I am not saying they don't exist, but they must think it is hunting season because they seem to be concealing themselves behind excellent camoflage. 

Gord

 

[Alfa38User]

Try looking up C.A.T. scales in your area. Many truck stops like Flying J  have scales accessible to the public.

Have you checked the highway scales when the weigh station is closed? Many scales are left on when the weigh station is closed and you may be able to reach them if the the approach is not gated or chained off... which is, unfortunately, too often the case around here.      Just a thought!!