My tow rig

[SGBARRACUDA]

It was suggested I post the article I posted in another forum here so here it is. Any help or feedback on some of the things you have tried and worked or didn't work would be apreciated





I just return from my shake down trip with my new Toy hauler. I have a 07 Dodge 4x4 CTD SRW Quad cab short bed with the 48re trans 3. 73 gears and 18x9 DC-1 mags and 285 x75x 18 BFG AT tires. The trailer is a tag 30 WR work and play by Forest River which measures 35. 8' from ball mount to tail gate. Trailer weight is 8100 lbs empty and a GVWR of 13,500. I figure the weight as pulled was 11-12K. For an estimated total weight truck and trailer of 19-20K.

Now for the problems I need your advise on.

1) I found out that when I removed the muffler back when it was new crated a terrible DRONE in the cab while pulling the trailer so I need to ad a good non restrictive muffler that will help kill the DRONE.

2) While I had a load leveling Reese hitch i didn't have any form of sway control. At 65 -70 it wanted to start swaying especially when be passed by a semi. So i need a sway control suggestion.

3) I need a little more towing power aqnd was thinking about a Smarty jr?

4) Trans felt like a slush box with poor shift timing and quality even in tow/haul mode. Any suggestions.

One more thing My truck has the towing package but came with regular mirrors so I need a pair of flip out electric/heated mirrors.

Thanks for your time and any help you can give.

 

[EricBu12]

The Muffler. . An Allied 4" Straight through muffler... Is fairly quiet unless you get on it but no drone.

The Sway Control: Since you have big, AT Tires, that is what I would change to a towing tire but if that is not poss. , get the Hensley hitch. . it is exspensive but worth it for the weight and cost of the trailer...

Trailer Sway Elimination Guaranteed - Hensley® the ONLY trailer hitch guaranteed to totally eliminate trailer sway.

Don't know anything on the 48 RFE but others can chime in. . The power boxes do well. . I guess. .

I got the flip up mirrors online and then got the other parts from the dealers. . worked good.

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

I'll check on the hitch system. The tires I have really aren't that big,they measure 32. 6".

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

Well today I bought a Reese #66074 12k WD hitch system and the #26002 Dual Cam anti sway kit. I'm also ordering the Timbrens for the rear. It may be a while before i get it out on the road but when i do I'll post the results.

 

[HBarlow]

You purchased the best trailer towing hitch assembly for the money. Properly set up it will eliminate sway very effectively.

Oversized soft-walled tires are not a good choice for towing.

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

You purchased the best trailer towing hitch assembly for the money. Properly set up it will eliminate sway very effectively.



Oversized soft-walled tires are not a good choice for towing.

Thanks, I've heard and read nothing but good about the dual cam set up. The tires I have are 32. 6 tall and load range E, you think those are to big for towing?

 

[HBarlow]

If they are LRE they may be okay. Inflate them to max or near max inflation pressure when towing to avoid side wall flexing.

You'll know better once you get the hitch set up properly and do some towing on a day with blustering quartering winds.

Did anyone explain how to set up the Reese hitch?

 

[AH64ID]

For a hitch I suggest the Equal-i-zer brand hitch, its the most effective of the "traditional" style, and comes in a 1,400/14,000 lb size, and can be had for under $600.

The Smarty Jr would do what you want, but I would put a little $$ into the 48RE first, like a VB and TQ converter.

I don't see the tire size listed that you put, so I am guessing 285/65/18's, and they are rated for 3640lbs, so you have no issues there.

Good luck.

EDIT:

I missed where you bought the Reese. I would say you went too small on the hitch, if the trailer has a 13. 5K GVWR you need a hitch that big. A properly loaded 12K lb trailer should have 1,200lbs - 1,800lbs of tongue weight, and thats more than the Reese you bought is rated for. While it will be hard to find one that goes to 1,800lbs, I would want at least a 1,400/14K hitch.

The Reese will probably fine, but you will be operating it at 100% of its rating.

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

If they are LRE they may be okay. Inflate them to max or near max inflation pressure when towing to avoid side wall flexing.



You'll know better once you get the hitch set up properly and do some towing on a day with blustering quartering winds.



Did anyone explain how to set up the Reese hitch?

I watched a video on line but I'mm all ears if you have some info, Thanks.

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

For a hitch I suggest the Equal-i-zer brand hitch, its the most effective of the "traditional" style, and comes in a 1,400/14,000 lb size, and can be had for under $600.



The Smarty Jr would do what you want, but I would put a little $$ into the 48RE first, like a VB and TQ converter.



I don't see the tire size listed that you put, so I am guessing 285/65/18's, and they are rated for 3640lbs, so you have no issues there.



Good luck.



EDIT:



I missed where you bought the Reese. I would say you went too small on the hitch, if the trailer has a 13. 5K GVWR you need a hitch that big. A properly loaded 12K lb trailer should have 1,200lbs - 1,800lbs of tongue weight, and thats more than the Reese you bought is rated for. While it will be hard to find one that goes to 1,800lbs, I would want at least a 1,400/14K hitch.



The Reese will probably fine, but you will be operating it at 100% of its rating.

I figure I'm in the 11-12K GVWR with what I tow. If I need more Reese makes 15K bars also. tongue weight is 1025lbs. The 12K is rated for 1200. Thanks--Roy

 

[HBarlow]

The purpose of the Reese hitch, or any weight distributing hitch for that matter, is to redistribute part of the trailer's tongue weight to the truck's front axle so that all the weight is not suspended behind the axle acting as a lever lifting weight from the front steer axle. The idea is to distribute weight, some to the front axle and some to the rear axle of the tow vehicle.

With a car, Suburban, or 1/2 ton pickup it is easier than with a Ram 2500 because the former named vehicles have relatively soft suspension while your Ram does not and their springs compress much easier.

With a car or light truck you measure from pavement to bottom edge of the front and rear bumpers of the tow vehicle with the trailer disconnected and record the measurements. Then drop the trailer tongue on the ball and measure again. You'll see some drop at the truck's rear but the front axle might rise a small amount.

Experiment by tightening the Reese chains. The greater the number of spare links are hanging out of the flip over brackets, loose and untensioned, the tighter the tension bars and the greater amount of weight shifted forward to the TV's front axle and back to the trailer.

Your goal should be to cause the front suspension to compress slightly, perhaps only 1/2". That will prove all the trailer tongue weight is not on the rear axle.

You probably already know, never lube the cams on the Reese dual cam.

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

Thanks for the info. On the Video I watched they took the measurements from the fenderwells. With the trailer sitting level the measurement to the top of the ball socket is 27 1/2" so i'm going with 28-29" on the truck to the top of the ball.

 

[AH64ID]

I figure I'm in the 11-12K GVWR with what I tow. If I need more Reese makes 15K bars also. tongue weight is 1025lbs. The 12K is rated for 1200. Thanks--Roy

Thats pretty light on the tongue. Any way to increase it? I always thought you wanted 10-15% tongue weight?

Your goal should be to cause the front suspension to compress slightly, perhaps only 1/2". That will prove all the trailer tongue weight is not on the rear axle.

Can you get your front to compress? I never can get mine to compress at all, even with a huge amount of tension on the bars the front isn't compressed, and thats with too much tension, lifts the rear 2" with 600lbs of tongue.



The couple times I have had my front axle at GAWR it hasn't been compressed more than 1/2"... Its amazing how stiff those springs are?

 

[SGBARRACUDA]

Thats pretty light on the tongue. Any way to increase it? I always thought you wanted 10-15% tongue weight?



Yes there is a way I can increase the tongue weight. My toy hauler has a generator platform on the tongue and as of yet I havn't bought one. But yes i will be adding 250- 300 lbs to it. On my first trip i was hauling a Polaris Ranger in the back. I'm sure the added weight of the generator up front will help.

 

[Matt400]

If I were to do another muffler I would give the Donaldson M100580 a try. It's 5" in/out so an adapter would be needed but flow is excellent and sound cancellation very good. Going 5" all the way will make even more drone.



Another option I have used is the Donaldson M090544 which is 4" in/out. A more easy fit with less sound cancellation than the other I mentioned and also more restriction but far less than stock IMO.



A tighter converter would put more power to the ground and be more useful than a power adder IMO.

 

[HBarlow]

Thats pretty light on the tongue. Any way to increase it? I always thought you wanted 10-15% tongue weight?



Can you get your front to compress? I never can get mine to compress at all, even with a huge amount of tension on the bars the front isn't compressed, and thats with too much tension, lifts the rear 2" with 600lbs of tongue.

The couple times I have had my front axle at GAWR it hasn't been compressed more than 1/2"... Its amazing how stiff those springs are?

I don't know if you can depress the front springs. They may not as you said. I was trying to express the principles involved in setting up the hitch. I suppose if some of the sag at the rear is eliminated by the wd hitch chains being tightened some weight is moved forward whether the front springs will depress or not.

I've never owned a Ram 2500. When I pulled conventional trailers with my own Ram 3500 I used a Reese hitch only because I owned one and wanted the sway control function so all I did was tension the bars enough to cause them to deflect and called it good. Never measured for spring compression. When I hauled trailers commercially I didn't use any weight distribution or sway control at all. Neither is really needed on a dually.

 

[AH64ID]

I don't know if you can depress the front springs. They may not as you said. I was trying to express the principles involved in setting up the hitch. I suppose if some of the sag at the rear is eliminated by the wd hitch chains being tightened some weight is moved forward whether the front springs will depress or not.

I've never owned a Ram 2500. When I pulled conventional trailers with my own Ram 3500 I used a Reese hitch only because I owned one and wanted the sway control function so all I did was tension the bars enough to cause them to deflect and called it good. Never measured for spring compression. When I hauled trailers commercially I didn't use any weight distribution or sway control at all. Neither is really needed on a dually.

Gotcha, I understand the principal, just wanted to make sure I wasn't screwing something up.

2500's and 3500's SRW/DRW all sport the same front springs, so it should be the same. (3rd gen)

I understand the sway on a dually, but the weight distro should be the same as a 3500 SRW, the springs are only 7. 7% stiffer, hardly enough to negate any sort of weight distro?

I know that when I tow my relatively light TT on just a stinger (to/from storage or dump) it bounces an amazing amount on uneven roads, the weight distro takes 90% of that out.