Does your Truck and trailer sway???

[plongson]

I have had an ongoing problem with my Dodge and pulling trailers that has me going nuts. It seems this truck is not as stable as it should be. Let me first say I have been pulling for 35 years and and use have a CDL. I have a 28' conventional travel trailer and this rig is so unstable at times it is a real "White Knuckler". I had the problem with my previous TT as well, so the issue is not with the trailer. The problem is "Yaw" (in aircraft terms) and sometimes to a lesser degree, sway. The rig has an EZ lift and an anti-sway bar plenty of tongue weight, 80 psi in the truck tires as well as the trailer. It seem the Michlines tires have a lot of sidewall flex. Going past big rigs and gusts of wind, the thing feels nearly uncontrolable, and never comfortable to drive. I need to check the track bar and tighting the sway bar has helped, but I could use some input. Does anyone else fight this problem, or are your rigs "Rock stable" when towing???

 

[EricBu12]

I have THE Solution for you!



The Hensley Hitch!



I don't have this personally, but I have a member friend that has had this for several yars. this hitch makes a TT feel like a 5th wheel. Also has a built in Equalizer bars.

This totally eliminates sway and Wiggle on the road.



http://www.hensleymfg.com/

 

[R-N-R]

I have the Hensley and it works great! 80 psi however did induce sway. I lowered my pressure to 70 psi and the sway dissappeared.



Bill

 

[new2dodge]

i have a 19ft tt and mine sways a little but not much. i'm going to check my track bar in the near future before i pull out to montana. as far as pulling locally with mild side winds, i have to pay more attenion but it's not unmanagable. (by the way i heard good things about the hitch mentoined in the previous post. )

 

[plongson]

Wahoo!!

WAHOO!! For nearly $3000. 00 I could get someone to tow for me!! It looks great But I will have to search for a less expensive solution.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The trailer suspension and weight distribution make a big difference. I tow a 21' Airstream with weight carrying ball only and get no sway. The carefully engineered weight distribution and the Henschen independent suspension axles help a lot. Leaf springs on trailers are short and very stiff, with no shocks as a rule. This is very bouncy and unstable. My car trailer has leaf suspension and is miserable to tow compared to the Airstream. Also the aerodynamics of the Airstream help with side winds particularly.

 

[Casey Balvert]

Have you actually taken the rig to a scale and checked the trailer total weight and the tongue weight. Two trailers could have light tongue weights making them susceptable to sway. It sounds like you are ok with the pressures in the tires.



Have you made any suspension modifications to the truck that might effect handling?



I would take the rig to the scale to start with. Even without a problem it is a good idea to insure proper loading and weight distribution. The weight distribution is the most common cause of the problem you are experiencing.



You should not feel uncomfortable towing.

 

[The patriot]

No sway whatsoever, even in strong crosswinds & highway speeds.

This is with my present TT. (see sig)

I did however buy a Reese weight dist. hitch when I bought the trailer.

With my last trailer, I just used a $29. 00 wallmart drop bar. It never swayed in the least, even at speeds that I had no business doing with it. (80+ MPH)This was a 24' Chateau.

I do not have the camper package.

I havent towed anything with the 1990 truck, so I dont know if it will be as stable as the 98, however I dont see why it wouldnt.

Eric



PS

The new TT dont have shocks and I dont think the tires are balanced.

 

[plongson]

I have made no changes to the suspension and the only change from stock is the replacement of the factory Michilins with new Michilins.

My EZ-Lift bars are rated 1000 lbs and seem just barely strong enough to lift the rig to level. It seems like I could go to a stronger bar but if it is level it should be good enough. Right??? Correct me if I'm wrong in this assumption... BUT... These darn Michilins sure seem soft on the sidewall... You push sideways on my truck and you have tons of sideways motion...

Push sideways on the back of your trucks at the tailgate and tell me if you guys get lots of motion... Maybe I can get a comparison... Thanks

 

[RustyJC]

Is your tongue weight (with WD bars disconnected/loose) at least 12% of the trailer's laden weight? From what you describe, it sounds like the tongue weight is too low.



Rusty

 

[kchristopher]

Originally posted by plongson

I have made no changes to the suspension and the only change from stock is the replacement of the factory Michilins with new Michilins.

Correct me if I'm wrong in this assumption... BUT... These darn Michilins sure seem soft on the sidewall... You push sideways on my truck and you have tons of sideways motion...

Just to ask the obvious, those Michelins aren't C range are they? Could be an easy goof for the tire store, even if you asked for E's.

 

[Ron Bissett]

Originally posted by plongson

I have had an ongoing problem with my Dodge and pulling trailers that has me going nuts. It seems this truck is not as stable as it should be. Let me first say I have been pulling for 35 years and and use have a CDL. I have a 28' conventional travel trailer and this rig is so unstable at times it is a real "White Knuckler". I had the problem with my previous TT as well, so the issue is not with the trailer. The problem is "Yaw" (in aircraft terms) and sometimes to a lesser degree, sway. The rig has an EZ lift and an anti-sway bar plenty of tongue weight, 80 psi in the truck tires as well as the trailer. It seem the Michlines tires have a lot of sidewall flex. Going past big rigs and gusts of wind, the thing feels nearly uncontrolable, and never comfortable to drive. I need to check the track bar and tighting the sway bar has helped, but I could use some input. Does anyone else fight this problem, or are your rigs "Rock stable" when towing???

Are the Tires LT or Trailer only ? Just a thought Light truck soft side wall trailre only stiff wall. Ron in Metro Louisville Ky.

 

[plongson]

Got "E" range on the truck and Goodyear trailer tires. The TT is only 2 months old.

 

[Casey Balvert]

Ideally your tongue weight should be 15% of the total trailer weight. In other words, if the trailer weighted 10,000 pounds then your tongue weight should be 1,500 pounds and never less than 1,000 pounds.



Casey

 

[The patriot]

My old TT (mentioned in my last post on this subject) had the best ride when I filled the water tank. It was in the front of the trailer.

The new one seems fine however I load it. Probably the weight dist hitch... .

Eric

 

[HBarlow]

I pull a 32' (actual length 32' 10") Avion TT. It is stable and secure in all weather with a Reese Dual Cam hitch assembly. The trailer also has one Reese friction sleeve sway control installed by the previous owner. I use it because it is there but it is not really needed. I previously owned a 34' Airstream that was stable with only the Reese Dual Cam hitch.



Harvey

 

[SilverFox]

Hensley Arrow

I tow my 30 ft. (not counting the tongue and hitch) Arctic Fox TT using a Hensley and it is truly rock steady. I use 65 lbs. of air pressure in all 6 truck tires. That's all that is required for my truck's gross weight of 12,000 lbs. Any more air pressure and everything gets a hard ride. 65 psi of air pressure is equal to the axle limits so no point in going more unless you go to heaver axles.

If you can wait until Dec. , Hensley usually has a sell that month and you can get a hitch for $2495. 00. Easy payments too. You might find a good used one for $500. 00 less than that.

If you decide on a Hensley, your sway is over.

 

[R-N-R]

The two negative things that I have found with my Hensley was the price and how long it took me to become proficient with hooking up. I do use a Fast Hitch mirror and a Tongue Twister which makes things go alot easier. Now, I can usually hook up on the first pass by myself but it took a lot of practice. I also find the three year old faded orange paint and rust spots annoying, but nothing I can't fix if I get motivated to do so.



The sway control is the main feature of the Hensley, and the weight distribution is a given. The hidden treasures are the turning radius and how the TT tracks behind you.



When I was shopping a few years ago, I found a Pullrite for about $1600. My concerns with the unit was that it was vehicle specific with limited turning radius. I believe that these may no longer be issues though. I've also read that the Reese/Drawtight Dual Cam system works very well.



I purchased my Hensley in March for $2450, picked it up and installed it myself, then returned to their shop for an adjustment session. I found their customer service to be top notch.



I have stock michelin E rated tires. 80psi was definitely too much. I have to agree that 65psi all the way around works about best for me.



Good luck,

Bill

 

[KKaiser]

Tire Pressure

How does tire pressure add to sway problems? I normally run 80 while towing but I am plagued by a see-sawing issue. Would trying a lower pressure perhaps help me here? Sway has never really been a problem other than in high winds.



Thanks,

KK

 

[R-N-R]

Sorry, but I do not know the technical explanation. 80 psi definitely induced sway for me though, all the white knuckle stories that I've read about, wind, semi passing, etc... I drove it that way for about a 3/4 tank of fuel. When I dropped to 70psi the sway disappeared again.



I thought that I would try 80psi to improve fuel mileage. I've read about a number of TDR members running this high and I have never read about it causing sway. Go Figure... .