First time towing camper

[PaulG]

okay i have a few questions,

1) my 200 ram isn't set up with a rear sway bar, should i buy one?



2) do i need the weight distribution bars for my camper



camper specs:



2001 30' fleetwood prowler

weight 5,300 pounds dry

tounge weight roughly 550-600 lbs





the dealer i bought camper told me good idea to have distribution bars want to know if this is true. thanks for the help



truck is a 2000 2500 ext cab 4X4 listed below

 

[DPelletier]

Paul,

- 1) I would only think you would need the rear sway bar with a large weight in the box (i. e. slide-in camper). I would, however, make sure that my load range E tires are aired up to near max to prevent undo tire-induced sway.



- 2) Yes. Bottom line is that your hitch is rated at 500 lbs tongue weight and 5000 lbs towing without the bars. Your camper if 5,300 dry, probably weighs about 6,000 to 6,500 wet and loaded. Tongue weight should be between 10 and 15% of the GVW of the trailer. So for example take your weight at 6,250 and use 12%, you get 750 lbs tongue weight and it could be even more (up to 1,000 lbs). With the weight distributing hitch and bars you're good for 1,000 lbs tongue and 10,000 lbs towing. Make sure you get the right bars for your trailer size.



Hope this helps.



Dave

 

[JDougherty]

IMO the distribution bars are a good idea to keep down some bouncy effect. also it has been my experience that it will tow straighter with the bars.



are they needed, i tow 9000 lbs boat on all the time with out it.



hope that helps

 

[PaulG]

yes that helps guys thanks

actuall fully load the trailer is like 7,400 it says .

i just was looking at the number from fleetwood for this trailer and they said 550 lbs for tounge weight so i figured i'd ask people knowing alot of you tow often.



i was wondering about the rear sway bar cause mine didn't come with it and for $160 wasn't a big expense would that price actual be money well spent if you know what i mean. just heard 30' trailer get pushed around some but also heard sway bars for trailer suck big time and really don't need them on 30 footer.

 

[DPelletier]

Keep in mind that trailer "sway bars" and weight distributing hitch bars are not necessarily the same thing. Please don't take this personally, JDougherty, but I sure wouldn't want to have a tongue weight of over 1000 lbs on a 500 lb rated hitch. I paid too much for my trailer and all the toys in it! FWIW, we ripped the hitch out of the frame on my buddies chevy. His tongue weight was in the 750 lb range, but to be completely honest, the rough road and the 18" hitch extension also played a big part.

Scary, nonetheless!!

Dave

 

[JDougherty]

my tongue weight is only about 600lbs fully loaded... most of the aluminum trailers down here have most of the weight on the axles and not on the tongue. reason being is people is florida are crazy ... the guy that had this boat before me towed it with a tundra. that is prolly why the light tongue.



dpelletier... think about the exponential effect of an 18" hitch extension on a tongue... . no comparison!!!

 

[PaulG]

i know for a fact a 5,000 pound towing hitch can handle 8,000 pounds towing with weight distribution bars.

 

[DPelletier]

PaulG,

As I said, the 500/5000 Class IV is rated at 1000/10000 with the weight distribution bars. You're right 8000 lbs is no problem with the bars.

JDougherty,

Common trailer wisdom suggests tongue weight in the 10% - 15% range, which would put your 9000 lb trailer's tongue at 900 - 1350 lbs. At 600 lbs, you're only at 7% and I agree that 600 lbs shouldn't be a big deal (they have at least some safety margin) without the bars. But your first post didn't give the tongue weight and I wouldn't want to give someone the idea that they should have 1000 pounds plus on the factory hitch without the bars.

As far as my buddy's chevy goes, I know the hitch extension (and associated leverage) combined with the rough road were primarily responsible for the failure (well, that and the fact its a chevy! ), but my point was for those that think these hitches can take two or three times the rated load without worrying about potential failure. Anyway, I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers.



Cheers



Dave

 

[PaulG]

oh heck no, no feathers ruffled here just wanted to point out the few facts i actually did know

 

[Berrigan]

In my experience the rear sway bars in the truck help for big slide in campers but dont help at all with trailer sway. The only real help for that is the trailer sway bar setup. Most top notch shops will recommend 1 sway bar up to 25 foot of trailer length and 2 for trailers longer. My last trailer still swayed when an 18 wheeler passed, and I had a weight distributing hitch, dual sway bars, factory Dodge rear sway bars, all on a dually. Then I bought a 5th wheel that was 10 feet longer than the old trailer and it does not sway at all. Bill

 

[JNailor]

Towing

Paul,

I must disagree with the tire pressure reply. A properly used weight distributing hitch will only add a few hundred pounds to the rear axle. Fully inflated tires will pull half the tread off the road. I generally tow with 55 lbs. in the rear.

My hitch is a Reese Dual-Cam set-up. I really like it. When I first got my trailer 17 years ago, I drove over three miles on the Jersey Turnpike at 70 with no hands!

I hope you have an enjoyable time with your rig. It takes a little time to get the bugs out of the hitch set-up sometimes, and not all dealers go the extra mile. If you can't tow relaxed and stress free, something is wrong.

Don't let anyone try to tell you different!

Dana

 

[DPelletier]

Dana,

Depends on the load. I had my 2500 at 10,000 gvw. Tires needed to be at 80 psi. With a slide in camper and the weight up high, it was important to limit tire squirm. Contact patch at 80 psi was perfect as well as wear.

FWIW, the weight distributing hitch doesn't add anything to the rear axle, thats the whole point. They transfer some of the weight to the front axle on the truck.



Dave

 

[PaulG]

when i'm asking about a sway bar for the truck i know it has nothing to do with sway for the trailer.

but a better handling truck will be able to had any sway from a trailer better if that makes sence the way i just said it.



i have to disagree with the statement that i will need sway bars for my trailer. i've towed a 30' car trailer loaded total weight roughly 7,000lbs and now sway. now to be honest i havn't driven it for a long trip but still havn't had problems.

now from what i heard campers tow alot differant that a fully enclosed car trailer. just so happens this car trailer empty weight is the same as my camper so thats why i use it as a comparison.

 

[JNailor]

Dave,

You are right. I misunderstood your reply since Paul was talking about a trailer.



Paul,

I don't think the sway bar for the truck axle would be needed. I do think weight distributing hitch bars are needed though. I do disagree with Dave here. Properly set up they should put 33% of the tongue weight on each axle. (Front, rear and trailer axles. )

Dana

 

[DPelletier]

Dana, I don't have a problem with your 33% thing as ideal. What I am saying is that without the bars, all the tongue weight is on the tow vehicles rear axle. In fact, you are actually unweighting the front axle. If you don't believe me, check it at the scales. Anyway, when you use the spring-steel weight distributing bars, you are taking some of the tongue weight on the rear axle and transfering it to the front axle (as well as some back to the trailer axles). The best way to visualize it is to imagine what would happen if the tongue weight was large enought to lift the front tires of the truck off the ground. Its a simple lever arrangement with the rear axle as the pivot point.



I agree with your assessment. Get the WD bars and don't worry about sway bars unless you experience a problem.



Dave