1st Time Out With Reese Dual Cam

[boubou]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

Is this the floor plan of your trailer ??

<img src="http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8182"/>

Yes is

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by boubou

And yes, (i just checked) and front axle is 3900 like the back. Does it have to do because it's a 4x4?

Looking at my numbers, I only have 100 lbs. difference between the front and back GAWRs.....I thought it was more that that. The front end has to carry the engine weight, so it makes sense.

Originally Posted by boubou

The more I think about it, the more stuff I can think of moving to the back of the trailer. From what I've been reading, most people tend to load up front of tt for extra tongue weight. Well, I had all food, dishes, blankets, loaded upfront each side of the bed.

Moving the heavy stuff towards the back of the trailer would be an easy way to lessen the tongue weight, but I am still not convinced you have an abnormally high tongue weight until you reconfirm with your next weigh-ins with similar loads.

Regardless, you do not want to get the tongue weight below 10% of the total trailer weight, and 12% is probably a more realistic and better towing percentage. I am right around 12.7%, and my rig tows sweet.

[boubou]

I doubt I'll be able to bring the numbers that low. This list is pretty much what was loaded in tt at weigh in. I'll load differently tomrrow and see what difference it will make if any.
Yes first trip camping in a trailer ever. The drive was really good, we chose a KOA close to home (ivy Lea) about an hour's drive. The drive on the highway was good, semi trucks passing us (we kept speed at 55 mph) abd felt no sway or anything. We lucked out for first time with a pull thru site and leveling was a breeze. Slept really good as well, we added a 3 inch memory foam
Matress and the dogs behaved lol. Going back home tomorrow. This was a practice run for us see how to do everything.
I find it all very confusing and am frazled by it. I wish i had picked a light trailer but i didn't and now have to make this one work. I would have like a 20% safety margin but from the sound of it, looks more luke I'm in the red

I loaded most stuff up front because the slide out was closed and takes the whole floor space so no room to move lol.
I didn't think I had this much i the trailer but lets see:
A plastic bin with hoses, plastic chocks, hammer, scredriver, level, flashlight. Plastic
Lego blocks for levelling. 50" 30 amp power cord (that't heavy), a 25" 30 amp power cord. 4 chairs. Not all that much. At the front of tt inside: a bit of dog food, people food cooler, 1 small dry food box , 1 pot, 1 frying pan, 2 plates, 2 bowls, 4 mugs, utensils, sleeping bag, sheets, 4 pillows, 4 lawn chairs, small space heater, small door mat, coffee maker, 2 small empty garbage cans..
It doesn't seem that much to me but I guess it all adds up.
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...icture2664.png

[kandl]

boubou, for consolation, the DW, three Shelties and I have just returned from 3 weeks and 4600 km pulling a Rockwood 8293RKSS loaded to approx 7K lbs with a 09 1500 CC Dodge Ram. The trip included some of the gnarliest climbs and worst roads that BC and Alberta has to respectively offer. We too are employing the Reese dual cam with... 800 lb bars. We're far from classifying ourselves as RV veterans but have come a long way in that regard during this recent excursion and as such I'll advocate that your TV is more than up to the task of lugging your TT. The biggest issue with the 4th gen Ram 1500 as a TV is the fact that it is so lightly sprung - part of the reason it rides so nice without a load. Notwithstanding, and something I plan to address going forward, the Ram performed beyond my expectations given that we were exercising her maximum capabilities.

Cheers

[boubou]

Originally Posted by kandl

boubou, for consolation, the DW, three Shelties and I Cheers

3 shelties? You are brave! We have a sheltie and a chihuahua and they are pretty loud together. They behaved a lot better than expected, gettimg used to all the people going by. We could never really bring them in hotels because every little noise set them off so this is why we got a trailer.

Originally Posted by kandl

have just returned from 3 weeks and 4600 km pulling a Rockwood 8293RKSS loaded to approx 7K lbs with a 09 1500 CC Dodge Ram. The trip included some of the gnarliest climbs and worst roads that BC and Alberta has to respectively offer. We too are employing the Reese dual cam with... 800 lb bars.
Cheers

Reassuring the 800 lbs worked but Not worried about the power at all, worried about my TW. The Shasta dry TW is 750 lbs. The reese hitch and bars weigh what? 15 or 20 lbs? The bars? 7 or 10 lbs each? 2X30 lbs propane tanks.
So about 850 lbs TW and nothing in the TT yet.

Mistake: Even tough I though most of my stuff was light, I put everythimg up front the trailer (because the slide was closed and no room to go through the back) and also because I (have no clue and) read most people load up front to avoid sway. Monkey see monkey do.

So today, I'll load everything in the middle and back and go weigh in.
Not concerned about going below recommended 10% as dry hitch weigh because we know the TT weighs 6040 lbs loaded and the hitch is about 850 lbs. That's about 14% before I put gear up front. Does that make any sense?

[boubou]

so, went to the scales again. Not sure it's an improvement (I still get confused looking at the numbers.)

truck with hitch attached, DH, 2 dogs, (plus 135 lbs me, the guy weight before I had time to get on scale, I had to get off to push button with snow brush, too hight! rofl), add 135 lbs to steer axle for me? the numbers I write here are the numbers on the paper.

steer axle : 3440 (+ 135 lbs = 3475 with me?)
Drive axle: 2600
gross weight : 6040

Truck and trailer together, stuff all loaded on trailer axles.

Steer axle 3320
Drive axle 3460
trailer axle 5140
gross weight 11920

This is stressing me out, do I need to get another trailer?

[MtnGuy]

1st off, you don't need to get another trailer.

If you were off of the scales when you pushed the button, then you will need to add ~2/3 of your weight to the front axle, and 1/3 to the rear.

For the time being, we are going to leave you out of this, since you were not on the scales either time.

Calculated, your tongue is adding 740 lbs. to your truck. (Your 2 axles with the trailer attached minus your 2 truck axles without the trailer). Comparing to my own figures, you are probably in the 850 lb. actual tongue weight area, since it appears that you had the WDH hooked up during your weigh-in. You do not have all of the lost weight back on the front axle yet....you are still lacking 120 lbs.

I think you were using 6 chain lengths, so maybe 1st trying 5 lengths would put some more weight back on the front truck axle, and throw a little more weight back on the trailer axles. And you could tilt the head assembly back a notch to see if that helps. But now knowing your tongue is probably over 800 lbs., then 1200 lb. bars might be a better option.

You are still over the GVWR of your truck. Throwing some weight back on the trailer axles once you get the WDH tweaked will take some of that weight away, but some things in your truck bed may need to travel in your trailer to keep the truck GVWR in range.

[boubou]

We had 12 (well 6 full beer left) pack of beer and small cooler in back kf truck. Thet and the hitch in the back. I can move the cooler and beer in the tt but how am i ever going to be able to have an extra 180 lbs passenger? Can't put (sister) her in the tt bathriom rofl!!
I had all the stuff on tt axles. I've got a large bathroom would pilling it all up in there spare me some weight on the truck?

[prof_fate]

You don't need a new TT, you need a new TV! Or at least need to raise it's GVWR or reduce the load in it...some research on your truck and what options exist might help you. For example, I can change wheel size from 17 to 16 and pick up 500 lbs in capaicity...no, I don't know why but that's what the owners manual says.

You can also tweak the weight dist in your trailer with water -where is the fresh tank at? Mine's behind the TT axle and holds ~440lbs of water when full, and if I don't empty the gray/black I can add more weight behind the axles.

[MilCop4523]

I went with the Reese heavist bars for the dual cam system after asking the people at E-trailer.com

I'm getting some bobbing between trailer and truck but think its the height of my trailer ball. Perhaps not high enough?

[boubou]

Originally Posted by prof_fate

You don't need a new TT, you need a new TV! Or at least need to raise it's GVWR or reduce the load in it...some research on your truck and what options exist might help you. For example, I can change wheel size from 17 to 16 and pick up 500 lbs in capaicity...no, I don't know why but that's what the owners manual says.

You can also tweak the weight dist in your trailer with water -where is the fresh tank at? Mine's behind the TT axle and holds ~440lbs of water when full, and if I don't empty the gray/black I can add more weight behind the axles.

I cannot reduce it's load, there's nothing in there but 2 adults (not overweight and 2 small dogs.

my wheels are 20 inches. I know people say I can gain more weight capacity changing to 17 but if I look at dodge body builder, I will only gain 50 lbs in payload capacity.

The fresh water tank is right behind the axles, 50 gallons
that's a good tip

[boubou]

Originally Posted by MilCop4523

I went with the Reese heavist bars for the dual cam system after asking the people at E-trailer.com

I'm getting some bobbing between trailer and truck but think its the height of my trailer ball. Perhaps not high enough?

I get this a bit too when driving on bumpy roads. No problem on smooth roads.
I think it's the bumps transfered from each wheels to the truck

[boubou]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

If you were off of the scales when you pushed the button, then you will need to add ~2/3 of your weight to the front axle, and 1/3 to the rear.

For the time being, we are going to leave you out of this, since you were not on the scales either time.
e.

DH says I'm taking this to extreme and to relax. Says it feels like I'm trying to load as if we're flying an airplane

To set the record straight, I was not on the scales when weighing the truck alone. I was sitting in the truck when weighing the truck and trailer together.
so add 2/3 of my weight to front axle, and 1/3 to rear...
for a grand total of??
that's crazy! how will I be able to bring a friend with us?

[kandl]

Originally Posted by boubou

3 shelties? You are brave!

Brave? Not the half of it - they're all males!

Appreciate your concerns re TW but suggest that your DH might be on to something relevant in this issue.

Also appreciate the numbers associated with your TV's capability i.e., GVWR but note that Dodge (Chrysler) has historically been conservative when specifying load capacities. I won't advocate running in excess of the vehicle's specified capacity but your excess in this case is not so excess as bring your safety into question.

[boubou]

Originally Posted by kandl

Brave? Not the half of it - they're all males!

Do they also go deaf when they see a cat or a squirrel? mine (female) goes deaf and focuses ONLY on the critter lol

Originally Posted by kandl

Also appreciate the numbers associated with your TV's capability i.e., GVWR but note that Dodge (Chrysler) has historically been conservative when specifying load capacities.

Really? I didn't know that. I've been wondering why Dodge payload capacity is so much lower than say Ford. The suspension? is so, can I increase payload with airbags?

Originally Posted by kandl

I won't advocate running in excess of the vehicle's specified capacity but your excess in this case is not so excess as bring your safety into question.

I know, I know, most travel trailers on the road probably where hooked up at the RV dealer where they bought it from and are far from the numbers they need to be at. Except the lite tt. I wish I had bought a lite model, I wouldn't be worrying about all of this now.


Brigitte

[MtnGuy]

Changing springs, wheels, final drives ratios, etc. will make a truck tow better (or worse depending on what is done), but nothing is going to change the GVWR.....that is set from the factory with the equipment that the vehicle is manufactured with.

Changing from 20 wheels to 17" wheels, or changing to a lower final drive ratio (higher number) will effectively make the vehicle tow stronger, but you would still be limited to the hitch capacity, frame and drive line stresses, and the ability for the engine and transmission to operate properly with the intended loads as it came off of the assembly line.

[Triguy]

boubou,
I know that it would be nice if we could increase out TVs tow ratings, and it can be done but at what cost? And, then you really need to get it re-certified, which is something I hear can be done through a few places around the country (although I've never met anyone who did). Maybe its hearsay.

Air bags are cosmetic when it comes to towing and really should only be used after you are able to properly match up your TV and trailer. They cannot be used to get you to the proper tow ratings.

Also, be careful about assuming Dodge is more conservative than others with their ratings. The ratings are the ratings and I, for one, wouldn't assume that the truck manufacturer has built in some leeway that I could take advantage of.

[MilCop4523]

with ford they run 4x4 and XTR4x4
the difference is the main king pins are heavier, the leaf springs are additional in count, the rear end is geared lower and the schocks are heavier.
Followed a guy hauling a heavy trailer loaded, his truck was loaded, the box was loaded up a hill.
At 10 miles an hour I pulled around when safe to do so with my Ecoboost and trailer and passed him.
He arrived at the same campground some 20 minutes later and his truck was almost cooked.
Don't mess with whats on your truck to go bigger. Get a bigger truck, lighter trailer or pack less crap.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by boubou

Really? I didn't know that. I've been wondering why Dodge payload capacity is so much lower than say Ford. The suspension? is so, can I increase payload with airbags?

Air bags improve "ride" not payload. GVW is limited based on the FRAME and brake diameter. Axles are rated individually based on springs, housing, and hardware. Add both GARs (Gross Axle Ratings) on any truck and they will exceed the GVW.

The GVR is the maximum the truck can carry without reducing its useful life or causing damage. Slight overloads for short time frames will reduce the useful life of the truck; but may not break something right away.

A large over load once may not break something this time but the stress could make the useful life of the truck expire next week taking granny to church.

Like bending a paper clip the metal will fail; WHEN is the unknown.
Bending it "a little" will get you a lot of bends before it beaks. Bending it "a lot" will cause breakage in much less bends. Stress is cumulative and inevitable.

And Yes, you are loading it like an airplane.
Do it wrong and the outcome will be the same.
Smokin' Hole.

[MilCop4523]

Originally Posted by boubou

Reese hp dual cam wd/sway control hitch 800 lbs trunion bars
How do you mean adjust the hitch?

was my question as well. I think mine is sitting a bit too low. and a bit too upright with no weight on it. and perhaps the trunnion bars are a bit too downward pointed.