Brought home my new travel trailer and I never felt so scared! - Page 3

Too Tall · 04-09-2016, 10:04 AM

The tires and trailer has plenty of capacity. Air them up to max and don't worry about the TT. Concentrate on the TV and hitch. you might have to change the shank to get the proper leveling. Check the hitch sites, they tell you how to calculate how much rise you need. Run all tires at the max pressure stamped on the tire. This is the safest way to avoid a blowout.

denville · 04-09-2016, 10:18 AM

Like most are saying it is the hitch setup. Go to the hitch manufactures site and download the installation instructions there will be good pictures to set it up correctly. Last thing because you have a weight distribution hitch it does not mean it has sway control make sure your setup has say control built in or an external sway bar

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ccsvolsfan · 04-09-2016, 10:29 AM

For a TT the size of yours an Andersen anti sway LDH will work great and at a great price. I had this hitch and pulled 33' tt at 60-65mph over 1200 miles on last trip. The best pull I ever had with a trailer. Now have a 5er with Andersen Ultimate.

itat · 04-09-2016, 11:16 AM

DebMar, this would be my approach to your situation, in this order:

1. Pump up the tires on your Durango and the Avenger to the max. on the tire sidewalls. This is the easiest part of the solution.

2. Redo your hitch setup. This will have the biggest impact. You have the installation instructions and have gotten some good advice on how to measure that the truck is levelled after putting on the bars. Dealers rarely know how to set up a WDH properly and even if they do a good job, you'll have to redo the setup once you have the trailer fully loaded.

3. Someone suggested an Equal-i-zer brand hitch. I don't think you need to spend that kind of money on your hitch. Although the Equal-i-zer is a top notch WDH, the Reese Pro WDH you have is probably fine but you could consider adding a 2nd sway control arm.

4. Vehicle upgrades. You could upgrade the tires on your Durango to LT. This is an option if you can find LT tires in the same size. But, honestly, if I were you, I'd seriously consider moving to a 1/2 ton truck. I'm speaking from experience. Our previous trailer was 23' long and 5200 pounds when fully loaded, weighed at the scales. I was towing with a Toyota Tacoma rated to tow 6500 pounds and had it setup so the Tacoma and trailer were absolutely level when hitched up and loaded. It pulled it OK but really struggled with hills. With more than 2 of us in the Tacoma, it was overloaded. Your V6 Durango is not as capable a tow vehicle as the Tacoma, and neither is really ideal for towing a travel trailer longer than 19' (IMO).

tspin818 · 04-09-2016, 01:03 PM

I towed my R252RLXL with my Durango for a year before getting the new truck. The biggest improvement that I made in that time was adding an extra sway bar, as the dealer only installed one. I was just at a campground in AZ a month ago, and the guy next to me was towing with a Durango just like ours. 2011. He told me that his dealer had also just installed one sway bar, and after he installed the second one it made a big difference. Funny thing was, he bought his trailer at the same dealer we had! A small world it is.

DebMar · 04-09-2016, 01:10 PM

Okay, I posted about drivng home with a newly purchased TT and was the scariest ride ever. TV felt at times floating, loose steering wheel.
After reading suggestions, I leveled my camper unhitched and checked to be sure ball and hitch level, they are. Then before hitching, measure front tires of TV from ground up to top of tire well and measured 33 1/2 inch. Hitched it up and increase WDH hitch link by one, so instead of 3, now hooked on 4th chain link. Remeasured and now it's 33 3/4. So a 1/4 higher, should I even bother to put it on the highway and try or no?? Oh someone suggest tightening the sway bar friction nut by a 1/4 turn, I will do as well. What do you all think about this so far. (by the way, after hooking up, I step back and no dipping, looks level) Thank you all for helping me.

itat · 04-09-2016, 02:15 PM

If you are only 1/4" higher in the front, I'd say your in pretty good shape. Are the WDH's bars nearly parallel to the trailer frame? Can you post a picture of how it looks now?

bluewoo · 04-09-2016, 02:38 PM

DebMar · 04-09-2016, 03:07 PM

okay, took it out for a test drive and didn't get far. Had it up one link more, 4th chain link and it was bobbing so much... then we heard groaning scrunchy sounds... it was the sway bar, thought maybe I had it too tight, loosen it and still kept doing it. When I was almost home I removed it to be sure it was the culprit, and it was... no noise after i removed it. it didn't not make a sound before. Did not go on highway, came back home. So a lot of bobbing and noise grinding noise from sway bar. These pics are the ones where I had only 3rd link up.. when I took it up another link. 4th link (didn't take pic) was up just a little from these bars.

KingFisher · 04-09-2016, 03:11 PM

The sway bar will make noise when you turn corners.

DebMar · 04-09-2016, 03:19 PM

It was noisy even driving straight, grinding the entire ride. Once I removed it, nothing. And WDH I upped it one more link, it was bobbing like crazy. Pulled over and put back to 3rd link and came home

Too Tall · 04-09-2016, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebMar

It was noisy even driving straight, grinding the entire ride. Once I removed it, nothing. And WDH I upped it one more link, it was bobbing like crazy. Pulled over and put back to 3rd link and came home

It looks like it's set up pretty close

KDHfan · 04-09-2016, 04:08 PM

A 1/4" difference means you're right there as far as having it adjusted correctly. Sounds like the problem is your tow vehicle. Your Durango is built to be driven like a car, not a truck. Trust me, I've been in your exact same shoes. Your salesperson told you want you wanted to hear to get you off his lot. Shame on him.
In my opinion, you have three options... 1. Drive slow and take short trips, 2. Try an Equalizer weight distribution with built in sway. Or 3. Purchase a new TV.
I've been in this exact same situation... I'm now towing with a Tundra. Good luck.

2015 Coachmen Apex 288BHS
2014 Toyota Tundra 5.7L CrewMax

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denville · 04-09-2016, 04:10 PM

You might have to change the tilt on the ball. To get the correct tension. The anti say bar is doing it's job don't worry about the noise some is normal keep it on the tight side.

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Papa-t · 04-09-2016, 04:14 PM

First camper I ever looked at was a truck camper. Dealer loaded it onto my 1500 and it about mashed it to the ground. Salesman said"Oh that looks good". I said,"looks a little heavy to me". Salesman said"I think it will be fine once you get it on the road". I said,"Take it off now". Then my first TT scared the hell out of me at first. I had also purchased a after market brake control from camper dealer. They installed it. Mechanic said "I set it a little touchy until you get use to it". I was coming from Ashville NC and had to go down Black Mountain. "Touchy", it about through me through the windshield. I had never pulled anything before. After four hours I made it home. Next day I read the instructions for the brake control and took it out on a back road and set it right. Oh to get to my original thought our WDH also made lots of popping and crunching sounds.

itat · 04-09-2016, 07:12 PM

If you're 1/4" higher on the front wheel well and the bars are level you've adjusted it the best you probably can. I highly recommend that you take the Durango and trailer, fully loaded and a full tank of gas, and go to the CAT scales at the Pilot on I-84 near Sturbridge, MA and get it weighed. Use these websites as a guide on how to weigh your combo and how to interpret the numbers.

Learn To RV: How to Weigh a Travel Trailer

https://catscale.com/how-to-weigh/

spock123 · 04-09-2016, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa-t

First camper I ever looked at was a truck camper. Dealer loaded it onto my 1500 and it about mashed it to the ground. Salesman said"Oh that looks good". I said,"looks a little heavy to me". Salesman said"I think it will be fine once you get it on the road". I said,"Take it off now". Then my first TT scared the hell out of me at first. I had also purchased a after market brake control from camper dealer. They installed it. Mechanic said "I set it a little touchy until you get use to it". I was coming from Ashville NC and had to go down Black Mountain. "Touchy", it about through me through the windshield. I had never pulled anything before. After four hours I made it home. Next day I read the instructions for the brake control and took it out on a back road and set it right. Oh to get to my original thought our WDH also made lots of popping and crunching sounds.

Thanks I needed that, I laughed till I cried

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DebMar · 04-09-2016, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itat

If you're 1/4" higher on the front wheel well and the bars are level you've adjusted it the best you probably can. I highly recommend that you take the Durango and trailer, fully loaded and a full tank of gas, and go to the CAT scales at the Pilot on I-84 near Sturbridge, MA and get it weighed. Use these websites as a guide on how to weigh your combo and how to interpret the numbers.

Learn To RV: How to Weigh a Travel Trailer

https://catscale.com/how-to-weigh/

Thats exactly where we were headed today until I heard non stop grinding, crunchy noises and then alot of rocking. I got scared, thinking my hitch was going to pop since I tightened the chain on the WDH. There was noise coming from sway bar as well. So we turned around and came home. So are the grinding and crunch noise normal?? and rocking feeling normal?

rsdata · 04-09-2016, 08:41 PM

popping, grinding and rocking are all pretty normal when towing once you get used to them. When on the highway you hear nothing. A small amount of lube on the trailer ball and on the arms where they insert into the hitch will help diminish those sounds. I use a silicon spray which is not as messy as grease, but you can use any grease or even vaseline... just a very lite coat... do not grease the sway bar... it will make noise but using grease will diminish it's usefulness

This looks exactly like my hitch I bought at Harbor Freight two years ago. I love it and it works great for me, but I need no sway bar in my install.

You may need to move ball up one notch on hitch and make sure the ball is very slightly tilted to the back of the hitch (away from the TV) rather than straight up and down and still use the 3rd or 4th link to reduce the rocking motion. Trial and error...

RangeMaggotBob · 04-09-2016, 09:12 PM

You've heard all the advice here, and all of it is good, but here's my 2 cents worth. I know it's easy to say, and for most people not doable if you've just bought a new RV, but if you can swing it, BUY A TRUCK TO PULL YOUR TRAILER! A Durango is an SUV, right?

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