Drift not sway while going down the road

[Big Bad Allis]

Originally Posted by Oaklevel

I agree will all the above but also is the hitch set up correctly & is the trailer level (or close ) when it is hitched to the truck. I had a similar issue with my 22' box trailer but it was the hitch set up.

All my issues went away when I got a truck with training wheels

Good thought. The trailer was level and I'm pretty sure the hitch was set up correctly. I did change the WD around a little to see if it helped. I really need to get to a scale. I can't always tell how much tongue weight is on my the rear end squat because it self levels with the air support.

I'm thinking the tires are the culprit. I'm going to try pulling it with 41-44 PSI to see if that changes anything. If the results are not good I will try OldCoot's idea of the caster adjustment. If it really does come down to tires I might get different tires. Right now I'm wishing I didn't sell the Duramax. I have plenty of power, but not the weight capacity I'm used to.

[calsmith1]

I had a similar issue where it would seem the rear of our Expedition would "squirm". Played with the hitch and air pressures - not much help. Upgraded to LT tires and made a noticeable difference. Wasnt a cheap upgrade but well worth it.

[Timtation]

I had a lot of chatter on some roads with the setup of the hitch as it came with my used trailer. Generally it was fine but on some roads it felt as though the trailer brakes were pulsing. I went to the website for the hitch and reviewed the directions super critically. I ended up making a small adjustment and the problem was mostly gone.
Re tongue weight: the problem was not noticed on the same road until the water tank (rear) was filled. The TV and RV were both loaded at that point and all points measured at equal height changes vs unloaded but there was no scale involved.

[schrederman]

I tow with an F-150 with P275-60-18s and I have a bit of the same problem. I run with my tires at max sidewall (44 psi) all the time. I will be buying new tires soon and will upgrade to LTs. I am sure everything else is set up correctly.

[jeeplj8]

Originally Posted by Big Bad Allis

Good thought. The trailer was level and I'm pretty sure the hitch was set up correctly. I did change the WD around a little to see if it helped. I really need to get to a scale. I can't always tell how much tongue weight is on my the rear end squat because it self levels with the air support.

I'm thinking the tires are the culprit. I'm going to try pulling it with 41-44 PSI to see if that changes anything. If the results are not good I will try OldCoot's idea of the caster adjustment. If it really does come down to tires I might get different tires. Right now I'm wishing I didn't sell the Duramax. I have plenty of power, but not the weight capacity I'm used to.

I recall reading at one point that the Escalade and Denali had lower tow ratings b/c of the 20inch tire and wheel option. The tires where the primary culprit as they had lower load index's that 17 and 18 inch tires. I thought that had changed as more companies offered 20 inch options, but maybe not. According to Tire Rack those tires are load range 111S, which is 2409 pounds, but if you have to reduce that to 91% as stated above that gives you 2192, which max the rear axle at 4200 pounds. That is not so good.

[Big Bad Allis]

I think you're on to something with the Escalade and Denali models load capacity being lowered because of the tire size. I can't find an LT or anything with that tire size with a higher load ratings. I'm pretty sure the drifting that I'm feeling is because of the tires. I might buy a different set of rims and tires for when I'm pulling the trailer. I only be doing it about 5 times a year. It is t that big of a deals to swap them out.

Thanks all for the responses.

Jason

[Sgt. Schultz]

OP - Tires may only be a portion of this issue -
Extra load tires are available in your size - such as: Continental*CrossContact LX

That is one seriously heavy trailer - if your SUV is the half ton version you may just be to far over the capabilities of the truck:
Truck = 2011 GMC YUKON, XL, and Denali - Tech Specs - Truck Trend
Trailer = Wildwood Travel Trailer by Forest River

I suggest that you scale your set up before spending money on what may be band-aid solutions that do not resolve your issue

[MtnGuy]

To add to all of the excellent suggestions already posted:

Check the spring bar to cam position....that has to be exact, and makes a big difference.

Confession: Because of receiver hitch replacement (questionable integrity after a rear end collision), I had to do a 1 notch head assembly adjustment forward to get my weight distributed correctly with the new setup. Didn't think much about the cam to spring bar position, but the combo did not handle very well on a short trip to the beach last week. Checking the cam position, the cams were riding slightly behind the notches. I did a 1/2 turn on the nuts at the campground, and the combo handled much better on the way back home. I will fine tune that puppy before the next trip.

Some wander can be expected....you have a heavy trailer hanging on the bumper......it will not drive the same as no trailer. Even though I have a 1/2 ton truck pulling a 28.5' trailer weighing 5500 lbs., I can feel the trailer back there pushing me around some. A Denali, with a shorter wheelbase and "cushier" springs pulling a longer, heavier trailer would tend to pushed around more than what I am experiencing.

I am also running the passenger tires that came on my truck, but will replace them with load range C LT tires when the current tires wear out.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Would definitely run them up to max if not to 50# just to try it while towing, especially on the rear and at least 40 on the front for towing. I would let them back down to 35# when not towing as the ride will be horrible.

Crosswind can also cause wandering, however I believe improper tire inflation is your issue.

NOT knowing the truck's weight when towing could be very unsafe in your situation. Running under inflated tires (especially metric tires) in a "potentially" overloaded vehicle is a recipe for disaster.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ire-25512.html

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ale-39388.html

[Dennis and Julie]

I'm no expert but if you have a lot of semi truck traffic where you are towing depressed wheel tracks give the feeling of wandering on the highway.

[Big Bad Allis]

Originally Posted by Dennis and Julie

I'm no expert but if you have a lot of semi truck traffic where you are towing depressed wheel tracks give the feeling of wandering on the highway.

That could do it. I was on side streets, state 2 lane hwy and multi lane freeway. It was noticeably one all types of road with varying traffic patterns.

[sherri330]

We've been towing with our F-150 Ecoboost for 2 years now and have been noticing the "swishing" feeling whenever we get to 60 mph. We also have the Equalizer WD hitch, which was recommended by our RV dealer. The truck handles the weight just fine. We've been over mountains a few times and it didn't struggle at all. But we couldn't figure out the other problem. We made adjustments to the hitch, moved weight around in the trailer, kept our P rated tires at max. recommended psi, etc. We finally gave up and got some BFG Rugged Terrain tires with 10 ply sidewalls and an E load rating. We're getting ready to take our first trip, although it won't be very far. The tires are set at 35 psi for running around town. They are rated for 80 psi. Can anyone tell me what I should set them at for towing our trailer? Fully loaded, it weighs about 8100 lbs. The truck can tow 11,300. If this fixes our problem, I'll let you know and yes, this is an expensive experiment, but having the added strength in the sidewalls give us peace-of-mind

[hokiecampers]

Originally Posted by sherri330

We've been towing with our F-150 Ecoboost for 2 years now and have been noticing the "swishing" feeling whenever we get to 60 mph. We also have the Equalizer WD hitch, which was recommended by our RV dealer. The truck handles the weight just fine. We've been over mountains a few times and it didn't struggle at all. But we couldn't figure out the other problem. We made adjustments to the hitch, moved weight around in the trailer, kept our P rated tires at max. recommended psi, etc. We finally gave up and got some BFG Rugged Terrain tires with 10 ply sidewalls and an E load rating. We're getting ready to take our first trip, although it won't be very far. The tires are set at 35 psi for running around town. They are rated for 80 psi. Can anyone tell me what I should set them at for towing our trailer? Fully loaded, it weighs about 8100 lbs. The truck can tow 11,300. If this fixes our problem, I'll let you know and yes, this is an expensive experiment, but having the added strength in the sidewalls give us peace-of-mind

I had 10 ply (load range E) LT Michelin tires installed last year. Called Michelin tech support to see what psi should be maintained when towing. I was told it is best to inflate to Ford recommended psi which is 40 on our F150.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by sherri330

We've been towing with our F-150 Ecoboost for 2 years now and have been noticing the "swishing" feeling whenever we get to 60 mph. We also have the Equalizer WD hitch, which was recommended by our RV dealer. The truck handles the weight just fine. We've been over mountains a few times and it didn't struggle at all. But we couldn't figure out the other problem. We made adjustments to the hitch, moved weight around in the trailer, kept our P rated tires at max. recommended psi, etc. We finally gave up and got some BFG Rugged Terrain tires with 10 ply sidewalls and an E load rating. We're getting ready to take our first trip, although it won't be very far. The tires are set at 35 psi for running around town. They are rated for 80 psi. Can anyone tell me what I should set them at for towing our trailer? Fully loaded, it weighs about 8100 lbs. The truck can tow 11,300. If this fixes our problem, I'll let you know and yes, this is an expensive experiment, but having the added strength in the sidewalls give us peace-of-mind

Would experiment in 5# or 10# increases up to the sidewall max provided your wheels are good for the 80#. If you find the sway stops somewhere in between that's where I'd run.

[Big Bad Allis]

Originally Posted by sherri330

We've been towing with our F-150 Ecoboost for 2 years now and have been noticing the "swishing" feeling whenever we get to 60 mph. We also have the Equalizer WD hitch, which was recommended by our RV dealer. The truck handles the weight just fine. We've been over mountains a few times and it didn't struggle at all. But we couldn't figure out the other problem. We made adjustments to the hitch, moved weight around in the trailer, kept our P rated tires at max. recommended psi, etc. We finally gave up and got some BFG Rugged Terrain tires with 10 ply sidewalls and an E load rating. We're getting ready to take our first trip, although it won't be very far. The tires are set at 35 psi for running around town. They are rated for 80 psi. Can anyone tell me what I should set them at for towing our trailer? Fully loaded, it weighs about 8100 lbs. The truck can tow 11,300. If this fixes our problem, I'll let you know and yes, this is an expensive experiment, but having the added strength in the sidewalls give us peace-of-mind

Please don't forget to update us on the results. I may be following g the same path to ultimately fix my issue.

Thanks,
Jason

[calsmith1]

Originally Posted by sherri330

We've been towing with our F-150 Ecoboost for 2 years now and have been noticing the "swishing" feeling whenever we get to 60 mph. We also have the Equalizer WD hitch, which was recommended by our RV dealer. The truck handles the weight just fine. We've been over mountains a few times and it didn't struggle at all. But we couldn't figure out the other problem. We made adjustments to the hitch, moved weight around in the trailer, kept our P rated tires at max. recommended psi, etc. We finally gave up and got some BFG Rugged Terrain tires with 10 ply sidewalls and an E load rating. We're getting ready to take our first trip, although it won't be very far. The tires are set at 35 psi for running around town. They are rated for 80 psi. Can anyone tell me what I should set them at for towing our trailer? Fully loaded, it weighs about 8100 lbs. The truck can tow 11,300. If this fixes our problem, I'll let you know and yes, this is an expensive experiment, but having the added strength in the sidewalls give us peace-of-mind

When I upgraded to Michelin LT on our Expedition, I found 65 psi worked best for it towing - 40 psi when not for a little bit softer ride

[Big Bad Allis]

Hello All
Thanks again for your help and suggestions on trying to isolate my problem. I fixed it the most economical way possible. I just bought a new F350 with the Powerstroke. I really liked my Yukon, but if I'm going to enjoy the TT I want to be able to pull it confidantly anywhere I decide to go.

I'll post pics of the truck and TT after we go camping for the 4th of July

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by Big Bad Allis

Thanks again for your help and suggestions on trying to isolate my problem. I fixed it the most economical way possible. I just bought a new F350 with the Powerstroke.

That should do the trick !!!

Congrats on the new truck !!

[DDC]

If that does not work? New trailer too!

[avolnek]

Only thing better would've been buying a Dodge! Congrats on the new truck! Should definitely help with the wandering!!!