Looking for advice (on towing problem)

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Hi Everyone,
I am new here and still trying to figure out everything within the forum but I will get right to why I am here. I have become very frustrated and looking for advice and I was on here about 2 weeks ago trying to solve my problems and came across a post that I thought was worth trying out but can not find the post again. (this is all new)

At any rate last year I purchased a 2008 Sandpiper 301bhd. I am having trouble pulling it. I come from an ag background and have pulled a lot of stuff in my day with pick ups and drive semi but have never been so white knuckled in my life as when I pull this new camper.

I am pulling this camper with a 2007 Dodge Cummins 2500 and the camper is throwing me all over the place. I am using a 4 point WDH by Equalizer but after reading a post from someone saying that you should be able to comfortable pull a trailer without it and add it for wind and meeting oncoming traffic I want to get to that point and he went on about weighing everything which I have done some of.

Let me know if anyone has this trouble or has some advice. I am to the point of a different camper or truck and really do not want to do that.

I thank you all for your time and any advice you may have for me.
Chad

[Triguy]

First of all welcome to the forums!

I moved your thread to an area where I think you will find better help... Towing, Tow Vehicles, Hitches & Toads - Forest River Forums

I bet that is where you were before where your read about someone's solution to a towing issue. The Welcome Forum was fine for your first post, but the specific issue will be addressed here.

I'll give your situation some thought, but hope others can help you, too.

Good luck!

[CHTKBUSCH17]

I was having trouble finding a way to even post and that is where I ended up. I appreciate the help and will learn how to navigate this just new to me. thank again

[Triguy]

No problem where you posted. Any forum can be a confusing thing for first timers and this one has more going on than many.

In review, you have a 3/4 ton truck pulling a trailer with a GVWR of 10,900lbs (I couldn't find any information with regards to the 2008 Sandpiper 301bhd, but this is the info for a 2008 Sandpiper 302bhd - see brochure P. 14). You are using an Equal-i-zer and you say that the trailer is "throwing you all over the place". I assume you mean in a tail-wagging-the-dog way.

Here are some questions:

1. What is the weight of your loaded trailer?
2. What is the tongue weight?
3. What size bars are you using with the Equal-i-zer (1,000/10,000 or 1,200/12,000)

[TexasBob]

Originally Posted by CHTKBUSCH17

Hi Everyone,
I am new here and still trying to figure out everything within the forum but I will get right to why I am here. I have become very frustrated and looking for advice and I was on here about 2 weeks ago trying to solve my problems and came across a post that I thought was worth trying out but can not find the post again. (this is all new)

At any rate last year I purchased a 2008 Sandpiper 301bhd. I am having trouble pulling it. I come from an ag background and have pulled a lot of stuff in my day with pick ups and drive semi but have never been so white knuckled in my life as when I pull this new camper.

I am pulling this camper with a 2007 Dodge Cummins 2500 and the camper is throwing me all over the place. I am using a 4 point WDH by Equalizer but after reading a post from someone saying that you should be able to comfortable pull a trailer without it and add it for wind and meeting oncoming traffic I want to get to that point and he went on about weighing everything which I have done some of.

Let me know if anyone has this trouble or has some advice. I am to the point of a different camper or truck and really do not want to do that.

I thank you all for your time and any advice you may have for me.
Chad

I took delivery of a new trailer a few weeks ago and it was longer and heavier than the one I traded in and I had a similar experience. I kept my Equil-i-zer hitch. I thought I could just "wing it" on the set up and adjustments but it just didn't work that way.

I'm not sure if that is your problem but I would start with the hitch set up. You should have an owners manual for your hitch, if you don't you can get one here: Equal-i-zer® Hitch - The “American Original” with 4-Point Sway Control™ and Weight Distribution

Read and reread the set up instructions, that's is what I did and finally went through the set up procedure exactly as described. It made all the difference in the world.

Find a level spot, do the measurements and adjustments and measure again. If it is not right make the correct adjustment and do it again. it took me a few cycles to get there and about an hour and a half.

My trailer pulls well now. Do I know its there? Sure but it "feels" right and sway is controlled.

I hope this helps. Don't give up. I did a lot of minor adjustments before I started from scratch and got it right.

[TexasBob]

Originally Posted by Triguy

No problem where you posted. Any forum can be a confusing thing for first timers and this one has more going on than many.

In review, you have a 3/4 ton truck pulling a trailer with a GVWR of 10,900lbs (I couldn't find any information with regards to the 2008 Sandpiper 301bhd, but this is the info for a 2008 Sandpiper 302bhd - see brochure P. 14). You are using an Equal-i-zer and you say that the trailer is "throwing you all over the place". I assume you mean in a tail-wagging-the-dog way.

Here are some questions:

1. What is the weight of your loaded trailer?
2. What is the tongue weight?
3. What size bars are you using with the Equal-i-zer (1,000/10,000 or 1,200/12,000)

Do this too. The information will feed into your set up

[SPPD]

You will probably want to ensure that your trailer is properly loaded to give you between 10-15% tongue weight. A light tongue can cause a tremendous amount of sway. Good luck, and keep us posted on your solution.

SPPD

[Scratch]

Had a similar problem once. Fill the fresh water tank to at least 1/2 full. That puts weight on the TT axles to compensate for weight placed in the rear cargo bay (which takes weight off the tongue thus increasing sway).

Hope this helps; should make a significant difference for you. If it doesn't help, your hitch setup needs to be reconfigured.

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Ok now I can't see what you asked but I will see if I can answer your question (still learning). Based off the weights I got last night my camper weighs 9400 pounds. I have not actually unhooked the camper to get a tongue weight but I did weigh the truck with the camper hooked up and WDH in place and came up with a weight of 1820 for hitch weight. If that sounds really high to you, me too. 8820 (truck on scale camper hooked up)-6980 (weight of the truck)=1820 with a remaining weight of 7560 with just the camper on the scale. The hitch was set up by the techs at the camper shop and I believe they know what they are doing and have it set up correct as they did play with it for awhile as I stood and watched. One thing I remember from a post I read before the guy said to measure the front end of the truck empty and with the camper hooked up and with the WDH I am within 40 pounds of each measurement.

[CHTKBUSCH17]

I have played with putting water in the tank with no result. They camper place also warned me about pulling it with water in it as the tank had dropped out of it when the previous owner was pulling it full of water. the bars are 1200 pound bars.

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Originally Posted by SPPD

You will probably want to ensure that your trailer is properly loaded to give you between 10-15% tongue weight. A light tongue can cause a tremendous amount of sway. Good luck, and keep us posted on your solution.

SPPD

I do have to weigh it again by unhooking the truck because I did think I had a light tongue and was going to add weight to the storage area but after last night I don't think I have a problem with light tongue weight. I should be somewhere around 18 to 20%.The camper place called me this morning because I have it over there checking the alignment of the axles and it was off 3/16" of an inch which is well within the spec.

[two_peases]

I'm sure the techs that set up your hitch are good, but I would go over the set up instructions just to rule it out as the problem.

Good luck!

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Originally Posted by two_peases

I'm sure the techs that set up your hitch are good, but I would go over the set up instructions just to rule it out as the problem.

Good luck!

I will be doing that when I get it back tomorrow night. I was there when they did it and was following along pretty close but will be checking it. It was a brand new hitch and came with instructions in which I have because they replaced a Reese 2 point WDH that they felt was causing the problem. By switching from that we have seen some major improvement but we have a long ways to go to get this thing to pull even close to the way my old camper pulled.

[DDC]

Once you have tried all the others look for one of these, check the site out it is self explanatory.
Hensley Mfg., Inc. - Trailer Sway Eliminated - Guaranteed

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Originally Posted by DDC

Once you have tried all the others look for one of these, check the site out it is self explanatory.
Hensley Mfg., Inc. - Trailer Sway Eliminated - Guaranteed

I sincerely appreciate the offer and I have looked at these and do believe this is the ticket but I myself would have a very hard time spending the money on that instead of going to a fifth wheel. I do thank you for your advice as I might not have known.

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by CHTKBUSCH17

Based off the weights I got last night my camper weighs 9400 pounds. I have not actually unhooked the camper to get a tongue weight but I did weigh the truck with the camper hooked up and WDH in place and came up with a weight of 1820 for hitch weight. If that sounds really high to you, me too.

8820 (truck on scale camper hooked up)-6980 (weight of the truck)=1820 with a remaining weight of 7560 with just the camper on the scale. The hitch was set up by the techs at the camper shop and I believe they know what they are doing and have it set up correct as they did play with it for awhile as I stood and watched. .

Hi Chad,
Thanks for the weight measurements. It does sound very high to me, too!

A loaded trailer weighing 9,400lbs will have a tongue weight between 940lbs (10%) and 1,400lbs (15%). Not 15-20%. That is too much.

I run at 13% typically, so that would be about 1,200lbs for you so your 1,200lb bars are fine, but 1,400lb bars might be better.

The tongue weight should not be anywhere close to 1,800, which is a 19% TW. Either its true and you have a really bad setup or something is wrong with those measurements.

Can you check it by measuring the wheel wells per the instructions? Your 1,200lb bars would not be sufficient to distribute that much weight. The manual describes how to test for distribution using measurements of the wheel wells. Basically, with tow vehicle coupled with weight distribution engaged, your front wheel well needs to be at least half-way back to its disconnected height. See page 17 and 18. Note: your Dodge manual could state their own recommendation as well.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Triguy

The tongue weight should not be anywhere close to 1,800, which is a 19% TW. Either its true and you have a really bad setup or something is wrong with those measurements.

Over on RV.net - there was a toy hauler with an advertised dry tongue weight of 19" of it's dry weight.

Not sure if it's accurate - just wondering if it's not that wildly INaccurate.

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Over on RV.net - there was a toy hauler with an advertised dry tongue weight of 19" of it's dry weight.

Not sure if it's accurate - just wondering if it's not that wildly INaccurate.

I am sure it was accurate, Doug.

But, here's the deal. The dry tongue weight is a better example of how the trailer was designed and built. A 19% dry TW in a toy hauler vs a 10% dry tongue weight in the Roo 23SS demonstrates that the TH has more of its weight in front of its axles than the Roo 23SS.

I imagine this is by design to accommodate the very heavy loads a TH will carry in its garage. I looked at Work & Play trailers a few years ago and noted that their dry TWs were 15-18% at the time.

Having said this, the recommended tongue weight is still 10-15% for a loaded trailer.

[dustman_stx]

Toyhaulers are notorious for being tongue heavy. When you put an 800 pound ATV or motorcycle in the very rear of the camper, the TW % will drop considerably. You wouldn't want a toyhauler sitting at 13% unloaded. You'd get too light when you loaded something in it. Another thing that the OP might want to consider is tires. I had a 97 F250 that I just recently sold. I bought it from my Mom, who purchased it new, after she bought and Ecoboost F150. My step-dad warned me about installing any tire that is larger than the stock 235/85/16. I thought surely that was a fluke and stepped up a size to a tire that was 2" wider. Conventional wisdom says that this larger tire should be better, but it was a nightmare. The truck was all over the road- was downright scary when towing the TT. Tried 2 different brands and types with same result. Went back to stock size and highway tread and it was back to normal. My future BIL's family has a large auto shop in a nearby town and have sold tires for years. They say that for whatever reason, you occasionally run into that. Not saying that is the issue, but if you are running aggressive tread or an oversize tire(in particular one that is at the max width for your rim width) you might consider it as a potential problem.

[ependydad]

Ok, ignore my comments then. Seems I have the thread with unhelpfulness.