SUV floats while towing

[Pam wise]

I have a 2006 Envoy XL to pull my 2011 Rockwood Roo 183. It's an I6 with 3.73 gear ratio and a towing capacity of 5800 lbs. The hybrid's loaded weight is rated at approx. 4600 lbs. so I feel like I should be in a safe towing range. However, while towing, I feel like I'm floating on the road and really feel the wind and especially when a big truck goes by. What is the problem? weight of the tow vehicle? I have a weight distribution hitch and adjusted the links which have helped somewhat. If I need a different SUV, what features do I need to pay attention to? Seems like it's not all about engine size but weight of vehicle.

[Dave_Monica]

Sounds like you need to re-assess your weight distribution set-up...there's on-line guides to set them up proper to transfer weight to the front axles of the camper and the trailer axle(s). The first issue is to have sufficient tongue weight...too low on tongue weight will cause trailer handling issues that the W/D can't fix. If you loaded trailer weight is 4600#, you'll want around 600# on the tongue (13%). Also you don't seem to indicate that your hitch has integrated sway control...adding a single friction sway bar would help.

Dave

[TimVWulp]

Hi what type of tires do you have on the envoy? Are the envoy tires LT or passenger car tires. Did you make sure the tire pressures are right on tv and tt. Weight distributions hitch type? sway control?

Tim

[davel1971]

what you are feeling could possibly be completely normal. It's going to feel a lot different with a trailer in tow and you need to adjust your driving to match.

[beerjay]

I had a Trailblazer (not XL) with the I6. I pulled a Coleman Sunridge-Mesa for several years. It was 3000# loaded but with kids and cargo I was over the GAWR but well under the tow rating. That's something to check since it will load the rear down on the SUV and give you the white knuckle experience. That's a real concern if you have an avoidance, transport, down hill braking, or wind sheer situation to correct from.
The non-XL has quite a short wheelbase for towing so wind and trucks were always an issue on the highway for me. The XL is a foot or so more I expect that will help but I think weight is what is causing your issue.
I went to a Suburban and never knew the pop-up was behind me after that and could carry all the cargo I needed since the pop-up has limited space.
Bryan

[Rstrahan]

I had an XL, and pulling a 750 lb trailer with a 2500 lb car strained the towing capacity, cold really feel it on hills. Large trucks would tend to move it as well. Just undersized for significant towing no matter what the advertised capacity is.

[rzrnaz]

I'm with beerjay. You said the rated weight is 4600 lbs. You need two pieces of additional data. The first is what is the real weight, with everything in it? The second is what is the tongue weight? As others noted, even if that is OK, it just may not tow well with your tow vehicle. More weight, wheelbase, and power up front fixes most things. If there is a pool, I pick that the trailer/tongue is too heavy for your vehicle, though.

[Baxters Dad]

You are correct in your assumption that a tow vehicle's capacity is much more than the engine. An old adage for RV's is "You can never have too much tow vehicle".
Certainly you should consider tongue weight, GVWR, engine capacity, gearing, suspension and tires, but as you may of discovered vehicle size may also contribute.
You also need to consider the roads you usually travel or plan to travel. Out west you'll find mountains and wind, which are two things that greatly effect towing.
It also depends on how often the vehicle is used to tow your RV. If it's five days a year it's tough to justify a newer bigger vehicle just for towing.
In my opinion, if you're going to tow most anything you should consider at least a 3/4 ton pickup. It may seem like overkill, but when you're pulling a hill, attempting to pass, bucking a head wind or cross wind or any of the many other things we encounter, you'll be thankful for size and capacity.
We bought a four door 3/4 4x4 gas engined pickup for towing, and were amazed at how often we use it for non-towing or non-RVing. A four door pickup is a very versatile vehicle.

[Brother Les]

Originally Posted by Pam wise

I have a 2006 Envoy XL to pull my 2011 Rockwood Roo 183. It's an I6 with 3.73 gear ratio and a towing capacity of 5800 lbs. The hybrid's loaded weight is rated at approx. 4600 lbs. so I feel like I should be in a safe towing range. However, while towing, I feel like I'm floating on the road and really feel the wind and especially when a big truck goes by. What is the problem? weight of the tow vehicle? I have a weight distribution hitch and adjusted the links which have helped somewhat. If I need a different SUV, what features do I need to pay attention to? Seems like it's not all about engine size but weight of vehicle.

imo, what you feel is a light front end. Put more weight to the front of the tow vehicle and more weight to the back of the unit being towed. Does it feel 'worse' (floating) when you have a full tank of fuel and seem to get better as you burn off fuel (levels out)? You may have a tad too much tongue weight. If you have chains on your WDH and you as an example 'drop' 3 links, tighten it up a little by 'dropping' 4 links. This will put more leverage weight to the front and should smooth out your 'floating'. imo.

[NYDP77]

I had similar weights and capacity with a different tow vehicle and trailer. My guess is that with all cargo you maybe at 90-95% towing capacity. The SUV will feel like this due to a smaller wheel base than a truck and that your are at the limits of the GCWR. You may want to try air bags in the shocks of the tow vehicle that you can inflate when towing, this could make it feel more stable.

[OldCoot]

No doubt you have P tires and should inflate them to the max of 44# when towing or switch to 4 LT tires as well as dropping 4 links instead of 3.

[NYDP77]

I'll add...I was towing a 4,200 lbs trailer with a Pathfinder V6 (6,000 max towing) to a basic V8 Silverado 1500 (9,600 max towing) the difference was night and day.

[D_B Travelers]

Originally Posted by Pam wise

I have a 2006 Envoy XL to pull my 2011 Rockwood Roo 183. It's an I6 with 3.73 gear ratio and a towing capacity of 5800 lbs. The hybrid's loaded weight is rated at approx. 4600 lbs. so I feel like I should be in a safe towing range. However, while towing, I feel like I'm floating on the road and really feel the wind and especially when a big truck goes by. What is the problem? weight of the tow vehicle? I have a weight distribution hitch and adjusted the links which have helped somewhat. If I need a different SUV, what features do I need to pay attention to? Seems like it's not all about engine size but weight of vehicle.

I also recommend you find out how much weight you are actually pulling and you really need to add a sway control device. Before you head out on the next trip, go to a local truck stop with scales and weigh the TV (tow vehicle). You need it to be full of fuel, and loaded with about the same amount of weight and people you normally carry camping. The truck stop will give you a piece of paper with the weight for your records. Next time you are hooked up and head out, stop in the truck stop with scales again and weigh the TV, then the entire rig, and then just the trailer. The people running the scales will assist you in doing this, no worries. You will be able to determine how much Gross Vehicle Weight you actually have and if you are really under the limits. Using the previous weight ticket for the TV, you can determine how much weight is on the hitch also with a little subtraction. My bet is that you have too much weight on the hitch which will make the front of your TV drift or "float" along. Adjusting the hitch will help if you are not overweight.

[nineback]

Bingo!

Originally Posted by D_B Travelers

I also recommend you find out how much weight you are actually pulling and you really need to add a sway control device. Before you head out on the next trip, go to a local truck stop with scales and weigh the TV (tow vehicle). You need it to be full of fuel, and loaded with about the same amount of weight and people you normally carry camping. The truck stop will give you a piece of paper with the weight for your records. Next time you are hooked up and head out, stop in the truck stop with scales again and weigh the TV, then the entire rig, and then just the trailer. The people running the scales will assist you in doing this, no worries. You will be able to determine how much Gross Vehicle Weight you actually have and if you are really under the limits. Using the previous weight ticket for the TV, you can determine how much weight is on the hitch also with a little subtraction. My bet is that you have too much weight on the hitch which will make the front of your TV drift or "float" along. Adjusting the hitch will help if you are not overweight.

[vinmaker]

Originally Posted by Baxters Dad

You are correct in your assumption that a tow vehicle's capacity is much more than the engine. An old adage for RV's is "You can never have too much tow vehicle".
Certainly you should consider tongue weight, GVWR, engine capacity, gearing, suspension and tires, but as you may of discovered vehicle size may also contribute.
You also need to consider the roads you usually travel or plan to travel. Out west you'll find mountains and wind, which are two things that greatly effect towing.
It also depends on how often the vehicle is used to tow your RV. If it's five days a year it's tough to justify a newer bigger vehicle just for towing.
In my opinion, if you're going to tow most anything you should consider at least a 3/4 ton pickup. It may seem like overkill, but when you're pulling a hill, attempting to pass, bucking a head wind or cross wind or any of the many other things we encounter, you'll be thankful for size and capacity.
We bought a four door 3/4 4x4 gas engined pickup for towing, and were amazed at how often we use it for non-towing or non-RVing. A four door pickup is a very versatile vehicle.

No quite sure I agree with your statement "if you're going to tow most anything you should consider at least a 3/4 ton pickup". That is quite a bit of capacity for a small HTT. But I respect your opinion.

Vin.

[trbomax]

If your hitch set up is right you really should have LT tires .If the shocks are factory or have over 50k on them its time for new gas shocks.

[thebrakeman]

Roo 183 (new models anyway) is 3653 dry, and 4820 GVWR. So the 4600 could have been the GVWR in 2011 (?) and/or it could be the actual loaded weight if you really load this thing a lot! Most with a small hybrid would only be 600-800 over dry.

1. Make sure loaded properly, with at least 10% on ball, preferably 12-13%.
2. Measure front wheel well height before attaching trailer.
3. Measure fww height again after attaching trailer and engaging WDH.

a. If front wheel well height has been returned to original height, then you just have an inherent stability issue. Add a friction sway controller.
b. If front wwh is still higher than original, you need to lift the WDH bars more, and/or tilt the WD head back further, until front wwh is back to stock height.
c. After adjusting WDH properly, if trailer is no longer level (tongue high), disassemble the head from the drawbar, and lower 1 position (typically 1.25" between holes). You will then need to take wheel well adjustments again, and be sure you have returned to stock.

[ChooChooMan74]

I am towing a 183 myself, and before that a 21BH. You will feel truccks and wind. Perfectly normal. I did upgrade my tires from 225/75R16 to 245/70R16XL and run 50psi in the back and 45 in the front. If 95% of my driving wasn't commuting, I would have gotten LT tires. I also keep my speed to 60 or below. I also have air bags. I noticed last year when I lost my air bags due to not checking them all winter, the tow wasn't as stable. I don't use much air, maybe 15psi max, just to level out the Jeep.

[D_B Travelers]

Pam_wise, as others have pointed out you will get more acquainted with the characteristics of your TV and trailer the more you tow. When we picked up our 35' trailer the first time and headed out on the highway we were terrified right down from the dealership when we hit a series of humps in the road that made everything porpoise up and down. We thought we were going to be on edge everywhere we went until we realized it was just that section of road and not something common. Still, you will soon know what "normal" is when towing and become an old hand at this fun hobby. Just follow the advise on adjusting hitch weight and get a sway bar asap. Enjoy!

[f5moab]

Originally Posted by vinmaker

No quite sure I agree with your statement "if you're going to tow most anything you should consider at least a 3/4 ton pickup". That is quite a bit of capacity for a small HTT. But I respect your opinion.

Vin.

I agree. It all depends on what you are pulling. And what the TV us capable of towing.