Tongue weight reduction.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by Stormrider151

The hitch was set up wrong at the dealer. It looked good at PDI but it wasn't sitting level. We used it one time and looking at it on level ground it's a little tongue high.

Originally Posted by acadianbob

If you are tongue high, that is definitely a problem.

acadianbob has brought up an interesting point. On a dual axle trailer, an tongue high attitude increases the tongue weight, as more weight is put on the rear axle. Getting the trailer level will help decrease the tongue weight.

[B and B]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

For 150#, I wouldn't waste the effort. The scales could be off that much. The world won't come to an end and it sure isn't going to cause your truck any problems.

I am with OC on this... I am over by much much more... 150 lbs isn't much. Put the tank replacement and lithium battery dollars into E LT series slippers.

[Stormrider151]

I appreciate everyone's input and advice and I will be putting it to good use. I thought I knew what I needed to tow this trailer and quickly found out I knew very little. I've towed everything from a wave runner to a tiller ladder and never thought much about anything but hook it up and go. It's a wonder I'm still here. Thanks again. You have all been a huge help.

[techntrek]

Originally Posted by Stormrider151

... When I towed it the last time I had a real sway problem on the interstate. I'm hoping getting the hitch set up right, the dual cam and reducing the weight at the hitch will fix the sway issue.

If you are currently having a sway issue you do not want to remove weight from the tongue. Here is an excerpt from a write-up I did for a forum I'm an admin on:

The biggest contributors to sway, in this order:
1. Not enough tongue weight
2. Distance between rear axle and the hitch ball
3. Speed
4. Short wheelbase vehicle
5. Camper tongue is pointed up, not level or pointed slightly down.
6. Not enough pressure in the TV and trailer tires (they should be at or near their max sidewall rating)
7. Lack of sway control
8. Outside forces like side winds, etc.

[techntrek]

Originally Posted by Stormrider151

Can I as what you are towing with?

Reese Dual Cam. I spent about 3 hours adjusting mine a few weeks ago, then read about how it should be on the 5th link most of the time and mine is on the 4th. Next spring I'll be blocking off a few more hours...

[techntrek]

Originally Posted by Stormrider151

No Brian, I still have the P metrics on my truck. I don't drive much. It's a 2012 and has less than 24000 miles on it. That said my tires are in great shape and as bad as I would like to change to LT's I just can't make myself get rid of good tires. But you are absolutely right it would make a huge difference and maybe I should just bite the bullet and go ahead and do it.

Less of a difference than you think. When I was pulling a pup with a minivan I switched the van tires from P to LT and didn't notice any difference. That pup was a sway maniac and I did EVERYTHING to get it under control (except move up to a full WDH which I should have). Even took the spare tire off to get more weight on the tongue.

[techntrek]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

For 150#, I wouldn't waste the effort. The scales could be off that much. The world won't come to an end and it sure isn't going to cause your truck any problems.

+1

[Taranwanderer]

Originally Posted by techntrek

Less of a difference than you think. When I was pulling a pup with a minivan I switched the van tires from P to LT and didn't notice any difference. That pup was a sway maniac and I did EVERYTHING to get it under control (except move up to a full WDH which I should have). Even took the spare tire off to get more weight on the tongue.

A pop-up is much lighter than the TT he's trying to tow. I'm not surprised that the switch from "Ps" to "LTs" didn't make much difference in your case. But change the configuration to an SUV with "Ps" towing a larger TT, and you'll see the difference. Pop-up was just too light for you to feel any change. You had other sway-inducing issues.

[techntrek]

Originally Posted by Taranwanderer

A pop-up is much lighter than the TT he's trying to tow. I'm not surprised that the switch from "Ps" to "LTs" didn't make much difference in your case. But change the configuration to an SUV with "Ps" towing a larger TT, and you'll see the difference. Pop-up was just too light for you to feel any change. You had other sway-inducing issues.

It was lighter than his TT, yes, but it wasn't light. It was 3500 pounds loaded up, and actually heavier than the R-pod I replaced it with. Believe me, as touchy as that pup was, I would have felt any minor difference when I moved to the LTs. I could feel all the other minor tweaks I tried.

[Stormrider151]

Originally Posted by techntrek

It was lighter than his TT, yes, but it wasn't light. It was 3500 pounds loaded up, and actually heavier than the R-pod I replaced it with. Believe me, as touchy as that pup was, I would have felt any minor difference when I moved to the LTs. I could feel all the other minor tweaks I tried.

I had a Coleman Niagara that dressed out at almost 4k. Started towing it with a sport track with air shocks. Finally had to get a used 1500 to pull it. Great camper but a beast weight wise for a pop up. Not nearly what I have now but still up there.


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[Brother Les]

Get your truck and trailer level when hooked up. The tongue should not be 'high', but a little 'low' (and ball) when unhooked. When everything is hooked up and pulled up tight, the lifting of the tongue and ball, to make the the truck and trailer level, will throw weight to the front of the truck and to the back of the trailer. You tongue weight is fine, don't lose any sleep over it. If you have a sway problem put another sway bar on it. I run two on my unit.

[rlocicero]

Originally Posted by B and B

I felt the same way with mine, I did run them on the fifth wheel for the first summer. I have the same truck as you have, did tow a 32 FT Rockwood 2703 SS TT close to the same weight, the tongue weight was below 1000 lbs but I made up for that with a 500 lb cap on the truck. I have 8,000 miles on the rig this past summer with LT Tires and not an issue, I do temp checks at rest stops and nothing heats up like the P did. Speaking from my limited experience and two trucks (09 F150 5.4 L and now the Ecoboost) with P tires towing the TT the sway was absolutely awful, the hitch was not the culprit. DW wanted a 5th wheel and we traded so I never was able to close the loop on P and sway but from what other have experienced that is a major component contributing to it. I do know LT with the Fifth Wheel is just sticks to the road no matter what I encounter.

It certainly sounds like you are going to get the hitch fixed, my Reese SC Series Hitch was too light as well, needed 1000 lb bars they put 600 lb bars on mine and they could not handle it.



Sorry for the long post, all the best.

Brian

I can close the loop for you. I switched to E-rated 10 ply LT tires and it made a world of difference. I also have 1200# sway bars.

[techntrek]

Originally Posted by Stormrider151

I had a Coleman Niagara that dressed out at almost 4k. Started towing it with a sport track with air shocks. Finally had to get a used 1500 to pull it. Great camper but a beast weight wise for a pop up. Not nearly what I have now but still up there.

Yup, mine was in the same class. Grandview SP, which from what I've read was a rare model.