Towing: What am I doing wrong?

[burse]

You guy's will be in big trouble when a tire blows (Not if it Blows) at 65 & 70 mph.

[itat]

Wow, the last few posts are getting a little extreme here!

My advice?

1. Slow down a bit. Keep it to 60 mph.
2. Get out the manual for your Eaz-Lift, load the TT with everything ready to camp, and go set up the hitch properly yourself.
3. Find a CAT scale at a nearby truck stop and check your weights. You'll find lots of good advice here on how to weigh your TV and TT and how to calculate your weights from the scale readings.

[Brentnal]

If you cannot solve this problem by adjusting the tongue weight you might have an alignment issue with the axle(s) or faulty brakes. Check the tires for heat and uneven wear.

[wboglejr]

I know someone that had a similar issue with a GMC Envoy. It was determined the type of suspension on the TV was the issue, coil springs not leaf springs. Once the TV was changed to a vehicle with leaf springs there was no longer an issue. What type of rear suspension is on the jeep?

[jlgail4309]

I towed the almost the same setup for a few years. You have received a lot of great posts.
One thing slow down a little your Jeep is Maxed out. You need a better hitch for your Jeep. I used the brake sway type for a while. It just wasn't enough to control the sway. Tires on your Jeep are P rated not for towing at Max rated. Trailer tire on the new trailer are China bombs so keep and I on them for heat.
I tried everything with the old hitch on setup. I was going to Enid OKLA with the trailer in high wind and a Big truck passed. I thought the trailer was going to flip the Jeep. I had my kids in the Jeep and my seat was sucked up my well you get the picture. You will have a hard time getting your setup to ever be great to drive at highway speeds,. But you can make it better and Safer. Hope this helps.

Here is the post from when I was fighting the same problems food for thought

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ind-33004.html

[adarklake]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice everyone! I'll slow it down and keep it at 60, it seems fairly stable at that speed. I checked the WDH heights and it appears that the dealer dialed it in correctly. The trailer tires are properly inflated (with nitrogen, apparently). Now I am paranoid one will blow, they do seem cheap.

One thing I did notice is that my Jeep's receiver is awfully loose. The WD hitch has a lot of slop in the receiver, which I assume isn't good for handling. I installed a hitch clamp and that seemed to dampen the TV jerking I was experiencing.

[itat]

Take it to a CAT scale if you have one not too far away.
CAT Scale Locator | CAT Scale

Get 3 weights:
- fully loaded with weight distribution bars installed
- fully loaded without weight distribution bars installed
- truck alone

You calculate your weights this way:

[itat]

With the above calculations you'll be able to see if either axle is overloaded and your true gross weight on your Cherokee.

You may be willing to live with a small overload but if everything is overloaded you'll have to decide what you're comfortable with.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by itat

Take it to a CAT scale if you have one not too far away.

CAT Scale Locator | CAT Scale



Get 3 weights:

- fully loaded with weight distribution bars installed

- fully loaded without weight distribution bars installed

- truck alone



You calculate your weights this way:

Your spreadsheet certainly works but if the OP is t comfortable with that, I've made a utility that does the same thing in a web page form:

http://towingplanner.com/ActualWeigh...ailerCatScales

[itat]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Your spreadsheet certainly works but if the OP is t comfortable with that, I've made a utility that does the same thing in a web page form:

Actual Weights - Travel Trailer/Bumper Pull Weights from CAT Scales - Towing Planner

I was hoping you'd chime in and post a link to your website, Doug.

I've saved that link!

[goduc]

Originally Posted by adarklake

Wow, thanks for all the great advice everyone! I'll slow it down and keep it at 60, it seems fairly stable at that speed. I checked the WDH heights and it appears that the dealer dialed it in correctly. The trailer tires are properly inflated (with nitrogen, apparently). Now I am paranoid one will blow, they do seem cheap.

One thing I did notice is that my Jeep's receiver is awfully loose. The WD hitch has a lot of slop in the receiver, which I assume isn't good for handling. I installed a hitch clamp and that seemed to dampen the TV jerking I was experiencing.

The WDH will be loose in the receiver. That's normal. It won't flop around when the WD is tightened up.

[jlgail4309]

I forgot to tell you to have fun and enjoy !! Have a happy Thanksgiving !!

[ChooChooMan74]

Slow down and enjoy. I towed my Roo 183 3500 miles in 2 weeks at 60 MPH.

Sent from my Samsung Note 4 using Tapatalk.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by goduc

The WDH will be loose in the receiver. That's normal. It won't flop around when the WD is tightened up.

Yes, that should be true for the up and down motion, but it could still move side to side, adding a bit to a sway condition.

I made some shims for my setup. http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post621176

[adarklake]

Originally Posted by MtnGuy

Yes, that should be true for the up and down motion, but it could still move side to side, adding a bit to a sway condition.

I made some shims for my setup. http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post621176

Yes, this is what I was thinking, since the movement is side to side. On a bumpy highway where the road is up & down, the weight on the receiver will vary, which could allow for side-to-side slop accounting for random jerkiness in the rear end, which is exactly what I was getting. I'm using a heavy duty clamp, turned sideways. We'll see if it holds.

I also plan to get it over to some scales and dial in my axle weights, I really appreciate all of the links and calculators, you guys are the best!

[silverback 35ts]

To install and "properly set-up" an WD hitch takes some time and patience the first time, I think you need to start from the beginning and set up the hitch and sway bar from the start,
The system you have should take all sway out that you have if properly used and installed, if you have any questions you might be better off going back the dealer or some dealer and have their staff set it up and show you how you need to use it so you and all others on the road can be safe.
Hape this helps and Happy Camping

[adarklake]

Well, I took my setup down to the CAT scales today and figured I'd update the thread with my weights.

WDH Engaged:
Steer Axle: 2580
Drive Axle: 2300
Trailer Axle: 2900 (single)

WDH Disengaged:
Steer Axle: 2280
Drive Axle: 2760
Trailer Axle: 2760

Tow Vehicle Only:
Steer Axle: 2540
Drive Axle: 2000

This is with 2 adults in the TV and gear in the trailer. What do you think?

I should add 2015 Jeep Cherokee with GVWR of 5050-5500.

[Ford Idaho]

You Gross over all weight looks to be 7780 pounds, is that correct?

[adarklake]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

You Gross over all weight looks to be 7780 pounds, is that correct?

Yep, 7780 on the first weigh, 7800 on the second. Don't know where the 20 extra pounds came from. Everything was exactly the same and the bars were in the vehicle.

The GCWR of the Cherokee is 9600 near as I can tell, so I'm good there. The tongue weight on the trailer is still very heavy, 500lbs according to the calculators online. Not sure what can be done about that, but it may be where my drivability issues come in? The max tow is 4,500 and the tongue weight should be 10% of that maximum, correct?

[acadianbob]

Originally Posted by adarklake

The tongue weight on the trailer is still very heavy, 500lbs according to the calculators online. Not sure what can be done about that, but it may be where my drivability issues come in? The max tow is 4,500 and the tongue weight should be 10% of that maximum, correct?

I'm thinking most trailers are about 15%. Given a trailer weight of about 3,300 lbs, a 500 lb tongue weight seems about right.