Towing my new TT

[Vankonk]

Finally got to get out in our "new to us" 2017 Grey Wolf 26DBH. We traveled about 60 miles to the campground, highway and city driving. I am pulling with a 2016 Ford Expedition EL and am using a Husky Centerline hitch. For the most part, everything went good. I was able to travel at 65 mph but noticed once I got over 55, the trailer felt like it was starting to float??? It wandered in the lane and I was able to control it but still don't think it's right.

I am also on the Ford Expedition forums and am gaining a lot of knowledge on the capabilities of my TV. The Expy forum has a trailer weights calculator that I have yet to use but I will as soon as I can get the trailer on the scale.

Sorry, I know I didn't add a lot of info regarding specifics on the TT or TV since I am still very new to pulling something this big. Just wanted to get my thoughts out there because I want this to work. I have a lot of future plans to see the county with my family!

[ependydad]

The other forum is right, you need to start with weighing the trailer:
How to Weigh a Travel Trailer | Learn To RV

You can use this tool to "crunch the numbers":
Actual Weights - Travel Trailer/Bumper Pull Weights from CAT Scales - Towing Planner

As well, you need to break out the instruction manual for the Husky Centerline hitch and re-set it up. Even if the dealer did it, they suck at it. Plus, you'll need to know because your camper weights will change as you load it up in the future.

Get, read, and understand that manual, head to a scale for an afternoon, and re-work it until your weights are right (i.e. your at 12-13% on tongue weight and you've pushed the weight back to the front wheels of your Expedition).

[CurtPutnam]

2017 Grey Wolf 26DBH GVWR = 7765 lbs. At 10% the tongue weight is 776 lbs and at 15 % the tongue weight is 1165 lbs. Add 100 lbs for the Husky WDH hitch and your minimum, hitch weight is 876 lbs. and the upper end before cargo in TV is 1265 lbs. Google says:
Towing capacity: 6,600 lbs
Payload: 1,659 to 1,669 lbs
Dimensions: 221″ L x 79″ W x 78″ H
MPG: Up to 15 city / 21 highway
Fuel tank capacity: 34 gal

So, if Google numbers are correct, with a loaded TT you are out of towing capacity and available payload with TT @ GVWR is down to ~ 400 lbs (before you load family and gear.) Please check my numbers for payload against the yellow sticker on the driver's door column. You may also be pushing the GCWR and GAWRs. The whole situation warrants careful investigation and consideration.

[Boomerweps]

Not getting into the TT math but,
The Ford Factory Towing Guide has the Expedition EL without towing package at 6.6k# towing capacity. WITH Towing package the capacity jumps to 9.1K# in a 4x4, 9.2k# in a 2x4. GCWR goes from 12.8K# to 15.3K#.
Recommended maximum frontal area is 60 Sq. Ft.
Hitch is rated with WDH 920/9200, without WDH 600/6000.

I am now of the opinion that getting your TV and TT weighted is a crucial part of proper towing. I found out I was overloading my TV rear axle and my TT axle! And I think my GTWR. I went on a massive weight reduction program in my TV and TT.

As for the floating feeling, without actual weights, you may be having not enough tongue weight or the WDH is moving too much weight off the drive axle, levering the road contact weight to be more on the steering axle and the TT axles. Just a guess. At higher speeds, the wind drag is HUGE. While a thinner medium of air, in water submerged to go twice as fast you need four times the power. IOW, that parachute/bill board you are dragging behind you has a big affect on you.

[RitaB]

I agree with most of the responses you got so far, you are way overweight. But besides that, you mentioned Husky Centerline hitch. I hope you have one with the weight distribution spring bars and got a sway control.

[Vankonk]

Boomerweps - I have the Limited EL 4x4 with the HD towing package so your numbers look right. I have the Husky Centerline TS with sway control 800 lb-1200 lb tongue capacity.

Hitch is rated with WDH 920/9100

I actually drove it home about an hour drive without the WDH with the TT empty and it towed better than with the sway hitch. We didn't add any water and what we added to the camper was minimal since we only went for a weekend trip to try it out. Food and clothes.

I set up the WDH myself so I might have missed a step or screwed something up. I have a CAT scale about 15 minutes from my house. After I have it weighed, would the numbers tell me how to adjust the sway hitch?

[CurtPutnam]

Originally Posted by Vankonk

Boomerweps - I have the Limited EL 4x4 with the HD towing package so your numbers look right. I have the Husky Centerline TS with sway control 800 lb-1200 lb tongue capacity.

Hitch is rated with WDH 920/9100

I actually drove it home about an hour drive without the WDH with the TT empty and it towed better than with the sway hitch. We didn't add any water and what we added to the camper was minimal since we only went for a weekend trip to try it out. Food and clothes.

I set up the WDH myself so I might have missed a step or screwed something up. I have a CAT scale about 15 minutes from my house. After I have it weighed, would the numbers tell me how to adjust the sway hitch?

Husky has very good technical support. There are YouTube videos showing how to install and adjust hitch - might be useful to review those.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by Vankonk

Boomerweps - I have the Limited EL 4x4 with the HD towing package so your numbers look right. I have the Husky Centerline TS with sway control 800 lb-1200 lb tongue capacity.

Hitch is rated with WDH 920/9100

I actually drove it home about an hour drive without the WDH with the TT empty and it towed better than with the sway hitch. We didn't add any water and what we added to the camper was minimal since we only went for a weekend trip to try it out. Food and clothes.

I set up the WDH myself so I might have missed a step or screwed something up. I have a CAT scale about 15 minutes from my house. After I have it weighed, would the numbers tell me how to adjust the sway hitch?

Just a couple of things based on the part in red- It's possible you're distributing too much weight (too much tension on the bars) causing the rear of the TV to feel loose. Also, be aware that wind and the direction it is coming from have a significant effect on how a rig handles. If you picked the camper up on a calm day but your first day out you had a 20mph front quartering wind (worst in my experience), it would have felt better without the WDH, but not because something was setup incorrectly.

[mxdad]

I used to tow a 26RR with an Escalade ESV....similar TV and campers, and here's my input FWIW:

Since you already have the vehicle, I would work on your WDH setup. Since you said it rode better without the WDH, try going lighter on your WDH bars. Get that dialed in, and then work on the anti-sway part. I actually go without the anti-sway part of my hitch because it is dialed in so well.

I spent the better part of a month working on the magic formula for my setup, but once I got it, it worked great. We towed that combination 20 times a year for 2 years until we upgraded to an F250.

[johntaylor]

Originally Posted by Boomerweps

At higher speeds, the wind drag is HUGE. While a thinner medium of air, in water submerged to go twice as fast you need four times the power.

Whether you are in air or water is not relevant. Drag varies with the square of speed. Power varies with the cube of speed. Double the speed = 4 times the drag and 8 times the power.

Drag (force) = 1/2 rho V-squared S CD
where rho = density, V = velocity (speed), S = frontal area, CD = drag coefficient.

Power = Drag (force) x velocity
Therefore:
Power = 1/2 rho V-cubed S CD