New camper, new truck, need new hitch.

[HeyJude]

We bought a Flagstaff 29ksws and a new Chevy Silverado 1500 with 6.2 and ultimate towing package. We have a equalizer hitch rated for 10,000lbs but we are getting a bit of bucking and swaying. Any recommendations on a better hitch? Something that will smooth our ride out?

[Chief T]

I believe your issue may be the max tongue weight of your truck. Looking at the owner's manual online, it states a max of 1200 lbs tongue weight w/WDH.

According to FR, your new TT tongue weight is 914 lbs (dry). Add tanks, battery, gear and weight of your WDH, plus any gear behind the rear axel of the TV, and I'd say you are max'd out if not over.

[itat]

Congrats on the new toys. For that size of TT, the Equal-i-zer hitch should be their 12K model, not the 10K. Equal-i-zer hitches are top notch for weight distribution. That said, your biggest problem may be the truck itself, not the hitch. What does the driver’s door sticker say its payload (cargo carrying) capacity is? Flagstaff’s numbers on the FR website say it has an unloaded tongue weight of 914# so in reality its likely well above 1000# when your loaded up for camping. That’s compounded by the fact that a 33’11” long trailer will have a lot of leverage to bounce the tongue. The 6.2L engine will have plenty of pulling power but the 1500’s suspension, frame, axles, wheels and tires may not be up to the task of carrying the weight.

[jking46]

Try the 1200 lb bars. I had to get new bars for my hitch when I bought our current camper. They made a world of difference. E Trailer has the best price I found.

[jimla]

Before you go out and start buying more hitch parts, check your setup. First of all, I've pulled TT for a long while and have never had rig that pulls perfectly smooth. You can minimize the effects by how the hitch is set. You can go to fastway's web site. That is if you didn't get your hitch manual from dealer, which you should have. Read the setup instructions and make sure the hitch was set right. If it is set close to what manual says, then you can experiment, by putting more load on bars, by raising L brackets up one hole and see how it performs. This will put less load on rear of TV and give you more anti-sway.

[katkt]

You’re at the upper end of your trucks comfort zone, as far as your TV goes. Go forward with that being your guide.

Make sure the hitch is properly adjusted. The TT and TV, should be pretty close to level, when hooked up and the WDH loaded properly. The hitch shifts weight off of the rear axle, onto both the front axle and the TT axle(s). Slightly nose down on the TT is better then slightly nose up. Slightly isn’t an inch or two. You’ll be less then an inch out of level more then likely, if it’s adjusted properly.
If the dealer adjusted the hitch for you, then take the time right now, to familiarize yourself with the hitch, how it should be set up, and recheck everything. They may have done a good job. Maybe not.

Make sure the tires on the TV and the TT, are aired up properly. The door pillar recommended air pressure is fine if you’re not running a heavily loaded truck. If the tires on your TV show a max cold pressure of 80 or 85psi, you are way ahead of the game. I inflated mine to the max cold pressure on the rear of my TV(55 in my case)and about 5 under on the front, and it made a noticeable difference. I run the TT tires at max cold pressure, because they had a load rating of C. I’ve since upgraded both the TT and TV for tires better designed for load carrying, beyond the typical grocery getter. Tires are not all created equal. Spend some time finding out what all the lettering on the sidewall means. Date of production. Load range. Max cold inflation.
Keep in mind, just because the tire says it’ll carry “x” at max cold inflation, it doesn’t mean you can carry more weight then the trucks axles are rated for. Weight is what matters. Some tires are better designed to carry weight, some are more about quality of ride. Towing heavy trailers, is all about compromises between load carrying and quality. I will say, the heavier the load, the more it tends to smooth the ride. The optimum pressure for towing, may make for a harsh ride when the trailer isn’t back there. Adjust the pressure accordingly.

Consider doing something to the rear springs, to add weight carrying capability. I’ve had 2 E250 extended vans, and 2 F150’s counting my current TV. I have run the RAS on the rear leaf springs, because all four were under sprung, for loading at the upper end of what the manufacturer considers the vehicle capable of. With the “Ultimate” package, it may already have a heavier set up. You have to decide that.

Become intimately familiar with the max loading of all your axles. Trailer, Rear/drive, Front/steering. You can look in your owners manual, on the door pillar, and in the manufacturers online Towing guide.
Become familiar with what the max trailer weight is determined to be. My trailer has the two LP bottles included in the dry weight, but all other tanks empty. I have a friend, whose trailer has a full tank of FW included in the dry weight rating of the trailer. If I have a full tank of FW, it adversely affects how the rig handles, because my FW tank is clear in the back.
Determine what these details are, based on your own research, not “So and so said so on the internet highway”.
Look in the Towing section here on the Forum, regarding using the CAT scales to weigh your rig, and help you adjust your WDH accordingly. Don’t be a slave to the numbers, but understand “Max”. As you get closer to where you need to be, the better the rig should handle.
Spend some time reading in the Towing section, and it will help you sort through the “Your truck is to puny. You need a 1 ton chassis to tow your lawn mower”, and the guys who have optimized their TV, to accomplish the task at hand. If you read enough, you may come across owners who have similar setups.
The more miles and experience you get, the more it will help you determine the need for a larger TV, “if”. The heavier the TV, the more it will cover up poorly set up rigs.

Towing a heavy TT, isn’t just a hitch it and drag it down the road type of thing. OTR truck drivers have years of experience, special training and stringent guidelines as well as volumes of regulations, regarding operating on the highways and byways of our great country. Any guy with enough money(or good credit)can buy a PU and a TT, and hit the road. It can end up looking like a calamity when done in a half a$$ed manner.
Educate yourself. Become familiar with every aspect of what you’re doing, and you’ll avoid costly mistakes, as well as wasted money buying stuff you really don’t need.

[HappyCamper1962]

Agreed with all so far. If you haven't maxed out your tongue weight, then work on better distribution of weight. Your 1200lb equalizer WDH is fully capable of handing your set up. I've used mine on every rig since our popup and even though it has been called "overkill" on occasion, it performs flawlessly and I wouldn't pull without it.

[Campinfishin]

Lots of great advise here. I'm pulling a Rockwood 8327ss with a new 2019 Ram 1500. I have a Equalizer 14K and when all loaded up everything sits level and pulls very nice. Bigger trailers can be pulled safely with half ton TV if set-up correctly. Take your time and do it right

[tonyz1]

Agree with all advice above also. We don't have the same TV as you, ( we are using F-250SD), but have the same camper-29ksws. We are using the Husky Centerline hitch. Works great for our TV and pleased with the anti-sway and haven't noticed much in the way of bucking. Just our experience and not sure how it would act on your 1500. Enjoy that camper, we love ours!

[CaptnJohn]

You have one of the best hitches on the market. Until you know the tongue weight you cannot be sure of the bars needed but I'm betting you are over 1000# on the hitch. Also, if running P tires on the truck, dump them for a heavier LT tire and run them at max cold.

[BeckyMax]

Not related to towing, but out dealer didn't tell us the 6.2 in the Silverado requires at least 91 octane gas. At $.60 more per gallon in our area we prob would have opted for a different vehicle, at least the extra $100 a month would go in the truck, not the gas tank. I only mentioned it because we just had to replace a fuel injector and not sure if it failed prematurely due to the 87 octane we used the first 2 months we opened it or if previous owner ever used 91+.

[aceinspp]

You can also install a set of Timbren bump stops as I did on my 2500 Chevy. It helps prevent sway and very easy to install. Replaces factory bump stop. One of the best things I did for improving handling. Later RJD

[cmysstailights]

Originally Posted by BeckyMax

Not related to towing, but out dealer didn't tell us the 6.2 in the Silverado requires at least 91 octane gas. At $.60 more per gallon in our area we prob would have opted for a different vehicle, at least the extra $100 a month would go in the truck, not the gas tank. I only mentioned it because we just had to replace a fuel injector and not sure if it failed prematurely due to the 87 octane we used the first 2 months we opened it or if previous owner ever used 91+.

Look into converting to e85, i read up and a few people with the 6.2 did it.

[HeyJude]

Originally Posted by cmysstailights

Look into converting to e85, i read up and a few people with the 6.2 did it.

All good advice. But, you can’t run e85 unless you have all stainless steel lines, it’s very corrosive.

[rsdata]

tires and tires...

TV tires should be load range E - LT tires

trailer tires... might want to think about changing to Goodyear Endurance for a stiffer sidewall which flexes less, and maybe going up a load range on them

both upgrades will certainly help with sway and some bounce problems