Looking for advice (on towing problem)

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Originally Posted by Triguy

Hi Chad,
Thanks for the weight measurements. It does sound very high to me, too!

A loaded trailer weighing 9,400lbs will have a tongue weight between 940lbs (10%) and 1,400lbs (15%). Not 15-20%. That is too much.

I run at 13% typically, so that would be about 1,200lbs for you so your 1,200lb bars are fine, but 1,400lb bars might be better.

The tongue weight should not be anywhere close to 1,800, which is a 19% TW. Either its true and you have a really bad setup or something is wrong with those measurements.

Can you check it by measuring the wheel wells per the instructions? Your 1,200lb bars would not be sufficient to distribute that much weight. The manual describes how to test for distribution using measurements of the wheel wells. Basically, with tow vehicle coupled with weight distribution engaged, your front wheel well needs to be at least half-way back to its disconnected height. See page 17 and 18. Note: your Dodge manual could state their own recommendation as well.

Thanks Scott that was a little hard to read but from what I gathered I should be fine. My truck is sitting about the same as it is unhooked in the front end and I have weighed that and empty the front end weighs 4100 pounds and hooked to the camper with WDH I weigh 4140. My camper has very little in it right now because we have not started camping this year so as far as the tongue weight there is not much affect that number other then the camper it self. I am trying to start with a clean slate and will load accordingly once I figure this out.

[dustman_stx]

Can't remember and don't wanna re-read all posts- but if you don't know that sitting TW of your trailer, you can rig up a lever to accurately measure this using a bathroom scale. I've seen a complete article on how to do it, but don't remember where it is. Maybe someone has it???

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by CHTKBUSCH17

I am trying to start with a clean slate and will load accordingly once I figure this out.

Hi Chad,
Sorry if I confused the situation at all for you. Have fun redoing it and please let us know what you find when you redo the hitch setup.

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Originally Posted by Triguy

Hi Chad,
Sorry if I confused the situation at all for you. Have fun redoing it and please let us know what you find when you redo the hitch setup.

Scott I am not sure where your other post went but it vanished. The one with explaining wd. But to answer your question or to clarify when I weighed my truck empty just the front axle weighed 4100. The rear axle weighed 2880. Now when I hooked up my camper with WDH engaged my front axle weighed 4140. I have no way of weighing my rear axle with the camper hooked up because I am using my uncle's scale at his grain setup and there is no way to just get the rear axle on it hooked because it is set up for semi's but it you do a little figuring I weigh 8820 with the camper hooked on and wdh engaged vs 6980 by it self. That is where I come up with 1840 on the hitch. But for the rear axle if I take the 8820 and subtract the 4140 that I know is on the front axle that leaves me with 4680 on the rear axle. Right or wrong I am not sure that is why I am here. The one thing I remmeber when the guy on here was talking about measurements he said you need to have your front axle weigh as close as you can hooked up to unkooked. Am I making any sense yet? thanks for trying to help. I have only used wd on the 2 campers I have owned. I can hook on to my skid loader trailer and load my skid loader and have a trailer weight of about 12,000 pounds and pull it down the road at 75 and never have any trouble with no wdh with the same truck. With the camper over 55 mph and things get out of hand.

[Triguy]

Chad,
Yes, you are making sense with the point about the front axle. It is true that bringing your front axle back to (or close to) its unhitched weight can be desirable. Its just that the TW of 1,800lbs is really throwing me as that is way too much for this setup.

BTW - I cleaned up that post of mine because I was getting ahead of myself and, worse, was turning your thread into a technical discussion of weight distribution rather than the practical help you asked for. My apologies. It really wasn't that helpful anyway.

I think the best thing for you to do is to redo your dealer's setup according to the manual to make sure it is setup correctly. Something is wrong with that heavy TW and your towing experience at 55mph.

Weighing on a CAT scale would be the best thing for you to do to get the full picture.

[Rolling buckeye]

This is kinda out there but, front end parts are also very important,I don't know the condition of yr trk,you probly said the yr, but,ball joints,tie rods,exc. If you take weight off the front, by putting it on the rear, you may be feeling a worn part,that you might not otherwise.
I'm not very adept at the math on these issues,but,is the truck sagging,even with WDH? If not, then it might be something else. Juz sayn.

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

Can't remember and don't wanna re-read all posts- but if you don't know that sitting TW of your trailer, you can rig up a lever to accurately measure this using a bathroom scale. I've seen a complete article on how to do it, but don't remember where it is. Maybe someone has it???

I will be able to weigh it tomorrow night just by unhooking it on the scale.

[MtnGuy]

You can get all of the axle weights with a single platform scale. You need to go across the scales 3 times.....and each time make sure all passengers and cargo are in the exact same position. Once with the truck alone, once with the truck and trailer with the spring bars not hooked up, and 1 with the spring bars hooked up.

Start with weighing just the front axle. Pull forward, and weight both axles of the truck. Pull forward and weigh with all axles (both truck and trailer) on the scale. Pull forward and weigh just the trailer axles.

The weight of the truck (both axles) with the trailer hooked up but without the spring bars in place minus the truck alone will give you a true tongue weight.

The truck rear axle weight can be accurately calculated with the trailer hooked up. The total weight of just the truck axles minus the front axle weight will give you a rear axle weight. Doing that with the spring bars in place shows how the WDH is performing, and doing that without the spring bars in place gives you a truck tongue weight (explained above).

Weighing with and without the spring bars also shows how much weight is being transferred to the trailer axles. Every weight that can be done on a sectioned platform scale (CAT Scale) can be calculated accurately on a single platform scale. I made numerous trips across our local quarry scales before finally starting to use the local CAT Scales.

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Originally Posted by Triguy

Chad,
Yes, you are making sense with the point about the front axle. It is true that bringing your front axle back to (or close to) its unhitched weight can be desirable. Its just that the TW of 1,800lbs is really throwing me as that is way too much for this setup.

BTW - I cleaned up that post of mine because I was getting ahead of myself and, worse, was turning your thread into a technical discussion of weight distribution rather than the practical help you asked for. My apologies. It really wasn't that helpful anyway.

I think the best thing for you to do is to redo your dealer's setup according to the manual to make sure it is setup correctly. Something is wrong with that heavy TW and your towing experience at 55mph.

Weighing on a CAT scale would be the best thing for you to do to get the full picture.

TW is also throwing me also and when I bought the camper they told me they are very heavy on the tongue but told me my Dodge would hold it and it does. The truck sits almost level when everything is hooked up and I have not taking any weight off of the front end so I am puzzled. I am going to weigh just the trailer tomorrow night when I get it back. I do not know of a CAT scale close to me. Thanks again

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

You can get all of the axle weights with a single platform scale. You need to go across the scales 3 times.....and each time make sure all passengers and cargo are in the exact same position. Once with the truck alone, once with the truck and trailer with the spring bars not hooked up, and 1 with the spring bars hooked up.

Start with weighing just the front axle. Pull forward, and weight both axles of the truck. Pull forward and weigh with all axles (both truck and trailer) on the scale. Pull forward and weigh just the trailer axles.

The weight of the truck (both axles) with the trailer hooked up but without the spring bars in place minus the truck alone will give you a true tongue weight.

The truck rear axle weight can be accurately calculated with the trailer hooked up. The total weight of just the truck axles minus the front axle weight will give you a rear axle weight. Doing that with the spring bars in place shows how the WDH is performing, and doing that without the spring bars in place gives you a truck tongue weight (explained above).

Weighing with and without the spring bars also shows how much weight is being transferred to the trailer axles. Every weight that can be done on a sectioned platform scale (CAT Scale) can be calculated accurately on a single platform scale. I made numerous trips across our local quarry scales before finally starting to use the local CAT Scales.

Thanks I will do it when I get the camper back and give you the numbers. maybe you will have an idea.
thanks

[CHTKBUSCH17]

Thanks to everyone for their advice. If I left anyone hanging, I am sorry I have been very busy. After much messing around which the hitch was set up correctly it basically came down to my tires on the truck which I had thought that but had not done anything about it. I had purchased a set of wheels from my cousin and the wheels had 2 good tires on them so I bought more to match. They are awesome tires but do not work with pulling a camper such as mine. I took the tires off my winter rims(stock rims) and put them on my wheels and put the other tires on my winter rims and they has taken care of most of the problem. All tires I have are 10 ply but the tires that I did have on my wheels were a mud tire so everyother lug on the outside of the tire was shaved off(from the factory) and that meant I only had half of the tire I could have holding me straight. I am comfortable to pull that camper anwhere but have only pulled it about 15 miles since I have it the way I want it. We are going to try to get out this weekend for the first time. We are only going about 5 miles from home but it will be our test and tune to make sure everything is working and to get the camper stocked back up. Again thanks to all and happy camping.
Chad

[pwrstroke2012]

I had a similar issue when I changed tow vehicles. I had to reset up the hitch but the biggest help was making sure you have the proper torque where the arms go into the hitch. Manual should say but I believe it is either 45# or 65#. It would be a good time to take all apart, clean and relube like manual says too.