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Old 04-08-2018, 06:41 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by D W View Post
X2. The SUV's these days are designed as "cruisers" and "grocery getters" with luxury and comfort in mind. Today's Tahoes and Yukons are a far cry from the Blazers and Jimmys of the 70's and 80's.


Depends on what you buy it for... my 2017 Tahoe has max trailering with airbags and towed a 6200 lbs 32ft travel trailer from Missouri to South Carolina with no issues. You get what you pay for. If you buy a grocery getter, that's what it will be. If you buy one to trailer, you better make sure it is equipped to do so.
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Old 04-08-2018, 06:57 PM   #22
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Any Suggestions?
Nobody mentioned LT load range E tires on your TV...

squishy P rated tires promote porposing
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Old 04-08-2018, 08:00 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by rsdata View Post
Nobody mentioned LT load range E tires on your TV...

squishy P rated tires promote porposing
Exactly. Switched to LTs and solved a bunch of towing stability issues.
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Old 04-08-2018, 08:22 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by rsdata View Post
Nobody mentioned LT load range E tires on your TV...

squishy P rated tires promote porposing
Wonder if they come with p rated tires.. My wife's traverse, more like and Explorer size, comes with lt tires.
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Old 04-08-2018, 08:26 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by davetorre View Post
I just purchased a 2018 Rockwood MiniLite 2509s being towed by a 2015 Chevy Tahoe 4x4. On our first short trip the Tahoe had no problem getting up to speed.
Had some normal wind movement from passing trucks but no sway.
I am getting some proposing on bridge overpasses and cement pavement.
Tahoe towing capacity is 8400 lbs.
Trailer UVW is 5170
Hitch Weight 694
Using Reese Pro WD hitch with Sway Control.

Any Suggestions?
Bilstein gas shocks and Air Bags in the rear will make it tow much better.
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Old 04-08-2018, 08:32 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by NicknTina View Post
PS - I think the 2015 Tahoe had the air ride suspension on all models... at least the LT and LTZ. Be sure to set up WD accordingly.

And yes, the short wheelbase hurts towing capability, but sure helps when parking in tight spots. 30’ is pushing its limit for sure.


Nope, optional on LS and LT trims. Premium Smooth Ride is standard but has no air control.

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Z85 – Premium Smooth Ride with Air Control , which constantly senses and adjusts the rear suspension height until it is level. It is part of the heavy-duty trailering package available on LS and LT.
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:14 PM   #27
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Thanks DieselDrax, I stand corrected about being standard. But it is included in the heavy-duty trailering package on LS and LT. It's a big help.

Bad thing about Tahoes and Suburbans is the lousy standard towing capacity.
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:30 PM   #28
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Nobody mentioned LT load range E tires on your TV...

squishy P rated tires promote porposing
Sorry davetorre. This post reminded me that I did end up changing my tires - two nails in two tires in two weeks.

While the WD correction was the biggest help, I had Continental tires which got good gas mileage (for a small tank) but had soft sidewalls.
I didn't go all the way to LT tires. I found the General Grabber HTS60 had a higher weight capacity and a much stiffer sidewall helped too... don't forget to raise the air pressure when towing. Gas mileage went down about 1-2 mpg (normal driving), but it eliminated an swishy feel in the tail caused by tire wobble.
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Old 04-08-2018, 10:04 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by rsdata View Post
Nobody mentioned LT load range E tires on your TV...



squishy P rated tires promote porposing


I also agree with the tire change. I have a Traverse pulling a 183 and it helped tons.

Tim
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Old 04-08-2018, 10:38 PM   #30
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[SIZE="4"]I would get Air Bags and use what ever PSI that will stop proposing. We also have a 1400 E-qualizer hitch. Sounds like the back TV height may be at same level as front or lower. Rear fender well height should be 1 1/4 to 2' higher than the front. If at same level as front or lower you will have porposing.

After hook up inflate air bags to raise rear fender wheels to the above dimensions. This will usually take only 30-50 PSI.

Empty I always use 10-15 PSI for better ride while unhooked. Try it you will like this method.

Would strongly urge you to get the auto inflate Bluetooth version and not the manual inflate.

Hope this helps,

Jack/SIZE]
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Old 04-08-2018, 11:37 PM   #31
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I would get Air Bags and use what ever PSI that will stop proposing. We also have a 1400 E-qualizer hitch. Sounds like the back TV height may be at same level as front or lower. Rear fender well height should be 1 1/4 to 2' higher than the front. If at same level as front or lower you will have porposing.


Disagree for a couple of reasons. One, there is no guarantee that the fenders are the same height along the body. Two, not enough weight on the rear (overadjusted WDH) will make it much easier to jack knife due to not having enough weight on the rear.

The rear should be lower when hitched compared to unhitched. The front should be the same or close to it when unhitched and when the WDH is connected.

Please read and follow the instructions that come with the WDH, they even have a handy worksheet for you to input your unhitched, hitched w/o WDH, and hitched w/ WDH front and rear heights to determine if the WDH is adjusted properly.

Also make sure the trailer is level or slightly nose-down when fully hitched.

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After hook up inflate air bags to raise rear fender wheels to the above dimensions. This will usually take only 30-50 PSI.

Jack
The WDH must be adjusted based on actual ride height. If your WDH is adjusted based on the empty/low air bags then it will be under-adjusted once you fill the air bags. So, when using air bags with a WDH you want to adjust the WDH with the bags inflated to the ride height you are wanting.
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Old 04-09-2018, 08:35 AM   #32
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Originally Posted by DieselDrax View Post


Disagree for a couple of reasons. One, there is no guarantee that the fenders are the same height along the body. Two, not enough weight on the rear (overadjusted WDH) will make it much easier to jack knife due to not having enough weight on the rear.

The rear should be lower when hitched compared to unhitched. The front should be the same or close to it when unhitched and when the WDH is connected.

Please read and follow the instructions that come with the WDH, they even have a handy worksheet for you to input your unhitched, hitched w/o WDH, and hitched w/ WDH front and rear heights to determine if the WDH is adjusted properly.

Also make sure the trailer is level or slightly nose-down when fully hitched.



The WDH must be adjusted based on actual ride height. If your WDH is adjusted based on the empty/low air bags then it will be under-adjusted once you fill the air bags. So, when using air bags with a WDH you want to adjust the WDH with the bags inflated to the ride height you are wanting.
First let me ask you--do you have airbags installed and or a WDH installed. I would always recommend to not have the rear of TV lower than the front. This is evidence that you have not enough weight on the front wheels or too much on the rear. I am talking about slight adjustments of 1 1/2 t0 2" with the airbags after proper WDH install to prevent Porposing.

There are limits to trailer and hitch weights. Air bags will help with small adjustments. First your trailer must be level or front very slightly lower to account for rising air impact depending on frontal surface designs. This adjustment should be done with the WDH shank. Anything other than this you would be putting undue stress on the front or rear axle of a dual axle and could cause bearing or tire failure.

If you doubt the above take you trailer and tow vehicle to a reputable dealer and have an experienced tech give you his best advice. Nothing worse than an improperly hooked up trailer. Not to mention the safety aspect.

You will get varied opinions on here. Some experienced and some not, some with strong opinions and others not so strong. Do your homework and make up your own opinion. e-qualizer has some very good install video's on installs and adjustments on both Airbags and WDH hitches. Take time to view these and educate yourself.

Jack
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Old 04-09-2018, 09:16 AM   #33
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Originally Posted by jaherbst View Post
First let me ask you--do you have airbags installed and or a WDH installed.
Of course. This is not my first rodeo.

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I would always recommend to not have the rear of TV lower than the front. This is evidence that you have not enough weight on the front wheels or too much on the rear. I am talking about slight adjustments of 1 1/2 t0 2" with the airbags after proper WDH install to prevent Porposing.
Sorry, that is not true. Please understand how a WDH works as it seems you have some misunderstandings about them. The height of the REAR of the vehicle indicates nothing about what is happening with the front of the vehicle when you use a WDH. This is why you have to measure the front AND rear in 3 stages; Unhitched, hitched without WDH bars, and hitched with WDH bars. Measurements from those when done on level ground will tell you if your WDH is properly adjusted or not.

And again, you do NOT adjust the airbags AFTER you have the WDH connected and installed. The WDH adjustment must be done with the vehicle at final ride heights.

Quote:
There are limits to trailer and hitch weights. Air bags will help with small adjustments. First your trailer must be level or front very slightly lower to account for rising air impact depending on frontal surface designs. This adjustment should be done with the WDH shank. Anything other than this you would be putting undue stress on the front or rear axle of a dual axle and could cause bearing or tire failure.
Notice I said the same thing regarding the trailer in my previous post...

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If you doubt the above take you trailer and tow vehicle to a reputable dealer and have an experienced tech give you his best advice. Nothing worse than an improperly hooked up trailer. Not to mention the safety aspect.
Agreed, and your advice is incorrect and unsafe.

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You will get varied opinions on here. Some experienced and some not, some with strong opinions and others not so strong. Do your homework and make up your own opinion. e-qualizer has some very good install video's on installs and adjustments on both Airbags and WDH hitches. Take time to view these and educate yourself.

Jack
Also agreed. I've done my homework. I have experience. That is why I'm saying you're a bit off in your advice and what you're suggesting is unsafe.
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Old 04-09-2018, 10:11 AM   #34
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You have missed my point completely. I agree that Air Bag pressure is up when adjusting the WDH. If you would read my posts again you will realize I said small adjustments after Airbag and WDH are properly installed then make small 1 1/2 - 2" adjustments with the Air Bags to keep the rear from "sagging" . I do not claim to be the last word on this but have had 11 trailers and 4 TV's with Air Bags and WDH hitches both for pleasure and commercial hauling.

Don't get your "panties in an uproar" over this. Yours is just another opinion and certainly not the only one expressed here. BTW what is your experience in all this ? Your not the guy going down the road with the rear of your TV lower than the front that is shining his headlights and blinding everyone on the road are you? If your trying to keep the rear of the TV lower than the front that's exactly what your doing. Think about it.

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Old 04-09-2018, 11:00 AM   #35
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You have missed my point completely. I agree that Air Bag pressure is up when adjusting the WDH. If you would read my posts again you will realize I said small adjustments after Airbag and WDH are properly installed then make small 1 1/2 - 2" adjustments with the Air Bags to keep the rear from "sagging" . I do not claim to be the last word on this but have had 11 trailers and 4 TV's with Air Bags and WDH hitches both for pleasure and commercial hauling.

Don't get your "panties in an uproar" over this. Yours is just another opinion and certainly not the only one expressed here. BTW what is your experience in all this ? Your not the guy going down the road with the rear of your TV lower than the front that is shining his headlights and blinding everyone on the road are you? If your trying to keep the rear of the TV lower than the front that's exactly what your doing. Think about it.

Jack
My panties aren't in an uproar, your post above contradicts what you've said previously. If you think 1.5-2" height adjustments with bags are "small" then that is another point of contention. That is a major adjustment with the bags.

Regarding the headlights and height of the rear, you do know that the truck has a rake on purpose and the headlights are adjusted to shine properly with the truck loaded, right? The truck is meant to be level or close to it when properly loaded within the manufacturer's weight ratings. With the truck empty your headlights are actually pointing lower.

Of course my truck isn't sagging with the rear lower than the front, either. The truck is SUPPOSED to squat, meaning the rear of the truck is supposed to be lower with a load compared to empty. Squatting does NOT mean the rear is lower than the front (sagging).

From Fastway/Equal-I-Zer on the use of bags with WDH...

Quote:
Our weight distribution hitches can be used with airbags. Like they demonstrated in the video, the hitch by itself solves a lot of the problems that people run into, but they can work together. Most commonly I see that combination on half ton trucks and smaller vehicles with trailers that have heavier tongue weights. The important thing to keep in mind is that the hitch needs to be set up and adjusted with the airbags already filled to the pressure you intent to keep them at while towing. We'd recommend starting near the minimum pressure, then you can adjust from there if needed. If you fill them up after you just end up lifting the weight off the spring arms and undoing any positive effect the hitch was having on your truck and trailer.
So by you making a "small" 1.5-2" adjustment (Some trucks only squat by that much) you are taking a lot of the weight off the WDH bars.

You also stated that the rear should be higher than the front, again the height of the rear has nothing to do with what is happening up front. It is all about the weight distribution and that comes from how the WDH bars are adjusted. The only way to know what is happening up front is to measure up front, either by comparing the 3 different heights that I mentioned or by using scales. Simply comparing the height of the rear to the height of the front won't tell you anything.

I'm just trying to help you out. It may be "just my opinion" but you'll find that my opinion is also what is recommended by others.

Take care!
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Old 04-09-2018, 11:58 AM   #36
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I have a Yukon that is older than yours and I was having the same problem. One thing I did that really helped was have additional leaves added to my leaf springs. Between that and adjusting the WDH after the addition of the leaves, it has helped to remove the porpoising, which I absolutely agree, is a nuisance.
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Old 04-09-2018, 12:59 PM   #37
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um, you set airbags, then set WDH hitch.


adding air after youve set up the WDH just changes the hitch height, necessitating starting all over
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Old 04-09-2018, 03:41 PM   #38
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My panties aren't in an uproar, your post above contradicts what you've said previously. If you think 1.5-2" height adjustments with bags are "small" then that is another point of contention. That is a major adjustment with the bags.

Regarding the headlights and height of the rear, you do know that the truck has a rake on purpose and the headlights are adjusted to shine properly with the truck loaded, right? The truck is meant to be level or close to it when properly loaded within the manufacturer's weight ratings. With the truck empty your headlights are actually pointing lower.

Of course my truck isn't sagging with the rear lower than the front, either. The truck is SUPPOSED to squat, meaning the rear of the truck is supposed to be lower with a load compared to empty. Squatting does NOT mean the rear is lower than the front (sagging).

From Fastway/Equal-I-Zer on the use of bags with WDH...



So by you making a "small" 1.5-2" adjustment (Some trucks only squat by that much) you are taking a lot of the weight off the WDH bars.

You also stated that the rear should be higher than the front, again the height of the rear has nothing to do with what is happening up front. It is all about the weight distribution and that comes from how the WDH bars are adjusted. The only way to know what is happening up front is to measure up front, either by comparing the 3 different heights that I mentioned or by using scales. Simply comparing the height of the rear to the height of the front won't tell you anything.

I'm just trying to help you out. It may be "just my opinion" but you'll find that my opinion is also what is recommended by others.

Take care!
You remind me of a guy who once said “ I have only been wrong once in my life. Once I thought I was wrong but it turned out I was right! “

What you need is a little more real world experience.
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Old 04-09-2018, 03:55 PM   #39
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You remind me of a guy who once said “ I have only been wrong once in my life. Once I thought I was wrong but it turned out I was right! “

What you need is a little more real world experience.
I'm sorry you feel that way, I've been towing trailers and driving rigs of many sizes for many years. Not even Equal-I-Zer agrees with your method like you said they would.

Just because you've been doing something with "11 trailers and 4 TVs" doesn't mean you've been doing it right. Clearly you're misunderstanding how WDHs work with air bags and are giving people bad advice. Not sure why you're getting an attitude, you've had an attitude for 2 posts now and you're the one that is incorrect in your statements.

Enjoy the rest of your Monday, not going to waste any more time trying to explain things to you.
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Old 04-09-2018, 04:35 PM   #40
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Here you go love birds, from Air Lift company. This sums it up for the most part.

Weight Distribution Bars and Air Springs.

The downward force of heavy trailer tongue weight causes the front of your vehicle to lighten up and rise as the vehicle pivots over the rear axle. This causes the vehicle’s weight to be unbalanced and steering traction will be lost. This is a dangerous situation because of the lack of control and fishtailing of the trailer.
The fix…

Weight distribution bars used with Air Lift air helper springs (also called air bags) provide maximum stability and control of your towing vehicle and trailer. Air Lift air springs provide load assistance for your sagging vehicle, and the weight distribution bars redistribute the load and balance your vehicle.
In many situations, heavier weight distribution bars are used to remedy weak suspensions or when additional cargo in the vehicle causes it to sag. Doing so will result in an unbalanced vehicle, excessive tire wear, and an uncomfortable ride. Add and adjust the correctly sized weight distribution bars to solve your weight balance problems and then add and adjust Air Lift air helper springs to fix your suspension problems.
Finding the correct pressure…

Start by selecting the correct distribution bars. The bars must be rated for the tongue weight of the trailer (i.e., 500-pound bars for a 500-pound tongue weight). With the vehicle UNLOADED, take reference measurements at the front and back of the vehicle to the ground. Then connect the trailer and start loading the bars one chain link at a time, keeping the links equal on both sides. As the load on the bars increase, the rear of the vehicle will come up and the front will come down. When the front and rear of the vehicle are as close to the reference measurement as you can get (within ½” at the front), the bars are tensioned correctly. When the bars cannot be adjusted tightly enough to achieve similar or identical vehicle-height reduction, add air to the air springs to bring the vehicle back to the correct height and balance.
When adding cargo to the vehicle or trailer, do not compensate for inadequate suspension by using higher rated bars, or readjusting the bars, as this will cause for an unbalanced vehicle. Use additional air pressure in your air springs to bring the vehicle back to the correct height.
Fine tuning vehicle stability can be accomplished by an adjustment to the air pressure in 5 PSI increments until the desired “feel” is achieved. Adding air may require readjustment of the bars.
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