Towing Advice 2015 Tahoe Porpoising

[davetorre]

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?

[DieselDrax]

Did you do the adjustment of your WDH or did you let the dealer do it? I would recheck the WDH and make sure it’s properly set up and putting enough weight on the bars.

[doc73]

I used to get the bounce as the camper would seemingly resonate with the expansion joints in the roads. It was a nusance. Trailer and WD was setup right it was just crappy roads. I'd look at a better shock (if you have them, not sure if Tahoes have struts). I ended up adding airbags and with a few PSI in them I get one bounce and them done.

[Reverse_snowbird]

We had a similar problem until we got the tow vehicle and trailer on level ground and found that the trailer wasn't level with the truck. (dealer install and we didn't know any better.)

Once we adjusted the level on the hitch to get a straight level line on the tow vehicle & trailer, the problem got better, but certain roads still gave us problems.

[russhd1997]

I had the same issue and found that the dealer had set up the WDH wrong. The nose of the TT was way too low. I set it up myself and it made a world of difference. You will need some big wrenches and or sockets to loosen and tighten the bolts on the hitch to do it yourself.

I do think that I will upgrade my rear shocks too just to smooth it out that much more.

[aceinspp]

You will always get a bounce at bridges even after you have corrected WDH the roads just are bad. I installed Timbrens which made a big difference also and easy to install on your Tahoe. Later RJD

[chris1911]

You may need to remove some tongue weight. Adjust the hitch. Dealers usually don't do it correctly.

[jtesta1]

It's a fairly common occurrence. Construction isn't what it once was. They repair and replace these bridges so fast anymore they seldom give a smooth ride. I installed air ride on rear axle a nbd it cleaned out the bouncing quite well.

[davetorre]

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

We had a similar problem until we got the tow vehicle and trailer on level ground and found that the trailer wasn't level with the truck. (dealer install and we didn't know any better.)

Once we adjusted the level on the hitch to get a straight level line on the tow vehicle & trailer, the problem got better, but certain roads still gave us problems.

Thanks! Do you think they would be better than Air Lift inside coil springs?

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by davetorre

Thanks! Do you think they would be better than Air Lift inside coil springs?

Our moto is to do the cheapest thing first. It's not going to cost you anything but time and effort to get the trailer level with the tow vehicle....except perhaps for the cost of a large wrench and sweat equity.

[Big Vic]

Porpoising is also somewhat related to the relatively short wheelbase, soft rear suspension and low payload capacity of the SUV compared to some longer trucks.

I started with a properly adjusted 4 point WDH, then improved my towing by stiffening up the rear suspension with adjustable air bags, but Timbrens would also help and be the cheaper/easier alternative.

[lbrjet]

On some bridges and some concrete roads this will happen no matter what you do. I have towed tens of thousands of miles around the country and had some bad bouncing on certain sections of concrete roads in IL, WI and around Buffalo, NY. And just about any bridge in Indiana.

[djeazie]

I love my Airlift bags. Easy to install and under 100 bucks. Can’t go wrong.

[D W]

Originally Posted by Big Vic

Porpoising is also somewhat related to the relatively short wheelbase, soft rear suspension and low payload capacity of the SUV compared to some longer trucks.

I started with a properly adjusted 4 point WDH, then improved my towing by stiffening up the rear suspension with adjustable air bags, but Timbrens would also help and be the cheaper/easier alternative.

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.

[NicknTina]

We have a 2016 Tahoe and a slightly heavier trailer (5950 UVW) with 800 hitch weight (Blue Ox Sway Pro). We had some porpoising initially but changed the setup on the WD and have no problem except when I let the speed get up too high (70ish).

[davetorre]

Originally Posted by NicknTina

We have a 2016 Tahoe and a slightly heavier trailer (5950 UVW) with 800 hitch weight (Blue Ox Sway Pro). We had some porpoising initially but changed the setup on the WD and have no problem except when I let the speed get up too high (70ish).

Thank you for the reply. Do you feel comfortable now pulling your trailer with the Tahoe?
What is the length of your trailer?
Can you tell me what specifically you changed?

Not a lot of folks using a Tahoe for towing so I value your feedback.

Thanks!

[NicknTina]

Yes, I feel comfortable now as long as I keep the speed about 63-65 mph. It is just short of 30’. The problem was that we couldn’t tighten the chains enough because we have an underslung hitch on the trailer. This left the chains too long. We had to change out the head and now I can ratchet them down, stop the sway and get tight enough that it rarely porpoises. No matter what I did before that, I couldn’t get comfortable.
Afterwards,when I tested the WD chain length, I made sure the ignition was off long enough for the air ride to stay off. I got the front end down to less than 1/4” from the resting height. There are no scales nearby so I haven’t been able to weigh the rig. We don’t over load, but after winterizing, I’d guess we had about 700-800 lbs of gear.
Overall I love the Tahoe. Like it a lot for towing (East Coast style anyway). The 5.3 is adequate though pushed kind hard in the West Virginia mountains.

[BandJCarm]

Originally Posted by Big Vic

Porpoising is also somewhat related to the relatively short wheelbase, soft rear suspension and low payload capacity of the SUV compared to some longer trucks.

I started with a properly adjusted 4 point WDH, then improved my towing by stiffening up the rear suspension with adjustable air bags, but Timbrens would also help and be the cheaper/easier alternative.

^^^This.

Our Tahoe.........I could turn it around in a Sonic drivein spot! Very short. Short is not good for pulling.

[NicknTina]

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.

[elchilero53]

We had a 2014 Tahoe and towed a 25' SolAire7. There was some porpoising especially on rough roads (one time, it was so bad on a highway across the Oklahoma Panhandle, the cream we had churned to butter ). We cured it with adjustable shocks. Easy fix and they worked like a charm.