Increasingly severe sway

[sourdough]

IMO, for what it's worth, I'd be looking at another TV meant to tow that trailer. Trying to rebuild a 12 year old SUV to be a good TV is an expensive, and ill advised, project.

I rebuilt a full size Ramcharger spending 31k in material (it wasn't in bad shape) with my work. That did however include 3300 for machine work modifying the engine. With HD suspension, HD tires etc. it still wasn't meant for towing - tried it out once. You could do it for a lot less and that 4k previously mentioned "might" get you started on a decent new suspension....but it still won't make it a decent TV.

There are lots of ways to skin a cat and some have been mentioned but part of that "skinning" process would be to get a new TV. With the problem increasing as time goes by tells me your suspension/tires etc. are going south. Putting that kind of money into that age of vehicle is literally throwing it away unless you don't care and want a "project" as I used to.

[JRTJH]

Frank,

Trust me when I say that there have been many MANY times when I truly wished for that kind of option..... Even as recently as this afternoon, coming back from town <sigh>

[JRTJH]

Just a "way the heck out there possibility".....

You say that the trailer has some "water intrusion" and that the "sway has become increasingly more apparent".... Is the water intrusion toward the rear of the trailer ???? If it is, is there a possibility that the water has saturated the "parts of the trailer that can absorb and hold the water??? That might explain why the sway is increasing (the tongue weight is getting less and less as the rear of the trailer gets wetter and heavier)....

I hope that's not the situation, but have you considered it a possibility and checked to rule it out ???

[frank r]

The only soft spot I have found is on the floor right at the door - which on this model is near the front.

[JRTJH]

OK, that more or less "rules out water weight causing the increasing sway"....

[Sarge2]

Would over tightening the WDH Chains ever take too much weight off the rear axle of the TV? And could this cause excessive sway in and of, itself?

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Sarge2

Would over tightening the WDH Chains ever take too much weight off the rear axle of the TV? And could this cause excessive sway in and of, itself?

In theory, yes, that's a possibility.

In reality, using a half ton short wheelbase SUV (with SUV suspension), a 33' trailer in the 7K range with a tongue weight around 1000 pounds, I'd suspect that before you lifted the rear axle off the ground (enough to cause a "traction induced sway") you'd have the front tires "splayed out like an overweight toad"... I would imagine that kind of weight distribution "over adjustment" would be noticeable on the front tire squat as you approach the rig.

Not saying it can't happen, just IMO, it would be tough to do in that rig without seeing the results of the weight shift. That said, it's worth ruling out that possibility.

[Finjergusson]

I fought this for years. different trucks different hitches, different trailers. Solution for me was a Pro Pride Hitch. Zero sway now. The hitch is amazing the best thing i ever bought for my trailer.

[slow]

I suggest an experiment.

Assuming your fresh water tank is mounted forward of the TT axles, on your next outing, fill the FW tank at least half full to see if it improves the sway situation. Given the storage configuration, the rear of the trailer may have gained a few pounds over the years and is unloading the tongue.

Another suggestion is to check the wheel alignment using a couple of straight 2x4s held up against the sides of the tires on each side. The sway you may be feeling may actually be tracking drift and self correction. The specs I pulled up state that you have 14 inch wheels that suggests low capacity axles that may have bent.

BTW: the ProPride claim is real (based on my personal experience) but eats away at your limited available payload.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by slow

I suggest an experiment.

Assuming your fresh water tank is mounted forward of the TT axles, on your next outing, fill the FW tank at least half full to see if it improves the sway situation. Given the storage configuration, the rear of the trailer may have gained a few pounds over the years and is unloading the tongue.

Another suggestion is to check the wheel alignment using a couple of straight 2x4s held up against the sides of the tires on each side. The sway you may be feeling may actually be tracking drift and self correction. The specs I pulled up state that you have 14 inch wheels that suggests low capacity axles that may have bent.

BTW: the ProPride claim is real (based on my personal experience) but eats away at your limited available payload.

The highlighted will certainly cause sway. I've had a trailer (BBQ) that weighed 5k and I had the fellows work on it. Put the axles back on and I can't remember if they were off center or what but took the 75 mile trip back with it and it would definitely wake you up as it pushed and pushed to one side then hopped back (and I was in an HD truck). But I believe the OP said his wife followed and saw no evidence of a correction shift.??

[slow]

The wife's observation was:

"When we were on the interstate coming home tonight, my wife (following in her car) pulled up along both sides of the TT, and did not see anything out of the ordinary - even while the TT was wandering like crazy."

My wife is a mechanical engineer and would not have noticed anything out of the ordinary either, only the wandering.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by slow

The wife's observation was:

"When we were on the interstate coming home tonight, my wife (following in her car) pulled up along both sides of the TT, and did not see anything out of the ordinary - even while the TT was wandering like crazy."

My wife is a mechanical engineer and would not have noticed anything out of the ordinary either, only the wandering.

My interpretation was that he was feeling it wander like crazy and she didn't see anything..... Seems if it was wandering like crazy and she saw it, it wouldn't be considered ordinary??

[Hankster]

Where is your freshwater, and graywater tanks? I've found my trailer pulls better when we fill up the freshwater tank it loads the tongue up just a tad more, and the ride quality is much improved. We brought this trailer fully loaded across the country and quickly noticed it trailed much nicer when the tank was at least partially full. I would so definitely look at upgrading tires. I chose BF Goodrich KO2's and installed inside the coil airbags.

[frank r]

My freshwater tank is located in the front of the TT. I almost always tow with it completely empty. Since my upcoming trip is fairly short, it might be worth a shot to fill it this time. That should add about 250-300lbs to the tongue weight (I don't remember the actual capacity off the top of my head).

[frank r]

Quick question on the Alignment check - what exactly am I looking for? Since there are only 2 points, won't they always be in a straight line? What am I comparing it against?

[slow]

Originally Posted by frank r

My freshwater tank is located in the front of the TT. I almost always tow with it completely empty. Since my upcoming trip is fairly short, it might be worth a shot to fill it this time. That should add about 250-300lbs to the tongue weight (I don't remember the actual capacity off the top of my head).

I always tow my trailers with at least 1/3 full FW tank. Like Hankster finds, my trailers always behave better when there is water in the FW tank.

[slow]

Originally Posted by frank r

Quick question on the Alignment check - what exactly am I looking for? Since there are only 2 points, won't they always be in a straight line? What am I comparing it against?

Two things to check after driving on a straight line (not after turning) or with all the wheels raised off the ground:

On each side and checked separately, does the straight edge touch on all four points of the two tires when held at the center of the tires? (Are the tires on each side parallel to each other on the same side?)

With help, is the distance between the two straight edges held against the tires on both sides the same when measured before the front tires and behind the rear tires? (Are the tires on one side parallel to the tires on the other side?)

[slow]

Originally Posted by sourdough

My interpretation was that he was feeling it wander like crazy and she didn't see anything..... Seems if it was wandering like crazy and she saw it, it wouldn't be considered ordinary??

Hopefully Frank will clarify the observations.

[frank r]

Originally Posted by slow

Hopefully Frank will clarify the observations.

Sure I will...

While driving alongside the TT, my wife could see the TT sway within its lane, but did not see any wobbling or obvious disalignment of the TT wheels.

[Sarge2]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

In theory, yes, that's a possibility.

In reality, using a half ton short wheelbase SUV (with SUV suspension), a 33' trailer in the 7K range with a tongue weight around 1000 pounds, I'd suspect that before you lifted the rear axle off the ground (enough to cause a "traction induced sway") you'd have the front tires "splayed out like an overweight toad"... I would imagine that kind of weight distribution "over adjustment" would be noticeable on the front tire squat as you approach the rig. Not saying it can't happen, just IMO, it would be tough to do in that rig without seeing the results of the weight shift. That said, it's worth ruling out that possibility.

Thanks... someone tried to convince me (after I mentioned the sway I get in a crosswind) that I should try loosening the chains from where I put them to reduce the sway and put more weight on the rear tires... since my TT and TV are both level when I'm hooked up I couldn't see that being the issue. I know the shorter wheel base on the Ram is more of the problem.. I could see it was maybe possible but it would have to be really out of whack to cause that type of issue.. I would think...