2019 Springdale 280BH Sway Control Issues

Walkertexasranger · 03-28-2019, 12:51 AM

I am at my whits end. I have a 2019 Springdale 280BH that it seems like no matter what I do once I hit 55 mph the trailer sways out of control. Is anyone else having these issues? What seems to help if having similar issues?

**chuckster57** · 03-28-2019, 02:45 AM

Welcome to the forum!!
We need more information to help you properly. Can you tell us:
What your using to tow
What WD your using

slow · 03-28-2019, 02:45 AM

Please provide more details about your TV (tow vehicle), setup (hitch type, sway control) and TT (travel trailer loading) so appropriate advice can be provided.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=i2fkOVHAC8Q

Walkertexasranger · 03-28-2019, 03:04 AM

Currently I am using a 2019 F-150 with a Pro Series weight distribution hitch. The F-150 is equipped with full tow package and Air Lift 5000 air assist suspension (ran at all intervals between 5 psi and 10 psi). Prior to this, I had a 2005 F-250 diesel with the same hitch and had similar issues. The camper almost no personal items in it. I have put practically all weigh on the truck with minimal assistance from the hitch. both truck and camper sit level without the use of the distribution bars.

Retired Copper · 03-28-2019, 04:23 AM

You are pulling basically a 33 foot 7k plus sail, that can be a hand full with a 1/2 for sure. Things I would consider: Lt tires on Tv, A better sway control hitch. and more tongue weight on the trailer. You need More sway control on your hitch. I would want at least a 4 point sway control. How stiff is the rear of the truck. The F150 I had you could sure get it to rocking by just pushing on the rear bumper. Better shocks and Lt tire helped a lot. A Equalizer 4 point sway control helped the most. My trailer liked a little more weight on the tongue. This is just a few ideas. Hope you get it worked out. Safe travels and Happy Camping.

slow · 03-28-2019, 04:27 AM

A few more questions to cover the basics:

Does the TT sit level? (If nose high, it will be light on tongue weight.)

No sway control on your hitch, correct?

Wheel base of TV?

LT tires on the TV?

Payload rating of TV (on yellow sticker on driver door pillar)

Have you hit the scales to confirm that you have 10 to 15% of your trailer weight as the tongue weight?

What is the reason for loading everything in the bed of the TV rather than the front pass thru of the TT? (back to a potential tongue weight issue.)

As the video I provided a link to demonstrates, if the tongue weight is not appropriate for your set up, you will have sway.

Walkertexasranger · 03-28-2019, 04:58 AM

Okay, so the TV has E rated tires. I do not have anything loaded into the bed of TV, and there is hardly anything in the TT. I have not had a chance to get to a scale to check the weight, but the camper does sit level. I have tried placing the distribution bars on the first chain, putting as much hitch weight as possible. TV I believe has a high tow rating and has now issue pulling the TT. I understand the it's a large and can be affected by elements. I do not have a sway controller on the hitch but have ordered one.

**JRTJH** · 03-28-2019, 06:02 AM

If you have ordered a "clip on sway device" similar to this photo, it will be "woefully inadequate" to control sway on a trailer as long as yours.

I'd suggest that the FIRST action should be to find a CAT scale, properly weigh the rig in this manner:

Pull onto the scale with the TV front axle on pad 1, TV rear axle on pad 2 and trailer axles on pad 3. Weigh the rig.

Then, without moving the rig, uncouple the WD bars and reweigh the rig.

Then, pull off the scale, uncouple the trailer and return to the scale with "only the TV". Position the TV front axle on pad 1 and rear axle on pad 2 (as close to the same position on the pads as you can achieve. LEAVE THE HITCH AND WD BARS ON THE TRUCK.... reweigh the rig.

REMEMBER, if you are "in the TV seat for one weight, you need to be in the same place for EVERY weight. DO NOT ALTER WEIGHTS by allowing passengers to sit in the truck for "some" but not "other" weights.

ATTEMPT TO KEEP EVERYTHING IDENTICAL AS FOR CARGO/PASSENGERS with the only differences being those described above.

Once you get the weights, post them along with the GVW/FARW/RAWR/payload sticker information from your driver's door pillar.

This is the photo of the type sway device that simply isn't strong enough for a trailer of your size.

ADDED: The closest CAT scales to your location appear to be the Pilot and Kwik Trip truck stops located at Exit 69 on I-90. The cost for the three weight tickets will be approximately $15.

Retired Copper · 03-28-2019, 06:05 AM

the system I think you are using suggest 2 bars. those bars offer some control any many use them; however some folks have not had the resilts they are looking for with that setup. You are at appx. 33 ft. with a 1/2 ton truck. I would look at a better sway control hitch for trailer over 30 feet. I started out with an e2 did a fair job but not great. After research and phone calls I went with a different hitch. The hitch I use now has 3 time the sway control as the e2 and it had two points. I call Fastway and I forgot the amount of force applied on the resistance but remember that is it was appx. 3 times more than the e2. They also recommended 4 points for any rv over 30 feet.

Retired Copper · 03-28-2019, 06:12 AM

I made a mistake it was not 3 times it was just 2 1/2 times. There are some good hitches out there. I have

66joej · 03-28-2019, 06:24 AM

FOR THE MONEY the Equal-i-zer E4 is one of the highest rated hitches for sway control. JMO

KSH · 03-28-2019, 06:38 AM

Weigh everything and look at propride. It's expensive, but in my opinion the best thing out there for sway control. It's what i have and it was day and night on my trailer. There are cheaper options, i don't have any experience with them to compare. I just went for what I determined was best.

https://www.propridehitch.com/propri...control-hitch/

**JRTJH** · 03-28-2019, 06:59 AM

The only concern with ProPride or Hensley hitch systems is the weight. The OP would surely benefit from the sway control those systems can provide, but he is towing a 33' trailer with a GVW of 9500 pounds with a half ton truck (which we have no idea of capabilities). While he may have the payload/GCWR capacity to include a heavy sway control hitch, he also may already be at/over his payload, GVW or even GCWR.

Until he gets us some accurate tow vehicle specifications and some "real world weigh values" it's probably not a good idea to spend $2500+ on a hitch that would increase a possible "overloaded truck" condition.

Before solving a problem, we first need to know what the situation really is.....

**sourdough** · 03-28-2019, 08:08 AM

Pulling that large of a trailer without sway control is an accident waiting to happen IMO. Plus, you need a better wdh/sway control than what you have. I have owned one similar to what you have (with 2 of the little friction bars) and the control it offered was almost non existent. I use an Equalizer 4 point now and it is light years better.

I've not used the AirLift 5000s but seems 10psi is awfully low. Is that the correct number?

If you can provide numbers from a scale it would be most beneficial. In lieu of that if you could provide the numbers off the stickers inside your driver door it would be a starting place. I've pulled a trailer similar in weight to what you have and it is too much for a 1/2 ton. The Equalizer 4 point made more difference than the tires, air bags, shocks etc. The HD truck eliminated the issue. Always remember what your truck is rated to "tow" is really meaningless - it is simply a sales gimmick. Because it can "pull" it and make it roll has no bearing whatsoever on what is rated to "carry" safely - the most important aspect.

Ken / Claudia · 03-28-2019, 05:56 PM

Just to point out size of truck may not matter without sway control.
My last RV roll over crash was on I 84 in the Columbia river gorge, it is noted for common 20 plus mph winds and they get up into 40-50 on many days.
Guy had a 2500 or 3500 Dodge pulling a TT around 30ft. WDH, no anti sway control. He said he was at 65 when the freeway was on a down hill grade with 2 curves through a side gorge. The wind hit the combo and the trailer pulled him into the left lane, he corrected. The trailer than went left/right flipped over and that flipped his truck. He thought the WDH was a sway control device. No one hurt both vehicles totaled, all freeway eastbound lanes blocked for several hours. All could have been prevented in my opinion with the right equipment.
I have since pulled my trailer through the same area around 10 times and never has trailer sway been a issue. Real heavy head winds bounce the front end of the truck and that is solved by slowing down.

Tonkatoy77 · 03-28-2019, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken / Claudia

Just to point out size of truck may not matter without sway control.

My last RV roll over crash was on I 84 in the Columbia river gorge, it is noted for common 20 plus mph winds and they get up into 40-50 on many days.

Guy had a 2500 or 3500 Dodge pulling a TT around 30ft. WDH, no anti sway control. He said he was at 65 when the freeway was on a down hill grade with 2 curves through a side gorge. The wind hit the combo and the trailer pulled him into the left lane, he corrected. The trailer than went left/right flipped over and that flipped his truck. He thought the WDH was a sway control device. No one hurt both vehicles totaled, all freeway eastbound lanes blocked for several hours. All could have been prevented in my opinion with the right equipment.

I have since pulled my trailer through the same area around 10 times and never has trailer sway been a issue. Real heavy head winds bounce the front end of the truck and that is solved by slowing down.

Do you remember the wind storm we just had a few weeks ago? March 2nd and 3rd to be exact. I towed my bumper pull east through the gorge on the 2nd. It threw me all over the road even with my Equalizer 4 point hitch. I was down to about 52 mph for about 25 miles. It was miserable. There was 65 mph gusts that day. Coming home wasn’t bad on the 3rd with my new fifth wheel. The wind was blowing just as hard, but it was at my back. That gorge can be real nasty at times. I swear, it makes its own weather.

Walkertexasranger · 03-28-2019, 06:50 PM

Got it figured out. Removed the weight distribution bars putting all the weight on the truck and all swaying stopped. I will still be adding the Reese friction sway controller as a safety net. Thanks for the advice.

Ken / Claudia · 03-28-2019, 08:50 PM

I remember that storm. The worst I have pulled through, I was at 50 mph other wise it was like driving a hobby horse or crossing the Columbia river bar for 2 hours. On that trip the roof TV antenna was bent back over itself.

bbells · 04-04-2019, 07:37 AM

Just another thing to consider: Re setup your wd hitch from beginning to end. Use a tape measure as the wd high instructions state. Double check the angle of the hitch. Then add sway bars if you haven't already. Fyi, I had a Lincoln navigator, which is similar to your truck, that was horrible to tow with. Re adjusting the hitch helped, but it never got very good at pulling my 4k/6k trailer.

cdotson · 04-04-2019, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walkertexasranger

Got it figured out. Removed the weight distribution bars putting all the weight on the truck and all swaying stopped. I will still be adding the Reese friction sway controller as a safety net. Thanks for the advice.

If taking the weight distribution bars off fixed your issue, and in such condition the truck and trailer are both level, this is an easy fix.

You need more tongue weight.

Your trailer is listed at 7200lbs dry, 9600 gross. You should always have 10%-15% of trailer weight on your hitch. Adding 720-1000 lbs to your trailer ball will definitely look loaded, and that's at your dry weight. If you have sway increase tongue weight until it goes away.

I have a much smaller trailer (2015 1800BH) but I too run a Pro Series WDH. I never use the friction sway bar anymore because it just doesn't make a difference, nor do I have sway as there just isn't much room for gear behind the trailer axle. There are different sizes of WDH setup with their own tongue/trailer weight capacity and your hitch should be sized for over your trailer GVWR.

Setting your hitch up to pull well with an "empty" trailer as your earlier message indicated is an exercise in futility. Load the camper the way you intend to pull it and then set the hitch up. If you're empty make sure most of your gear goes in front of your trailer axles. Your truck with that size trailer should sag visibly before installing the WDH bars and be level afterward.

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