Sway in wind

[tonysr]

Originally Posted by Akegb3

Hi all,
I purchased a new tow vehicle (2019 RAM 1500) for our Keystone Passport (195RBWE) and seem to have more sway issues than the old truck (2003 Ford F-150)
The new truck has a lot more power so hills are no longer an issue. Just getting sway issues when we get into some wind. We have a BlueOx WDH with the solid spring bars, which I originally thought were sway bars.
Would it resolve the sway issue if I added friction sway bars?
Thanks for any help you can provide. Lemme know if additional info is needed.

You probably have "P" rated tires and best is to put them at the max pressure that's on the sidewall. I have "P" rated on mine and if I put them at what the sticker on the door says, I get a little sway from them because the pressure makes them softer and at sidewall pressure its a whole lot better. Then I would also invest in a Equalizer 4pt hitch, its easy to set up and is a WDH and sway control all in one.

[rodgebone]

Originally Posted by blubuckaroo

Akegb3...
Are you using the same WD hitch you were previously using on the Ford?
If so, the hitch will need to be set-up for the new tow vehicle.
I just ran into this myself when my new Chevy had a 2"lower hitch height than my old Toyota.
It pulled really crazy, and no chain link adjustment would fix it.
Since I didn't have the big wrenches and torque wrench to handle the 300 ft pounds torque recommended, I took the rig to a pro. $60 well spent.

I completely agree....if the sway wasnt there before and the only thing that has changed is the TV, then logically the hitch needs to be readjusted due to a change in ride height when loaded. do that first and see how it goes. if you still get sway invest in the 4 point Equalizer. beyond that go LT tires which you should do eventually anyways. I have the same truck/tires and will be swapping to LTs at replacement time. I never did like Goodyear tires - they are soft compound and wear fast and really have no business on a pickup (especially P rated).

[Akegb3]

Originally Posted by bbells

Look at the wear on your tires. If the trailer was ever jacked up by the axle one sid emay be slightly bent and needing alignment.

I bought the trailer new and have never jacked it up.

[Akegb3]

Originally Posted by rodgebone

I completely agree....if the sway wasnt there before and the only thing that has changed is the TV, then logically the hitch needs to be readjusted due to a change in ride height when loaded. do that first and see how it goes. if you still get sway invest in the 4 point Equalizer. beyond that go LT tires which you should do eventually anyways. I have the same truck/tires and will be swapping to LTs at replacement time. I never did like Goodyear tires - they are soft compound and wear fast and really have no business on a pickup (especially P rated).

I readjusted the hitch per the instruction manual for the new TV. Yea, planning on increasing the tire pressure to 50 psi since it came at 41 psi in all four from the dealer. I’m hoping that along with one sway bar will help.

[Akegb3]

Originally Posted by Phil Saran

Is the Ram 1500 the same as the newer Ram 2500 in that it has coil springs
Vs the F150 that has normal spring rear suspension?

Yes, coil springs all around.

[linux3]

A lot of worthwhile info here.
To add my $0.02
Because the pantry cabinet and the double door storage are both behind the axles getting enough weight on the hitch is a problem.
I've found putting 15 or so gallons of fresh water in the tank adds hitch weight and really helps control sway.
The new truck and tire and hitch issues not withstanding.

[lcarver02]

Likely this is pretty normal. Tires make a very big difference. You need to have a Load Range D or possibly E to stiffen the trailer sidewall. Pressure set at max. The tires on your truck also make a big, big difference. They need to be LT strong side wall tires also. Aired to max recommended. See a tire store and get their recommendation. I use Michelin LT2 load range E on mine. They are a bit rough riding, but you can bring the pressure down when not towing or loading (55 or 65). Likely you have P series tires, and these will not work well period.

[Akegb3]

Thanks for all the input. The add-on sway bar helps a lot, but is very noisy and just doesn’t appear that stable. I recently had a flat tire while on a trip and have now replaced my tires with Michelin LTS M/S tires. I wasn’t able to inflate them to 80 PSI on my first trip due to my compressor dying, but they did work well on some very wet highway driving.
I’m thinking I’d like to upgrade my hitch setup to a real 4 point sway control system, but don’t want to empty the bank with a Hensley or Propride. So, is there a happy medium? Is the BlueOx Swaypro an adequate option? Any recommendations are appreciated!! Thanks again!!

[bbells]

Well, the wind you are feeling may be the nature of the beast. I just kept under 65 and didn't tow when the wind was higher than a certain point. That is why i sold my trailer and got a truck camper. When the tires were changed were there any that had more or unusual wear? Do you feel any little jerks once in awhile and think, huh, what was that? If either is true you could have alignment problems. That cause more wind sway with my trailer. I am with the other guys. Weigh your tongue. Weigh your trailer. Do the math. Sorry you are going through this. I know how irritating it is. Before my wife died I almost got a 5th wheel so I could tow in more adverse conditions.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Akegb3

Thanks for all the input. The add-on sway bar helps a lot, but is very noisy and just doesn’t appear that stable. I recently had a flat tire while on a trip and have now replaced my tires with Michelin LTS M/S tires. I wasn’t able to inflate them to 80 PSI on my first trip due to my compressor dying, but they did work well on some very wet highway driving.
I’m thinking I’d like to upgrade my hitch setup to a real 4 point sway control system, but don’t want to empty the bank with a Hensley or Propride. So, is there a happy medium? Is the BlueOx Swaypro an adequate option? Any recommendations are appreciated!! Thanks again!!

IMO the Equalizer 4 point is about as good as it gets before you get into the Hensley/Propride price range. It is a very popular and effective hitch. I used one for years and once set up correctly it operated flawlessly for us.

[08quadram]

I pull a Bullet 291rls with my 1500 Ram with factory Goodyear Wranglers. I use the equalizer E4. Does a great job. I have yet to have a ride I wasn't comfortable with one hand on the wheel. Since mine has the factory tires yet. They are getting to the end of their life and will be replaced with Nokian Rotivia AT Plus. They are an E rated tire as a 20" tire.

[BrooksFam]

Originally Posted by 08quadram

I pull a Bullet 291rls with my 1500 Ram with factory Goodyear Wranglers. I use the equalizer E4. Does a great job. I have yet to have a ride I wasn't comfortable with one hand on the wheel. Since mine has the factory tires yet. They are getting to the end of their life and will be replaced with Nokian Rotivia AT Plus. They are an E rated tire as a 20" tire.

How many pounds hitch rating does your E4 have? I have a HD panhard bar (sway bar) and 10 ply tires, Toyo Open Country A/T's also.

[08quadram]

1,200/12,000 model

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by BrooksFam

How many pounds hitch rating does your E4 have? I have a HD panhard bar (sway bar) and 10 ply tires, Toyo Open Country A/T's also.

For my own edification, what is a "panhard bar" on an RV? I know what they are on a vehicle and they aren't a substitute for a wdh/sway control attached to the RV.

[BrooksFam]

Originally Posted by sourdough

For my own edification, what is a "panhard bar" on an RV? I know what they are on a vehicle and they aren't a substitute for a wdh/sway control attached to the RV.

Sorry, was referring to the TV ……...