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Old 06-17-2013, 06:48 AM   #1
Barryman
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Sway

Hi all,
I have a Keystone Springdale 267 and pull it with my Lincoln Navigator. I have been noticing much more sway than usual. I have Pro Series weight distribution bars and Pro Series anti sway bar. The dealer where i purchase this from is far from me to take there and have checked out. Can i go to a local RV dealer even though i did not buy from them? What else do you recommend?
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Old 06-17-2013, 09:24 AM   #2
JRTJH
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When you say that you're experiencing "more sway than usual" are you infering that you've towed this rig in the past with less sway and now there is suddenly more sway than normal? or are you saying that it has always had a problem with sway and that in the past, you've towed other rigs with less sway?

I'm asking because if this specific rig has towed well in the past but is now inducing sway, there's a much different approach to locating the cause than if it's always swayed more than the last tow vehicle/RV combo.
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Old 06-17-2013, 11:04 AM   #3
Barryman
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John,
When i brought it home a few months ago and we went out, i didn't feel the sway that i feel now. This is my first rig so i don't have any past experience to base it on.
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Old 06-17-2013, 12:54 PM   #4
x96mnn
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If everything is the exact same, it could very well be the wind.

Wind can be bad at times! Sunday a friend and I came back from camping and it was really windy and had a fair bit of sway. Met up with a crew at the gas station and they all reported the same the thing.

Other things that can cause issues:

Tire Pressure on the camper and TV
Camper is loaded tail heavy, not enough weight on the hitch.

As for the local RV dealer most are willing to help if your willing to pay.
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Old 06-17-2013, 02:01 PM   #5
therink
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Go to a scale and weigh the loaded ready for camping trailer and truck, then just weigh the truth to figure out real weight of the trailer and the tongue. Tongue weight should be around 13% of total trailer weight. If tongue is too light, can be one cause of sway. There is nothing worse than arriving to campsite with white knuckles and high blood pressure.
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Old 06-17-2013, 04:57 PM   #6
JRTJH
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Barryman View Post
John,
When i brought it home a few months ago and we went out, i didn't feel the sway that i feel now. This is my first rig so i don't have any past experience to base it on.
This is speculation, because as already stated, until you actually put the rig on the scales, nobody will really know your weight status.

Here's a theory: When you towed it home from the dealer, the trailer was empty. The tongue weight was probably about 11% of total trailer weight. Now you're towing it with your camping supplies, food, water, clothing, rec equipment, etc in it.

Assuming the dealer set up your weight distribution hitch correctly, and you loaded the trailer to maintain 11-15% of the trailer weight on the tongue, you "may not" have any significant difference in handling. BUT if you loaded cupboards in the back of the RV with heavy "things" and put lighter, bulky items up front, you may have reduced your tongue weight to a point where the trailer is 'inherently" unstable. Also, you may have counted the links wrong when you hitched up this time?

As said, tire pressure, wind, passing 18 wheelers all play a significant role in sway, but I'm thinking that you may well have just "misloaded" your rig and the tongue weight is off enough to make a noticeable difference.

If it towed more stable coming home and the weather, winds, etc are about the same, then it "should" tow about the same now, just heavier. But, changing the weight configuration will make all the difference in the world.

Look at how you loaded, weigh the rig, then the trailer, then the trailer tongue. That will probably tell you all you need to know about what's wrong.
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Old 06-17-2013, 07:44 PM   #7
Barryman
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Thanks John. I think that i will first check tire pressures, then go to a weigh station on my next outing.
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Old 06-24-2013, 05:53 PM   #8
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This past weekend was the first time pulling our TT on the highway for a longer distance, I had test drove it for about 10 miles after setting the WD. I had a bunch of sway on the way to our destination. The problem was some gear I stored in the bunk house. I'd guess the stuff doesn't add up to 200lbs, but sure did make a differnce in stability and sway. My fix for the return trip was to add 25-30 gallons of water to fresh water tank. There was a bunch more wind on the way home but the sway was gone. Posted just as an example of how little weight , especially rear of the axles, can make a differnce. After the ride to the KOA, the DW had more questions about sway! We (mostly me ) are going to be more careful about how we load and are gong to upgrade to the Reese Dual Cam.
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Old 06-24-2013, 07:17 PM   #9
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Cabinfever,

Putting 200 lbs fifteen feet behind the axles is akin to putting a "fat kid" on one end of the seesaw and putting your 5 year old "skinny kid" on the other end. Neither of them is going to have fun and sooner or later, your "skinny kid" is going to get tired of being stranded up in the air......

Even if the axles were in "dead center" adding 200 lbs to the back will remove 200 lbs from the tongue, so your example really hits home on just how easy it is to "misload" an RV. Front kitchen RV's were real popular in the early 90's, but they led to extremely heavy tongues. Then manufacturers came out with rear kitchen models and just the opposite happened. Keeping the tongue heavy enough is a problem with some models, loading or better said, "creative loading" becomes really important.

There is a thread on here from a couple of years ago where the owner of a toy hauler travel trailer was so light on the tongue when he loaded his garage that he actually had to add sand bags under the front bed to keep the trailer sway under control. That's an extreme measure, but aslo highlights what you're saying about how critical loading can be.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.
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Old 06-24-2013, 07:50 PM   #10
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John's answer x2. It isn't the tires...you are too light on the hitch and tongue. The trailer was probably OK until you loaded it up. Increase the tongue weight and you should be OK.
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Old 06-25-2013, 01:01 PM   #11
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Like Cabinfever, I need to fill my water tank about 2/3'rds full or else the sway is bad. Once the cupboards in my rear kitchen are full, I need that extra weight up front.
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