Towing a big box and controlling SWAY
- Thread starter TrickTruck
- Start date
TrickTruck
Member
The straightline is a sway control load leveling system. I put a LOT of pressure on the leveling bars with the hitch unladen, then lowered the weight on. It put 900lbs on the front axle compared to not being used at all.
I adjusted the sway control by driving straight, then loosening the nuts, wacking the arms so they'd 'jump' into position, then tightened the nuts. It was a LOT better than it was. But still I get sway.
I also think that the receiver sticking out a foot is giving the trailer a lot of leverage on the truck. machining it and sliding the receiver in can only help - except jackknifing which will clearly be diminished.
Hemsley hitch/copy = $$$, but I suppose if it works I'd worth looking at. Seems like the straightline ought to work just as well though.
At the end of the day, I may just have to accept some sway. It is a 34' box after all, that's a lot of sail area to be catching wind.
I adjusted the sway control by driving straight, then loosening the nuts, wacking the arms so they'd 'jump' into position, then tightened the nuts. It was a LOT better than it was. But still I get sway.
I also think that the receiver sticking out a foot is giving the trailer a lot of leverage on the truck. machining it and sliding the receiver in can only help - except jackknifing which will clearly be diminished.
Hemsley hitch/copy = $$$, but I suppose if it works I'd worth looking at. Seems like the straightline ought to work just as well though.
At the end of the day, I may just have to accept some sway. It is a 34' box after all, that's a lot of sail area to be catching wind.
TrickTruck
Member
I had to drop the trailer at the dealer last night for a laundry list of little things. Hopefully they'll get it back in a day or so.
sagebel
Active member
I have always made turns left and right with the nuts backed off and then straightened out and then ran the jam nuts down. Here is a video of the install and setup. Wheel well measurements are early in the video and hitch setup is at around 9 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTQ5ML-O4B0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTQ5ML-O4B0
TrickTruck
Member
OK, added the airbags. It helped level the truck but seems to have made no difference in sway. It's still a handful.
dsberman94
Well-known member
Get the hitch setup yet?
little luke
New member
Are both of the bags connected with one air line? I installed air bags on our excursion and the sway/ lean when cornering was horrible. I installed a 1/4" ball valve that I close after I air the bags up to keep the bags separate. It seemed to help quite a bit.
TrickTruck
Member
No, the bags are independent.
I 'set the hitch' up every time I make a change. Go straight for a while, loosen the lock nuts on the sway control, bash them a few times so they jump into an unstressed position, then tighten the nuts.
I 'set the hitch' up every time I make a change. Go straight for a while, loosen the lock nuts on the sway control, bash them a few times so they jump into an unstressed position, then tighten the nuts.
in going back to the first posts, you have a lot of tongue weight so Im surprised that it still moves around a lot. Ive had our loaded 28' car trailer across Wyoming numerous times in heavy wind with no issues. All that I have is a standard EZlift WD hitch.
The only time Ive had sway issues was with a 24' haulmark that was loaded too heavy in the back. it was a white knuckler...
How is your right/left side loading? Are the axles square? Perhaps this is a discussion with forest river.
The only time Ive had sway issues was with a 24' haulmark that was loaded too heavy in the back. it was a white knuckler...
How is your right/left side loading? Are the axles square? Perhaps this is a discussion with forest river.
Jason
New member
I was going to say..both my 24', and 32', with a extended tongue....so it was like 37' tip to tail, triple axle enclosed both pulled great. Airbags, and an ez wd hitch without sway control bars...the 32' triple axle, I was 17k empty, loaded up with 2 cars, and all the tools..I was like 27k gross...pulled straight as an arrow at 75mph. My 24' was a pace american that was tall...and it pulled perfect too. I also had a 24' cargo mate (by forest river), that was a swayibg bastard empty or loaded. I pulled a 28' travel trailer with 2 slides, and a bedroom in the nose down to the coast with my regular cab off the factory receiver hitch...and it swayed, but nothing I could really notice while driving..but you could see it from behind.
Sterling6.7
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How much air are you running in the bags? Also, max out the rear tires. They can allow the sway as well. It should be pretty solid with the bags pumped up.
TrickTruck
Member
The bags have 70psi, tires are in my sig, maxed out at 65psi.
When it really gets scary is downhill and slowing down, trailer just starts oscillating. Grab a handful of trailer brakes and it settles down, but it's in no way fun.
Going into a corner you can really feel the trailer push the rear of the truck.
Passing Semis and it goes from pushing one way to the other as you cross the axles. I've nearly taken out a few semis.
Basically it's a white knuckle drive most of the time and that's not even in a big cross wind.
Not real happy with the way it sways.
When it really gets scary is downhill and slowing down, trailer just starts oscillating. Grab a handful of trailer brakes and it settles down, but it's in no way fun.
Going into a corner you can really feel the trailer push the rear of the truck.
Passing Semis and it goes from pushing one way to the other as you cross the axles. I've nearly taken out a few semis.
Basically it's a white knuckle drive most of the time and that's not even in a big cross wind.
Not real happy with the way it sways.
TrickTruck
Member
nope, been there already. W/ the load leveling off the steering axle is significantly underloaded, with load leveling on there's a little more weight on the front end than when it's unloaded.
TrickTruck
Member
It's very heavy with no toys in the trailer, but with 2 motorcycles and a couple bumpers in the tail end it's under the 1700 max weight for the hitch.
That first picture is as we left the inspection facility. Since then I have raised the hitch head to the top hole, gone up two links on the chain and tilted the head 2 clicks. Made a big difference, but still, I have sway.
I don't disagree that the hitch may not be properly setup yet, but at this point I've made calls to Reese, had Bob Ledford's (the dealer) look at it, gone straight a bunch of times and gotten the sway links normalized, added airbags and still have a lot of sway.
On a straight non windy road it's fine, but passing a semi, taking turns, going downhill all induce sway.
In terms of tires I think the Nittos do very well unladen. I have put a set of my buddy's BFGs on 20s on there and the truck felt like a boat in comparison with how 'loose' it felt. The Nittos feel very 'tight' in comparison. Now that was unladen. I know the Nittos are not rated to the same load as stock, but I've been careful to make sure (via a set of cat scales) that I'm not overloading the tires.
That first picture is as we left the inspection facility. Since then I have raised the hitch head to the top hole, gone up two links on the chain and tilted the head 2 clicks. Made a big difference, but still, I have sway.
I don't disagree that the hitch may not be properly setup yet, but at this point I've made calls to Reese, had Bob Ledford's (the dealer) look at it, gone straight a bunch of times and gotten the sway links normalized, added airbags and still have a lot of sway.
On a straight non windy road it's fine, but passing a semi, taking turns, going downhill all induce sway.
In terms of tires I think the Nittos do very well unladen. I have put a set of my buddy's BFGs on 20s on there and the truck felt like a boat in comparison with how 'loose' it felt. The Nittos feel very 'tight' in comparison. Now that was unladen. I know the Nittos are not rated to the same load as stock, but I've been careful to make sure (via a set of cat scales) that I'm not overloading the tires.
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TrickTruck
Member
Triples were not an option when I ordered the trailer - I did ask.
I'm feeling like more attention needs to be paid to hitch setup, but it's got to be close now and some traction bars to control the rear end.
I'm feeling like more attention needs to be paid to hitch setup, but it's got to be close now and some traction bars to control the rear end.
Blue Line Fab
New member
If you want to get ride of the sway buy the Hensley hitch. My dad pulls a 32' travel trailer with his F150 e-boost. He has tried ever setup. He said it's worth every penny and hell I got three of his old setups so it helped me to. Lol.
