Question My truck sucks at towing, and here's why

[f100cleveland]

I see you said max front and 70 rear. Does that mean 80 in front? I run 65 in front and 80 rear, but thats what works for me. Hope you work it out.

 

[xtrahappy]

Ok, I still say the truck, should have no trouble pulling that trailer!
A sway bar from truck to trailer may help.
I have one question, The day you pulled the trailer was the wind gusting, say hitting you sideways? Big area there, could been pushing you around.
Let us know what you find out, I`m curious now....

 

[NORFLA444]

Truck has factory tow package with front and rear sway bars.

Tires 80 all the way around now, though have played with pressures form 60-80; definetly better with more pressure.

Cheap equalizer and sway control that came with the deal; chain hooks on trailer frame are bent and have lost their tensile strength and cheap friction sway control. Have towed with and without; seems to make no difference and usually tow without the bars, but always use the sway control.

Yes, winds and passing trucks make it worse, but has happened without wind and on open road.

Ulitimate problem may be with age and questionable maintenance. Early production 2000 with over 230,000 miles. I've replaced the relay rod, tie rods, ball joints, unit bearings, trac and front sway bar bushings with poly and both front calipers. Steering box and pitman arm, R4 Tech and front Ride Rite bags, 9000 XL front shocks and a better hitch are next.

The ultimate solution will be when I get rid of the old trailer and upgrade to a fiver.

Hope all those parts fix it; otherwise, I may have missed something simple and will be completely stumped.

 

[iracemine]

Id still would say needs a little more weight up front in the trailer. I run 70 front 70/75 rear when I am fully loaded and running to the race track. But I do notice a huge difference in the way the trailer "walks" with moving the car inches forward or back.

 

[JLDickmon]

check the axle joints in the front halfshafts..
knock the tie rods off the knuckles, rotate one cross 'til it's like this: +
the other one like this: x
try to steer it left & right.
turn each one 45* and try it again..

turn them another 45* and do it again

if you feel one side or the other binding, replace the axle joints.

 

[NORFLA444]

I agree; a truck with "Super Duty" in the name should tow this little bit of weight like it was nothing, but I pulled it better with my 1/2 ton 94 Chevy with 250,000 miles.

Trailer, cheap/poor hitch, questionable maintenance/worn parts=bad situation.

 

[JLDickmon]

Id still would say needs a little more weight up front in the trailer. I run 70 front 70/75 rear when I am fully loaded and running to the race track. But I do notice a huge difference in the way the trailer "walks" with moving the car inches forward or back.

good point.. if the weight is too far back on the trailer, it's gonna handle all kinds of goofy..

 

[NORFLA444]

I had to tow with it completely empty to get weighed for a move years ago; even with the bars set at correct load it still pulled like crap, though I hadn't done anything to the truck yet.

Other than kids clothes and maybe 50# in tools and needed RV accessories (jack handle, chocks, extension cord, etc) there is nothing else back there. Most of the weight is usually put either in the front bedroom or closer to the middle of the trailer. I've measured the bed to ground clearance both loaded and unloaded and it is spot on. I also had an RV dealer look at the rig when loaded and they said it was good.

 

[SD70M]

I've measured the bed to ground clearance both loaded and unloaded and it is spot on. I also had an RV dealer look at the rig when loaded and they said it was good.

These two statements worry me...

1) If you are setting up a weight distribution hitch, you need to be measuring the distance between the ground and the top center of the wheel well arch. Measure the height unloaded and set the WD hitch, so that the height comes back to where it was when you were unloaded. That will put the proper amount of weight on the front-end of the truck and give you much better stability. HERE is a great article about properly setting up a WD hitch. HERE is another one. As a personal preference, I use the Reese dual cam WD hitch. It eliminates the need for a friction sway control and works great. I would also recommend against friction sway control, on any RV more than 20ft in length.

2) Every RV dealer that I have dealt with, is in it to make money. Most will tell you that you can pull a 20,000lb fiver, with a F150!

 

[BIG JOE]

I

1. Other than kids clothes and maybe 50# in tools and needed RV accessories (jack handle, chocks, extension cord, etc) there is nothing else back there. [Most of the weight is usually put either in the front bedroom or closer to the middle of the trailer].

2. I've measured the bed to ground clearance both loaded and unloaded and it is spot on. I also had an RV dealer look at the rig when loaded and they said it was good.

1. Even though you have a WDH, the bulk of the load is on the front of the trailer and the rear truck Axel. Loaded like this.. the bulk of the weight has an effect on the pivot point (hitch ball).. which will tend to Push the truck around.

2. The measurements are spot on.. but the load is not.

The CG/CB on yer trailer needs to be adjusted.
Roughly, it should be: 60% of the load on the trailer axles.. 40% on the pin/ball.. then.. the WDH should be adjusted to distribute the 40% between the tow vehicles axles, via the torx bars, bringing the pitch of the ball.. level.. when the tow vehicle and trailer are (measured) level.. when loaded and ready for travel.

I won't even go there.. with RV dealers.

(Just my .03 guyz'n galz, from.. ben thar, dun'nat, with Weight & Balance set ups..be gentle ? )