Pulling my first camper and recognizing problems with "sway"

[marknewbill]

hello,
I am new to campers. I have a RE275. from what I understand now, this means the interior, or perhaps just the box outside is 27.5 feet and the Tung and bumper add on to be about 30 feet.
it weighs around 7600 pounds plus some for cargo, which is not much right now other than the water load of the fresh tank.

I did the usual checks, air pressure at 65,
hitch is a Reese 2000 pound distribution, with what appears to be set up properly by Gander and is quite tight to pull up the buckles even with the camper jack down lifting the truck a few inches beyond level such the camper and truck appear level when the jack is up. I reviewed the setup videos so I don't think the hitch is wrong.
I also have one REESE friction bar, which I have tried moderately tight, and then very tight it even groans some in turns. still no real change.
I have no cargo so that is not a problem with improper loading. at most I have 100 pounds of stuff spread all around the trailer, and it did the same totally empty - no water or any cargo.


The pickup is a 2019 F150 5.0 with a towing package from the factory.

I don't think it is the pickup per se, since I borrowed a pickup of a different brand it the same issues are present. maybe the truck is too small, but the guys at Gander thought it could handle it.

At any rate, here is what I "feel"

When I travel at 40mph, it runs smooth. I have no issues accelerating plenty fast, and stopping with the electric brake controller in use seems to be adequate. more on that later.

When I get to 45 to 50 mph, the trailer starts to move in an oscillation, I believe side to side a little. I believe the friction bar and the technology in my truck for the tow package (internal sway control) must be keeping this tame, because it never gets worse but remains constant the entire drive even with no wind or traffic around. - Even with wind or traffic, it remains fairly constant. wanted to be clear it is not when something obvious is at play. I have increased the speed with my hands at the ready on the brake controller to see what happens at 60 and even a little more, and interestingly it does not get worse, but not better either.

it is defiantly noticeable and could even make you a little motion sick if you were prone to that. feels like light turbulence on an airplane. I let my wife drive and it kind of scared her. just to give you an idea, but we are not towing experts and would not know how to gauge a problem or just normal.

I am taking it back to Gander Monday for other reasons and i want to bring this up, but not sure if they are allowed to drive my rig or what they can do to trouble shoot this.

I have read as much as I can find, but when I hear about sway they always refer to the death sway, and right now this is not that severe as to loose any control, just an uncomfortable white knuckle drive.
I will look this evening if I can think of a way to measure the axles to see if the tires are aligned as this looks like a possible culprit.

Any suggestions or advice? am I just being paranoid, or should the drive be almost like nothing is back there?
PS, I notice the ball now has a flat spot worn on the top at only 200 miles. I suspect that is from the constant side to side movement. Maybe not, but the chrome is now gone on what I believe to be a quality Reese Ball.

regarding the brakes- the truck instructions advises around 25mph on a clear parking lot or something to attempt to lock the wheels with the controller then back off a point on gain, I can never lock the wheels at the max setting and the brakes have a couple hundred miles on them now. is this a problem? they are stopping, as i can certainly feel the tug, but no sliding tires.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[wdk450]

You might want to get a trailer axle wheel alignment check done. To my knowledge, neither the factory or any dealer has a laser wheel alignment rack setup. Look for truck wheel alignment shops in your area. This will probably cost about $300 an axle.

I once saw a small truck/utility trailer next to me loose control from seesaw swaying and end up on the freeway embankment on its side. Pretty scary. Be very cautious of your speed until you get this fixed.

 

[marknewbill]

You might want to get a trailer axle wheel alignment check done. To my knowledge, neither the factory or any dealer has a laser wheel alignment rack setup. Look for truck wheel alignment shops in your area. This will probably cost about $300 an axle.

I once saw a small truck/utility trailer next to me loose control from seesaw swaying and end up on the freeway embankment on its side. Pretty scary. Be very cautious of your speed until you get this fixed.

I will hope they can get this took care of at the dealer (somehow) since the camper is still only a month or so old and it came this way.
Thanks,
MN

 

[ILH]

Somewhere around 10 years ago, I had a 30' travel trailer (non Heartland) that had a sway issue. But unlike your situation, mine pulled straight, swaying only when vehicles passed me causing turbulence. I resolved my problem with a Hensley hitch. However, I think Bill is correct - your problem sounds like an alignment issue, not the hitch.

Good luck resolving your problem.

 

[JohnDar]

Pulling my first camper and recognizing problems with "sway"

Question: What are the trailering specs for an F-150? You said the trailer is 7600 lbs. and you have a full tank of water. Assuming a 30 gallon tank, that’s another 260 lbs. And whatever cargo you have on board probably weighs more than you think. Take the rig to a CAT scale and find out how much you’re really pulling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[marknewbill]

Re: Pulling my first camper and recognizing problems with "sway"

Question: What are the trailering specs for an F-150? You said the trailer is 7600 lbs. and you have a full tank of water. Assuming a 30 gallon tank, that’s another 260 lbs. And whatever cargo you have on board probably weighs more than you think. Take the rig to a CAT scale and find out how much you’re really pulling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi,
I hear what you are saying, but for reference, the dry weight is 6416 pounds. the tong weight is 670 pounds. I have always had the issue from day 1 going home from the dealer without adding anything to the camper. It is possible I have added maybe 300 pounds including the wood blocks for the wheels and the food, clothes, etc. but it is still fairly bare since it has spent most of the time in the shop so far instead of us using it.

as far as the truck, it is a bit hard to determine the rating. best I can come up with I have the 53A tow package with the 5.0 engine. The rating is somewhere between 9000 and 10900 for a loaded trailer weight using weight distribution depending what gear is in the rear end. Cant remember what gear right off hand, it lists about 10 choices.

 

[CoveredWagon]

Re: Pulling my first camper and recognizing problems with "sway"

What is the % tounge weight ?

 

[marknewbill]

Re: Pulling my first camper and recognizing problems with "sway"

What is the % tounge weight ?

I will update:

the dry weight is 6416 pounds. the tong weight is 670 pounds. (issue still there when dry and no cargo because I noted it on the way home the first day from the dealer)

The GVWR is 7,700 pounds - is this the maximum weight it can have if the fresh water is full and the normal cargo is present (as long as I adhere to the max cargo limit on the sticker of course) which this should distribute to the tung as well unless i load to the back of the wheels, which i have not of any significance.

looks like slightly more than 10 percent. I see it could use a little more If i want to reach 15 percent or so.

 

[JohnDar]

Re: Pulling my first camper and recognizing problems with "sway"

Hi,
I hear what you are saying, but for reference, I have always had the issue from day 1 going home from the dealer without adding anything to the camper. It is possible I have added maybe 300 pounds including the wood blocks for the wheels and the food, clothes, etc. but it is still fairly bare since it has spent most of the time in the shop so far instead of us using it.

as far as the truck, it is a bit hard to determine the rating. best I can come up with I have the 53A tow package with the 5.0 engine. The rating is somewhere between 9000 and 10900 for a loaded trailer weight using weight distribution depending what gear is in the rear end. Cant remember what gear right off hand, it lists about 10 choices.

Somewhere in the vehicle purchase order (or window sticker), you should be able to tell what rear axle you have. Then find the corresponding trailer weight maximum based on the bed and cab size from Page 2 of the attached Ford brochure.

 

[Flick]

Re: Pulling my first camper and recognizing problems with "sway"

Mark, sorry all these things are happening. Since you are new to towing and camping in general, I think it would be worth your time to search out a friend who’s done some towing or perhaps a trailer shop professional who can give you some pointers as to what’s normal and what’s not.
I would bet that some of your wonderings about certain things will disappear.
Also, just for the record, trailer brakes on a very light trailer will likely lock up when the gain is set very high, but on a heavier trailer most brakes will not lock up and slide as you are describing it.

 

[hoefler]

Your hitch is not setup properly, you are unloading the steer axle. You have the tail wagging the dog.

 

[marknewbill]

Re: Pulling my first camper and recognizing problems with "sway"

Mark, sorry all these things are happening. Since you are new to towing and camping in general, I think it would be worth your time to search out a friend who’s done some towing or perhaps a trailer shop professional who can give you some pointers as to what’s normal and what’s not.
I would bet that some of your wonderings about certain things will disappear.
Also, just for the record, trailer brakes on a very light trailer will likely lock up when the gain is set very high, but on a heavier trailer most brakes will not lock up and slide as you are describing it.

thanks. i suspected that may be normal to never lock.. if thats the case would you just run the gain at max to allow for the maximun trailer braking at maximum truck braking? on my truck the gain seems to just set the upper limit and it varies as you push the pedal. so i expect full gain means full 12 volts at full pedal. any less gain just limits what it can get up to.

- - - Updated - - -

Somewhere in the vehicle purchase order (or window sticker), you should be able to tell what rear axle you have. Then find the corresponding trailer weight maximum based on the bed and cab size from Page 2 of the attached Ford brochure.

based on the towing package and 3.55 gear
for my configuration it appears to have a 9100 pound towing capability.

 

[Flick]

Re: Pulling my first camper and recognizing problems with "sway"

thanks. i suspected that may be normal to never lock.. if thats the case would you just run the gain at max to allow for the maximun trailer braking at maximum truck braking? on my truck the gain seems to just set the upper limit and it varies as you push the pedal. so i expect full gain means full 12 volts at full pedal. any less gain just limits what it can get up to.

- - - Updated - - -


based on the towing package and 3.55 gear
for my configuration it appears to have a 9100 pound towing capability.

You can start out at full gain but you should be able to back off considerably so that when you hit your brakes you have a smooth transition from your trailer to your truck and it doesn’t jerk you around. Trailer and truck should be working together to stop. Few times out you’ll get the feeling.

 

[danemayer]

You should do a little more testing to differentiate between a controller issue and a trailer issue.

Do a comparison:

1. Hooked up normally, stationary, hold the brake controller manual control to max and press on the gas to see if the trailer brakes lock up and keep the trailer wheels from turning.
2. Hooked up normally, stationary, pull the emergency breakaway cable, press on the gas to see if the trailer brakes lock up.

CAUTION: to avoid possible damage, do not leave the breakaway cable unplugged for more than a minute. Less than a minute is even better.

If the trailer brakes won't lock up from a standing start, with either the controller or with full battery power from the breakaway switch, you may have a problem with the trailer brakes. There is a wear-in burnishing that is a function of applying the trailer brakes gently, at moderate speed, multiple times. Towing miles doesn't tell you anything about the wear-in. It's also possible there is grease contamination. On a new trailer, that's uncommon, but sometimes Lippert/Dexter ship out an axle/brake assembly that is contaminated.

If the trailer brakes lock up with the breakaway switch, but not with the controller, you have a truck/controller/connection problem.

 

[rhodies1]

hello,
I am new to campers. I have a RE275. from what I understand now, this means the interior, or perhaps just the box outside is 27.5 feet and the Tung and bumper add on to be about 30 feet.
it weighs around 7600 pounds plus some for cargo, which is not much right now other than the water load of the fresh tank.

I did the usual checks, air pressure at 65,
hitch is a Reese 2000 pound distribution, with what appears to be set up properly by Gander and is quite tight to pull up the buckles even with the camper jack down lifting the truck a few inches beyond level such the camper and truck appear level when the jack is up. I reviewed the setup videos so I don't think the hitch is wrong.
I also have one REESE friction bar, which I have tried moderately tight, and then very tight it even groans some in turns. still no real change.
I have no cargo so that is not a problem with improper loading. at most I have 100 pounds of stuff spread all around the trailer, and it did the same totally empty - no water or any cargo.


The pickup is a 2019 F150 5.0 with a towing package from the factory.

I don't think it is the pickup per se, since I borrowed a pickup of a different brand it the same issues are present. maybe the truck is too small, but the guys at Gander thought it could handle it.

At any rate, here is what I "feel"

When I travel at 40mph, it runs smooth. I have no issues accelerating plenty fast, and stopping with the electric brake controller in use seems to be adequate. more on that later.

When I get to 45 to 50 mph, the trailer starts to move in an oscillation, I believe side to side a little. I believe the friction bar and the technology in my truck for the tow package (internal sway control) must be keeping this tame, because it never gets worse but remains constant the entire drive even with no wind or traffic around. - Even with wind or traffic, it remains fairly constant. wanted to be clear it is not when something obvious is at play. I have increased the speed with my hands at the ready on the brake controller to see what happens at 60 and even a little more, and interestingly it does not get worse, but not better either.

it is defiantly noticeable and could even make you a little motion sick if you were prone to that. feels like light turbulence on an airplane. I let my wife drive and it kind of scared her. just to give you an idea, but we are not towing experts and would not know how to gauge a problem or just normal.

I am taking it back to Gander Monday for other reasons and i want to bring this up, but not sure if they are allowed to drive my rig or what they can do to trouble shoot this.

I have read as much as I can find, but when I hear about sway they always refer to the death sway, and right now this is not that severe as to loose any control, just an uncomfortable white knuckle drive.
I will look this evening if I can think of a way to measure the axles to see if the tires are aligned as this looks like a possible culprit.

Any suggestions or advice? am I just being paranoid, or should the drive be almost like nothing is back there?
PS, I notice the ball now has a flat spot worn on the top at only 200 miles. I suspect that is from the constant side to side movement. Maybe not, but the chrome is now gone on what I believe to be a quality Reese Ball.

regarding the brakes- the truck instructions advises around 25mph on a clear parking lot or something to attempt to lock the wheels with the controller then back off a point on gain, I can never lock the wheels at the max setting and the brakes have a couple hundred miles on them now. is this a problem? they are stopping, as i can certainly feel the tug, but no sliding tires.

Thanks,
Mark

A friend end of mine was having the same issue you described with your unit when towing,,,good at low speeds but as he accelerated it would sway side to side.He couldn’t haul at 60 mph,tail wagging the dog.
We tried a lot of adjustments,watched videos .etc,etc...
My friend had his own set of distribution bars when he purchased trailer so decided to use them,...finally after discussing his issue with the dealer .The dealer had him bring complete unit back.Dealer service dept.investigated his set up.The .weight distribution gear was not rated heavy enough for unit being towed. the hitch on truck ( Ford 150) was not rated for trailer weight he was towing and was flexing under strain of torque from trailer tongue and torque of bars.
Dealer had my friend upgrade truck Hitch to heavier class and installed a Blue Ox Anti Sway Distribution System for towing ..problem solved. Unit hauls smooth with no sway .

 

[centerline]

did you buy the trailer new or used?.... if its used, check to see if it has LT or ST tires on it... LT tires will have a little more noticeable sway than ST tires will...

i would also opt for a little more tongue weight... if you only have 670lbs AND you are using a distribution hitch, you are probably loading the front axle of the tow vehicle too much, leaving the rear axle light... this is nearly the same as pulling a trailer with too much weight in the rear of it and not enough hitch weight....
on 7000lb trailer, 1000lbs hitch weight isnt too much.... but the more hitch weight you have, the more you can take some of that weight with the distribution hitch, but its my opinion that a hitch load of 670lbs doesnt require a distribution hitch, and by using one, it is upsetting the necessary balance of the load for comfortable towing....

 

[marknewbill]

Hello all,
I have found something interesting today,
I had to bring in the camper for service and noticed when pulling it DRY, meaning no fresh water on board, it doesn't seem to sway very much.
I am not certain if adding water (location of fresh tank) is putting more weight on the Tung or removing the weight which would be bad, I assumed this tank is basically right over the axles but again I am not absolutely certain as that is enclosed and I cant see them. at the moment it doesn't make sense why no water would be better but it did have an impact.

At any rate, I reported the swaying to my service rep and he noted it down and said they will look at it.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[jbeletti]

Mark - take a look at the underbelly for where the fresh water tank drain line comes out. That will generally be near the side edge of the tank.

 

[carl.swoyer]

hello,
I am new to campers. I have a RE275. from what I understand now, this means the interior, or perhaps just the box outside is 27.5 feet and the Tung and bumper add on to be about 30 feet.
it weighs around 7600 pounds plus some for cargo, which is not much right now other than the water load of the fresh tank.

I did the usual checks, air pressure at 65,
hitch is a Reese 2000 pound distribution, with what appears to be set up properly by Gander and is quite tight to pull up the buckles even with the camper jack down lifting the truck a few inches beyond level such the camper and truck appear level when the jack is up. I reviewed the setup videos so I don't think the hitch is wrong.
I also have one REESE friction bar, which I have tried moderately tight, and then very tight it even groans some in turns. still no real change.
I have no cargo so that is not a problem with improper loading. at most I have 100 pounds of stuff spread all around the trailer, and it did the same totally empty - no water or any cargo.


The pickup is a 2019 F150 5.0 with a towing package from the factory.

I don't think it is the pickup per se, since I borrowed a pickup of a different brand it the same issues are present. maybe the truck is too small, but the guys at Gander thought it could handle it.

At any rate, here is what I "feel"

When I travel at 40mph, it runs smooth. I have no issues accelerating plenty fast, and stopping with the electric brake controller in use seems to be adequate. more on that later.

When I get to 45 to 50 mph, the trailer starts to move in an oscillation, I believe side to side a little. I believe the friction bar and the technology in my truck for the tow package (internal sway control) must be keeping this tame, because it never gets worse but remains constant the entire drive even with no wind or traffic around. - Even with wind or traffic, it remains fairly constant. wanted to be clear it is not when something obvious is at play. I have increased the speed with my hands at the ready on the brake controller to see what happens at 60 and even a little more, and interestingly it does not get worse, but not better either.

it is defiantly noticeable and could even make you a little motion sick if you were prone to that. feels like light turbulence on an airplane. I let my wife drive and it kind of scared her. just to give you an idea, but we are not towing experts and would not know how to gauge a problem or just normal.

I am taking it back to Gander Monday for other reasons and i want to bring this up, but not sure if they are allowed to drive my rig or what they can do to trouble shoot this.

I have read as much as I can find, but when I hear about sway they always refer to the death sway, and right now this is not that severe as to loose any control, just an uncomfortable white knuckle drive.
I will look this evening if I can think of a way to measure the axles to see if the tires are aligned as this looks like a possible culprit.

Any suggestions or advice? am I just being paranoid, or should the drive be almost like nothing is back there?
PS, I notice the ball now has a flat spot worn on the top at only 200 miles. I suspect that is from the constant side to side movement. Maybe not, but the chrome is now gone on what I believe to be a quality Reese Ball.

regarding the brakes- the truck instructions advises around 25mph on a clear parking lot or something to attempt to lock the wheels with the controller then back off a point on gain, I can never lock the wheels at the max setting and the brakes have a couple hundred miles on them now. is this a problem? they are stopping, as i can certainly feel the tug, but no sliding tires.

Thanks,
Mark

Perhaps this is related to squatting. If the truck is low in the rear the front end of the tow vehicle may be "floating".

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[biddysere]

I have the same problems as you. Did all of the setup advice. The truck is level to within a 1/4". Feels like the truck is following the ruts in the road - side to side movement. Can't take my 110% of attention off the steering wheel or I will be out of my lane or in the ditch. White knuckling it!
I have been paying attention to others on the road; their bumpers are almost scraping the pavement. The driver is all nonchalant and relaxed, arm hanging out the window doing 75 mph down the road in a 1980 Ford Explorer with a 30' camper behind. WTH? I can't go 50 without holding on tight in my GMC with a 9400# tow rating