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Old 12-02-2012, 07:42 PM   #1
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Travel Trailer making my TV pull to the right

I'm not sure if anyone has experienced this before but we just took our 26BH out on our third trip. Pulling 120 miles to our site with my 5.3 Tahoe was great. My Tahoe has performed flawless for all my trips.

Today we left the site and it felt like my Tahoe had an alignment issue. It was pulling to the right as if the alignment was off. It was really pulling as the steering wheel was off center the entire drive. I pulled over and checked the tire pressure for my TV and the trailer. All was fine.

I managed to get home fine.

After I unhooked the trailer I took the Tahoe for a drive and it drove fine. The alignment was fine and was not pulling. Steering wheel was centered and it was tracking good.

It had to have been something with the trailer. The only thing I could think of is that I never unhooked the Tahoe from the trailer while at the campsite. I did all the leveling with everything hooked up. There was no need to disconnect as we were not planning to go anywhere.

The only other thing I did at the campsite was to level the driver side trailer tires using leveling blocks about three blocks high.

We have an Equalizer WD set up. Could this have caused the problem?

Thanks for any help.
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Old 12-02-2012, 07:50 PM   #2
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I'd suggest going through your hitch setup, make sure all the measurements still work, and then hitching up again and going for test tow. If the Tahoe was fine towing, and currently fine not towing and the only issue towing happened after being hitch with a manipulated while the TV and TT were connected for a couple days a I'm leaning to an issue with the WD.
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Old 12-02-2012, 08:10 PM   #3
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If it were mine, I would check the axle alignment on the trailer. You can do a quick check yourself before you go the step of taking it to an alignment shop. Here's what you do; measure the distance from the center of the trailer coupler to the axle-spring mounting u-bolts (one each side). Choose a spot on the u-bolt that would be the same position on each side. You can use thin rope to do this comparison, as long as it doesn't stretch. The two measurements should be the same - as close as possible.
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Old 12-02-2012, 08:40 PM   #4
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I would also check the brakes. You might have a wheel dragging on one side.
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Old 12-02-2012, 09:34 PM   #5
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Quote:
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I'd suggest going through your hitch setup, make sure all the measurements still work, and then hitching up again and going for test tow. If the Tahoe was fine towing, and currently fine not towing and the only issue towing happened after being hitch with a manipulated while the TV and TT were connected for a couple days a I'm leaning to an issue with the WD.
X2

I wonder if your hitch and TT being new, if you rotated the tongue on the ball when leveling and it didn't rotate back level and was giving you a skew in your WDH.

If that's not it, I would check the wheels rotate freely on each side, then alignment.

Let us know what you find.
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Old 12-02-2012, 10:27 PM   #6
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I would also check the brakes. You might have a wheel dragging on one side.
X2 on the brakes. If you have a laser thermometer, check the hub temps immediately after you stop. Once you have checked the temps a few times, you will know you normal temp range. If you have a brake or a bearing issue you will see it quickly.
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Old 12-02-2012, 10:28 PM   #7
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I'd suggest going through your hitch setup, make sure all the measurements still work, and then hitching up again and going for test tow. If the Tahoe was fine towing, and currently fine not towing and the only issue towing happened after being hitch with a manipulated while the TV and TT were connected for a couple days a I'm leaning to an issue with the WD.
I have got to stop posting from my phone...I can't believe anyone could even understand what I was saying.

Basically my point is that since the Equalizer has integrated sway control, I am thinking staying hitched and leveling the TT over a couple of days could have changed the geometry in the hitch setup and that could cause the pull. The other suggestions are valid too. However I think axle alignment would have been noticed right away since you clearly are experiencing something different during the last return trip. Brakes, being moving parts, could certainly have changed over the course of a couple of trips and that very well could be what you are experiencing too.
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Old 12-03-2012, 03:53 AM   #8
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If you were driving with a strong crosswind this can also cause you to feel the tv is out of alignment. Remember you're pulling a big box and it catches the wind which affects the tv as well
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Old 12-03-2012, 08:11 AM   #9
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We have the Equalizer WD set-up, and have camped several times for a night or two while hitched up with no problems. If you think the anti-sway is hanging up and not returning to straight ahead, here is something to try; while going down the highway on a straight away, manually apply only the trailer brakes. This will "pull" the trailer to be in-line with the TV. If this doesn't clear your steering problem, then the other suggestions posted above, are items to look for. All are possibilities.
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Old 12-03-2012, 11:39 AM   #10
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I am gonna pull it back out and take it for a test drive. I parked it and unhooked it last night so ill check it out today. I am thinking that the WD got hung up like David472 said, so I think I'll try that first. The Tahoe and trailer were no in line when raising and lifting and leveling at the campsite. Hope that's the problem. I'll let everyone know later today. I visually checked my WD setup and all looks good. I visually checked under the trailer and didn't see anything either. Hope it's not the brakes dragging.
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Old 12-03-2012, 12:40 PM   #11
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I also use the Equalizer Brand WDH. I doubt hooking up when the combo was not lined up nicely was the issue. I have no off street parking for my HTT. Once in awhile I park in my neighbor’s yard on their gravel pad, by the alley. It is kinda of a tight spot to get into; the truck is very twisted in comparison, to my normal (un)hookup position. I have yet to have any issues with the combo pulling oddly when I have hooked up over in that position. I have also left the unit hooked up for a week, with 7” of blocking under one side, with no noticeable ill effects.

I would still look over your WDH and check all your bolts. I am wondering if the L Brackets are loose if that would explain your handling issues. There are a few on the inside of the frame that seem to work their way loose. After a few times tightening them, I had the L brackets welded to the frame.
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Old 12-03-2012, 08:41 PM   #12
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Ok so I took the trailer back out. I hooked everything up and it was fine. I hit the freeway and it was tracking straight. I exited made some sharp turns and it started pulling again but not as bad. I probably would not have noticed it if it were not for the other day. I'm start to thnk that maybe the WD hasn't been greased or lubricated. It was pretty tight with the bars in and not hooked up. I sprayed so WD40 and it loosened up a bit. It had been raining so could that have been an issue? Do those of you that have an Equalizer grease the bars and pivot points? If you do how? I will post that question as well. Thanks
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Old 12-03-2012, 09:18 PM   #13
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Thanks for the update, I was really wondering where this was going to come out.

Sounds like you're on the right track.

Best regards,
Doug
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Old 12-03-2012, 09:26 PM   #14
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Do those of you that have an Equalizer grease the bars and pivot points? If you do how? I will post that question as well. Thanks
When I hook up I put the bars in and make them parallel with the bumper. I clean the old grease out of the head and then put some new grease under the head were the bars pivot. I put another dab of grease on the L brackets on the tongue.
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Old 12-03-2012, 09:47 PM   #15
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Don't think you should grease the L Brackets. I have a Husky Centerline hitch, similar to Equalizer, my manual cautions against applying any lubricant where the trunion bars rest on the L bracket. I guess that friction point is integral to the sway control. Check your manual for maintanence procedures.
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Old 12-03-2012, 10:21 PM   #16
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snip..... It was pulling to the right as if the alignment was off. It was really pulling as the steering wheel was off center the entire drive.....snip
This might be helpful, same TV pulling condition: http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...7.cfm#25787797

Bob
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Old 12-04-2012, 12:11 AM   #17
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Thanks Rustic Eagle! Glad to see someone else had the same experience and was able to solve the problem.
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Old 12-04-2012, 09:49 AM   #18
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Ok so I took the trailer back out. I hooked everything up and it was fine. I hit the freeway and it was tracking straight. I exited made some sharp turns and it started pulling again but not as bad. I probably would not have noticed it if it were not for the other day. I'm start to thnk that maybe the WD hasn't been greased or lubricated. It was pretty tight with the bars in and not hooked up. I sprayed so WD40 and it loosened up a bit. It had been raining so could that have been an issue? Do those of you that have an Equalizer grease the bars and pivot points? If you do how? I will post that question as well. Thanks
Okay, I think you've found the problem. From my experience, you need to lubricate the "sockets" in the hitch head. Do not lubricate the "L" brackets. I use lithium grease. Apply grease to the square sockets, both top and bottom, where they rub on the hitch head, and you should be good to go.

I would add, I clean and re-apply grease in this area about every couple months in the towing season.
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Old 12-04-2012, 06:10 PM   #19
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Don't think you should grease the L Brackets. I have a Husky Centerline hitch, similar to Equalizer, my manual cautions against applying any lubricant where the trunion bars rest on the L bracket. I guess that friction point is integral to the sway control. Check your manual for maintanence procedures.
I have checked the manual. With 1400 lbs of tongue weight I had a lot of noise on turns and the steel almost looked liked it was almost galling. All 4 points I lube are sway points. It might diminish the sway but the trailer still tracks straight and true, and I can pull into a park and not wake up the dead.
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Old 12-04-2012, 11:09 PM   #20
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I think robo59097 may be on to something. Was there a crosswind? I pulled my 26BH 95 miles the other day and the entire time I was driving West, I was in a stiff (25mph) wind from the south. My steering wheel was way off center the entire time. After I unhooked the pickup was just fine. I was just having to fight the wind. I would still check trailer brakes too though, just to be sure.
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