Trailer sway at about 50 + mph

[ggilbert]

So I have a 2018 264BH Jay Flight
According to the stickers we don't have any weigh stations near by.
Hitch weight 485
Gross Weight 6500 lbs
Dry Weight 4615 lbs

The trailer is probably close to the dry weight it was winterized and most of our belongings off of the camper.


We had previously towed it with a 07 Jeep Grand Cherokee and have only taken it on a few short trips and around here 55 is the speed limit. So with this set up I never really experienced trailer sway, but we never traveled very fast with it. I could feel the jeep moving it seemed with the trailer a slight wag in the seats and wheel but never noticed it wag.

Back in October we dropped it off at a RV shop and had a second AC Added to the trailer.

We went to pick it up in a new tow vehicle 2018 Ram 1500

We had the RV Shop adjust the hitch before we left. had to raise it up one bold position.

once we got on the interstate i didn't notice it at first but after a few miles i noticed the trailer wagging a little. it was staying in my lane, but visibly I could see it and feel it wagging when going 55 mph an above on the interstate.

We pulled over and checked trailer Tire pressure they where all 4 10 lbs low. went to a travel center and had some air added. Still had the wag.

I have a weight distribution hitch and one anti sway bar.

how can i improve pulling the trailer so it doesn't wag.

[jasum]

Sounds like your wdh is NOT set up correctly.

You need to find a place that actually knows what they are doing as far as setting up your hitch.

[Gizmopilot]

If you want guaranteed no sway get a Hensley arrow or Propride hitch -

That is what I did 14 years ago and now I tow a 38.5 Foot 11,700lbs Eagle 322RLOK with still no 0 Sway my tow vehicle started as a toyota 4runner, then Dodge durango, Now F150 with max tow.

I’ve also heard good things about the equalizer hitch as your TT isn’t that heavy for a half ton truck, and this is much less expensive than the Hensley or PP.

You didn’t mention the hitch that you are using - it may not be adjusted properly.

[Grumpy]

If it's empty that is probably the cause. You can't set up the wdh without tongue weight.

[ggilbert]

It’s a Husky round bar hitch with sway bar. I don’t know much about setting the hitch up but the repair shop used a tape measure and it looked pretty level I thought.

[Racinforthefinish]

Hitch not set up right or possibly your anti sway bar just needs tightening, if left too loose you could have sway.

[Brewhedd]

Assuming you have enough tongue weight and truck tires are at max pressure then something may be wrong with your wdh or setup. The good thing about the Equalizer is that it is a wdh and 4 point anti sway, works well for me.

[Demiles]

Where was the the second AC unit added? The problem of sway is almost always created by load distribution in the trailer so don’t use a WDH to try and solve it. How much tension is on the WDH? Too much can cause its own problems. The correct % of tongue weight correctly positions the trailer center of gravity, you really need to get to a scale and get some weights to diagnose the cause.

[RAurand]

I have found that my trailer tows best when it is slightly nose low. I am about 1" lower on the front of my trailer than on the rear. If your front is higher than the rear, you will have sway problems.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by ggilbert

It’s a Husky round bar hitch with sway bar. I don’t know much about setting the hitch up but the repair shop used a tape measure and it looked pretty level I thought.

I'm not familiar with the Husky Round Bar WDH. Does it include an integrated sway control? If not try adding one or two friction bars.

Also always, always check your tire pressures before traveling.

[ggilbert]

It has 1 friction sway control.
Ac is in the center of the master bedroom closet to the tong. Jayco has a place framed there for an ac or vent.

[ASTMedic]

I know dodge uses air suspension on some of their trucks, does yours have it? That can cause changes in weight distribution hitch efficiency.

You might try measuring the front fender height of the truck with the bars on and off and see what change there is.

[ttavasc]

I'm going to go with Grumpy's suggestion that its empty and likely not enough tongue weight. Without knowing the accuracy of the tongue weight and loaded trailer weight it's hard to say, but based on the numbers provided that's only 10.5% tongue weight. If the second A/C was installed towards the rear of the trailer that will have a negative effect on the tongue weight as well. Ideally you'd want 12-15% of loaded trailer weight.

Since it looks like it's not easy to get to a scale I'd consider getting a portable tongue scale like a Sherline LM 1000 or 2000 for ~$125. Or you can Google around for instructions on making your own using a regular bathroom scale.

You can get a reasonable estimate of loaded trailer weight by adding the weight of the batteries, the second A/C unit and anything else that you've got loaded into the trailer to the as-delivered trailer weight on the yellow cargo loading sticker. Don't forget to account for water in any of the tanks. Then measure the tongue weight with the portable scale. This will at least get you a fairly accurate tongue weight percentage. If it turns out to be on the low side - less than 12% - rearrange things in the trailer to get more load in front of the axles.

I would also agree with RAurand regarding running slightly nose down - I do the same and have found it to be more stable that way. If your RAM has the auto-leveling suspension like mine that can cause the nose to be slightly above level if the hitch height was set an inch or two above level coupler height as I think many hitch manufacturers recommend. The suspension will automatically correct the sag by returning the hitch to the starting point at which point it would be slightly nose high again.

Hopefully this will improve things enough till you can get to a scale and do a proper weighing with everything loaded for travel.

Good luck and happy camping!

[madmaxmutt]

Pretty common video showing low tongue weight is a problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by ggilbert

snip...
once we got on the interstate i didn't notice it at first but after a few miles i noticed the trailer wagging a little. it was staying in my lane, but visibly I could see it and feel it wagging when going 55 mph an above on the interstate.

We pulled over and checked trailer Tire pressure they where all 4 10 lbs low. went to a travel center and had some air added. Still had the wag.

I have a weight distribution hitch and one anti sway bar.

how can i improve pulling the trailer so it doesn't wag.

Attachment 46261

The least expensive things to try to get rid of the sway...
- Tighten the anti-sway control you have (assuming it is adjustable).
- Inflate ALL tires (TT and TV) to the maximum shown on the tire sidewall.
- Adjust the hitch so the trailer tongue is level or slightly down when towing.
- Add a second anti-sway control, if possible.

[GHen]

I also think there is not enough tongue weight. Is there a sand and gravel supplier near, they may allow you to weigh there.

Is your fresh water in front of the axel? If so, fill your fresh water and try again.

[ggilbert]

I don’t have air suspension. From the suggestions maybe tong weigh is the problem I wish scales where closer to me in April we will be taking another trip on the interstate and will try to get a loaded weight. Also my propane tanks are probably close to empty.

Would loosen the chains help any?

Ac was added closer to the tong side I’ll try to post a picture later.

[ASTMedic]

Can you move some stuff forward in your trailer? I know you said it's mostly unloaded but when you do load it try and load it forward of the axle. You rellay want to try to set your hitch while loaded or you may end up being to nose heavy when on a trip.

Could just adjust your hitch back down one hole to ride a little more nose down on the trailer even though you don't really know the tongue weight. All good guesses are it's too light but again you're no loaded to travel. I'd rather do this than mess with the chains.

[goducks]

The length of your TT requires two friction bars.
I would ditch those and get a better WDH with built in sway control. Like an Equalizer, Reese or Blue Ox.

[Rustic Eagle]

ggilbert,

Originally Posted by ggilbert

snip...... I wish scales where closer to me in April we will be taking another trip on the interstate and will try to get a loaded weight.......snip

Visiting the CAT scale under TV/TT loaded conditions will provide you with factual data to work with confirming all your TV/TT weights, WDH adjustment, proper weight distribution, etc...., greatly reducing the guesswork.

CAT scale how-to: https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...v-tt-3871.html

Originally Posted by ggilbert

snip...... Would loosen the chains help any?.....snip

Difficult to say unless you know the weight distribution status of your WDH adjustment. Until you visit a CAT scale you can 'ballpark' your spring bar adjustment by confirming that your TV's front fender height when "hitched" (spring bars engaged) is as close as possible to the TV's "unhitched" front fender height.

Reviewing your WDH's installation/adjustment documentation will be helpful.

Bob