Jayco 27BH sway out of control

[Heinz]

I have hauled a smaller trailer but same weight with my Chevy 2015 Silverado 1500. I have a new last year Jay feather 27 BH travel trailer. I can't get the sway under control. I have the Blue Ox hitch assembly.



We bought new tires, BF Goodrich, LT load range E.

Water bladder is empty, cargo is minimal, and nothing in the bed of the truck. I get sway even if the wind is not blowing. The rv has a GVWR of 7500. The truck has a rated tow capacity of 9,000.


Any suggestions? Do I need to get rid of the Blue Ox and try Reese?

Do I need to upgrade to a 2500 truck?

[Midnightmoon]

Have you visited a CAT scale to confirm your weights and loading? If not, that is the first place to start.

[Heinz]

I have not. I believe there is a link somewhere on here to tell me how to do that. Are you talking about how much the tongue weight of the rv is?

[Midnightmoon]

This thread may be of help.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...v-tt-3871.html

[sturgissteele]

The tongue weight is very important. Too light, and you start to have sway control problems. Also, is the TT riding level or slightly nose down? If it's riding high in the nose, that will cause towing issues, too.

[cekkk]

I had a Blue Ox with a much bigger trailer than yours and it worked just fine. My guess is your entire setup is faulty. Who installed your weight distribution hitch? If a dealer, they often just throw things together. It would be nice to see a photograph of your setup so we can see how level for unlevel it is. Don't despair, your truck is, in my opinion,marginal but then I'm just one of those that likes a real tow vehicle when I'm pulling a sailboat behind me.

[Craiger]

I found that adding air shocks to my 1500 made my 27 foot Jayco trailer much more stable.

[RayPayne]

A quick look at the specs on that puts tongue weight dry at 10%. If you have anything behind the axles as an add-on or loading that you haven’t balanced in the front it will be under 10%.

https://www.weigh-safe.com/towing-sa...tongue-weight/

Load about 300 lbs in the front without putting anything rear of the axles and you’re closer to the 15% range at least.

This isn’t instead of a scale of course. I did a few measurements so I know what to load where. Each axle, left to right, and hitch. Empty doesn’t mean it will tow well. Getting everything as close to balanced as you can makes it more comfortable towing.

[Heinz]

"Sailboat", I like that because that is what it feels like. I will get pictures, actual weights, go thru videos and set up of the hitch, yes the dealer installed. We love this TT and want it to work. The truck? Well I was not planning on trading in till 2 more years but if it is marginal, which I feel it is, then I will look to trade before our next big trip in June.

[Heinz]

Hooked up the TT for a short trip. TT was level, I measured the fender wall on my 1500, hooked on the trailer and the truck dropped 2 1/2 inches. Then I added the chains for the Blue Ox and the truck did not lift at all. I dropped the jack and added 2 more chains, it was very tight, and the truck still did not lift at all. I would like to add pictures.

[Heinz]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cZ6...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xRQ...ew?usp=sharing

[muckinfuss]

It appears that the hitch isn't tilted...at all. Should be when using trunion W/D. My Reese is set at 7 degrees rear tilt if I recall. Certainly your brand may be different in its set up, but I've not seen a trunion W/D without the tilt. If it was me, I'd start from scratch doing a correct set up of the hitch by the book, then get weighed so you can redistribute if needed. In my experience, a correct set up and weight distribution should result in front and rear measurements at the truck wheel wells not changing by more than 1 inch(provided the truck suspension isn't shot). I don't know the blue ox, but my trunion bars are level when the jack is lifted and we're ready to pull away. (standard 1/2 ton gasser with leaf springs rear...nothing special) When you're sure everything is set up correctly, lift the jack until the trailer is just a hair above the ball and then connect the trunions. Then drop the rest of the way. I didn't notice in your post whether the W/D you have has a given weight range. Is it possible that the dealer undersold the system? Just thinking out loud.

[TxLoser]

From what you describe and my limited TT experience, I’d say more tongue weight needed. First few trips with my old travel trailer and the Tundra I had at the time didn’t feel good. Anything over 60 was uncomfortable. I adjusted the heck out of the weight distribution bars(equivalent of your chains)along the way with little luck. Dealer had installed it. I finally took it all apart, downloaded the manual and went to work. Much better. The nose of the trailer was a hair lower when all was said and done and towed quite well. About the same length and weight as your trailer.

I’d just start over like you just received the hitch in the box. Truck should be fine for that.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Heinz

snip.......I measured the fender wall on my 1500, hooked on the trailer and the truck dropped 2 1/2 inches. Then I added the chains for the Blue Ox and the truck did not lift at all. I dropped the jack and added 2 more chains, it was very tight, and the truck still did not lift at all.......snip

What's important is what's happening at the 'front' of the TV, that's what a WDH is designed to manage..... return the weight that was removed when the TT tongue weight was initially placed on the hitch ball. Very common for a TV to have a 1"-2" rear squat after a "proper" WDH adjustment.

The 27BH has a GVWR of 7,500lbs, thus ideally one should have a 1,200lb rated WDH. A 1,000lb rated WDH would work, but not effectively if the loaded TT gross weight started approaching the GVWR.

As mentioned earlier, a CAT Scale weigh-in (how-to link provided) is very important and will provide "all" your loaded TV/TT weights, confirm proper weight distribution, WDH rating/adjustment, etc..

Bob

[Cavie]

Originally Posted by Heinz

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cZ6...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xRQ...ew?usp=sharing

Blue ox does not have sway control. You need to add a sway contol. OR go to an Equalsier 4 point hitch. It has built in sway control.

[SouthCo]

The Blue Ox SwayPro WDH absolutely provides sway control with no other devices. Used them on both of my trailers, 264BH and 28BHBE, and they worked great.

[Cavie]

Originally Posted by SouthCo

The Blue Ox SwayPro WDH absolutely provides sway control with no other devices. Used them on both of my trailers, 264BH and 28BHBE, and they worked great.

Tthere is no way it can provide sway control hanging on chains.

[sturgissteele]

Thumbs up on the Equalizer WD setup.

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by Cavie

Tthere is no way it can provide sway control hanging on chains.

The Blue Ox SwayPro incorporates the sway control in the hitch head similar to the way the Andersen No Sway hitch works.

[Cavie]

Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

The Blue Ox SwayPro incorporates the sway control in the hitch head similar to the way the Andersen No Sway hitch works.

Well then explain to the OP why his does not work.