Sway Issues - 2020, 267BHSW - Advice?

[ThatGuy]

Hi...

I've got some sway issues with this trailer. When I left the lot with it and drove it home, it felt like it was swaying all around behind me. I had hoped that it'd improve with weight, but it didn't. I took it back to the dealership and they readjusted the hitch which helped a little bit, but I can still feel it swaying behind me. I'm wondering if it's maybe a load distribution issue...I don't know.

Here's my set-up:
Trailer is Jayflight SLX8, 267 BHSW Rocky Mountain/Baja editions
Gross trailer weight is 7,500, but I don't think I'm maxing it out at all

Pickup is a 2018 F-150 with Max Trailer Tow Package
I have a Husky Centrline Hitch with sway control

I will say, I've never pulled a camper before...lots of trailers, but never a trailer with so much surface area to catch the wind...so maybe that movement behind me is normal...I just don't know.

Any advice would be helpful!

[Jagiven]

You will get some movement, especially with large vehicles. I primarily notice it, when buses pass me, or the big Mac trucks with the huge grills.

Also ALWAYS check your tire pressures before you hit the road. The cheap tires they put on these rigs loose pressure. Always make sure to tow at max tire pressure noted on the side wall. Lower the tire pressure, more handling issues you will experience.

Next I strongly recommend stopping at a CAT scale, while fully loaded. Full fuel tanks, people and normal cargo in the TV and TT. There is a detailed discussion on the forum. You need three measurements. 1) Fully hooked up WDH engaged 2) TT and TV hooked up only by the ball WDH not engaged, 3) just the TV. From these three measurements you can see how your rig is sitting and if any adjustments are required.

[ThatGuy]

Jagiven - thanks for the reply and the good advice...could you link me to that detailed discussion you referenced?
Thanks!

[Midnightmoon]

Here is a link to an applicable thread from our Towing, Hitching, and Tow Vehicle section of the forum.

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

[RAurand]

It will sway if you do not have enough tongue weight as well.

[GL243]

I have your same rig but with a 2018 267BHSW, non-RM/Baja, and 2017 F150 XLT 4wd short bed, 7000lb GVWR package, Max Tow pkg, etc. There is an almost imperceptible "squirreliness" feel when I first towed it home on the interstate, i.e., more than what I noticed with my prior 2002 F150 and an old Terry 25' trailer, and I periodically notice it still, but I guess I got used to it, and I don't notice it at all when on secondary highways and county roads. I have an Eaz-Lift Recurve R6 hitch with sway control, and have been in strong crosswinds, have towed numerous times over mountain passes, and have never had a sway event that I needed to try to recover from. The truck's automated sway control feature has never come into operation either (at least I haven't seen an alert on my dash, which I understand is what is supposed to happen with that).

So, when you say sway is occurring, is it severe, or just "slightly noticeable" perhaps?

As RAaurand suggests above, adequate tongue weight is the first thing to check on, although one would expect that was at least at 10% of trailer weight when you towed it home from the dealer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mW_gzdh6to

Ford's Towing Guide says tongue weight should be maintained at 10%, although 10 to 12% is the typical recommended range, and even up to 15% is sometimes recommended.

If your observed sway is severe, another thought is you might want to have axles and wheels checked for damage or an alignment problem.

[oh355mbqs]

When I had a travel trailer, I went thru a lot with sway. Several things to consider.... make sure the tow vehicle has LT tires, not P series tires. The LT have stiffer side walls and can help with sway. Make sure the trailer is level to nose down, NOT nose high. I was pulling my travel trailer behind a 3500 SRW truck and got huge amounts of sway during a storm because the trailer was riding nose high. I know alot of people tow with them and are very happy, but I'm not a fan of the friction style sway control hitches (any friction style). The friction works both ways, keeping the trailer in line with the TV, but also keeping it from returning to being in line after starting to sway. The Pro Pride hitches are supposed to eliminate all sway, but at a very expensive price. I'm a huge fan of the Reese Dual Cam, it is not a friction style hitch and is always trying to keep the trailer in line. That is what I used for 8 years towing a 29' camper behind a 2500 truck all over the country with no sway. On the very expensive end of changes to make, a 3/4 ton truck. I'm also a big believer in the truck itself. I know the manufacturers hang big towing numbers on the 1/2 ton trucks, but I still think the suspension on 1/2 ton trucks is too soft, IE comfortable ride, and that causes sway as much as anything. The length of the tow vehicle is important also, I tried towing the 29' trailer with a GMC Yukon which a very short wheelbase, that was not a good combination.

[ThatGuy]

GL243 -

Thanks for the reply...good things to consider. The light tongue weight might be something. The bars on my hitch are for up to 12,000 lb trailer weight so is WAY overkill. And I wonder if that has something to do with it. I asked at the dealerships service shop and they said that overkill on the weight capacity of the hitch wouldn’t have negative effects...but I don’t know.

[Isaacs]

Be sure your TV tires are filled to the max.

[ThatGuy]

Originally Posted by Isaacs

Be sure your TV tires are filled to the max.

You talking trailer and tow vehicle, or just trailer? I assume both.

[morleyz]

Lot of good advice, but I'm going to object to one piece of advice here. Your trailer needs to be level or as close as possible. Unless I looked up the wrong trailer, dual axle trailers need to be equally loading both axles, nose high or low is equally wrong.

Take the rig to a CAT scale and set up your hitch. You're going to get some movement when a truck passes or in high winds and you'll have to learn to work those scenarios, but you should be able to eliminate sway as defined in the video above and tow.safely and comfortably.

[Shokyle1]

Some sway when it is windy or being passed or passing large vehicles is normal. When I pulled a trailer with my f150 I would get what felt like being on a boat somewhat. It is definitely something I got use to.

[klpoppe]

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

You talking trailer and tow vehicle, or just trailer? I assume both.

Both. I started doing this with my F150 and it was a significant improvement.

[stustoner]

I had some sway issues with our FR toy hauler TT (towed with an F-150). The TT came with "china bombs",(read cheap a$$ tires with no sidewall strength). Put on a set of Goodyear Endurance Trailer tires.....solved the issue.

[ThatGuy]

I appreciate all the advice! I’ll check my tire pressures on trailer and pickup then take it to a scale. Sounds like I should be able to get it as good as it can get between those two things.

The sway isn’t dangerous by any means...so a little improvement by dialing in the pressures and weight distribution should hopefully be just enough to get it to a condition I’m happy with.

Thanks again!

[finalcountdn]

One thing that I would add is to familiarize yourself with your hitch and the setup. Download the instructions and read through the setup. There are also youtube videos that take you through the process. The dealer setup your hitch but you can and should check their work.

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

You talking trailer and tow vehicle, or just trailer? I assume both.

Yes, both. Filling your tow vehicle to the max may give you a terrible ride when you're not towing but it makes a world of difference with sway.

[Jagiven]

Tire pressure, for the TT, max tire pressure. TV, maybe not. After replacing my OEM TV tires, I did not like the towing performance, I had a lot more squirm. It was the only change, so I knew it was the tires. I played with the TV tire pressure over the period of a few trips. For me, I increased the rear tires pressure by 10 psi, and the front by 5. It made the handling better. I still did not like those tires. Changed tires again about 1.5 years ago, now running LTs. I am still running the higher tire pressure during the summer. Seams a little better than OEM recommended tire pressure. Much better handling than the second set of tires. All the tires have had the same profile, first two where P rated, and the last is LT.

[fentonbill]

Appt of good suggestions here. One thing I can add, full wastewater tanks will make sway worse, as it puts an extra 600 pounds behind the second axle. So if you're not already doing so, dumping them at your earliest opportunity would provide some relief

[ThatGuy]

Originally Posted by fentonbill

Appt of good suggestions here. One thing I can add, full wastewater tanks will make sway worse, as it puts an extra 600 pounds behind the second axle. So if you're not already doing so, dumping them at your earliest opportunity would provide some relief

Yeah, we've only driven with minimal water in the grey/black tanks. We took it out for two nights only so far to a nearby (50 miles away) RV park along the Snake River....We figured that'd be a good semi-controlled first run to work some of the bugs out. The site had electrical only so we didn't need to bring our generator, but we did need to use our wastewater tanks. Good to know to dump those as soon as possible though...I don't think I'd have thought of that. Thanks!