21 ram 1500 sway while towing

[ram 1500 4x4]

I pull a 26ft tongue pull camper it weights 4,260 dry weight. My ram sways quite a bit i dont feel comfortable foing over 60 mph. I have Michelin LT tires. My camper rides level. I use everything I am supposed to use. While pulling I don't really see the camper swaying much just the truck. I was wonder if I need to upgrade to a heavier suspension or what might be the cause? What suspension upgrades are recommended?

 

[PurpleRT]

Your using a weight distribution hitch right?

 

[Gren71]

WDH?

Sway control?

poorly distributed load inside the camper?

Water in your tanks? (sloshes back and forth)

Bad roads?

inappropriate tire inflation on the trailer?

single axle or double axle camper?

just a windy day / travel?

as far as upgrades I have sumo springs on the travel trailer that help a LOT with side to side motion while pulling. I also use a WDH and just put the airlift 1000 bags in. Over all I am pleased with the stance and feel of the trailer while pulling now.

 

[Ramroo]

Prob don’t have enough tongue weight. Shift more weight in trailer towards the front.

 

[ram 1500 4x4]

Your using a weight distribution hitch right?

Yes. Im even useing the sway control kit. That's why I am thinking it could be my truck. The trailer is rides level. The truck squats a little but not enough to take alot weight of the front end.

 

[ram 1500 4x4]

WDH? Yes

Sway control? Yes

poorly distributed load inside the camper? No just clothes food. Few more things but not to make that much weight difference.

Water in your tanks? (sloshes back and forth) No tanks completely empty when traveling

Bad roads? No

inappropriate tire inflation on the trailer? Tire are Aired up to the right pressure

single axle or double axle camper? Double axle

just a windy day / travel? Normally any where from 5 to 15 mph

as far as upgrades I have sumo springs on the travel trailer that help a LOT with side to side motion while pulling. I also use a WDH and just put the airlift 1000 bags in. Over all I am pleased with the stance and feel of the trailer while pulling now.

 

[Gren71]

when you say the trailer rides level do you mean that you measured the frame front and back and its the same? or it just looks level? I ask because I eyeballed it with my first camper and had a LOT of sway with it regardless of what i didn. Once I did the measurements I found that I was a little tongue high. Once I lowered the front end of the camper a small amout by adjusting my WDH the entire thing rode a lot nicer. same church but different pew, is an underweight tongue. If there isnt enough weight in the front and its over distributed, than it will sway a lot.

Video for reference

Could also just be that the WDH youre using isnt the best option for your current trailer. Another personal experience is that with my first TT i had a older chain style WDH with an additional sway piece on it. Worked well for my first camper, awful for the second (larger) one. I got the equalizer 4 point and it was a night and dy improvement in handling and overall experience.

If everything eslse is just us shooting in the dark Id look at the airlift 1000 bags. Theyre inexpensive on amazon, VERY easy to install, and are a nice addition. Ive had them on both my gladiator and now this ram and am pleased.

 

[Luv2fly3]

I'd also recommend that if you have everything else in line that has been mentioned, and you still feel sway, really give the ProPride hitch a serious look. They aren't cheap, but I can tell you as an owner of two of them that they eliminate sway...not control but eliminate it. I hate sway at any level. I won't ever pull a travel trailer without a PP at this point. That's not to say there aren't other good WD hitches out there. But the PP is in a different class with it's unique design. A Hensley is another option, but the PP builds on that older design with some new features. With a PP, my Cougar 22RBS behind my '22 1500 Laramie pulls great! Zero sway!

 

[nc_beagle]

If you have air suspension did you put it in tire jack mode while hooking up and adjusting the WDH?

 

[Seadoorxpguy]

what wdh do you have? i had a curt one prior to my Hensley and it was worth its weight in scrap metal

 

[Gren71]

I'd also recommend that if you have everything else in line that has been mentioned, and you still feel sway, really give the ProPride hitch a serious look. They aren't cheap, but I can tell you as an owner of two of them that they eliminate sway...not control but eliminate it. I hate sway at any level. I won't ever pull a travel trailer without a PP at this point. That's not to say there aren't other good WD hitches out there. But the PP is in a different class with it's unique design. A Hensley is another option, but the PP builds on that older design with some new features. With a PP, my Cougar 22RBS behind my '22 1500 Laramie pulls great! Zero sway!

this thing looks like a complicated erector set! Is it actually east to hook up?

 

[Luv2fly3]

this thing looks like a complicated erector set! Is it actually east to hook up?

I find it actually easier once you get the process down. You don't have to remove the WD bars and once you have it dialed in for your particular setup, the hook in my opinion is easier and faster. And it literally eliminates sway...not controls it, but eliminates it. They're not cheap, but worth every penny and an investment you can move from trailer to trailer if you upgrade or get a different one.

 

[RaetheRam]

I find it actually easier once you get the process down. You don't have to remove the WD bars and once you have it dialed in for your particular setup, the hook in my opinion is easier and faster. And it literally eliminates sway...not controls it, but eliminates it. They're not cheap, but worth every penny and an investment you can move from trailer to trailer if you upgrade or get a different one.

I have a Prop ride and a 22 Laramie as well. Did you add any airbags or Sumo Springs to your set-up?

 

[Luv2fly3]

I have a Prop ride and a 22 Laramie as well. Did you add any airbags or Sumo Springs to your set-up?

I did on the '22 1500 I had. I added some Airlift 1000HDs just to help with some of the squat. They did a good job at that, and gave me a better profile across my truck to my trailer.

I've actually since traded that truck in, which was a hard decision, and got a '17 RAM 2500 BigHorn. It's all around a better towing experience, but I miss my '22 for my normal, daily driving. While the 1500 worked for my trailer, I just maxed out payload almost every trip, with just my wife and I and a few things in the bed. So I bit the bullet, took the loss, and got a 3/4 ton. My '17 is a great truck, but not the nice feel and ride of the '22 1500 I had.

 

[Davidbt]

I did on the '22 1500 I had. I added some Airlift 1000HDs just to help with some of the squat. They did a good job at that, and gave me a better profile across my truck to my trailer.

I've actually since traded that truck in, which was a hard decision, and got a '17 RAM 2500 BigHorn. It's all around a better towing experience, but I miss my '22 for my normal, daily driving. While the 1500 worked for my trailer, I just maxed out payload almost every trip, with just my wife and I and a few things in the bed. So I bit the bullet, took the loss, and got a 3/4 ton. My '17 is a great truck, but not the nice feel and ride of the '22 1500 I had.

Did you go desiel or gas 6.4 ?

 

[Luv2fly3]

Did you go desiel or gas 6.4 ?

It's a 6.4 Hemi. Plenty of power and payload now. Ride isn't as good as my 1500 was when I'm not towing. But it's not bad and that sacrifice was worth it to me given how much better it tows.

 

[Davidbt]

It's a 6.4 Hemi. Plenty of power and payload now. Ride isn't as good as my 1500 was when I'm not towing. But it's not bad and that sacrifice was worth it to me given how much better it tows.

Thanks. I was foolish a couple of years ago and traded my 2018 3500 CTD for a 2022 Jeep Gladiator. I'm now in my 21' Big Horn, and though it does the job of pulling our travel trailer well, I just really miss the torque and ease of the Cummins.

 

[Arthur W]

What ply tires do you have on your truck? 4 ply tires can make your truck sway.