Towing sway

[justinH]

What's up everyone!! New to the forum. I purchased a used 2019 1500 Limited with the air suspension. I tow a 26' travel trailer with dry weight of about 6k lbs. When on the interstate, it feels like there's a huge boulder in the truck bed, swaying back and forth. My camper has the weight distribution hitch, as well as the sway control attachment. Its a very uneasy feeling. I've pulled this camper across the country many times with other vehicles including a 2015 Chevy 1500 HC, and it never rode like this does. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[downsc123]

I am not sure if this is any help but your trailer looks more like a 32 footer in total length (I am guessing its a 26 series trailer). You are likely at or over payload as the limited have many options that reduce payload. Further, you may have too much weight on the drive axle. Either way, what WDH hitch are you using. I have a 32 foot trailer and use a blue ox say pro and have almost zero sway (also does a nice job getting weight up to the steer axle while also keeping any sway from starting). You should get to a CAT scale and ensure you have restored your unloaded steer axle weight to your loaded steer axle weight and that you are not too much over payload.

 

[Markvv]

What's up everyone!! New to the forum. I purchased a used 2019 1500 Limited with the air suspension. I tow a 26' travel trailer with dry weight of about 6k lbs. When on the interstate, it feels like there's a huge boulder in the truck bed, swaying back and forth. My camper has the weight distribution hitch, as well as the sway control attachment. Its a very uneasy feeling. I've pulled this camper across the country many times with other vehicles including a 2015 Chevy 1500 HC, and it never rode like this does. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks in advance.

The air suspension makes it a bt tricky to set up since it auto levels. Make sure you put it in jack mode when you are setting it up the first time. I set mine up with the trailer just a hair lower than the ball instead of the usual 1" higher since your truck won't sag. If you don't put all the weight back to the front axle in jack mode once you turn off jack mode and it levels you won't have enough weight distribution and you will get sway. Equalizer did a video on YouTube on setting up wdh with the ram air suspension it explains it well.

 

[Richard320]

Look at your tires.

I ran over something a few weeks ago and got two flats. When you see oem Wranglers laid out flat you realize they are little more than inner tubes with some tread stuck on.

 

[Markvv]

this the link to the video.

 

[badpewterz]

tire pressure , which style hitch and hitch setup will make a big difference.
i had a wiggle above 65 with the tires at the 38psi. my falkens can go to 51 cold. i run them at 48 and made a huge difference.'
i also have a husky centerline ts 4 point sway setup which keeps it rock solid
it wasnt so much sway but a wiggle like a car on slicks at the end of the track.

 

[Rick3478]

Its a very uneasy feeling.

You should feel way past uneasy. This is very dangerous. You've painted a general picture with very broad brush strokes, so there's a lot to address. "The air suspension" will try to level the truck no matter how badly misadjusted "the weight distribution hitch" is, and your lack of scale readings to pass on to us suggests that it probably is misadjusted. "The sway control attachment" is probably a friction bar, which only adds damping to the mechanical dynamics of the system. It dissipates oscillation by converting motion to heat, but it won't correct underlying instability, so crank it down tight but still fix the real problem. And tires; the cushy all-season radials that the factory likes to use are not very well suited to heavy towing. Stiff sidewalls and highway tread are more useful traits, and yes they will make the ride more harsh.

 

[bucolic]

I am not sure if this is any help but your trailer looks more like a 32 footer in total length (I am guessing its a 26 series trailer). You are likely at or over payload as the limited have many options that reduce payload. Further, you may have too much weight on the drive axle. Either way, what WDH hitch are you using. I have a 32 foot trailer and use a blue ox say pro and have almost zero sway (also does a nice job getting weight up to the steer axle while also keeping any sway from starting). You should get to a CAT scale and ensure you have restored your unloaded steer axle weight to your loaded steer axle weight and that you are not too much over payload.

I agree with this. That's much longer than 26'.
You said you had a sway bar "attachment". If so that's about useless on a camper this big. You need a weight-distribution hitch with sway control built-in like the Equalizer hitch system.

Equal-i-zer Sway Control Hitch

Superior Sway Control and Weight Distribution You Can Trust

www.equalizerhitch.com

Don't drive this with the conditions you explain until you get this all figured out. It will tow it and everything will be fine...until it isn't.

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

I'd get that to the scales and post the numbers here. You're very likely over weight and probably not balanced very well.

 

[justinH]

I agree with this. That's much longer than 26'.
You said you had a sway bar "attachment". If so that's about useless on a camper this big. You need a weight-distribution hitch with sway control built-in like the Equalizer hitch system.

Equal-i-zer Sway Control Hitch

Superior Sway Control and Weight Distribution You Can Trust

www.equalizerhitch.com

Don't drive this with the conditions you explain until you get this all figured out. It will tow it and everything will be fine...until it isn't.

It's a Coleman 263BH.

 

[justinH]

It's pretty clear to me now that my wd hitch most likely isn't set up properly. I have done a little more research on how to set it up properly with the auto level. I've never put it on the scales before. I wasn't aware that they were that technical. When I bought this rv, the dealership set the hitch up for my Chevy 1500, so I didn't have to do anything. Pulled this camper from Indianapolis, to Houston, then to the Keys. I then switched to a Ram 2500 diesel, which obviously pulled with no problem. I got this Ram 1500 due to diesel prices, and a better deal financially. I'm not a complete rookie with pulling this camper, just wasn't educated enough to understand exactly how the hitch actually works. Some of you guys suggestions have opened my brain up to how the weight distribution works. I appreciate you guys helping me out. I will update once I set up properly and put it on a scale.
I figured this truck couldn't be that worthless......Lol!!

 

[justinH]

I am not sure if this is any help but your trailer looks more like a 32 footer in total length (I am guessing its a 26 series trailer). You are likely at or over payload as the limited have many options that reduce payload. Further, you may have too much weight on the drive axle. Either way, what WDH hitch are you using. I have a 32 foot trailer and use a blue ox say pro and have almost zero sway (also does a nice job getting weight up to the steer axle while also keeping any sway from starting). You should get to a CAT scale and ensure you have restored your unloaded steer axle weight to your loaded steer axle weight and that you are not too much over payload.

Thank you for the advice.

 

[bucolic]

It's a Coleman 263BH.

Yes, that's a 30' camper with 782lbs of tongue weight.
Go here and put in your vehicle VIN to get your towing capacity:

Ram Towing | Find the Best Truck for Your Towing Needs

Find everything you need to know about Ram towing capacity, payload & more here. Discover the best Ram truck or van that fits your towing needs today.

www.ramtrucks.com

Subtract at least 782 from that and that shows how much weight you can have on the truck including gear and passengers.


Specifications

• Empty Weight 5,871 lbs.
• Hitch Weight 782 lbs.
• Cargo Carrying Capacity 1,729 lbs.
• Overall Height 11' 1"
• Overall Length 30' 7"
• Overall Width 8'
• Fresh Water Capacity 60 Gallons
• Grey Water Capacity 42 Gallons
• Black Water Capacity 42 Gallons

 

[AngelPhoenix]

Yes, that's a 30' camper with 782lbs of tongue weight.
Go here and put in your vehicle VIN to get your towing capacity:

Ram Towing | Find the Best Truck for Your Towing Needs

Find everything you need to know about Ram towing capacity, payload & more here. Discover the best Ram truck or van that fits your towing needs today.

www.ramtrucks.com

Subtract at least 782 from that and that shows how much weight you can have on the truck including gear and passengers.


Specifications

• Empty Weight 5,871 lbs.
• Hitch Weight 782 lbs.
• Cargo Carrying Capacity 1,729 lbs.
• Overall Height 11' 1"
• Overall Length 30' 7"
• Overall Width 8'
• Fresh Water Capacity 60 Gallons
• Grey Water Capacity 42 Gallons
• Black Water Capacity 42 Gallons

That's pretty huge for any half-ton. I mean, it can be done but it's gonna be close to the top end of the specs of even a lightly equipped Bighorn, never mind a Limited, especially if it's loaded up to close to it's max GVWR

 

[BigD]

Go back to a 2500. Your going to kill somebody towing that trailer down the freeway!!! I'd rather have more truck than I need, than not enough truck when I need it.

 

[Trooper4]

Own an RV park and see that length range behind all makes of 1500/150 trucks all the time, so there are many who think a 2500 is overkill and are perfectly happy with the way a 1/2 tone tows. The setup is the key. I use a Hellweg, LT tires, and keep the speeds reasonable, with no problem at all. Heavier rated tires on the trailer are also a good upgrade and one of the early changes I made.

 

[bucolic]

Own an RV park and see that length range behind all makes of 1500/150 trucks all the time, so there are many who think a 2500 is overkill and are perfectly happy with the way a 1/2 tone tows. The setup is the key. I use a Hellweg, LT tires, and keep the speeds reasonable, with no problem at all. Heavier rated tires on the trailer are also a good upgrade and one of the early changes I made.

The trailer is not particularly heavy but the tongue weight will take a heavy toll on the payload. However this statement from the op is concerning:

When on the interstate, it feels like there's a huge boulder in the truck bed, swaying back and forth.

Indicates a serious issue that is extremely dangerous. He needs to rectify it before towing that camper one foot further. It doesn't matter if he is towing this camper with a one-ton dually cummings diesel. If he is experiencing this then something is way off.

 

[Trooper4]

The trailer is not particularly heavy but the tongue weight will take a heavy toll on the payload. However this statement from the op is concerning:




Indicates a serious issue that is extremely dangerous. He needs to rectify it before towing that camper one foot further. It doesn't matter if he is towing this camper with a one-ton dually cummings diesel. If he is experiencing this then something is way off.

Agreed. He needs to find the problem and fix it.

 

[Curlymurt]

It's pretty clear to me now that my wd hitch most likely isn't set up properly. I have done a little more research on how to set it up properly with the auto level. I've never put it on the scales before. I wasn't aware that they were that technical. When I bought this rv, the dealership set the hitch up for my Chevy 1500, so I didn't have to do anything. Pulled this camper from Indianapolis, to Houston, then to the Keys. I then switched to a Ram 2500 diesel, which obviously pulled with no problem. I got this Ram 1500 due to diesel prices, and a better deal financially. I'm not a complete rookie with pulling this camper, just wasn't educated enough to understand exactly how the hitch actually works. Some of you guys suggestions have opened my brain up to how the weight distribution works. I appreciate you guys helping me out. I will update once I set up properly and put it on a scale.
I figured this truck couldn't be that worthless......Lol!!

I'm guessing you've got a weight distribution with chains. I'd change over to an E2 or Equalizer as mentioned if you're on a budget. Those can frequently be found on FB Marketplace around $200-250 (how I found mine). I'm coming from a chain set up also and it changed everything. Blue Ox and Andersen are highly rated also but will set you back. With this much camper, certainly consider it (the hitch will be good for your lifetime, so it's really not that big of purchase in the grand scheme). Hope this helps!

 

[nc_beagle]

Yes, that's a 30' camper with 782lbs of tongue weight.
Go here and put in your vehicle VIN to get your towing capacity:

Ram Towing | Find the Best Truck for Your Towing Needs

Find everything you need to know about Ram towing capacity, payload & more here. Discover the best Ram truck or van that fits your towing needs today.

www.ramtrucks.com

Subtract at least 782 from that and that shows how much weight you can have on the truck including gear and passengers.


Specifications

• Empty Weight 5,871 lbs.
• Hitch Weight 782 lbs.
• Cargo Carrying Capacity 1,729 lbs.
• Overall Height 11' 1"
• Overall Length 30' 7"
• Overall Width 8'
• Fresh Water Capacity 60 Gallons
• Grey Water Capacity 42 Gallons
• Black Water Capacity 42 Gallons

The Coleman site lists it at 6090# an 812# hitch weight, so even less remaining payload.