Out of control sway

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Yes, you are right. It would also be helpful IMO to know, however, what the actual tongue weight is before WD hook-up, just to make sure that the trailer is loaded within AS specs.

In the case of the OP here, knowing the tongue weight before and after loading would seem to be a very important data point to have.

Thanks,

Peter

Peter, you are right as well. Our FC 25 Owners Manual specifies the tongue weight must never exceed 1000 lbs, not sure about the OP's Airstream.

I suspect the four bicycles may be carried inside the Airstream safely, or left at home. Here we have a family of four and their gear, four bicycles, two generators, possibly some tool boxes in rear compartments, a Chevy Traverse and single axle 19' Airstream. Every towing combination has its limitations.

[HowieE]

Tongue Weight is just that. The weight of the trailer tongue as the trailer sets on the ground unhooked from any TV. Tongue does not change during hitching.

A WD hitch can cause that tongue weight to be carried at other than the jack post, the TV axles and the trailer axles, but it can not change it

[OTRA15]

Doug, the current model FC19 is rated at 550 lb. hitch weight and about 650 lb. Net Carrying Capacity, exclusive of options and tank contents (which total about 60 gallons, or nearly 500 lbs.). The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for the current model is 4500 lb..

Full tanks, four bicycles and two 2000 generators probably exhaust the trailer's carrying capacity, without considering food, tools, clothing, etc..

The issue of how the weight is distributed is of course a separate issue . . .

A full and complete weigh-in would complete the picture.

[cazual6]

Team, I want to thank you all for your advice. I am home safe and sound.

Here are some of the details:

1. Thank you for telling me the chain hang count doesn't matter. That was the key question I was asking.

2. Thank you all for the info weight distribution and calculation. I knew some, and learned more.

3. My Traverse does have the tow package. I knew one day I would be towing something, I never dreamed it would be an AS (thank you wife).

4. The only way I can make my bike work in the back is to have have the gens as counter weight. But the wife says no regardless, so I guess Bikes will be inside the AS.

5. I am at the border line of my weight limit on the AS and my TV tow capacity.

6. My TV can not handle Big Bear elevation especially from back way via 18, it really taxed my TV. Luckily we were at night and temperatures were around 50-60's, I had to turn on heater inside TV to help dissipate the heat.

7. We will go again, BigBear was great, we stayed at the LightHouse Trailer Resort & Marina, the people there were great.

8. Driving Down slow was the key (20mph max), I cranked up the break balance load on the way down so that the AS took most of the breaking while I had the TV on Gear 2 for engine assist.

9. I was cruising between 55-60 on Cruise and maxed out around 65mph for a brief few moments.

10. Finally, I thank you for all the love and support through this forum.

[OTRA15]

Good to know you are back home safe and sound! Thanks for the update.

Peter

[SteveSueMac]

Glad you made it home safe and that's a great pic!

Because you say you're at your weight limits, one recommendation to consider is a more substantial TV - perhaps a 4-door pickup for the comfort of the family in the cab and plenty of options for cargo in and on top of the bed (including bike racks). You'd have to look at the numbers but you would be well served by something with more "headroom" in terms of towing and carrying capacity - especially if you're in the mountains a lot and that's where even considering a diesel 3/4 ton might be worth investigating. It's way more than you'd need just to tow your AS on flat land but add in the family, the bikes, generators, the hilly terrain and before you know it, all that headroom and an exhaust brake option are real peace of mind tools....

Of course, it's easy for me to spend your money....so I offer this as a consideration. There are many other options.

Good luck and happy camping!

[Wingeezer]

Not sure there is any perfect solution for carrying bikes, they all have pros and cons, but carrying bikes up front of the tow vehicle might be an option.

It has been a good solution for us, and we have been doing it on three different tow vehicles using a front mounted hitch receiver for nearly 20 years with never an issue.

The bikes do get a bit dirty up front in bad weather (+bugs etc.) but our bikes are pretty old beat up mountain bikes that cost maybe $250 new - I can appreciate that people with $5000 carbon fibre bikes might not think much of our method!


Brian.

[dkottum]

The problem is overloading the towing combination, the Traverse/FC 19 is a decent match. Can you travel and camp without bikes, generators, and whatever else may not be essential?

FWIW, we traveled the country for 35 years in a series of VW Campers. Very little gear needed, the camper allowed shelter, food and comfort. The places we visited and experiences we had were priceless.

I think a more simple approach to travel and camping may be rewarding in many ways.

[OTRA15]

Did you see the VW camper in moosehead's recent post from Maine? Brought back memories . . .

[Tom_T]

ALL & Cazual6 -

Just to clarify - when I said I don't need to remove the Hensley Cub head/spring bars - I meant when parked & unhitched (as you do with most other WDs), i.e.: no messing with greasy heads/bars - NOT to back up. I wasn't implying the other WDs need to do so to back-up. I'm not sure where that leap came from, but I don't know of any which need removal to back-up AFAIK. Just mentioning the options, not trying to sell on Hc necessarily.

Cazual6 -

Glad you made it back safely!

Bikes could possibly go in the TV rear cargo area, with your luggage bags strategically placed inside the AS to balance out to proper HW. You'll see more effect on wt. balance - yours being a single axle on which it pivots - whether hitched or off.

Nice looking rig! But as you said....

"5. I am at the border line of my weight limit on the AS and my TV tow capacity.

6. My TV can not handle Big Bear elevation especially from back way via 18, it really taxed my TV. Luckily we were at night and temperatures were around 50-60's, I had to turn on heater inside TV to help dissipate the heat."

That was our experience with the 2012-13 truck based Nissan Pathfinder 4.0L V6's with AT which we rented - even in cooler temps & lesser grades than you went on - it was working harder, downshifting more often, & actually ended up getting the same "towing 12-13 mpg" as the bigger V8 trucks we're now renting.

Note that we switched to the Enterprise Commercial pick-up trucks since they were 5 mins. away, vs. 45 mins. to Hooman in Long Beach for the Pathfinders, when Hooman had a period with no TV equipped vehicles in their rental fleet as of 2014. They may have some now again between either their Toyota or Nissan dealerships, & they do/did allow towing with them as a rental, but only in-state (CA). We hate the huge & jouncy 3/4 ton F250 & RAM2500 trucks at Enterprise, due to our very narrow driveway & narrow/busy street here in the old town area of Orange, tall to get into & load, & generally uncomfortable ride, 25-28' lenght & resulting less maneuverability in tight spaces.

So we're targeting low mile, 1-2 owner, well cared for, V8 powered with AT, 2006-13 mid-sized SUVs with good reliability, & the V6 TDI diesel ones would work well too, but I don't want the more expensive maintenance on diesels, plus we're looking at the Porsche Cayenne S with non-turbo V8, which run more to purchase the TDI since they didn't come out until 2013. But I'm still open to the Toyota & Lexus V8 options in their smaller mid-size SUVs (Sequoia is too big for our driveway/street situation).

I don't know if you need 5 or 7/8 passenger options, but there are many V8 gas & V6 TDI mid-size SUV TV options out there new & used, & many have the manufacturer CPO warranties (often better/longer than the original). While well reputed mfgrs. like the Honda Pilot are the right mid-size - they are only available in V6 gas models, & won't be much different than your V6 Traverse. So maybe think of some of the following new or used, whenever you're ready to replace the Traverse.

A few ideas: the Toyota 4Runner `06-09 had a V8 & it's Lexus GX470/460 twin area all V8, Land Cruiser & Lexus LX470/570 twins are V8, the Sequoia (Sequoyah is correct spelling of the Cherokee man BTW) are all V8 - & all have 7/8 passenger std. or optional; Porsche Cayenne & cousin VW Touareg have both V8 & V10 or V6 TDI versions (Cayenne 2013> for the TDI) for 5 pass., while Audi Q7 cousin has same for 7 pass. (the TDI is currently off-sale new due to the VW diesel problem, which is a relatively simple programming fix for it, vs. the actually "smog cheating" of the 4 cyl TDIs major added equipment needed for the I-4 TDIs to fix them); among perhaps others from the Big 3 & other foreign based mfgrs. I won't speak to other V8 & Diesel Mid-sized SUV options which others may own, but we steered away from them for various reliability or quality issues.

Hope this will be helpful to you at some point!

BTW - I think that the RV park where you stayed at also hosts some small trailer show/rallies a couple of times a year, where you can get a discounted rate to show off your trailer/rig at their event.

Cheers!
Tom
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[gator.bigfoot]

If you don't have 10% tongue weight you will have sway. Been down that road.

My AS barely has 10% empty. Add water and gear and it is far less. Ended up with the Hensley again. Sway problems gone.

[r carl]

Bikes take up a lot of room. If you need bikes consider a roof rack for the TV.

[cazual6]

I appreciate all the insights. I thank you all again for all your input.

I am now taking donations for a 2017 Escalade ESV Platinum with all the bells and whistles :-)

[SailorSam205]

Originally Posted by gator.bigfoot

If you don't have 10% tongue weight you will have sway. Been down that road.

My AS barely has 10% empty. Add water and gear and it is far less. Ended up with the Hensley again. Sway problems gone.

Gator,
Your reply has me confused. Are you saying you are towing with the Hensley with less than 10% tongue weight????

Al

[SpletKay06]

Originally Posted by SailorSam205

Gator,
Your reply has me confused. Are you saying you are towing with the Hensley with less than 10% tongue weight????

Al

The hensley weights 10% on its own so you dont have to worry about tongue weight.

[gator.bigfoot]

Originally Posted by SailorSam205

Gator,
Your reply has me confused. Are you saying you are towing with the Hensley with less than 10% tongue weight????

Al

I am using the Hensley to overcome the unusual light tongue weight. Before adding the Hensley the weight was less than 10%. I didn't re-weigh it after. Bottom line the Hensley eliminates the sway.

See thread:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...ly-150209.html

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by SpletKay06

The hensley weights 10% on its own so you dont have to worry about tongue weight.

The Hensley/ProPride effectively extends the tongue length, creating a longer distance from truck receiver to trailer axles. I believe the effect of the longer level to the truck's receiver nearly negates the weight of the Hensley/ProPride. Would be interesting to do an actual test.

[xrvr]

So is the Hensley being used to compensate for an unsafe trailer, too light of tongue weight.? If I have a trailer with less than ten percent tongue weight and it sways when using a regular WD hitch, I can buy a Hensley to make up for an unsafe trailer.

[Tim A.]

Don't forget, a Hensley or ProPride hitch adds considerable weight right at the end of the tongue as well as extending the length of the tongue. Essentially all weight-distributing hitches also add weight, but perhaps not as much as a Hensley or ProPride.

It's worth mentioning that European trailers have relatively longer tongues and much less weight on the hitch (to facilitate towing with smaller, lighter vehicles). In general in Europe, there are no weight-distributing hitches and sway-control systems are mostly based on friction on the hitch ball. The hitch balls are not separate and can't rotate (as might happen with the thread and nut attachment of North American hitch balls).

Tim

[rostam]

One of the members weighed the trailer tongue before and after installing a PPP hitch and the tongue weight increased by 200#. I'll try to find a link to it.