|
|
05-24-2018, 07:02 AM
|
#1
|
1 Rivet Member
2015 30' Flying Cloud
Travelers Rest
, South Carolina
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 19
|
Hitch options for 2016 Yukon XL
I have a 30 foot 2015 Flying Cloud and I tow it with a 2016 Yukon XL with 3/4 rear end.
The dealer installed a Reece hitch and sway bars and the hitch has a drop on it (see picture). Problem: because the hitch is built high in the bumper of the vehicle, it still rides high in the front and at an angle despite drop on the hitch.
Because it rides so high, it also creates a problem when trying to get trailer hitched up for travel. Are there options/actions I can take to get it to ride more level and cut down on sway?
|
|
|
05-24-2018, 08:09 AM
|
#2
|
Rivet Master
2004 25' Classic
Prescott
, Arizona
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 623
|
take it back to the dealer and tell him to do it right. I'm sure there is a longer drop bar that should be used. JMHO
__________________
Julia & Bob
W/ Deedee & Boo
AIR #30685
|
|
|
05-24-2018, 08:14 AM
|
#3
|
Moderator
2015 25' FB Flying Cloud
2012 23' FB Flying Cloud
2005 25' Safari
Santa Rosa Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,153
|
Agreed. Whoever set that up for you is not very knowledgeable. A heavy trailer should never be high at the front. This is a recipe for sway issues on the highway.
Brian
__________________
SuEllyn & Brian McCabe
WBCCI #3628 -- AIR #14872 -- TAC #FL-7
2015 FC 25' FB (Lucy) with ProPride
2020 Silverado 2500 (Vivian)
2023 Rivian R1T (Opal)
|
|
|
05-24-2018, 09:35 AM
|
#4
|
"Cloudsplitter"
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas
, Malebolgia
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 19,977
|
Yep...👍
10/4 on all said.
Those semi-in bumper receivers have been a problem for some folks ever since introduction, 2007 if I remember correctly.
You definitely need a longer drop. 2.5"-3" more at least. Try and get a stinger that will enable a mid connection if possible. Wiggle room is good.🤗
Pic of one of the first we got at the Store in 2007.
Bob
🇱🇷
__________________
"You don't know where you've been until you leave, enjoy life" RLC
|
|
|
05-24-2018, 11:23 AM
|
#5
|
3 Rivet Member
2016 25' Flying Cloud
Albuquerque
, New Mexico
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 200
|
I agree with the other posters. The dealer should have set you up with a deeper drop. When we first purchased our '16, we were towing with a Yukon Denali and because of the "in bumper" arrangement, the dealer got us a beefier hitch with a deeper drop. In the end it benefitted us with also being able to raise the lift gate without scraping the propane cover because the hitch is also longer.
__________________
'17 Ford F-150 Ecoboost, max tow package
'13 GMC Yukon Denali 6.2L V8
'04 GMC Yukon SLT 5.3L V8
|
|
|
05-24-2018, 08:09 PM
|
#6
|
Rivet Master
2011 31' Classic
Nellysford
, Virginia
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,067
|
Friends don't let friends pull big Airstreams with Reese Sway Control Hitches. The wind caught us in Texas on March 6, 2017. The Reese hitch completely failed. Get a Hensley or ProPride.
__________________
Greg Heuer, Spirit of Virginia Airstream Club
2011 31' Classic Ltd. - The Silver Otter III
2013 GMC Denali 2500HD 6.6 DuraMax - Sierra Blanca
TAC VA-18 | Life Mbr ACI 1927 - Spirit of Virginia Club | AIR 53869
|
|
|
05-24-2018, 11:55 PM
|
#7
|
Rivet Master
2007 22' International CCD
Corona
, California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
|
Ouch! Glad I got my ProPride. This adds to the evidence. Hope you all were ok...
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
|
|
|
05-25-2018, 03:58 AM
|
#8
|
"Cloudsplitter"
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas
, Malebolgia
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 19,977
|
Blame it on the faulty...
Sorry, but Reese had very little to do with your accident.
If that were true, think of all who'd be on their side. 😳
Stay Safe.
Bob
🇱🇷
__________________
"You don't know where you've been until you leave, enjoy life" RLC
|
|
|
05-25-2018, 10:27 AM
|
#9
|
3 Rivet Member
1962 19' Globetrotter
New River
, Arizona
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 136
|
I agree, Robert, have had zero problems with sway or otherwise for 22 years with my Reese system. Nevertheless, I am so sorry about your accident, Silver Otter. However, from your horrifying pictures, I can not see what, exactly, failed on your Reese. I can see it looks slanted, but, that could have happened when your rig flipped.can you explain? Please.
__________________
Judy
'62 GT
|
|
|
05-25-2018, 11:26 AM
|
#10
|
Rivet Master
2007 22' International CCD
Corona
, California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
|
My suspicion is that it started as an uncorrected 'sway event' when the wind caught the trailer and started it swaying. Possibly the Reese hitch setup was unable to dampen the sway sufficiently to maintain control, and it went on to a rollover accident.
In many of these events, instantly getting onto the manual brake controller lever HARD and hitting the TV gas HARD to get the trailer back in tension can help, but the problem is that human reaction time may not be quite fast enough to save the day.
I wonder if a modern TV electronic sway control system could have reacted fast enough to have helped in this or similar situations. A lot of the problem is that the dynamics of a long rig in high winds behind a pickup truck are not that well understood.
I also suspect, even with another type of hitch system, a really strong gust of wind, like you can easily get out in Texas, can overwhelm and roll darn near any rig. I'd love to know if this started as wind-induced sway and got worse, or was it a really hard blast of wind that started a rollover event. I've driven across west Texas multiple times, and the winds can be very treacherous, even with a well-tuned ProPride system (Hensley design) like I have.
Sometimes the only mitigation is to either slow down a lot, or sit out the wind. We sat an extra day on a late fall return trip because the wind was very gusty, hitting 65+ miles per hour out of the north. Sat it out for two days in a KOA, and did not begrudge the time or money it took for the weather to clear. Sometimes it's better to be parked, wishing you were on the road, than to be on the road, wishing you were safely parked...
I'm also not ready to blame the hitch system without a few more details. In any event, it's sad to see the aftermath, but I am hopeful the occupants of the TV had their seatbelts on, and the systems and structures in the truck were able to protect them...bent aluminum is never pretty.
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
|
|
|
05-25-2018, 11:57 AM
|
#11
|
Rivet Master
2017 30' Classic
Anna Maria
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,641
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver Otter
Friends don't let friends pull big Airstreams with Reese Sway Control Hitches. The wind caught us in Texas on March 6, 2017. The Reese hitch completely failed. Get a Hensley or ProPride.
|
I am sorry but that accident doesn't look like it was caused by your hitch.
Of course true to form the The overpriced and overated hitch crowd will jump on it and try to scare the bejesus out of everyone.
|
|
|
05-25-2018, 12:18 PM
|
#12
|
4 Rivet Member
2005 25' Safari
palm beach gardens
, Florida
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 287
|
That ain't a pretty picture!!
|
|
|
05-25-2018, 02:46 PM
|
#13
|
"Cloudsplitter"
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas
, Malebolgia
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 19,977
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by franklyfrank
I am sorry but that accident doesn't look like it was caused by your hitch.
Of course true to form the The overpriced and overated hitch crowd will jump on it and try to scare the bejesus out of everyone.
|
Hi ff.
Just wondering, how are you qualified to proclaim that the PPP hitch systems are overrated? Have you ever used one?
Until you use one you just can't appreciate the benefits.
We spend how many k's on the trailer and go cheepcheep on the hitch, makes no sense.
Proud member of the OAOHC kroud.😂
Bob
🇱🇷
__________________
"You don't know where you've been until you leave, enjoy life" RLC
|
|
|
05-25-2018, 09:48 PM
|
#14
|
2 Rivet Member
2003 25' Safari
LAS VEGAS
, Nevada
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 49
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver Otter
Friends don't let friends pull big Airstreams with Reese Sway Control Hitches. The wind caught us in Texas on March 6, 2017. The Reese hitch completely failed. Get a Hensley or ProPride.
|
The pics don't look like a hitch failure. I think the high winds just got you. I suspect that a Hensley or ProPride hitch would have left you in the same condition. No hitch can prevent roll over from very strong cross winds.
The pics also show a temp plate on your TV. That implies that it is new to you and begs questions about hitch setup and experience with that vehicle. (Although i doubt this had any part in this incident.)
I have been using Reese Dual Cam sway control systems for 40 years, in west Texsa wind and other places, and Reese handles wind as well as any hitch. And I have sat out wind a few times because I did not like the odds.
Hope all is well with you and you get back on the road with good equipment that suits you.
Abe
|
|
|
05-26-2018, 06:48 AM
|
#15
|
4 Rivet Member
1976 31' Excella 500
Chappell Hill
, Texas
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 485
|
I’ll keep saying it. If you need weight distribution then you need a bigger truck.
|
|
|
05-26-2018, 06:51 AM
|
#16
|
4 Rivet Member
2018 30' International
2014 30' Flying Cloud
Los alamos
, New Mexico
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 359
|
Just switch this week from a Reece Dual Cam 1200 with Airsafe to the Pro Pride 1400, I will give my impressions down the road. I do see the difference in rear mirror when hitting depressions in the road, Airsafe would restrict bounce, anyway will give impressions after this season of Airstreaming.
|
|
|
05-26-2018, 09:09 AM
|
#17
|
2 Rivet Member
2022 27' Globetrotter
2015 25' FB International
Bay Area
, California
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 44
|
Sorry to hear about the wreck. Back to the OP, we tow with the same vehicle, you’ve already gotten the correct advice - you need a longer drop bar. You could get one yourself and lower the ball, but if the setup is new to you, better to have the dealer get it right. Right is a level rig as you’ve already noted.
|
|
|
05-26-2018, 12:21 PM
|
#18
|
Rivet Master
2017 30' Classic
Anna Maria
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,641
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS
Hi ff.
Just wondering, how are you qualified to proclaim that the PPP hitch systems are overrated? Have you ever used one?
Until you use one you just can't appreciate the benefits.
We spend how many k's on the trailer and go cheepcheep on the hitch, makes no sense.
Proud member of the OAOHC kroud.😂
Bob
🇱🇷
|
Should I ever experience any scary unstable situation using my Blue Ox I will look for something better. However if you read my post I actually had a hands on experience with high speed crash avoidance and my uncomplicated reasonably priced Blue Ox performed flawlessly. As scary as it seemed it was a non event. So I can reassure you with full conviction that I will never hang one of those contraptions on the front of my AS. As I stated previously, my 2017 Classic came with a Pro Pride installed. After finding and reading the 23 page installation instructions I told them to remove it and I installed my Blue Ox in its place.
|
|
|
05-27-2018, 08:54 AM
|
#19
|
"Cloudsplitter"
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas
, Malebolgia
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 19,977
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by franklyfrank
Should I ever experience any scary unstable situation using my Blue Ox I will look for something better. However if you read my post I actually had a hands on experience with high speed crash avoidance and my uncomplicated reasonably priced Blue Ox performed flawlessly. As scary as it seemed it was a non event. So I can reassure you with full conviction that I will never hang one of those contraptions on the front of my AS. As I stated previously, my 2017 Classic came with a Pro Pride installed. After finding and reading the 23 page installation instructions I told them to remove it and I installed my Blue Ox in its place.
|
Well I can understand that...it took me two daze of study to understand the haha, but 'ya know what....I got it.👍
Now, 30min every Spring and it's re-installed. Guess I've learned how be smarter than the haha and I'll never 'hang' anything else. 😂 TETO
Sweet Streams.
Bob
🇱🇷
__________________
"You don't know where you've been until you leave, enjoy life" RLC
|
|
|
06-27-2018, 08:09 PM
|
#20
|
4 Rivet Member
2017 25' Flying Cloud
Waco
, Texas
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 296
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver Otter
Friends don't let friends pull big Airstreams with Reese Sway Control Hitches. The wind caught us in Texas on March 6, 2017. The Reese hitch completely failed. Get a Hensley or ProPride.
|
Otter, you were quite vague as to the details of your Airstream accident. To me, it looked like hitch failure occurred during the accident, rather than causing the accident. Excessive straight wind shear can be very high in West Texas and the Panhandle. Even the best hitch will not prevent sway if you get hit broadside by an 80mph wind.
Attached is a map of US average wind speeds, and West Texas has high winds along.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|