Trailer Sway

[PAPAJOJO]

Pulled home our brand new Imagine 2400BH this afternoon. Our tow vehicle is a 2016 Yukon XL with the max tow package included using the "Equalizer" hitch system. Getting onto the highway we noticed right away when another car passed going 70, I was traveling low 60's it felt like the vehicle was getting moved around on the road. A little unnerving at first but adjusted my driving to accommodate the movement. As other vehicles large and small vehicles would pass this feeling would came back then cleared when pass was completed. Never had a semi truck pass as I can only imagine how that would feel or can't wait for a windy day!

My question would be "is this sway normal or can something be adjusted or tightened to lessen the sway?" The dealer set the connection up and both Yukon and Imagine are level but wondering if any adjustment or torquing can be done? I have pulled similar size enclosed trailers before and never sensed this drastic of a sway, so wondering if this is the norm for the Imagine or in general for travel trailers?

JK

[DaveMatthewsBand]

From what I see from a brief search on the Yukon’s ability, you’re towing a trailer that is barely (300#) under the Yukon’s max capability so my (bad cop) opinion is you’re probably just going to have to get used to that uneasy feeling.
This could more than likely be slightly improved by tightening up the torsion rods on the Ed hitch.
You could also load your trailer heavier towards the front and add weight to the rear of your tow vehicle to combat sway.
A lot of people will say that SUV’s aren’t really meant to tow trailers that big.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[burgpath]

Check your tires. If you arent running E rated, filled to Max, you will get a 'squishy' butt feeling. That can lead to wiggle.
Does your hitch have sway control? I was fond of the Reece system when we had a bumper pull.
Another point, your camper was empty and possibly 'light' on the nose. Stocking it with normal camping crap will likely change its behavior.

[recono]

Look in to a ProPride or Hensley hitch. They are more expensive but well woth the money. I used a ProPride when I towed our 315 RLTS & it towed evey bit as well as my fifth wheel. They are more expensive but easy to sell when no longer needed. They totally eliminate sway.

[MarkRizRV]

If you have p rated tires going to LT tires will help, make sure the trailer is level and not noise high. Sometimes the dealers do not set the hitch up correctly. Does your TV have built in sway control, sometimes it can work against your wdh hitch, in that case if you can disable in the TV that mat help
Mark

[dah605]

Is the trailer fully loaded or empty? If empty, check again after you load it. If it still sways, you likely need to adjust the hitch. Adding and removing washers with adjust the spring bar tension on the Equalizer. Sway is frequently a result of not enough tongue weight, which is common when empty.

https://www.equalizerhitch.com/manua...on-adjustments

-David

[Walaby]

Does it feel like the tow vehicle and trailer are being moved as "one"? Or are you feeling sway only with the trailer.

Some amount of movement, tow vehicle and trailer moving together is normal, especially when large vehicles/trucks pass.

If it's caused by a little car, probably more going on.

Going from P rated tires to LT's is a good suggestion, as well as double check your hitch setup with the instructions that came with the hitch.

My last TT, the dealer did not hook up the Blue Ox correctly. Fortunately, I only had 10 miles to drive to get home.

Mike

[jw^2 family]

A trip to the nearest CAT scale will give you a little better insight into how much weight your Equal-i-zer hitch is distributing to the Yukon's front axle. We found that the RV dealer's initial setup of our Equal-i-zer hitch didn't give enough pressure on the spring bars, and therefore we initially experienced some sway. We got the Equal-i-zer hitch adjusted so that weight on our truck's front axle was the same both hitched and unhitched. That amount of pressure on the spring bars seems to do a decent job controlling trailer sway.

[sande005]

Let's define things a bit more...

True sway is where the back end of the trailer is "wagging" back and forth. It may not start until a side force (wind, passing vehicle, bumps in the road, etc.) disturbs it. Higher speeds make it worse. It can very quickly progress into wild oscillations, causing a crash. The only way to stop it is to apply trailer brakes only, and reduce speed. Using the tow vehicle brakes can make things worse. It is ALWAYS due to having too little weight on the tongue of the trailer. Watch the back of the trailer in your mirrors, and if you see any sign of the back end moving back and forth, slow down. If you can't get enough weight on the tongue to tame it, then an entirely different type of hitch, like the ProPride, is the alternative. All other hitch/vehicle solutions are attempts to dampen the side forces to reduce the chance of it initiating, but do not really eliminate the root issue. They may dampen enough that you don't get sway initiating at your normal driving speed (but it may come back with a vengeance at higher speeds!).

Side force disturbances, variously described as "truck suck", etc. that do not initiate true sway can still be pretty disconcerting when driving. Yes, the back end may move out, but you don't start getting a back and forth wagging. This is where stiffer truck tires, proper weight distribution, WDH bar tension, "anti-sway" bars on the hitch, airbags, etc. can help. Start with getting weights as noted at a truck stop, so you can determine your hitch weight and total trailer weight. Tongue weight of a bare minimum of 12%, and better towards 13% or higher should be a goal. Make sure you have the proper hitch bars for the actual tongue weight. Go through hitch setup on your own, to make sure you are transferring the vehicle manufacture determined amount to the front. Also make sure the trailer is level or slightly nose down when towing. Add air bags, etc. if the rear end of the vehicle sags too much under the load. Then look at upgrading the tires. And if none of that works, then you just need a bigger vehicle....

[TucsonJim]

Sande005 is spot on with their advice. I'd recommend purchasing a tongue weight scale and weighing your unit each time you get it ready for a trip. I'm currently running 15% on my tongue weight and it makes a big difference. It's rock solid. Here's a link to the scale most of us are using:

Sherline Scale

Jim