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  1. #11
    Rolling Along OurNewEra's Avatar
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    What was the weight of steer without trailer?
    Mike & Lisa
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    2021 Imagine 2970RL
    1996 Chevy K3500 Crew SRW 7.4L Gas

  2. #12
    Site Sponsor SammyB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OurNewEra View Post
    What was the weight of steer without trailer?
    Was 3,160 before, then 2,980 after... Here are the rest of the weights:

    Truck Truck & Trailer Inc / (Decr)
    Steer 3,160 2,980 (180)
    Drive 2,740 3,620 880
    Trailer 0 6,200 6,200
    Total 5,900 12,800 6,900
    Sam & Kay, 2 kiddos and the dog (rescue pup - lab mix)
    2021 RAM 2500 6.7L I6 Cummins Turbo Diesel
    2020 Grand Design Transcend 243BH

  3. #13
    Site Sponsor SammyB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BeerBrewer View Post
    Based upon those numbers your trailer seems within your trucks capability, but I think your tongue weight should be closer to 950 lbs. You may want to shift your "stuff" around so more weight goes on the tongue. Again, I'd seriously look at a Hensley or a ProPride hitch.
    I'll shift things around on the next trip and see how that fares. Thank you for the input.

    As for the new hitch: As a finance guy, my first reaction is, "they're how much?!?" haha... But I literally just typed that "Spending a little $$ on... is doable..." which means I should have been ready to get out the checkbook Guess I can't have it both ways!
    Sam & Kay, 2 kiddos and the dog (rescue pup - lab mix)
    2021 RAM 2500 6.7L I6 Cummins Turbo Diesel
    2020 Grand Design Transcend 243BH

  4. #14
    Seasoned Camper Chewwi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SammyB View Post
    Weighed the truck with and without the trailer:

    Weight of just the truck (plus me, mostly full fuel, gear in the bed, etc): 5,900
    Total weight of steer + drive axles with trailer connected: 6,600 (2,980 + 3,620 for steer/drive axles)

    6,600 - 5,900 = 700 lbs

    Hopefully this was a correct approach! If not, please let me know
    Your approach is correct IF the drive and steer axles weights listed are WITHOUT the WD hitch engaged.


    2020 2600RB,
    2017 Silverado Crew Cab 1500, 6.2L

  5. #15
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SammyB View Post
    Hi all - general question here... What is it in the 3/4 T trucks that provides the towing stability vs. 1/2 T -- tires, shocks, wheelbase, etc.? Not power or towing ability, that much is clear, but the feeling of "wind? what wind?" or "18-wheeler coming up, meh, no truck suck to worry about here!" I'm sure the answer is D) all of the above...

    The real question - we love our F150, it's great for the family and serves our needs just fine. I'm well within my limits when towing, the performance is adequate (I'm not expecting power/performance of a 1T diesel), but the trailer does get a little squirrely in the wind and I notice when going by a real truck. Is there something I can adjust on the F150 that would provide a little more stability without upgrading to a 3/4T?

    We currently camp maybe 1 weekend a month at a handful of campgrounds that are <100 miles from home, with a longer trip or two (<500 miles still) throughout the summer - in other words occasional camping/towing, not significant distance or terrain, so hard to justify a TV upgrade at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I've tried the pitch, "But if we had a bigger truck, think of all the trips we could take!" Insert eye roll

    Anyway - spending a little $$ on shocks, tires, air bags, etc is doable, but a new truck is a bit of a stretch for our current needs.

    What do y'all think?

    Cheers,
    -Sam

    PS - if the experts tell me it can't be done (hint hint), maybe an upgrade wouldn't be so hard to sell
    I'm going to jump in here and focus on the red comments/questions.... and I'm not going to focus on weights, especially since you are within 'specs'.

    From the get-go, trailers are inherently more susceptible to wind and large truck's bow waves & side drafting (suction). Having said that, I suppose a heavier tow vehicle might help, but years ago I towed a 28' travel trailer with an F250 and there was still the 'tail-wag'; even with an anti-sway bar (back in the late 90's / early 2000's there weren't a lot of other options).

    That's why the Hesley and ProPride hitches exist - to try to remove as much sway as possible.

    So I think your focus should be on weight distribution in the trailer and the use of a good anti-sway system. Maybe even think of spending money on a Hensley or ProPride (you can read a lot of Airstream forums about those - those folks are always experience sway). fwiw.... ProPride would be my choice.
    Larry KE4DMG
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  6. #16
    Seasoned Camper Chewwi's Avatar
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    What actually provides towing stability in 3/4 vs 1/2 T?

    Deleted. Posted in error.
    Last edited by Chewwi; 04-27-2021 at 05:46 AM. Reason: Posted in error.

  7. #17
    Site Sponsor SammyB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by traveldawg View Post
    From the get-go, trailers are inherently more susceptible to wind and large truck's bow waves & side drafting (suction)...

    So I think your focus should be on weight distribution in the trailer and the use of a good anti-sway system. Maybe even think of spending money on a Hensley or ProPride (you can read a lot of Airstream forums about those - those folks are always experience sway). fwiw.... ProPride would be my choice.
    Thank you, Larry. The input is very much appreciated!

    Cheers,
    -Sam
    Sam & Kay, 2 kiddos and the dog (rescue pup - lab mix)
    2021 RAM 2500 6.7L I6 Cummins Turbo Diesel
    2020 Grand Design Transcend 243BH

  8. #18
    Site Sponsor BeerBrewer's Avatar
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    I agree that ProPride may be the better of two hitches, since it incorporates Jim Hensley's newest design features, but they function the same. We went with a refurbished hitch from Hensley because it was cheaper. Hensley often buys back their hitches, refurbishes them, then sells them at a reduced cost and they still carry a lifetime warranty. Also both the Hensley and ProPride hitches seem to hold their value, I've never seen one sell used for less than $1000. So you can recoup some of your investment when you no longer need the hitch. I can't speak for the ProPride, but it was fairly easy to install Hensley Arrow. The hitches also will give you an added level of security from theft, because the thief won't have a way to hitch up.

    Lastly, I don't work for either company, even though it may seem that way. I'm just a retired structural engineer who's very impressed with the ingenuity of Jim Hensley's hitch designs.
    Last edited by BeerBrewer; 04-27-2021 at 09:19 AM.

  9. #19
    Seasoned Camper J Maguire's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SammyB View Post
    Hi all - general question here... What is it in the 3/4 T trucks that provides the towing stability vs. 1/2 T -- tires, shocks, wheelbase, etc.? Not power or towing ability, that much is clear, but the feeling of "wind? what wind?" or "18-wheeler coming up, meh, no truck suck to worry about here!" I'm sure the answer is D) all of the above...

    The real question - we love our F150, it's great for the family and serves our needs just fine. I'm well within my limits when towing, the performance is adequate (I'm not expecting power/performance of a 1T diesel), but the trailer does get a little squirrely in the wind and I notice when going by a real truck. Is there something I can adjust on the F150 that would provide a little more stability without upgrading to a 3/4T?

    We currently camp maybe 1 weekend a month at a handful of campgrounds that are <100 miles from home, with a longer trip or two (<500 miles still) throughout the summer - in other words occasional camping/towing, not significant distance or terrain, so hard to justify a TV upgrade at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I've tried the pitch, "But if we had a bigger truck, think of all the trips we could take!" Insert eye roll

    Anyway - spending a little $$ on shocks, tires, air bags, etc is doable, but a new truck is a bit of a stretch for our current needs.

    What do y'all think?

    Cheers,
    -Sam

    PS - if the experts tell me it can't be done (hint hint), maybe an upgrade wouldn't be so hard to sell
    I had a similar sized trailer to yours a few years ago. The F150 felt undersized and blown around. The rear suspension was definitely too soft as well. I added a leaf spring gaining more stiffness but still didn't feel adequate when towing. I purchased the F250 and pulled the same trailer with the same distribution hitch setup and was surprised how much better it tracked down the road. Noticeable difference in confidence and energy spent driving. The power of the F150 was never the issue but the confidence it lacked was indeed...
    2021 GD Reflection (150) 5th Wheel 268BH
    2019 F250 Gas 6.2L V8 FX4 Crew Cab
    PullRite 2100 20K Hitch w/ LOCKED OUT Turning Point
    2x Honda EU2200i Generators & 1UP Bike Rack & Roll-N-Lock Bed Cover
    Previous Setup:
    2017 Outdoors RV 23BHS
    2017 F150 Sport 3.5L V6 EcoBoost

  10. #20
    Setting Up Camp
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    If you are within your weights, look at the ProPride. Join their FB group to get a feel for the company. That guy will give you his cell number to call with any issues. If you upgrade later, used hitches don’t last long.

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