Towing a trailer Mike Shrum

[hotairballoonist]

All,I am on many RV forums, most of them on Facebook...every once in a while you get a informative piece of information written by someone who has some experience on the subject matter...I didn't write this, I "borrowed it" from a guy who posted on a forum...it addresses mostly RV towing, but it has a general message about towing...

 

I have seen several posts on here from people having issues towing their 5th wheel or travel trailer. This is my opinion and my opinion only.  I have driven thousands of miles towing various trailers, flatbeds, rvs, livestock, enclosed, both 5th wheel and bumper pull. I have used everything from a ford ranger to a semi. I recently pull 15-25k behind a ford f350 dually.  Make sure your truck and trailer are sized appropriately. Just because the sales man says it can, doesn't mean it can. Advertised Max tow capacity and payload is almost always based off of the lightest possible truck. Usually a 2wd standard cab work truck. DONT LISTEN TO THE SALESMEN, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.  If you are looking to purchase a new truck to tow your rv, it does not cost much more, if any, to step up to a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck, given you go with the gas engine, adding the diesel will increase the cost 5-10k, its up to you to decide if you need or want the diesel, the gas trucks will pull fine. The larger truck may hold its resale value better depending on your region.  In my opinion, the longer wheel base trucks will handle much better than a shorter wheel base while towing, they also will ride better. I would recommend a crew cab long bed, of any size and major brand with any engine. Size it to your current needs and future needs.  Tires.... tires play a big role in how your truck will handle a trailer. Most half ton trucks come with 4 or 6ply tires from the factory, while they may be addiqute for most things, i would recommend upgrading to a 10ply tire to reduce side to side sway, and they will hold up better towing. You may have to change tire sizes, a trusted independent tire shop can help you choose a good size. A dually will greatly help with the side to side sway with any size trailer, they are almost a necessity with these larger and LIGHTER campers now days. For your trailer, i would recommend a good steel belted and cored commercial tire. I have had good luck out of 14ply gladiators on my livestock and flatbed trailer. They will be pricey, but with proper care, they wont blow out.  Most Rv trailers, along with large enclosed get tossed around very easy in the wind, with there high profile and light weight. Next time your out driving on a really windy day, watch the semis pulling van trailers, you will notice some will get tossed all over while others pull straight. The trailers getting tossed around are gonna be empty or loaded very light, and a empty 48ft van weighs around 10k. Now, look at the size of your rv. Alot of them are  near as big as a semi trailer, and weigh alot less than a empty one loaded, so it should seem as no surprise that they will be tossed around.  Now to eliminate sway. Start with proper trailer balance. You want the trailer to transfer 20-30 percent of its total weight to the tow vehicle. You may have to move stuff forward, backward, empty tanks, fill tanks, ect. You will want to use a truck scale, most truck stops have one, usually costs 14 bucks for 3 weighs. If your in a farming community you may talk to the grain elevator in the off season and see if you can use their scale. this is where you will figure out how much truck you really need, a 10,000lb trailer should be putting 2-3,000 on the truck. Weigh each axle separately and make sure they are under the weight for that axle, as listed on the sticker on the drivers door.

 For a bumper pull, weight distribution and anti-sway bars. I don't have much experience with these, but in general they will help, if set up properly. Each hitch is different, read the directions in the owners manual and use a scale.  In general, the heavier trailer will tow better, as long as it is towed by the proper size truck. 5th wheels also pull better than a bumper pull. Heavier truck (scale weight) will handle a swaying trailer better than a lighter truck.  Air bags and other solutions should only be used to help return the truck to factory ride height. It is normal with any truck to sit 2-4" lower in the back when towing. Anymore than 4", check the weight on the rear axle, and if you are not overloaded you can add air bags to help level the truck. Airbags DO NOT increase capacity.  Get some miles with your rig under your belt in calm weather before tackling rough weather. When in doubt PARK.  If your bumpers dragging, you need more truck, and with a high profile 5th wheel i would strongly recommend a dually. A large bumper pull needs to be pulled with a dually for the added stability.  Practice backing up and maneuvering in tight areas before leaving home. A empty parking lot or field works great for this. Use cheap cones or flags to mark your "spot" and obstacles. I can hit a 2.5ft wide door way with the 2.5ft doorway on the back of my cattle trailer, every time. Practice makes perfect.  If your in doubt, a larger truck will almost always help.  I do not recommend towing with these cross over suv's, they are not built to work for a living.

 A suburban, tahoe, yukon, expedition, and excursion are all fine as they are built on a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton chassis as long as they will hold the weight.  A 10,000 pound rv will pull much different than a 10,000lb trailer load of bricks, solely because of the rvs larger profile. What may pull 10k worth of bricks fine, wont pull a 10k rv worth very well.  As a general rule, load shouldn't exceed 80% of vehicle rated capacity, for both vehicle longevity and your sanity.

Again, I didn't write this, and I agree with most information..Mike" I tow a lot" Shrum _______________________________________________