Sagging rear - suspension or new hitch

[DebbieC]

Good luck Debbie. I'll be curious to see how it handles and how you like it once you have it set up correctly.

Trailer weight and balance is a constant topic in the camper/RV forums.

My Photobucket photos are being held for ransom by them so I can't post them anymore but for my under 6000 pound Rockwood Roo 23SS travel travel trailer using the Equalizer (brand) WDH the top of the ball with no trailer on it is 22-1/2" off the pavement. This was established buy long experimentation with my 2007 Expedition and the same draw-bar and trailer connected to my new 2017 had needed no changes. That's a good starting point if you have an Expedition but plan on an afternoon of adjustments. RV dealer was little help.

-- Chuck

Thanks Chuck, that measurement did help some as I was over that. So we brought the whole mount down a hole yesterday and started over from there. And I wish we would have gotten the Equalizer WDH. I did some research before we bought the TT and everyone said it was the best. And when we bought the TT from Camping World, I told the sales guy that that was what I wanted us to get. He said ok to me but apparently talked my dad into the Eaz-lift Elite with 2 sway bars instead.


Thanks Andy! Believe it or not, we spent all afternoon until night on Saturday and Sunday and then tonight (the last 3 hours) working on it... but I think we finally got it. Looks like the 9th time is the charm for us. Even with following instructions from the manufacturer and then from this site and other sites, it just felt like my front tires were on an icy road just gliding. And the crazy thing is we would have the trailer in a parking lot, taking all the measurements of the tire wheel well down to the ground and would take it out to test, but it wouldn't feel right. So we'd pull over in another parking lot that would look level and the measurements would be something totally different. Then we'd play with tilting the mount and changing the number of links hanging. And we just kept doing that over and over. Like I said, we did it 9 times. It's finally level. It's a lot more bouncy when you hit bumps than when we first started out. We had it too high so the back end of the car was being lifted up and made driving really scary. So that icy feeling and scary feeling it totally gone. Feels just like I'm driving like I would be driving normally down the road in terms of feeling the ground and not front-of-car fish tailing. It has a little more squat on the back tires than I was expecting. I just assumed that the WD system would level the trailer and car and both tires on the car would have the same number measurements from the ground to the wheel well (or at least close). There is a 2.5" different between mine with the trailer on it. Even with the trailer not on it, there's about a 3/4" difference (front higher than the back on both). And when the trailer is added, the front comes up just a tad (1/8") and the back squats down a little over 1". I know someone on here said they should squat the same, but we could never get it to squat the same amount on the front and back. I think we're good for the trip the way we have it now. Maybe in the off season/after the trip, we will keep playing with it to see if we can get it to squat the same amount but I'm happy I'm no longer scared to where I'm white knuckling it while driving it.


Thanks everybody for all your help, info, links, and sharing what worked for you. It gave me ammo to tell my dad "see this is what this person is saying we need to do." You kept me from losing my mind during this ordeal.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Debbie, that is so awesome. I am glad that you figured it out. The last time I did any towing was 10 years ago with a different vehicle and a smaller trailer. I was drove cross country Oklahoma to Indiana I was doing 70 and 80 with the trailer with absolutely no stability issues whatsoever. If it wasn't for the gas tank emptying out so quickly and not be able to see out the rear view mirror, I wouldn't have known I had a trailer.

 

[chuck s]

when the trailer is added, the front comes up just a tad (1/8") and the back squats down a little over 1"

If the front "comes up" you're taking weight off the front (steering) axle. Not good.

It can take a full afternoon to get set as every change to one area influences the others. I've found there's a lot of vertical slop between the Equalizer drawbar and the the Ford receiver on the back of the truck which complicates or at least makes the set up take longer. Of course if you had the Equalizer I could have given you all my settings.

I'm leaving for a 500 mile tow to Richmond in 3 days. Wish me luck. Old tires caused my attempt 10 days ago to be aborted.

-- Chuck

 

[Adieu]

Also keep in mind that any weight put on the ball comes off the truck's weight carrying capacity. You shouldn't expect to tow 9200 pounds and carry seven passengers at the same time.

-- Chuck

Sounds logical, but....more like you PROBABLY SHOULDN'T tow 9200, load 8 seats with 350lb rednecks, AND pile the trunk to the roof with a few hundred pounds of guns beer and ammo (...although I'd bet money plenty of folk in reality do just that)


Aint nobody at Ford gonna rate weight limits so close to real-world breaking points that a carful of middle schoolers or lil Asian grannies is gonna be that last straw, much less the first time around.

 

[chuck s]

I think there's a SAE standard for max towing capacity, etc. now. Was different 10 years ago.

What most ignore is GAWR. Gross axle weight rating.

-- Chuck

 

[DebbieC]

Sounds logical, but....more like you PROBABLY SHOULDN'T tow 9200, load 8 seats with 350lb rednecks, AND pile the trunk to the roof with a few hundred pounds of guns beer and ammo (...although I'd bet money plenty of folk in reality do just that)


Aint nobody at Ford gonna rate weight limits so close to real-world breaking points that a carful of middle schoolers or lil Asian grannies is gonna be that last straw, much less the first time around.

LOL that’s hilarious! Yeah I’m not that crazy. I’m staying below it. I’ll have less than 7000# trailer (I think it was around 6800# and some change on the car scales loaded) and only 3 people in the car all well under 200#s. No beer. I’m more of a wine chick but I’ll have that in the trailer and not in the trunk. ;-)

 

[Adieu]

Well I *know* Ive had at least 2500lbs of people and/or shit in the interior on a few occasions...possibly 3000.
And with additional weight from added seats, my SSV came with seating for 3 and a cargo thingie in the back.

Old springs squatted a bit in the back, and acceleration decreased somewhat, but it drove just fine.

....Guess what my door sticker says the max occupant and cargo weight is??? According to that thing, I'm limited to 5 people who can't even be SOMEWHAT fat, much less 7-8 and luggage