Right or wrong I always try to turn the air suspension off, then attach trailer. Load it. Then turn it back on before heading out. In about a minute or so it levels out the rear of the truck - I think you have to reach 20MPH. And the ride is fantastic. You shouldn’t even know a S10 is back there.
When unloading or unhitching trailer I turn air off again. Same when launching the boat. In my pea brain this somehow works best.
What exactly do you mean by didn’t handle well? Sway? Bounce? Tug? You able to estimate load weight and ensure tongue weight was appropriate? Open car trailer or enclosed? I don’t think a WD hitch is needed for a load like this, guessing 3500 pound ballpark.