# Towing Issues And Vehicles



## Jerry3529 (Aug 2, 2013)

We have a 2006 30' Outback travel trailer and a 2005 GMC 2500hd diesel truck. We have new tires on trailer and a Husky Ceterline Sway Bar System. All tire pressures are up to recommended amount on both units. We have been on several Wisconsin Highways and experienced such bouncing by trailer and truck that I have gotten a headache and when we talk we sound like the Bee Gees. Does anybody know what can be done to lessen this problem?


----------



## Tourdfox (Oct 4, 2012)

x2 on the stiffer spring bars.


----------



## Dave-Gray (Jul 9, 2012)

Also, you may consider weighing your truck and trailer to get a better understanding of how you load is balanced. Also, by knowing your load weight, you can adjust your truck's tire pressure correctly based on the tire pressure charts. It is not uncommon that most people have there truck tires at maximum or recommended tire inflation pressure, and in most cases, it's way too much.

Go to Fifth Wheel St. to learn how to weigh and get your Conventional Towing Weight Safety Report.


----------



## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Porpoising has many causes, the following list are just some of the causes.

Concrete road segments matching your wheel base.
Concrete road segment tilt. The segments on older highways actually form a saw pattern over time due to not having reinforced joints.
Tow speed exciting the natural harmonic of the combination TV and TT.
Incorrect tire type, P rated instead of LT.
Incorrect tire pressures for the actual weights of truck or trailer.
Incorrect tongue weight.
Incorrect spring bars.
Overloaded truck.
Shocks that are expired or otherwise not working for the loads you are carrying.

This is just the start of the list. There is not just one cause and any combination of the above can make the troubleshooting harder to isolate the issues.


----------



## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

CamperAndy said:


> Porpoising has many causes, the following list are just some of the causes.
> 
> Concrete road segments matching your wheel base.
> Concrete road segment tilt. The segments on older highways actually form a saw pattern over time due to not having reinforced joints.
> ...


ncreasing weight bars may or may not be the solution - i have read several threads that say 800 lb bars on a 3/4 ton truck are a better solution...... jes sayin ........... not an expert on your set up ....but there is a lot of info in past posts on here....


----------



## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

clarkely said:


> Porpoising has many causes, the following list are just some of the causes.
> 
> Concrete road segments matching your wheel base.
> Concrete road segment tilt. The segments on older highways actually form a saw pattern over time due to not having reinforced joints.
> ...


ncreasing weight bars may or may not be the solution - i have read several threads that say 800 lb bars on a 3/4 ton truck are a better solution...... jes sayin ........... not an expert on your set up ....but there is a lot of info in past posts on here....
[/quote]

You must have been replying to one of the other posts and just happened to hit mine. I never said to increase bars but to get the correct ones. That said 800 pound bars would only be good for a trailer that has up to 800 hundred pounds of tongue weight, no matter the tow vehicle. Bars are a response to the dead weight added by the trailer and should not be sized based on ride comfort, that is not the purpose for them.


----------



## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

yes sorry andy - inadvertently quoted you....

robertized - i know willington paul and layd back both are subscribers of the 800 lb bar thingy........


----------



## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

clarkely said:


> yes sorry andy - inadvertently quoted you....
> 
> robertized - i know willington paul and layd back both are subscribers of the 800 lb bar thingy........


No problem, I really should not have made an issue of it. Although it is just as well, the thingy needs to get discussed as it is part of what we do here.


----------



## LaydBack (Aug 22, 2010)

robertized said:


> Clarkely I hear what you are saying I have read some of the post here and on other sites about this scenario and that is why I thought the 750 lb bars would work for me. After several trips and not being able to get a satisfactory towing experience even with changing the hitch adjustments and using the air springs I believe for me the stronger bars will be the solution. When I was measuring the length of the spring bars that I have to compare with a replacement set, I noticed signs of over stressing that wasn't there before I got this trailer. I have measured the Tongue weight between 1000 lbs and 1150 lbs depending on having water in the fresh water tank located at the rear of the trailer, and that doesn't include the trailer being fully loaded. Now take into account all the stuff I may need to carry in the bed of the truck I don't think 1200 lbs bars will be over doing it for me. As CamperAndy says these are some of the conditions that apply to me and things may be different for Jerry3529, but that is what makes it interesting. I hope this information gives Jerry3529 some insight into his possible situation and helps him out. Good Luck.
> 
> PS One other condition I had to deal with on my truck was shortly after I got it I noticed that anytime I would make a turnaround on an uneven road the tire would bump the frame. Even though my truck is a 4-wheel drive it isn't the off-road model. To deal with this I found a simple lift kit for Ford F-150 made by Tough Country that installs on the front springs it is a spacer and it raises the front of the truck 2" which levels it out. I installed Air Lift air springs on the rear to allow for the drop when the trailer is hitched up, and to help level things out. I know I could have bought an F-250 Super Duty but that isn't how it went down and for a few hundred dollars and a little time I fixed it myself. Looking at the stress on the 750 lb bars I believe the 1200 lb spring bars are what I need.


I noticed you applied the principle somewhat inversely. You have a half ton truck and undersized your bars originally. The new heavier bars will most likely benefit you. If you had a 3/4 ton, then the bars you have would probably have served you better.


----------



## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

One other thing to consider is if your hitch is set up properly to begin with. When I purchased our first Outback, the dealer was authorized to sell Equalizer hitches so I bought from them and had them set it up. We porpoised all the way home. On the first trip I loaded up the truck and porpoised all the way to the campground. I later realized that the dealer had no idea what they were doing. After reading the manual and setting the hitch up myself, I've had no problems.


----------



## LaydBack (Aug 22, 2010)

thefulminator said:


> One other thing to consider is if your hitch is set up properly to begin with. When I purchased our first Outback, the dealer was authorized to sell Equalizer hitches so I bought from them and had them set it up. We porpoised all the way home. On the first trip I loaded up the truck and porpoised all the way to the campground. I later realized that the dealer had no idea what they were doing. After reading the manual and setting the hitch up myself, I've had no problems.


I agree and assumed the OP has the hitch properly setup. Dealers often set the hitch up ASSuming that you will load the trailer to make the setup right....WRONG....the hitch should be setup and the trailer should be loaded to travel and adjustments should be made to both to get it dialed in.


----------



## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

My take on your options...
1. Get an Equalizer hitch or Reese Dual Cam and make sure it is sized and setup correctly. I experienced porpoising with my Equalizer (on my old rig) both when the bars were too loose and too tight. Set the hitch up right!

If it still exists...
1. Check and replace shocks if need be.
2. Check and replace Leaf springs if need be.
3. Air Bags / Supersprings. I used the air bag option and still do with my 5'er. Can adjust as need be.

Happy towing!

-CC


----------



## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

collinsfam_tx said:


> My take on your options...
> 1. Get an Equalizer hitch or Reese Dual Cam and make sure it is sized and setup correctly. I experienced porpoising with my Equalizer (on my old rig) both when the bars were too loose and too tight. Set the hitch up right!
> 
> If it still exists...
> ...


I also have an Equalizer hitch and when I installed it the first time round I had porpoiseing. I decided to check my trailer weight at a local company that had weigh scales. I found my tongue weight to be more than I had originally thought. Once I readjusted the hitch based on this new value - the trailer towed without any issues. We have a Ram 2500 which we do load up the bed with firewood and other items. I knew the truck could handle the weight ok; however, initially I didn't realize how much it impacted the tongue weight. I would definetly recommend checking your trailer weights in addition to all the other suggestions. This seemed to take care of most of the towing issues I was having early on.

- Rick


----------

