Hi all,
I have a 2013 f150 5.0 screw 4x4 with the 5 1/2 bed and e-locker 3.55 rears with the 7700 gvw. The problem is when I tow my 3/4 ton 6x10 utility trailer with a big quad (800lbs or so) on it at about 62 mph and up it feels like the trailer is bouncing and making the back of the truck bounce. I don't know where to start with this because I towed the same trailer and quad with my previous truck, a 2011 SD cc SB 6.7 lariat (I downsized due to $$$) and I never had any issues whatsoever. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Your F-150 isn't going to be as stable as your Super Duty towing, but it shouldn't feel like that. My first question would be how the trailer is loaded... sounds like a lack of tongue weight to me.

 

I have a 2 person can am 650 quad that I put all the way up front and centered. I use the winch to secure the front of the quad to the front of the trailer. I was actually thinking of moving it back and trying it.

 

I get the same effect with my 6X12 utility trailer. Strangely I did not with my 5X8 trailer or my boat trailer.

 

My Guess: F150 Springs can be rather soft, it seems.
If you are moving your Big Quad all the way to the front, I would try moving it back a couple of feet. Putting a little more weight on the axle and making sure not to move to much to the rear.
I think GOLDSTAR225 might be having the same problem. He went from an 8' trailer to a 12.

AGAIN: Not too much to the rear.
Just my opinion.

 

When your truck is tethered to your trailer, how much squat do you have measuring at the rear wheel wells of your truck?

Steve

 

Steve.
I'm not sure. I think its about a couple of inches if that. Unfortunately I keep the trailer at camp and not at home. The next time I go I will definitely
measure the squat. I guess I'll start with balancing the trailer tires and go from there. I just want to fix whatever it is and move on so I can tow without any issues.

 

My thought was the squat would provide some idea as to weight distribution.

Steve

 

As a kid during a time when we pulled stock trailers, horse trailers, and a variety of utility trailers, I never saw a WD hitch, nor was a load taken to the scales.
My father would look at the truck, and say, move the load back, to much squat.

That's the way we did it back then.

 

The trailer is loaded wrong. Play around with it and center that quad right over the axle. I know with my trailers, they can be very finicky due to improper loading.

 

It's a 6x10 trailer with what I guess would be bias ply tires not radials. If the trailer sits for extended periods of time (espeacially with low air pressure) the tires will get flat spots. You probably didnt feel it as much with your super duty because its a heavier truck and springs are stiffer allowing less trailer movement to be transferred to the truck. The F150 suspension setup is a bit softer so you will feel it more. When the trailer is not in use just put some jack stands under the rear of the trailer as not to allow the tires to be on the ground. The atv should be positioned right over the axle or just slightly forward to give enough tongue weight which help if the tires are old and have become out of round which happens alot with trailer tires. I had the same problem as you, see below in my sig. You can see I went from a similar truck F250 and now have a F150 only difference is my trailer is a 7.5x18 tandem axle trailer with bias ply tires which compunds the problem even more.

 

Thanks for all the info Pumpdoctor, and everyone else. I think I can get this handled now that I know what to look for! This forum Rocks!

 

Mine does the same thing. It's the truck, not load balance.
I tow the exact same trailer with my VW Passat, and 3 previous trucks, never bounced on any of them.

I'd start with the truck if it towed fine before.

 

So the truck suspension and trailer suspension are setting up some kind of a weird harmonic. The fix then would appear to be doing something to alter the spring rates. Put weight in the truck bed, add some kind of helper or air bag to the truck suspension, just tossing out ideas.

Steve

 

I almost think this may be related to what PrinceValium and a couple of others have seen when they add weight over the rear axle. I can say from the description that the OP's trailer is loaded wrong which will decrease stability because of too much weight on the tongue. As PumpDoctor said the quad should be loaded to where it is centered 6 inches to a foot in front of the trailer axle.

I suspect that that much tongue weight may be causing the truck to squat enough for the change in driveline angle to cause issues. Just a WAG, but this isn't the first we've seen complaints of a vibration under load.