When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Truck / Trailer specs are in my signature...my concern is while towing on the freeway (above 50 mph) the trailer starts to get a little squirley / dancing in the lane some. I find myself constantly making subtle adjustments with the steering wheel to compensate.
I weighed my TT and it came to 7,100 lbs with about 950lbs tongue (~13%). My dealer set me up with the BlueOx SwayPro 1,500 lb WDH. Would moving to 1,000lb spring bars make any difference?
I'm not sure what to adjust, but coming home this past weekend after 2 hours I was exhausted. I have a 8 hour trip coming up in July so I want to try and have it better dialed in by then.
Are you saying that the two axles weights are 7100 lbs....plus your tongue weight of 950 lbs for a total of 8050 lbs? Or are you saying that the axle weights and the tongue weight is a combined 7100 lbs?
I'm guessing here (waiting for clarification from you) that your total weight, including the tongue weight, is 7100 lbs. In that case, I would venture a guess here that the spring bars were tensioned too much, effectively transferring too much weight to the trailer axle(s and front, or steering axle of the truck. Let us know.....and even better yet, post up pictures of the the scale ticket weights you got.
I’m not sure - I hope not since my GTWR is 7,600lbs.
I weighed it on the CAT scales with my old F150 - I haven’t weighed it yet with my F250. I misspoke, it came in at 6,900 lbs (see attached image).
When I weighed my tongue separately with a tongue scale it read 950lbs but looking at the CAT results it’s showing 1,300lbs?? (Drive axel unloaded vs drive axel loaded without bars?). That can’t be right...
Sorry if I’m being confusing these weights and measurements are racking my brain. I just want it to tow smoothly.
I called Blue Ox Customer service and they advised me if i'm hanging around the 900 - 1,100 lb tongue range I should be on the 1k bars as the 1.5k bars won't deflect enough and cause the trailer to sway some.
Thoughts?
Originally Posted by xrated
Are you saying that the two axles weights are 7100 lbs....plus your tongue weight of 950 lbs for a total of 8050 lbs? Or are you saying that the axle weights and the tongue weight is a combined 7100 lbs?
I'm guessing here (waiting for clarification from you) that your total weight, including the tongue weight, is 7100 lbs. In that case, I would venture a guess here that the spring bars were tensioned too much, effectively transferring too much weight to the trailer axle(s and front, or steering axle of the truck. Let us know.....and even better yet, post up pictures of the the scale ticket weights you got.
The issue is if I don't use 9 links from the loose end the bars barely bend - which is why I was wondering if I need lighter bars.
Based on your scale weights, my first thought is you don't have enough force on the WDH. But I don't understand how you lost 1,000 lbs of trailer axle weight on the second weigh results.
I think that is because when the trailer was unhooked the tongue and axels were both on the weigh plate. When hooked up the 1,000lbs of tongue was transferred to the truck axel.
I also figured out my tongue scale is reading accurately based off the CAT readings on pass 1 and 2
Based on your scale weights, my first thought is you don't have enough force on the WDH. But I don't understand how you lost 1,000 lbs of trailer axle weight on the second weigh results.
My take on this was that the entire trailer was sitting on the Trailer axle pad.
empty truck weight = 3300+2540 = 5840
truck weight with trailer (no WDH) = 2940+3840 = 6780
6780-5840 = 940 tongue weight
940 + 5980 = 6920 which is within 20 lbs of the first ticket (scales are +/- 20lbs accuracy)
notice that the truck weighs 180 lbs less with the WDH set at 9 links than it does with the WDH not in use.
760 / 6920 = 10% tongue weight when WDH is in use.
I've often wondered if the tongue weight shifting to the trailer axles could cause a trailer to be unstable when using the WDH. It appears more and more, that it may.
especially considering the dynamic effects that wind has on tongue weight as speed increases.
This may be a dumb question, but when you say 8 and 9 links, is that how many links are loose or how many links up from the spring bar you've attached?
So based on my 950lb tongue am I better off with 1,000lb bars or 1,500lb bars? Keeping in mind the trailer was only loaded for a weekend not a week long trip.
This may be a dumb question, but when you say 8 and 9 links, is that how many links are loose or how many links up from the spring bar you've attached?
9 links from the loose end. Only 3.5 links showing from the spring bar to the shackle.
So based on my 950lb tongue am I better off with 1,000lb bars or 1,500lb bars? Keeping in mind the trailer was only loaded for a weekend not a week long trip.
That's a good question and I would be inclined to go with what Blue Ox says. My thought was that if your spring bars are too stiff (1500 lb) then you simply don't connect them as tight. On the other hand, a spring bar that is too light (say 700 lbs) can be tightened only so much and they you're out of adjustment.
I have a similar set up and had previously been using the 1500lb bars for my F150 because of it's low payload. The F250 handles the load much better so I moved down to the 1000lb bars. I have 8 links in with 3 1/2 showing when hitched up. You are exactly right and so is Blue Ox...you want the added deflection because this is the fundamental basis for how the hitch controls sway. My tongue weight is 900lbs. Go with what Blue Ox recommends and enjoy a better ride.......
