Towing with E350 15 passenger
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
From: Stafford Springs,Ct
Towing with E350 15 passenger
I was wondering if anyone towes a 30ft or longer TT with a E350 15 pass. van? I have a 01 w/ a V10 the thing pulls great! But I can't get rid of my swaying problem. I have a dual cam anti-sway control &1200# weight bars. Done everything as far as making sure how it was loaded making sure tongue weight is right, side to side weight, ect. ect. Brought it to a scale did ft. axel back axel whole trailer wt. ect ect. Spent hours upon hours on hitch height angle set up.Trailer stills sways and look out here comes a 18 wheeler!!! Anyway I heard that it could be the extended over hang of the van. What do you think? I ordered a Hensley Arrow hitch. It was pricey but did a lot of research on it and alot of good things said about it . Just wondering if anyone had similar problem. One other thought is there any difference in "E" rated tires? Could this also be a problem? The van has 245/75-16 E rated tires.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,022
Likes: 4
From: Redford, Mi.
Is their any sway in the van that starts the trailer swaying. You might try energy suspensions, they have a special kit for heavy duty e350's replacing all the rubber suspension pieces with the harder poly---- bushings. I was thinking about getting the kit this spring for my E250.
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,557
Likes: 44
From: Concord, NC
I think the rear overhang has a lot to do with it. I'm in Wolfpack Motorsports at NC State, and we have towed our trailer (~20 ft. enclosed double axle) with 15 passenger Dodge vans, and had a very rough time early on. The front wheels popped off the ground on the trip up to Michigan the year before I started school. They got a weight distributing hitch while in Michigan and the ride back was much better. I drove this year a 12 passenger E350 pulling the same trailer with the w/d bars. Even though the trailer had a large amount of tongue weight it was one of the best towing vehicles I've driven. This van didn't have hardly any overhang in the rear, so I think that played a big part. I was going 80 down the interstate with no sway at all, however, it was around 3 am, and no one else was out to make it sway..... Ok, enough of my rambling, I think that the overhang has a lot to do with the sway of the van and trailer.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,182
Likes: 7
From: Saint Augustine, FL
Yes, the rear overhang does have some effect and 30 feet is a long trailer. I have towed a 28 ft enclosed Pace car trailer with an E350 stretch and it was fine. I did notice my short body Clubwagon was a little better when passing 18 wheelers.
The E range tires should be fine, but tire pressure is very important. I think Ford specs 80 psi for the E350 and what about the trailer tires? They need to be quality trailer tires at the proper pressure. A cheap air gauge isn't going to cut it either, the higher the pressure the greater the error. Buy a high quality, dial type pressure gauge (expect to spend $25 to $35 for one) and then check the tires.
Also, I recently saw a stretch Clubwagon pulling a big airstream that had a very unusual hitch under it. The Draw bar was mounted on a pivot about 3 feet up under the rear of the van and ran on a rail that was an arc the width of the rear bumper. The end of the draw bar floated on that rail. It appeared that such an arrangement would eliminate the problem with the overhang.
Steve
The E range tires should be fine, but tire pressure is very important. I think Ford specs 80 psi for the E350 and what about the trailer tires? They need to be quality trailer tires at the proper pressure. A cheap air gauge isn't going to cut it either, the higher the pressure the greater the error. Buy a high quality, dial type pressure gauge (expect to spend $25 to $35 for one) and then check the tires.
Also, I recently saw a stretch Clubwagon pulling a big airstream that had a very unusual hitch under it. The Draw bar was mounted on a pivot about 3 feet up under the rear of the van and ran on a rail that was an arc the width of the rear bumper. The end of the draw bar floated on that rail. It appeared that such an arrangement would eliminate the problem with the overhang.
Steve
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
From: Stafford Springs,Ct
I've had that feeling the only thing that threw me off was last year our 24ft with a friction sway contol did'nt sway at all. This trailer is a lot longer & heaver. I got my Hensley Arrow hitch in just waiting for nicer weather to install it. It's cold out 15 below this morning.Thanks for thoughts and info.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
From: Stafford Springs,Ct
Steve the hitch your talking about is a Pullrite they say it acts just a fifth wheel. I considerd it but I would have to remove my spare tire from under the van. I have no other place to put it. My tire inflation is at 80 rear and 55 front. I would consider my presser gauge a good one I used it at a previous job and is made by Matco tools. The tires on the trailer are from the factory and the trailer just a year old. I set my pressures before each trip. Much appreciated info Casey just got my hensley hitch in. Trailer is in for some warranty work waiting for it to come back and warmer weather to install it. Did you install it your self? iIf so was is easy.
Trending Topics
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,210
Likes: 2
I installed the Hensley myself. It took about an hour. Double check all the measurements as you go. It's not real difficult.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,537
Likes: 27
From: Long Beach, Ms.
I currently pull a 24'TT with my E-350SD using a w/d hitch and sway bar. My overall legenth is 45' front bumper to TT rear bumper. No problems with this rig. I understand that you are pulling a TT that is 25% longer than mine. The only time that I have had a problem with sway is when I had too much weight behind the axels of the TT. The new hitch will do alot to help you gain a smoother pull. However remember to increase the pressure in the front tires as you will be putting more weight on the forward portion of the vehicle with a w/d hitch. The balance of the load within the TT front to rear will have the most effect on the sway characteristics of that TT. BTW where are your water tanks located on your TT? Unless you really need to carry a lot of extra weight empty them all, fresh, black and grey before you start out.
Last edited by shorebird; Jan 21, 2004 at 10:43 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Torklift Sheryl
Vendor Specials, Discounts, Product Announcements & Group Buys
2
Dec 19, 2016 03:26 PM
Torklift Sheryl
Vendor Specials, Discounts, Product Announcements & Group Buys
0
Feb 26, 2015 11:12 AM
