I'm towing an 8,300 lb 5th wheel. Some concrete roads that were constructed poorly result in steady bouncing, but most roads are no problem.

Enjoy.

 

Aubrey,
Single axle trailers will always pull a little rough and bouncy when unloaded or lightly loaded. For one the suspension doesn't have to flex if the trailer can bounce, if there is enough weight to not keep it from bouncing and it is improperly loaded the least little bit it will fishtail easily or rock back and forth up and down and drive you nuts.

I have a 15 boat on a single axle trailer, tows great but like I said it is bouncy for the most part but the load that is on it is right where the load was designed to be and it pulls what I would rate as very good. But boats trailers and the loads they carry are a bit different from the trailers like you are talking about. I use my neighbors 6x10 single axle trailer often to haul my four wheeler simply because it has a tilt bed and I don't have to deal with ramps and it is shorter and it is more practical to haul 1 4-wheeler on than my 7 1/2' x 16' tandem flatbed. I hate using the darn thign because if I happen to have to haul it unloaded it is so bouncy, noisy, and shaky (and many other words that FTE won't let me use) that I can't stand it, but like I said it is more practical than an 7 1/2' x 16'. If I had the money to put on it I'd get a 6'x 10' or 12' and try to find one with a tandem axle that has a square tube frame instead of an angle iron frame.
Now the trailer that does tow well is the 7 1/2' x 16' tanem axle flatbed that I have. You literally don't know it is behind this truck, it follows great and I have used it enough to know how to properly load about anything on it.

 

If your trailer is overrated for your load the stiffer springs will cause more bounce. Otherwords if you are trailering 1,000lbs on a 4,000lb trailer capacity, the stiffer springs don't compress enough to take up the shock.

 

I had a 5X8 trailer that I pulled cross country empty. I felt every bump. Let out a couple of pounds of air from the tires and it was a much better ride (still felt the bumps, but at least it didnt feel like the trailer was gonna bounce in the air). After I loaded it with 2 motorcycles (and replaced the air I bled out before), driving back across the country, it was very smooth.

 

Yep, although I can not speak for my experience with my 04 F150, I have experience the same thing with a similar trailer. The trainler was pretty much balanced on the single axle which created an almost weightless tung. This trailer jerked up and down on the truck all the time. Not bad, it was a light trailer. But enough to be very noticable. Using this same trailer on the same truck I loaded a relatively light Sport ATV on the front of the trailer (mostly ahead of the trailer's axel) and trailer was great to pull. At times I forgot it was back there (which is not a good thing).

 

they make a receiver that is shock absorbing. check out Cabela's.com. all of my boating mag. have them.

 

I just pulled a Jeep Liberty (I am thinking about 4000lbs) on a 18 ft trailer with my 2004 s-cab long bed/payload and tow package. It slowed some from a standing stop, but I was amazed how well it pulled on the highway. I went almost 400 miles at 75-80 MPH, mileage went from 16 mpg down to 9.5 mpg. The ride was good on the highway and at times I forgot it was back there. At this speed the 5.4 was turning pretty fast with the O/D off and the 4.10 gears. Overall it was a good experience. Thanks, Scott

 

if you put to much weight towards the back of a trailor, on the wheels you get a shakey trailor. and the same goes for to much weight towards the front on the hitch. so what you have to do is find the happy medium. i use a 3 inch drop hitch to tow my 18ft 6 triton boat, it pulls smooth. i think i've thought of an example for the too much weight over wheels, ok, lets say that you are on the trailor being towed, if you stand over the wheels and, position yourself in a hawaiin surfer stance you should be able to move the trailor side to side. move forward toward the hitch and should stop. i think that was a good one. now for the to much weight over the front of trailer. ok, so if you assume you surfer stance at the front of trailor the trailor then becomes too light in the rear, so every bumb the wheels will bounce, and every divvute in the road they'll tend to follow. i hope i helped not confused.

 

Last weekend we were halling hay all day. My truck 04 F-150 Screw FX4 pulled a 16ft gooseneck total weight ~8500 lbs and it was very smooth both empty and loaded. My mother-in-law 2004 Chevy extended cab 2500 6.0l, was a lot rougher riding than my truck with the exact same load. These trucks are seemed very comparable when loaded, but we never exceed 60 mph. We even switch trucks and we both agreed that mine was a lot better riding and handled the load just as well as her 2500. This is just our opinion so take it as you want.

 

I tow a 6500lb Travel Trailer, tows better with the back end loaded with wood and cooler than without. I have added timbren levelers which have alter the ride on some rougher roads. But it rides fine.

The waverunner/trailer hitting bumps actually rides worse than pulling the camper.

The timbrens are contacting when pulling the heavy camper, so the shocks do alot of work. With the light trailer, the timbrens are not contacted, but do at times on some bumps which gives it a sudden bounce stop feeling.