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bad bounce while towing


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Coachman advertizes this series of TTs as 1/2T towable - again with the properly equipped disclaimer. A 1500 with the Max Tow pkg could easily handle this TT. As for his problem it is/was more of an ride height issue - I went through a similar problem with my 99 Tahoe when I bought a new TT that i knew would put me at the limits of my towing capacity - and CGWR. This was my third TT and tow vehicle so I was pretty good at setting up my WD hitch. So I started in on the Tahoe - new shocks, and HD tires - a little improvement but the biggest improvement happened when I got heaver spring bars - 1000# and that made the most improvement. I kept the Tahoe for two additional years with this set up and then traded it for a new gen 2500HD - now I hardly know the TT is back there. There is a trick to setting up the WD hitch.

 

If your TT is the 292BHDS then you have a 740 lb tounge wt and a 5492 dry wt

If it is the 291QBS then the weights are 594 and 5216

 

They also state that each unit is weighed prior to leaving the factory so you should have an accurate number for the dry wt (dry does not include any fluids, batteries, LPG and cargo).

 

Setting up the hitch (at least for my EAZ Lift) is to level the trailer and measure the distance from the ground to the inside top of the ball socket to that measurement add 1/16 of an inch for every 100 lbs of tounge wt, and if you are hauling much cargo the same applies to it. So if you had the 292BHDS you would measure the coupler height - say 16" and then add between 8/16" and 9/16" to it and set the top of the ball to that. Then use the washers to adjust the tilt angle to around 10 degrees (for starters). Measure the distance between the ground and some point on the truck body - I use the bottom of the bumper - both front and rear. Now hitch up the TT and start chinching up the spring bars until you get back to those measurements. On mine there are chains on the bar ends and you measure by how many links you have hanging - start with two and have no more than five - if you are not able to get back to level then you need to either increase the head angle or raise the hitch. When you are set up correctly, the truck, trailer, and spring bars should all be level.

 

BTW I think you probably already know that you can't tow a fifth wheel with a Burb :fingersx:

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I dissagree with half this board i guess. I see no issues in a 1500 truck pulling a camper if "PROPERLY EQUIPED"

 

by that i mean WD hitch (load equalizers) sway bars, and for 1500s air bags on the rear leafs. as long as the truck is level, and the weight is distributed properly i dont see an issue. you all can think what you want about this but i see sooo many 1500 truck pulling big campers (me includeD) a 6700lbs dry camper, and the only issue with my truck is the fuel it consumes to do so. everyone needs to back off on this guy and just mind your own business, anyone that hauls a camper is usually acting/driving safer than they normally would empty.

Amen! lol Anyway, I was able to remedy the "bounce" issue but it came down to the truck not having enough power, ie 4 grand up grades, engine go boom! lol It didn't but I sure was uneasy about it. Not to mention 6 mpg while towing! Ouch!!

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Coachman advertizes this series of TTs as 1/2T towable - again with the properly equipped disclaimer. A 1500 with the Max Tow pkg could easily handle this TT. As for his problem it is/was more of an ride height issue - I went through a similar problem with my 99 Tahoe when I bought a new TT that i knew would put me at the limits of my towing capacity - and CGWR. This was my third TT and tow vehicle so I was pretty good at setting up my WD hitch. So I started in on the Tahoe - new shocks, and HD tires - a little improvement but the biggest improvement happened when I got heaver spring bars - 1000# and that made the most improvement. I kept the Tahoe for two additional years with this set up and then traded it for a new gen 2500HD - now I hardly know the TT is back there. There is a trick to setting up the WD hitch.

 

If your TT is the 292BHDS then you have a 740 lb tounge wt and a 5492 dry wt

If it is the 291QBS then the weights are 594 and 5216

 

They also state that each unit is weighed prior to leaving the factory so you should have an accurate number for the dry wt (dry does not include any fluids, batteries, LPG and cargo).

 

Setting up the hitch (at least for my EAZ Lift) is to level the trailer and measure the distance from the ground to the inside top of the ball socket to that measurement add 1/16 of an inch for every 100 lbs of tounge wt, and if you are hauling much cargo the same applies to it. So if you had the 292BHDS you would measure the coupler height - say 16" and then add between 8/16" and 9/16" to it and set the top of the ball to that. Then use the washers to adjust the tilt angle to around 10 degrees (for starters). Measure the distance between the ground and some point on the truck body - I use the bottom of the bumper - both front and rear. Now hitch up the TT and start chinching up the spring bars until you get back to those measurements. On mine there are chains on the bar ends and you measure by how many links you have hanging - start with two and have no more than five - if you are not able to get back to level then you need to either increase the head angle or raise the hitch. When you are set up correctly, the truck, trailer, and spring bars should all be level.

While I attampted to do this, my issue was that the trailer's tongue height was too low! I had the ball hieght set as low as I could go get but it was still a little too high. I had put coil over shocks in the rear which raised the rear of the truck quite a bit. To remedy the bounce I put the spring bar chains on one link. The dry weight listed on my unit is 6200 #. It's got like every option! lol

BTW I think you probably already know that you can't tow a fifth wheel with a Burb :fingersx:

You can't?? lol No, I've decided to keep the Freedom Express.

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It sounds like you have the standard hitch shank I think that if you check you will find shanks with extended drop - I have seen these when guys with lifted trucks want to tow a trailer. Take a look here http://www.draw-tite.com/content/products.aspx?lvl=2&parentid=1600&catID=1635&part=0

 

I suggest that you visit your local hitch shop for further advice.

 

I wish you luck on finding your 3/4 T truck - however that will still not help your bounce problem as it is all hitch related.

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It sounds like you have the standard hitch shank I think that if you check you will find shanks with extended drop - I have seen these when guys with lifted trucks want to tow a trailer. Take a look here http://www.draw-tite.com/content/products.aspx?lvl=2&parentid=1600&catID=1635&part=0

 

I suggest that you visit your local hitch shop for further advice.

 

I wish you luck on finding your 3/4 T truck - however that will still not help your bounce problem as it is all hitch related.

Like I staetd before I had remedied the bounce, the truck just didn't have enough umph! I'll be sure to check out the longer shank if my next truck has a lift or something.

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Amen! lol Anyway, I was able to remedy the "bounce" issue but it came down to the truck not having enough power, ie 4 grand up grades, engine go boom! lol It didn't but I sure was uneasy about it. Not to mention 6 mpg while towing! Ouch!!

 

So I see that you have solved the bounce issue for your current (past) truck - my comment was directed more at the hitch setup in general - even with all of my experience it still takes me at least 4 hrs to get it dialed in - but once I do it is the same each time I hitch up.

 

As to the 4000 RPM - you are going to find that unless you go the diesel route those numbers are what you can expect from the GM gas engines - the variable valve timing technology allows these engines to reach peak torque at higher RPMs - right around 4000 just below the peak HP around 5000. Even with my6.0L 2500HD I usually expect to hit 3000 - 4000 RPMs when climbing hills. With the 6 speed tranny and 4.10 rear gears 4th gear at 3500 RPM is 60 MPH I can almost hold that speed and RPM with my 5800 lb trailer in tow. The rest of the time she shifts between 5th and 6th and runs between 2 and 3000 RPM. BTW I get around 9 MPG towing (with mostly hills) and 11 MPG (mostly flat) when light the truck gets around 14-15 on the hy and 10-12 around town.

 

There is a direct connection between MPG and CGW - It has to do largely with the actual amount of energy required to do the work to move the load one mile and the number of BTUs in a gallon of gasoline along with some effeciency factors etc - what I do remember is that for a CGW of 10,000 lbs one can expect to be in the 9 MPG arena - under ideal conditions.

 

You are towing more - my 5800 lbs is actual scale wt with gear for camping (but no water) you are starting out around 6000 lbs with no LPG, Batteries, or gear. - So you probably have twin 30# LPG tanks (around 60 lbs more on the tounge - and batteries - two at 25lb for a total of around 100 lbs more on your tounge over the weight sticker. Add another 3-400 lbs for a tank of fresh water and you are now at 5-600 lbs. Add your food, clothing, beer, cast iron cookware etc and you can easily add another 200-300 lbs Now you are looking at an almost 7000 lb TT with at least 700 lbs (if not more) on the tounge. So your 6 MPG is probably the best you are going to get - no matter what gas engine you get. To be honest, I have not tried to pull my TT with a 5.3 L 1500 truck, by the numbers there should not be that much difference between the two engines - the 6.0 has a slight HP and torque advantage - I am just not sure how much of a difference it would make.

 

again good luck in your search for a new truck

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I dissagree with half this board i guess. I see no issues in a 1500 truck pulling a camper if "PROPERLY EQUIPED"

 

by that i mean WD hitch (load equalizers) sway bars, and for 1500s air bags on the rear leafs. as long as the truck is level, and the weight is distributed properly i dont see an issue. you all can think what you want about this but i see sooo many 1500 truck pulling big campers (me includeD) a 6700lbs dry camper, and the only issue with my truck is the fuel it consumes to do so. everyone needs to back off on this guy and just mind your own business, anyone that hauls a camper is usually acting/driving safer than they normally would empty.

He is over his GVWR...it's as simple as that. It's an accident and a lawsuit waiting to happen. He is over his GVWR!

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He is over his GVWR...it's as simple as that. It's an accident and a lawsuit waiting to happen. He is over his GVWR!

Please tell us how you figure that - he has a payload around 1600 lbs (or more) and his tounge wt on the TT is only around 700 lbs. That leaves him headroom for some stuff in the bed.

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agreed with HD2007.

 

i have to laugh these days about everyone talking law suits and over weight and shit like that...everyone needs a 4x4 now days bla bla bla...for years our fathers and grandfathers hauled stuff with their trucks and beat the hell out of them and didnt need 4x4 to get through winter and shit.

 

with that said, yeah i have a 4x4, but i bought off a lot....i started with a 2x4 truck though...but its funny how we have gone soft and everyone bashing someone because he doesnt have a 1 ton....then you get the guy 1 ton or half ton, a 3/4 is dumb.

 

come on people, drive what you want...the guy didnt come in here looking for opinions how how his truck cant handle it, he was looking for a remedy..which is what a forum is all about

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He sold the truck, so it doesn't matter... but "gvwr" comparisons aren't very useful by themselves. The combined axle rating on my truck is 1000 lbs higher than the gvwr. Compare that to the new F150 "max tow" package. It has a rated GVWR almost 700 pounds higher than mine, but the combined axle ratings are only 50 lbs more. The F150 "max tow" GVWR is within 300 lbs of it's axle ratings! My truck is stiffer in the rear than the Ford too, so I'm certain that it will haul as much (or more) without sagging to the bumpstops. Ford and GM do not rate their trucks by the same standards...

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  • 1 year later...

So I thought I needed to update this since I got a "new" truck. I still get the bounce but not as bad. It's more like a rocking motion now (wife states something like sea sickness lol). I have new shocks all the way around, running about 80lbs in the tires. It doesn't seem to do it as bad if I leave the spring bars off but pretty sure that's not safe to be hauling a 33 foot 7,000lb trailer without them. I've tried to move the hitch head up but no change. The tongue on this particular trailer is pretty low and I wonder if that's just how these things tow. Thoughts of what I could try next?

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Best thing I would suggest is to hit the scales to see if you transfering the correct amount of weight back tot he front axle. Even if it means a slight side trip on the way to the campground next time out.

 

May not be transfering enough. It has been a while since I read the thread, and can't remember what your bars are rated at either compard to your actual tongue weight.

 

So.... how is the new tow beast???

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Love the 8.1 :driving: ! Tons of fun to drive and so much more power then my old truck. Besides the bounce issue it tows awesome! Plenty of room for the fam as well. If I can get this bounce thing figured out it'll be a great tow rig! Just don't look at the gas gauge or pass by any gas stations! lol

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Love the 8.1 :driving: ! Tons of fun to drive and so much more power then my old truck. Besides the bounce issue it tows awesome! Plenty of room for the fam as well. If I can get this bounce thing figured out it'll be a great tow rig! Just don't look at the gas gauge or pass by any gas stations! lol

 

If you want to get rid of the bounce adjust your WD hitch properly. I can tell by the photo of your truck that it is not.

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If you want to get rid of the bounce adjust your WD hitch properly. I can tell by the photo of your truck that it is not.

Are you taliking about how the rear of the truck is sagged in my sig photo? I have since fixed that by tightening up the spring bars and also moved weight to the front of the camper which seems to help. It still has the rocking motion when going over an overpass or uneven roads but it's not as bad now. I also moved the hitch head up a notch and angled the head up a few degrees as well. I still think the whole Huskly WD set up I have is junk (thank you, stealer, for giving the crappiest, cheapest set up you possibly could!), especailly since the spring bar fell out when I was backing the camper into place!

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