Towing trouble

[DONWT15]

Swaying trailers are almost always caused by insufficient tongue weight. The swaying will make the tow vehicle feel like the suspension is shot.

Does the trailer sit level when hooked up or is the tongue pitched upward (even slightly)?

The WDH bars are not meant to take all of the weight off the truck, just reduce it to the limits of the hitch. Too much tension can pitch the trailer back making it sway.

Is the hitch ball low enough (enough drop) for the tongue to sit level or very slightly downward?

I would back off the tension on the bars and then get it weighed to see where it needs to be.

 

 

[truckguy82]

Wouldn’t the springs mostly be concerned with the tonque weight?

 

I’d think the shocks would be more at fault here.

[seamus2154]

You received alot of very good advice above. I had a similar problem with towing a large boat but below the tow rating. It was a white knuckle ride at the speed limit. New truck new trailer it was scary, thought about a diesel 2500 for a bit. My friend took me down to a trailer expert. Weighed everything, adjusted the boat on the trailer, set tounge weight, and air bags. It was a night and day difference I did not believe it was so easily obtained. Tounge weight is huge, and I have found some trailers like a little more or less to be happy than the 10%-15% recommendation. I don't mean more or less than safe, I mean I had one trailer that just swayed and wasn't happy at 10% but at 14-15% is was beautiful. I also use a weigh safe hitch which has a scale on it so you know exactly what you tounge weight is. Stop at a weigh station and weigh just the trailer so you are sure of you calculations, not guessing. 

Find a trailer place that specializes in setting them up and weighs them, you will be amazed. Also if you have to have a heavy tounge weight, besides airbags, D or E rated tires will also be a huge difference. 

[BigBadSierra]

I would check the trailer axles/brakes as well.  If they are even slightly off you can get wag.

 

I had a friend having issues with his and all I did was re-adjusted his trailer brakes as one was dragging to much.

 

I will comment on this more after Wednesday I'm picking up a new trailer that is just slightly lighter then OP's and my Truck is optioned almost the same.

 

I'm already considering an airlift as I know they make a big difference with bounce.  I had a Colorado crew cab and that's all it wanted to do when my Colman Mesa was on it.

 

They are great trailers but the tongue are a little to short so even with bars it could get into this harmonic bounce on the Colorado on some roads . I put airlift bags on and it stopped.

 

I switched over to a Traverse it never had an issue as they were great at towing the weight distribution in them is perfect for towing.

 

 

 

 

 

[Donstar]

12 hours ago, YerMomsHouse said:

Thanks.  I will try that.  

I was fortunate when I bought my travel trailer to have a knowledgeable and experienced person set up my hitch.  I bought the Blue Ox SwayPro system.  My wife can be a nervous passenger and I wanted as little feel from the trailer as possible.  The only way we feel the trailer is our extra trips to the gas pumps!  Mileage is reminiscent of a carbureted 350!  Your truck and trailer are a good match for each other and with some help should prove to be a comfortable driving experience.  I don't recommend purchasing unnecessary components to add muscle to your truck.  Your truck already has the ability and you just need to harness it properly! 

[DONWT15]

55 minutes ago, seamus2154 said:

I had a similar problem with towing a large boat but below the tow rating. It was a white knuckle ride at the speed limit.

Pretty much the same experience here. Couldn't keep a 22 foot open bow from swaying.

Come to find out the trailer was set up at 6% after weight checks.

Many boat sales businesses set them up this way I found out. They get you to buy a bigger boat than your tow vehicle can really handle. If it doesn't make your head lights point at the moon it's good to go!

 

I try to get as close to 15% as I can. Air bags work really well if your getting too much squat. WD hitches are great but you need to be balanced first.

[bdbake01]

3 hours ago, DONWT15 said:

Pretty much the same experience here. Couldn't keep a 22 foot open bow from swaying.

Come to find out the trailer was set up at 6% after weight checks.

Many boat sales businesses set them up this way I found out. They get you to buy a bigger boat than your tow vehicle can really handle. If it doesn't make your head lights point at the moon it's good to go!

 

I try to get as close to 15% as I can. Air bags work really well if your getting too much squat. WD hitches are great but you need to be balanced first.

I've seen the same issue on boats myself.  Those sales guys know how to make a living.  

 

Air bags have their place.  I wouldn't have them if that wasn't the case.  But do realize that bags only increase your rear spring rate.  That's what they do.  They do nothing to increase your rear dampening, which technically you should do if you're increasing your spring rate.  So those weak shocks have to try and wrangle in even stiffer springs.  Sure stiffening the rear end can make it seem more stable, but so would welding your springs together.  

 

Also don't forget that bagging up the rear doesn't help the front axle situation.  If you have a lot of tongue weight (not necessarily too much, just a lot), you're lifting up the front of the truck.  Think of it like a seesaw.  Any weight applied behind the rear axle takes weight off of the front steer.  It's not a 1:1 ratio because your hitch is closer to the rear axle than the front axle is to the rear (shorter lever), but it makes the front end lighter and more difficult to control.  Gives it that "floaty" bounce around feeling.  Bags will jack the rear back up, but it doesn't put any weight back onto the front axle, so the front is still loosey goosey.  This is one reason why some prefer 5th wheels or goosenecks.  They put the weight directly over the rear without affecting the front or steer axle.  

 

And then there's the really scary scenario (which I'm a little concerned that OP has going on), which is an oversized or overly preloaded WD hitch that it transferring way too much weight onto the front, and lifting the rear.  With a big enough hitch and a low tongue weight, you can actually lift the rear end up over stock height, greatly reducing the weight on the rear axle.  And, you have to stop suddenly, and all of the weight is taken off of the rear axle and placed onto the front (which, incidentally is now VERY firmly planted into the pavement) and the whole rig jackknifes going down the road.  Very dangerous, and I see it way too often.  Not the actual jackknifing, the improper setup.   

[DONWT15]

3 minutes ago, bdbake01 said:

And then there's the really scary scenario (which I'm a little concerned that OP has going on), which is an oversized or overly preloaded WD hitch that it transferring way too much weight onto the front, and lifting the rear.  With a big enough hitch and a low tongue weight, you can actually lift the rear end up over stock height, greatly reducing the weight on the rear axle.  And, you have to stop suddenly, and all of the weight is taken off of the rear axle and placed onto the front (which, incidentally is now VERY firmly planted into the pavement) and the whole rig jackknifes going down the road.  Very dangerous, and I see it way too often.  Not the actual jackknifing, the improper setup.   

Agree completely

[cire0309]

2 hours ago, bdbake01 said:

 

Also don't forget that bagging up the rear doesn't help the front axle situation.  If you have a lot of tongue weight (not necessarily too much, just a lot), you're lifting up the front of the truck.  Think of it like a seesaw.  Any weight applied behind the rear axle takes weight off of the front steer.  It's not a 1:1 ratio because your hitch is closer to the rear axle than the front axle is to the rear (shorter lever), but it makes the front end lighter and more difficult to control.  Gives it that "floaty" bounce around feeling.  Bags will jack the rear back up, but it doesn't put any weight back onto the front axle, so the front is still loosey goosey.  This is one reason why some prefer 5th wheels or goosenecks.  They put the weight directly over the rear without affecting the front or steer axle.  

 

Agree!

 

OP, you should definitely read this section before you decide that putting bags in the back will help your situation.

 

There is lots of good advice thus far, but putting in airbags to solve your problem isn't the way to go. Airbags are going to just mask the problem you have because your WD isn't set up properly. It won't distribute the weight back to the front axle, which is the whole point in a WD hitch. Airbags work great for payload or a 5er/GN, but it won't work as well as a properly set up WD hitch.

 

I'm sure you can find someone competent in your area to get you set up properly if you're unsure of what you're doing. I'd do that before spending money in airbags.

[Jon A]

6 hours ago, bdbake01 said:

But for the record I inflated my bags yesterday on the way back from the local bulk supplier with 1.5 cu yds of topsoil in the bed. Leveled her out and made the ride a bit nicer.

Since when did you get airbags on your 1500?  In the last thread you said they were a bad idea because they'd "freeze up" the suspension or some other wives' tale nonsense.   Quite a reversal.

 

6 hours ago, bdbake01 said:

I’ve never even considered inflating them while towing regardless of which trailer I have behind me since I have a nice WDH and I know how to use it. 

 

Born of ignorance.  It's not a choice of one or the other.  They don't do the same thing.  Airbags make your suspension better.  WDH mimic weight transfer which helps cover up how crappy your suspension is.  The less crappy your suspension is, the more effective the WDH will be and better overall results can be obtained with safe settings.  The problem with making it a choice between one or the other comes when people over-adjust (returning 100% or more weight to the front wheels) the WDH in order to get the truck to ride acceptably.  This makes them less safe.  Ignorance is bliss until they jacknife the thing and end up in the ditch.

 

51 minutes ago, bdbake01 said:

But do realize that bags only increase your rear spring rate.  That's what they do. 

 

And that's exactly what you need to do when you add a large amount of weight to the rear springs.  Certainly that's not a difficult concept to comprehend.  There's a reason GM puts stiffer rear springs on NHT's--it's not just for people wanting to haul 2000 lbs of mulch in the bed of their trucks.  They are specifically there to help TOWING (hence, the name of the option).

 

50 minutes ago, bdbake01 said:

Also don't forget that bagging up the rear doesn't help the front axle situation....Gives it that "floaty" bounce around feeling. 

 

They actually do reduce the front end bouncing, feeling floaty and less controllable.  Had you simply tried it when you had the front end bouncing problem while towing your Firebird you would have been pleasantly surprised.  Here's how they (and other things that stiffen the rear springs, such as helper springs, etc) do that:

 

In Vehicle Dynamics, you're not allowed to cut the truck in half and treat each end separately.  They are connected by a single chassis, the way one end reacts has an effect on the other.  When you add a large mass to one end, you lower its natural frequency (increasing spring rate will raise the frequency).  When the rear suspension's frequency is lowered below that of the front, you get ride problems.

 

When a bump is encountered, the front hits it first, giving an "out of phase" input to the chassis--with the rear following the front.  If the rear frequency is lower, this makes the problem worse putting them farther out of phase for the first cycle or two (which matter most because the shocks are not able to damp out the movement for these cycles).

 

You get this:

 

 

Here you can see when the front end is at maximum height from its first full rebound from the bump, the rear is at its lowest height.  This pitches the vehicle.  Automotive Engineers have known for decades the human body is much more sensitive to pitch than it is to straight vertical movement.  This is the "front end bouncing, truck bouncing, porpoising feeling" that makes the truck feel out of control, makes people sick...makes them go out and buy a 2500 or 3500 (which come with stiff enough rear springs from the factory this is rarely as much of an issue).

 

When the rear ride frequency is higher than the front, the rear of the chassis tends to "catch up" with the front, reducing the out of phase response.  Like so:

 

 

This allows the chassis to act as a unit with a more pleasant, less noticeable, more controllable pure vertical movement.  And that's how stiffer rear springs can reduce or eliminate the "front end bouncing, porpoising, truck bouncing" issues many have when towing large trailers with the softly sprung for a passenger car-like ride 1/2 ton.

 

Does a WDH also fix the issue?  A WDH certainly can reduce it, but to a lesser extent.  When adjusted to safe levels you really aren't "transferring" that much weight--the rear axle still has a large amount of additional mass its springs need to control.  You still end up lowering the rear ride frequency a large amount.  This causes many users to adjust them to unsafe levels to get an acceptable ride--or as they often call it "knowing how to use it" or "getting it set up right."  That's why people who have some sort of ideological aversion to improving their suspension if a WDH is used, as if it is an either-or choice are misguided.  "Not needing" and "getting by" without should not be confused with "optimum" or "safest."

 

And that's just one aspect of a very long list of ways stiffer rear springs help when towing a large trailer with a 1/2 ton.  Restoring suspension travel otherwise eaten up by the rear end sagging helps keep the axle from having to bounce off the bumpstops as much when driving down the road (which can really ruin your ride on a rough road).  It reduces the amplitude (total movement) caused by road inputs reducing the "tail wagging the dog" feeling, the feeling that weight of the trailer is "having its way" with the truck, pushing the rear end all over the place, etc.  It really doesn't take a large amount of study in Vehicle Dynamics to get the concept that stiffer springs are going to handle large amounts of weight better than soft springs.  It's a pretty simple, self-evident concept--easily observable by any user who actually tries.

 

7 hours ago, truckguy82 said:

Wouldn’t the springs mostly be concerned with the tonque weight?

 

I’d think the shocks would be more at fault here.

 

As with anything that makes the suspension better, better shocks are always a good idea and I highly recommend them.  They will help to some extent in all situations.  However, they aren't going to erase a large mismatch in spring rates.  As explained above, this particular issue will be most problematic in the first and second cycle.  The damping rates required to reduce chassis movement that quickly are ones that will pound your kidneys out.  Nobody has shocks that stiff on these trucks.  On a light car with a suspension designed for roadracing, you do get into damping rates that make the above largely a non-issue.  But shocks stiff enough to do the same on a truck carrying a load would be unlivable for most users.

 

 

[Jon A]

15 hours ago, 2017HD said:

Equalizer did a great video on this - without bias - check you tube.

 

Unfortunately that video is biased--nearly to the point of being propaganda.  It shouldn't be too surprising (they sell one, not the other) but it's disappointing they would mislead and misinform the public to such an extent to help their bottom line.  It's really simple:

 

Air bags (stiffer rear springs) and WDHs do not do the same thing.  One makes your suspension better.  The other transfers weight (sort of).  "Testing" one in the function of the other is idiotic.  Next they'll be testing larger radiators, transmission coolers and larger brakes to see how much weight they transfer.  None?  I guess they're of no use to a tow vehicle...and yet all HD's get them for some reason.  Swallowing hook, line and sinker the notion that transferring weight is the only thing that matters from a company selling you an item to transfer weight isn't looking into the issue very deeply.

 

 

44 minutes ago, cire0309 said:

Airbags are going to just mask the problem you have because your WD isn't set up properly.

 

How do they "mask" the problem?  By making the truck ride and handle better and more safely?  That's a good "mask" to have!  Conversely it's just as accurate to say a WDH is "masking" the problem of the suspension being less than optimum (mainly soft rear springs, not having airbags) for the load being carried.  Again, good mask!

 

Why do so many people think you have to choose between one or the other?  Should you have shocks or springs on your truck?  Should you have a radiator or fuel injectors on your truck?  Should you have pistons or rods?  They do different things.  Both things improve ride, handling and safety of the truck when pulling a large trailer.  Using only one or the other is never going to give you as good results as using both.  And in the case of people over-adjusting a WDH because they need to in order to get the ride they want while refusing to do anything else, it can make them much less safe.  There is a big downside to transferring too much weight with a WDH.  Refusing to improve your suspension increases the likelyhood a user will do this.

 

[bdbake01]

54 minutes ago, Jon A said:

Since when did you get airbags on your 1500?  In the last thread you said they were a bad idea because they'd "freeze up" the suspension or some other wives' tale nonsense.   Quite a reversal.

 

Thread stalker, nice!  How much does it suck having to dig so hard to try and find something you could possibly use to make your point?  

 

But yes I said that, before several important changes.  Wasn't nonsense then, nor now, and I stand by my statements.

 

Since that time I've mostly leveled the truck using 5100s (which as we know have very different and imho improved dampening characteristics) and, most importantly, had a job change which much to my surprise involves regularly carrying around 1,000+lbs of equipment in the bed.  Not crazy about that, but so be it.  This resulted in way too much sag in the rear, to the point that it was at times uncomfortable to drive looking at the sky.  So I found a gently used Air Lift 2k set and installed them, but rarely run more than about 15psi.  Which, considering the NHT package only provides something like an additional 300lbs of oomph in addition to revised shock rates in the rear, seems pretty reasonable to me.  

 

So if you paid attention while stalking, then you'd see that this wasn't in any way a reversal.  It's very much in line with my recommendations all along.  If you're simply carrying heavy loads in the bed and you want a more stable experience, then add a reasonable amount of spring rate along with dampening and call it a day (gotta stick to all of the factory weight ratings, you're not changing axles, brakes, bearings, yadda yadda).  If you're towing, consider a WDH as it is the more appropriate tool for the job.  Don't use a WDH if you're not towing and have a heavy load in the bed because...well...basically you're going to be disappointed.  

 

1 hour ago, Jon A said:

Born of ignorance.  It's not a choice of one or the other.  They don't do the same thing.  Airbags make your suspension better.  WDH mimic weight transfer which helps cover up how crappy your suspension is.  The less crappy your suspension is, the more effective the WDH will be and better overall results can be obtained with safe settings.  The problem with making it a choice between one or the other comes when people over-adjust (returning 100% or more weight to the front wheels) the WDH in order to get the truck to ride acceptably.  This makes them less safe.  Ignorance is bliss until they jacknife the thing and end up in the ditch.

If I have both, then yes it can most certainly be a choice of one or the other.  Or both for that matter.  I use the proper tool for the job.  I don't just throw on whatever I have because someone said it worked well for them.  Airbags do NOT make your suspension "better".  They change the characteristics of your suspension.  Whether or not it's "better" depends on numerous factors, some of the biggest being A-did it address the root cause of the issue you were having and B-did it do so safely?  If you can answer yes to both of those, then yeah, it probably made it "better".  And I think I've mentioned several times, and even went into depth on the risks of not properly adjusting a WDH.  Namely over-adjusting them (ie transferring an excessive amount of weight) and you quickly risk jackknifing.  Don't want to jackknife?  Don't buy a 10k WDH and set on max for your 1,500lb gross single axle you bought at Harbor Freight.  But fear mongering isn't helping anyone dude.  If you really want to help, try and help explain what works, what doesn't, and why.

 

1 hour ago, Jon A said:

And that's exactly what you need to do when you add a large amount of weight to the rear springs.  Certainly that's not a difficult concept to comprehend.  There's a reason GM puts stiffer rear springs on NHT's--it's not just for people wanting to haul 2000 lbs of mulch in the bed of their trucks.  They are specifically there to help TOWING (hence, the name of the option).

Well if all you do is add a large amount of weight to the rear springs, then yeah go ahead and stiffen up the spring rate AND the dampening rate to match.  And GM does put slightly stiffer rear springs AND "revised rear shocks".  Whaddaya know?  They increased the spring rate AND the dampening together.  And the additional stiffness out back helps support a heavier tongue load, which GM assumes people will want to do with their NHT.

 

Of course if you use a properly adjusted WDH, then you don't add a large amount of weight to the rear.  That's kinda how it works.  It "distributes" (right there in the name dude....seriously) what would have rested only on the rear and lifting the front, to the front, rear and the trailer rear axles at a rate that you set.  So if you're not adding a lot of weight...why increase the spring rate???  Kinda like adding oil when you're low on gas.

 

Almost sounds like what you're advocating is that you should add air bags if you're going to, say, haul 1k+lbs of equipment in your bed pretty regular, and use a WDH whenever you're hauling a trailer.  Proper tool for the job.  Wish someone else had said that....oh....wait....

 

1 hour ago, Jon A said:

They actually do reduce the front end bouncing, feeling floaty and less controllable.  Had you simply tried it when you had the front end bouncing problem while towing your Firebird you would have been pleasantly surprised

Firebird is still a heck of a lot of fun btw.  Fuel pump is laying down on me though, gotta swap it soon.  Kills the fun :/  I somehow magically solved the front end issues without bags though.  Kinda sucks for those who want everyone to think that WDHs are dangerous snake oil.  

 

1 hour ago, Jon A said:

In Vehicle Dynamics, you're not allowed to cut the truck in half and treat each end separately.  They are connected by a single chassis, the way one end reacts has an effect on the other.  When you add a large mass to one end, you lower its natural frequency (increasing spring rate will raise the frequency).  When the rear suspension's frequency is lowered below that of the front, you get ride problems.

On this we totally agree.  So use the proper equipment to make a conscious decision on what affect your towing has on your rig and you won't have to hope for the best by simply bagging up a single spot on the chassis!

 

1 hour ago, Jon A said:

And that's just one aspect of a very long list of ways stiffer rear springs help when towing a large trailer with a 1/2 ton.  Restoring suspension travel otherwise eaten up by the rear end sagging helps keep the axle from having to bounce off the bumpstops as much when driving down the road (which can really ruin your ride on a rough road).  It reduces the amplitude (total movement) caused by road inputs reducing the "tail wagging the dog" feeling, the feeling that weight of the trailer is "having its way" with the truck, pushing the rear end all over the place, etc.  It really doesn't take a large amount of study in Vehicle Dynamics to get the concept that stiffer springs are going to handle large amounts of weight better than soft springs.  It's a pretty simple, self-evident concept--easily observable by any user who actually tries.

Regarding the previous science experience, suggest you reconsider while including additional mass and placement considerations.  Juuuuust a suggestion.

 

Using a WDH to redistribute the load does restore rear travel as it's carrying less of the load.  And if you're so heavily loaded that you're nailing the bump stops, then you have big issues and neither a WDH nor air bags will likely (there's that nasty word again!) sufficiently address the issue.  

 

But yes, stiffer springs can handle large loads better than soft springs.  This lands firmly in the "DUH" category.  But the whole point of the WDH is to keep the loading of the rear axle down to a level that it can handle safely without the need to greatly increase the spring rate thereby addressing the root cause of the problem instead of simply applying a band-aid.  

[Donstar]

You can do extensive research, solicit and analyse self-proclaimed expert data, purchase additional suspension aids, carefully distribute your groceries between the front and back of your trailer or you could properly setup an appropriate stabilizer/anti-sway hitch and enjoy your travels.  A reputable RV dealership will have the staff and equipment to ensure a pleasant towing experience.  Their business depends on your satisfaction.  I told my RV dealer that I don't want to feel any discomfort for me or my wife while towing and I wanted hitching up to be senior friendly.  They said they could meet my demands and they did.

[Jon A]

20 minutes ago, bdbake01 said:

If I have both, then yes it can most certainly be a choice of one or the other.  Or both for that matter.  I use the proper tool for the job.

Which "job?"  Like I've said 1000 times, they do different jobs.

 

28 minutes ago, bdbake01 said:

Airbags do NOT make your suspension "better".  They change the characteristics of your suspension.  Whether or not it's "better" depends on numerous factors, some of the biggest being A-did it address the root cause of the issue you were having and B-did it do so safely?  If you can answer yes to both of those, then yeah, it probably made it "better". 

The answer, if you had read the above, is clearly "yes."  The root cause is a large amount of added mass on the rear springs when towing a large bumper pull trailer.  Increasing the rear spring rate directly addresses the root cause of the stock, soft springs being less than optimum for carrying that much weight.

 

 

33 minutes ago, bdbake01 said:

Well if all you do is add a large amount of weight to the rear springs, then yeah go ahead and stiffen up the spring rate AND the dampening rate to match.  And GM does put slightly stiffer rear springs AND "revised rear shocks".  Whaddaya know?  They increased the spring rate AND the dampening together.

 

And the NHT shocks are still junk, providing less damping than a budget set of 5100s.  Yes, upgrading the shocks is a good idea as already stated but they don't address the root cause of anything being discussed in this thread.

 

37 minutes ago, bdbake01 said:

Of course if you use a properly adjusted WDH, then you don't add a large amount of weight to the rear.  That's kinda how it works.  It "distributes" (right there in the name dude....seriously) what would have rested only on the rear and lifting the front, to the front, rear and the trailer rear axles at a rate that you set.  So if you're not adding a lot of weight...why increase the spring rate???  Kinda like adding oil when you're low on gas.

 

Where on earth do you think all the tongue weight is going?  How much are you over adjusting your WDH?  To use a nice round number, consider 1,000 lbs tongue weight with the WDH set per GM's specs -- 50% FALR, if you exceed that you're violating your tow rating the same as if you violate any other number--on a Crew Cab Short Box (which I believe is what the OP has):

 

This adds 1369 lbs to the rear axle and subtracts 369 from the front before WD is applied.  After applying 50% FALR with the WDH, a whopping 185 lbs is added back to the front (think a really skinny guy sitting on your front bumper) and the rear axle has its additional load only reduced to about 1100 lbs.  Your rear axle has 1100 lbs added to it and the front axle load is only changed 184 lbs (a very small percentage change in comparison)--thus, the reason the rear springs are the focus. 

 

How much are you over-adjusting your WDH to think the rear axle doesn't get a large amount of weight added to it?

 

48 minutes ago, bdbake01 said:

Using a WDH to redistribute the load does restore rear travel as it's carrying less of the load. 

 

1100 lbs sinks the back of these softly sprung 1/2 tons a lot.  And bigger trailers will have a lot more than that.  If you're adjusting the WDH such that most of that sag is removed, you're over-adjusting it.

55 minutes ago, bdbake01 said:

But yes, stiffer springs can handle large loads better than soft springs.  This lands firmly in the "DUH" category.  But the whole point of the WDH is to keep the loading of the rear axle down to a level that it can handle safely without the need to greatly increase the spring rate thereby addressing the root cause of the problem instead of simply applying a band-aid.  

 

You have to actually understand what the "root cause" of the problem is before you can directly address it, or figure out what's a band aid and what isn't.

 

[2017HD]

4 hours ago, Jon A said:

 

Unfortunately that video is biased--nearly to the point of being propaganda.  It shouldn't be too surprising (they sell one, not the other) but it's disappointing they would mislead and misinform the public to such an extent to help their bottom line.  It's really simple:

 

Air bags (stiffer rear springs) and WDHs do not do the same thing.  One makes your suspension better.  The other transfers weight (sort of).  "Testing" one in the function of the other is idiotic.  Next they'll be testing larger radiators, transmission coolers and larger brakes to see how much weight they transfer.  None?  I guess they're of no use to a tow vehicle...and yet all HD's get them for some reason.  Swallowing hook, line and sinker the notion that transferring weight is the only thing that matters from a company selling you an item to transfer weight isn't looking into the issue very deeply.

 

 

 

How do they "mask" the problem?  By making the truck ride and handle better and more safely?  That's a good "mask" to have!  Conversely it's just as accurate to say a WDH is "masking" the problem of the suspension being less than optimum (mainly soft rear springs, not having airbags) for the load being carried.  Again, good mask!

 

Why do so many people think you have to choose between one or the other?  Should you have shocks or springs on your truck?  Should you have a radiator or fuel injectors on your truck?  Should you have pistons or rods?  They do different things.  Both things improve ride, handling and safety of the truck when pulling a large trailer.  Using only one or the other is never going to give you as good results as using both.  And in the case of people over-adjusting a WDH because they need to in order to get the ride they want while refusing to do anything else, it can make them much less safe.  There is a big downside to transferring too much weight with a WDH.  Refusing to improve your suspension increases the likelyhood a user will do this.

 

Jon - I think that you are the one who is biased. The equalizer video showed the difference between air bags and a WD hitch on a bumper pull trailer. They set the hitch height and lowered the trailer, measured all the weights and heights, inflated the air bags to bring the rear back to the original height and measured the weights on the wheels. Then did the same thing with a WD hitch and showed the difference. Where is the bias?

 

I have tried towing a similar trailer to the OP with a Tahoe - it did the same thing. I did try stiffer shocks, and tires - the end solution was actually a slightly larger WD bar set and setting it up better. In the end I traded the Tahoe for a 2500HD and never looked back. I do agree that there is a time and place for air bags - esp when the load is in the bed (not on the bumper) so for a camper or 5th wheel they would probably work well - but then there are also Timbrins that do a similar function for those applications - do you have an opinion on them?