towing a travel trailer cross country

[redwngr]

10 hours ago, Moend said:

Interestingly I only have the one sticker. They must have forgotten to put the other one at the factory.

 

I read that GVWR is higher than adding both front and back. Also, found that I should have weight the truck un hitched. Guees I Have to go back to the scale

Tire sticker is usually on on the side of the post facing up/front.

The vin specific towing label is usually on the same post, but on the side facing outwards, at the very bottom.  

 

 

[redwngr]

 

Gross Vehicle - truck and loads alone

Gross Combined - truck + trailer, and all loads 

RGA - rear gross axle

Curb - truck without passengers or payload

 

This is from an HD, but shows the second label, from the bottom of post. 

Trailering information label:

 

 

Tire labels look like:

[AlaskaErik]

31 minutes ago, redwngr said:

 

Gross Vehicle - truck and loads alone

Gross Combined - truck + trailer, and all loads 

RGA - rear gross axle

Curb - truck without passengers or payload

 

This is from an HD, but shows the second label, from the bottom of post. 

Trailering information label:

 

 

Tire labels look like:

There is a third sticker way at the bottom that has the front and rear axle gross weights.  It's the one with the QR code with the build data and the date of manufacture. 

[BlueDMax]

I read through this whole thread. It sounds like the exact same issue I have when towing my camper. I just bought the camper late summer 2020. It's 34ft overall (30 ft box) and 6950 empty. We stayed local for the 3 or 4 trips we made so I could get used to the setup, driving and having kids/dogs and everything else going on in the truck. This is the first time in all my research I've found someone describing the EXACT same thing I feel when towing this thing.

 

I have a Blue Ox WDH and bags on the back with onboard air. I've tried the 8th link, 9th link and 10th link. I've gone from 15lb of air in the bags to 40 and everything in between. I can't get rid of what I call the tire wiggle. If you kick the side of the back bumper of your truck, the truck wiggles. These tires wiggle A LOT. Put 850lbs of tongue weight on it and it wiggles more. So when towing, the trailer doesn't "sway" in the definition of sway, but the back of the truck wiggles. The only way I can think to describe it is it feels like the back end starting to kick out when you hit black ice. Pretty unnerving. 

 

In speaking with some buddies who are more seasoned at towing than I am, it's a soft tire issue. The tires on these trucks are NOT meant for towing what I tow. So E rated tires are in my future before the first trip in the spring. 

 

Just wanted to share with the OP that I'm going through the same thing. 

 

Chris

[Jrodpic]

1 hour ago, AlaskaErik said:

There is a third sticker way at the bottom that has the front and rear axle gross weights.  It's the one with the QR code with the build data and the date of manufacture. 

Yep mine has the 3rd sticker. 

[Jrodpic]

25 minutes ago, BlueDMax said:

I read through this whole thread. It sounds like the exact same issue I have when towing my camper. I just bought the camper late summer 2020. It's 34ft overall (30 ft box) and 6950 empty. We stayed local for the 3 or 4 trips we made so I could get used to the setup, driving and having kids/dogs and everything else going on in the truck. This is the first time in all my research I've found someone describing the EXACT same thing I feel when towing this thing.

 

I have a Blue Ox WDH and bags on the back with onboard air. I've tried the 8th link, 9th link and 10th link. I've gone from 15lb of air in the bags to 40 and everything in between. I can't get rid of what I call the tire wiggle. If you kick the side of the back bumper of your truck, the truck wiggles. These tires wiggle A LOT. Put 850lbs of tongue weight on it and it wiggles more. So when towing, the trailer doesn't "sway" in the definition of sway, but the back of the truck wiggles. The only way I can think to describe it is it feels like the back end starting to kick out when you hit black ice. Pretty unnerving. 

 

In speaking with some buddies who are more seasoned at towing than I am, it's a soft tire issue. The tires on these trucks are NOT meant for towing what I tow. So E rated tires are in my future before the first trip in the spring. 

 

Just wanted to share with the OP that I'm going through the same thing. 

 

Chris

7,000 empty is at max if not over max for a 1500. You can try some stiffer tires but my guess is you’re going to have some sketchy moments with that setup regardless of what you do with tires/bags/WDH/shocks/springs etc

[redwngr]

 

1 hour ago, Jrodpic said:

Yep mine has the 3rd sticker. 

3 hours ago, AlaskaErik said:

There is a third sticker way at the bottom that has the front and rear axle gross weights.  It's the one with the QR code with the build data and the date of manufacture. 

Good catch!  That's what I get for not checking mine 

 

And I knew about the QR label for service parts.  QR code replaces the RPO code label that used to be in the glovebox.

(this was changed/they added prior to adding the new trailering info label)

 

Should have put 2 and 2 together when the picture  I scooped from the 'net didn't have the QR. code....

 

QR sticker will be something like this. 

Edited January 26, 2021 by redwngr

[Moend]

Aha found it. And it shows 3800 front and back which is compind is more that what is my truck compined. It kind of make sense in a way the axle can handle more that what the truck at max probably away to protect against over loading an axle over the other

[Moend]

Thank you guys for all of the input.

 

Chris, do you have a picture of your setup.

 

Also, i saw this guy on youtube he was towing I think 36ft trailer with and older F150 might been 2006 or so. He said biggest upgrafe was tires and shockes

[Moend]

 

[BlueDMax]

Thank you guys for all of the input.
 
Chris, do you have a picture of your setup.
 

This is pre-bags. I also adjust the hitch down 1 notch to account for the truck raising up with the bags.


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[Moend]

56 minutes ago, BlueDMax said:

 

This is pre-bags. I also adjust the hitch down 1 notch to account for the truck raising up with the bags.


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Nice looking rig. I actually found something that says airbags are bad if used to level the truck but okay to use to stiffen the suspension and to help with porpoising, that is why I am thinking of sumo springs instead of bags plus they are cheaper

[Moend]

1 hour ago, BlueDMax said:

 

This is pre-bags. I also adjust the hitch down 1 notch to account for the truck raising up with the bags.


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Just realized we have an almost identical truck. Do you have max tow package

[BlueDMax]

Nice looking rig. I actually found something that says airbags are bad if used to level the truck but okay to use to stiffen the suspension and to help with porpoising, that is why I am thinking of sumo springs instead of bags plus they are cheaper

The only time porpoising is not utterly awful is when the truck is sitting still. Lol. Buddy of mine has a 2012 Sierra 1500. 130000+ miles of abuse and it rides better than my truck loaded, unloaded or otherwise. Too many folks these days want trucks to ride like Cadillacs.


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[Moend]

15 minutes ago, BlueDMax said:

The only time porpoising is not utterly awful is when the truck is sitting still. Lol. Buddy of mine has a 2012 Sierra 1500. 130000+ miles of abuse and it rides better than my truck loaded, unloaded or otherwise. Too many folks these days want trucks to ride like Cadillacs.


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Actually that is one of the things I thought it was unpleasant about the T1. I even compared it to Uncle Buck car.

 

https://youtu.be/OA-FmsSdSMY