First trip with the toy hauler, almost went real wrong

JohnS · 06-07-2008, 06:43 PM

Well I will start out with the specs
08.5 KC 4x4
Tow package
Prodigy Brake controller
Equilizer WD/sway

Trailer 18' 09 Weekend Warrior supercross
Battery and genny mounted on tongue
2 Yamaha R6 sportbikes and gear, food and water for a weekend.

Story
My best buddy and I decided to buy a toy hauler,and sell the 6x15 enclosed I owned. He has an 03 avalanche me the titan. We go to the RV dealer tell them we are both going to tow the TH with 2 different trucks, they say no problem and I buy a head and my buddy buys the whole hitch. They install brake controllers and set up the hitch, for both trucks. My question to them is, my truck is rated at 9500lbs and his at 7 or 8, I cannot remember right now but anyway I say do we have to do anything when switching trucks? they say no only difference is the drop on the arm cause my truck sits higher and that is why I had to buy another head for my truck.

We hauled the TH 2 times with the avalanche no problem, thursday is my turn to pull for a trackday in West Virginia from NJ. I put my head on the back of my truck hook up the trailer WD/sway bars and we leave. As we are heading down RT78 in NJ at around 60 mph we hit a steep down hill, at around 65 the speed levels out,no problom. Then things started to go really wrong. The trailer started to sway a bit then within seconds it is swaying really bad!! Then next thing I know we are out of control and the TH is pulling us back and forth across 3 lanes, we are out of control, never been so scared in my life!!!!!!!!!!!

So we are trying to figure out what to do really fast, he says the manual override on the controller reaches over cause I am trying to hold on to the wheel and he starts pushing the lever over to the left, thank God the TH starts to stop swaying and straightens the truck and trailer out and I finally get everything under controll and pull over. Being out control and knowing something bad is gong to happen is something I never want to experience again. I really thought I was going to be "that guy" that closed RT 78 right before rush hour,

We get out, thought maybe we blew some tires or something to make that happen, everything appears fine. I am pissed and freaked out and checked the bars on the hitch and they moved. I am like mike, those are not supposed to move! I bend over and start pulling on them and I can move them back and forth, there is no weight on them.

We head back to his house and call the RV dealer service department, tell them what happened, this is what they told us and I kinda figure it out myself any way, since my truck can hold more weight then his truck my suspension took over before the WD hitch/sway bars took any of the weight so we were basically pulling with nothing, TH hooked to my truck. when we left you told us we would both be fine, them sorry.
Anyway we raised the brackets the bars sit on 2 holes put the bars back in and made it WV and back with no problems.

Point of the story PLEASE make sure you are set up right before you go out! I just wanted to share.

John

rrumaner · 06-07-2008, 06:50 PM

Did you send the bill for the cleaning to the dealer?

Glad you survived and had the presence of mind to pull the lever

**PSNissanFleetMgr** · 06-07-2008, 08:07 PM

Wow. Even with WD and sway control? This kinda creeps me out a little bit. But hey, you're alive and all is well. Did the bikes suffer any damage or were they wrenched down pretty good?

Derwud · 06-07-2008, 08:40 PM

When you are set-up with the trailer is the nose down on the trailer or is it level or nose up? How much water were you carrying? I hate to say, but RV dealers should now how to set-up your hitch and trailer and it sounds like they screwed the pooch! Do you have pictures of your set-up?

By the way, glad to hear you are okay..

Derwud · 06-07-2008, 08:45 PM

Here is my set-up . notice rear of truck is down a little and nose of trailer is also down.. It's very stable..

**loufish** · 06-07-2008, 09:52 PM

Each truck has to be set up as needed, one size doesn't fit all...As you have already found out...

I borrowed a friends 21 ft TT and hitch that was setup for his 3/4 ton truck and had sway issues anything over 65 mph...I'm sure with the correct setup it would be no issues...

**walleeme** · 06-07-2008, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSNissanFleetMgr

Wow. Even with WD and sway control? This kinda creeps me out a little bit. But hey, you're alive and all is well. Did the bikes suffer any damage or were they wrenched down pretty good?

Set the truck up and test it on some short trips before you take it out.
The guys at the rock plant nearby will probably let you use their scale for a few kind words. Well worth your time.

**PSNissanFleetMgr** · 06-07-2008, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walleeme

Set the truck up and test it on some short trips before you take it out.
The guys at the rock plant nearby will probably let you use their scale for a few kind words. Well worth your time.

There's a scale at the United Van Lines office as well. And the Flying J.

JohnS · 06-08-2008, 06:14 AM

FleetMgr, the problem was the WD/Sway bars were not doing anything. The bars slide into boxs on the hitch head and the backs of them sit on L brackets coming off the frame of the trailer. when you lower the rear of the truck after installing the bars they are supposed to have a ton of tension on them and with them pushing down on the L brackets that stops the sway. So his truck would reach level much faster then mine so the back of the bars sat lower to take tension faster and to hold more weight. I needed to raise the brackets for the titan so they had tension on them when my truck was sitting level. check out the videos http://www.equalizerhitch.com/produc...ideo.php#movie

The bikes were fine they were held in with these http://www.ststands.com/main.cfm no damage at all.

Derwud The truck and trailer were level but the bars did not have much tension at all, it had 30 gallons of water. The dealer said they thought it would be fine but my truck just holds so much more weight then his so you are just going to have to move the brackets each time you switch trucks. Sorry no pics as of yet, but I will get some next trip, I am pulling It to NC in july.

Derwud · 06-08-2008, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnS

FleetMgr, the problem was the WD/Sway bars were not doing anything. The bars slide into boxs on the hitch head and the backs of them sit on L brackets coming off the frame of the trailer. when you lower the rear of the truck after installing the bars they are supposed to have a ton of tension on them and with them pushing down on the L brackets that stops the sway. So his truck would reach level much faster then mine so the back of the bars sat lower to take tension faster and to hold more weight. I needed to raise the brackets for the titan so they had tension on them when my truck was sitting level. check out the videos http://www.equalizerhitch.com/produc...ideo.php#movie

The bikes were fine they were held in with these http://www.ststands.com/main.cfm no damage at all.

Derwud The truck and trailer were level but the bars did not have much tension at all, it had 30 gallons of water. The dealer said they thought it would be fine but my truck just holds so much more weight then his so you are just going to have to move the brackets each time you switch trucks. Sorry no pics as of yet, but I will get some next trip, I am pulling It to NC in july.

You need to increase the angle of the hitch head. How many washers do you have? If you look between the hitch head and the shank you will see a group of washers, how many are there? You can increase the tension on the bars by tilting the head back more.

Read more here.

Hitch install instructions

**loufish** · 06-08-2008, 09:26 AM

Other then the laundry bill producing sway, how did the SX trailer haul?
It's supposed to be a fairly light trailer bu TH standards...

Derwud · 06-08-2008, 09:33 AM

Hey Lou, I found you over on the other TT talking about trailers... I got a good laugh...

I have to say my '04 WW FK1900 towed great behind my Titan... I miss that trailer some times!

**HudsonValleyTitan** · 06-08-2008, 12:57 PM

These guys gave you all the proper setup info you need. What you also need to know is how to control sway when/if it occurs. First and foremost, your friend was correct...HIT THAT MANUAL CONTROLLER BRAKE! That'll slap the trailer right back into place. Accellerating a bit while doing this works a little better but not necessary.
Now you'll get it setup the right way and you now know how to handle a bad bought of sway.

adkl1 · 06-08-2008, 05:59 PM

you dont speed up you need to slow down without touching the truck brakes I.E. letting off the gas and or down shifting manually then start to use the trailer brakes.. once sway starts the only way to stop is to do what i mentioned..

Derwud · 06-08-2008, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adkl1

you dont speed up you need to slow down without touching the truck brakes I.E. letting off the gas and or down shifting manually then start to use the trailer brakes.. once sway starts the only way to stop is to do what i mentioned..

You don't want to make any sudden moves either on or off the gas. Use the trailer brakes to get the trailer in line and then slow down as needed.