Trailer Bouncing When Towing it Dry with a Weight Distribution System
Question:
I purchased a 30 foot camper trailer 5730 lbs dry this past weekend and towed it home with my 2002 Suburban Z71. On some roads during the 500 mile drive I had perfectly nice flat towing - but on some roads I would get a good amount of bounce no matter the speed from 55-70mph. no sway at all I did notice that my trailer with WDH and sway control seems to be pointing up and it not level to the ground. Could this be contributing to the bounce I was experiencing. I am planning on leveling things out to see if this helps but would love your input. Not sure if you can tell about the rise in the trailer at the front from my photo but I am including it.
asked by: Paul B
Expert Reply:
I think the bounce you are experiencing is a combination of 2 things: lack of weight in the trailer and the use of a weight distribution (WD) system. Since you were towing your trailer dry that means that the suspension was more rigid and then you throw on a WD system and that just adds to the rigidity. Once you add weight to your trailer I'm pretty sure you'll see a decrease in the bounce, if you see much bounce at all.
Your trailer is sitting a little nose-high but nothing too terrible. As long as you can get your trailer coupler within about 1" of level you are good to go with your WD system. I do recommend using a scale like part # e99044 to ensure that your trailer tongue weight (TW) falls in the middle of the 10-15% sweet spot for a trailer. Anything more or less can contribute to sway or bounce as well as the performance of your WD system.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
etrailer Tongue Weight Scale for Campers and Utility Trailers - 2,000-lb Capacity
- Tongue Weight Scale
- Analog Scale
- 2000 lbs
- etrailer
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