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Old 09-22-2018, 07:10 PM   #1
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Inside Travel Trailer weight fore and Aft

First off apology if this has been brought up before. Need clarification on the weight inside my 25ft Rockwood Mini Light. Tow vehicle at this time is a Jeep Commander with the Hemi engine and tow package. I have a weight distribution hitch with a antisway bar.

First time I towed it anywhere I had a problem with trailer sway every Time I got over 45mph or close to 50mph. I was told that I had to much weight in the rear of the rear of the TT. The next trip I made sure most of the weight was moved to the front of the trailer. Very little to no sway up to 60mph, all was good.

So hear is my question. I have seen pictures of folks adding, Modifying, hanging generators and other items on the back of their TT's. I don't understand how they can do this and not get trailer sway. Does it have to do with also adding some weight to the front to balance it out? Very Puzzled.



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Old 09-22-2018, 07:33 PM   #2
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15% of the weight of your trailer should be on the tongue; otherwise sway will be a problem.

Simply adding a spare tire to the rear bumper on a trailer that is borderline on tongue weight will make that trailer susceptible to sway.
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Old 09-22-2018, 10:34 PM   #3
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Not only is tongue weight an issue but also 'towing level (or nose down)


Light tongue weight.....sway
Nose high.......sway


Towing with fresh water tank can help if tank is over or better yet in front of axles


Knowing the actual weights of truck and truck/trailer combo can be used to properly set up the Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH)
Not done right...sway




Have you weighed your jeep/trailer and then just jeep....camp ready (loaded up as if going on camping trip---or actually on your way camping)?
CAT Scales....$10/$15 for weighing..then go drop trailer in parking lot and get jeep re-weighed for free (re-weigh within 24 hrs)
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Old 09-23-2018, 05:50 AM   #4
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It primarily has to do with trailer design. A well designed trailer has its axles placed well aft of the center line. All heavy items such as slides, kitchens should be placed close to the axles and or center of gravity. Front and rear slides can causes high yaw inertia which makes the trailer prone to sway. Tongue weight % places the COG in the proper location so get to a scale and check it. When loading put heavy items down low and close to the COG/axles as possible. A WDH will contribute to sway if it’s over tensioned
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Old 09-23-2018, 04:36 PM   #5
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First, The Picture I posted was not my trailer, just one I found on the web that puzzled the crap out of me about weight distribution.

I am a newbie to TT having been in Class C's and A's before. The trailer I picked was the Rockwood Mini Lite because it was only 1 of 2 that I found that had a rear bedroom and front kitchen living area that was of a weight and size I thought was light enough for the Jeep. The Kitchen is across the front of the trailer and the slide out is in front of the axles.

I did have the Jeep and trailer weighed on our first major trip. The combined weight was more then 700 pounds under the max of the combined weight. The Trailer alone was 500 pounds under.

Because of everything I was told, I moved more weight to the front of the trailer we did excellent going up the cost highway of California from San Diego to Monterrey. Even when I got brave and pushed the speed up to 60 mph. I had little to no sway.

My question deals more with the pictures I have seen where folks have put items on the rear trailer bumper such as the picture I included.

If I add a generator to the trailer and mounted it on the rear bumper what could I expect concerning trailer sway and what should I do about it.

Would a bigger tow vehicle like a F250 be better?
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Old 09-23-2018, 05:42 PM   #6
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As a FYI all conventional trailers will sway at what’s known as the critical speed. The idea is to have a combination with a critical speed well above the normal highway travel speed. So those that have stability and a high enough critical speed can get away with adding some weight rearward and add weight forward to compensate. However as with anything there is a practical limit. A combinations critical speed where sway increases exponentially is determined by characteristics of both trailer and the tow vehicle. A WDH w/sway control should not be considered as a means to raise that critical speed.
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Old 09-23-2018, 07:33 PM   #7
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Thanks Demiles, California has a 55 mph speed limit when towing a trailer, so not that interested in going faster.



I think you answered my question though. If i add some weight to the rear of the trailer I can possible compensate it with more by adding weight in front.



I am looking to get a truck to replace the Jeep and Hope that helps.
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Old 09-23-2018, 07:35 PM   #8
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BTW any way to know or find out what that critical speed might be? Other taking a chance on finding it myself?
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Old 09-24-2018, 03:02 AM   #9
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There’s a large amount of data required to calculate what the critical speed will be but there’s no doubt a longer wheelbase, heavier TV will increase it.
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Old 09-24-2018, 07:33 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tradevman View Post
I think you answered my question though. If i add some weight to the rear of the trailer I can possible compensate it with more by adding weight in front.
If you want to add say 100 lbs to the back of the trailer, to keep your tongue weight in the 10-15% you will need to add 110-115 lbs the same distance in front of the axle. But the load on the trailer axle will increase by 200 lbs. Will that be a overload?

Quote:
I am looking to get a truck to replace the Jeep and Hope that helps.
If your trailer is swaying, a heavier, longer TV will not stop the sway, other than the trailer is more likely so move the short, light vehicle.
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Old 09-24-2018, 01:00 PM   #11
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Thanks. Plenty to think about. I guess more research is needy.
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Old 09-24-2018, 09:18 PM   #12
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A truck with LT tires and a long wheelbase will definitely tow better than your short wheelbase Jeep. I had a tent trailer that towed beautifully behind a 1/2 ton truck unless you filled the tank with 20 gallons of water then it swayed terribly. Trailer front to rear weight distribution is important.

The picture you found is a pretty sweet set-up. He must have a front water tank he can use to mitigate the weight shift. I would worry that the frame was sufficient to support that much rear end weight.

There are hitches such as Hensley Arrow and Propride that pretty much eliminate sway. A truck, a good weight distribution hitch with anti-sway and a properly set up trailer - problems solved.
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Old 09-24-2018, 09:26 PM   #13
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A longer tow vehicle will just mask some of the effects of sway. Shorter wheelbase vehicles are more influenced by less steering input. Its not that you need a bigger tow vehicle, you need your trailer balanced properly. Ive towed a few trailers where we had to stand on the toungue to get the ball to seat. Its pretty scary when your trailer tires are coming off the ground and it kicks your abs and traction control on. I would tow double my tow rating before i pulled unbalanced again.
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Old 09-25-2018, 03:11 AM   #14
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A longer wheelbase vehicle doesn’t mask anything, it will raise the speed at which sway will occur by moving the TV COG further away from the rear axle. It has the same effect as improving load conditions in the trailer.
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