Travel Trailer 'lurching' at highway speeds

[Kayandmal]

Hi there
This weekend we went to the beach for a couple of nights and took our travel trailer. At highway speeds - around 60-65 mph - we experienced a new phenomenon for us - there was a steady lurching which appeared to be coming from the trailer and after a short while it became extremely monotonous and tiring.
The only difference from our previous trip and this one that I can think of is that I replaced one of the wheels/tires with the spare. The spare is new and is the same tire as the other three on the trailer. The wheel, however, does not have any balancing weights on it so I assume that it has not been balanced. Could this cause that effect?
The trailer is a 2016 KZ Sportsmen 330 bkh and I am pulling it with a GMC Sierra 2500HD. I am the second owner of the trailer and it has not been heavily used.

Please advise if you think the speare wheel/tire may be causing the issue or if you have experienced anything similar.

Many thanks!

[lanerd]

"Lurching"??? Can you give us a little more, and better, description of this new "phenomenon"?

Is it "lurching" forward and rearward? Side to side? Up and down? At any speed? When braking?

Ron

[ModestMonk]

Originally Posted by Kayandmal

Hi there
This weekend we went to the beach for a couple of nights and took our travel trailer. At highway speeds - around 60-65 mph - we experienced a new phenomenon for us - there was a steady lurching which appeared to be coming from the trailer and after a short while it became extremely monotonous and tiring.
The only difference from our previous trip and this one that I can think of is that I replaced one of the wheels/tires with the spare. The spare is new and is the same tire as the other three on the trailer. The wheel, however, does not have any balancing weights on it so I assume that it has not been balanced. Could this cause that effect?
The trailer is a 2016 KZ Sportsmen 330 bkh and I am pulling it with a GMC Sierra 2500HD. I am the second owner of the trailer and it has not been heavily used.

Please advise if you think the speare wheel/tire may be causing the issue or if you have experienced anything similar.

Many thanks!

how full were your tanks?

[Kayandmal]

Lanerd - it was a surging feeling back and forth if that helps.

[Kayandmal]

ModestMonk - water was 2/3 full. All others were empty to 1/3.

[Unplanned Tourist]

I would guess not enough weight on the hitch....

[Cumminsfan]

It's called porpoise'ing. A feeling like someone is slamming the brakes on and off.
Usually it's from not enough weight on the tongue. The front of the TT is too high.

[ModestMonk]

Originally Posted by Kayandmal

ModestMonk - water was 2/3 full. All others were empty to 1/3.

About 46 gallons or 380 #'s. I couldn't verify, but it sounds like your tanks are behind your axles. Perhaps as suggested your hitch weight wasn't sufficient.

[lynnmor]

There are some highways that cause the problem and not much can be done.

[ModestMonk]

Originally Posted by lynnmor

There are some highways that cause the problem and not much can be done.

Rolly polly type roads, as in rough roads? If it's that, you need to slow way down. We have a section that the road surface might as well been sculpted from the ALCAN highway. Water permeates under the surface so there is terrible frost heaves. I end up doing less that twenty mph.

[lanerd]

What brake controller do you have and what setting is it at? Maybe those are pulsing.

Have you weighed your trailer know it's actual tongue weight compared to it's gross actual weight.

Where are your tanks located? In front or rear of axels?

[chaps2018]

Good call ModestMonk--I have experienced this when tank(s) are over 1/2 full.

[plasma800]

Originally Posted by lanerd

What brake controller do you have and what setting is it at? Maybe those are pulsing.

Have you weighed your trailer know it's actual tongue weight compared to it's gross actual weight.

Where are your tanks located? In front or rear of axels?

I'm familiar with his trailer and setup somewhat. He's using the on board controller in a GMC 2500HD diesel ('08) His truck is almost identical to mine, and when my brake controller is active, it shows on the display how hard it's working.

Good idea to crawl underneath and verify tank locations.

He stated that this happened on both his outbound and return trip. I'd be 99% positive his holding tanks were empty in both directions, and with whatever water he stated was on board.

This is a new occurrence with this trailer. He's pulled it to Denver and back, Dallas and back, so forth without this happening.

What HAS happened recently though is he suffered some road damage to the road side skirt and into the tire and wheel. The forward wheel of his trailer was bent slightly, and he hot swapped the the spare onto the axle. I think he had the bent wheel replaced?? maybe not, regardless it's in the spare location at the moment.

What I noticed is that the forward tire (that was the spare) does not have a balancing weight on it. I have no idea if this could contribute to the problem.

You don't suppose the road damage could have further damaged his axle or bearing, and the shop didn't catch it?

[plasma800]

AND water sloshing aft and fore does fit the description of the feeling he described to me.

He also stated it was worse on concrete than asphalt....