Towing Help Please, Bounce Bounce Bounce

[BULLS]

Had the same issue with my F-150 and E19, vary frustrating and scary at times. Four/five years ago I installed a Roadmaster Active Suspension kit and eliminated all bounce.....
Understand - R.A.S isn't cheap but it works and to date haven't hear a negative from others who've installed them.

[Eric & El]

Hi Doug,

We towed our 19 for four years with a highlander and just recently switched to a TRD sport suspension tundra and find the exact same experience you describe when I tried towing the trailer empty and with no distribution. I found our highlander would porpoise less with no distribution so it must just be something with the tundra 19 combo. The good news is once I set up our fastway e2 hitch for the tundra the ride was tamed right down and is very comfortable. The fastway uses spring bars which absorb the rocking motion as well as providing sway control. I had purchased the 5000lb model as I wanted to keep the tongue weight on the highlander as low as possible. If you decided to go that route have a look at the next model up as the 5000 is pretty light but does look appropriate on the 19.

Hope this gives you peace of mind that you are not alone in your experience. The tundra is a great truck that will last a very long time with little maintenance.

Eric

[CharlesinGA]

From the first two tickets we see that your entire rig weighs 10200 lbs and subtracting the truck alone weight of 6300 lbs tells us the trailer weighs 3900 lbs.

Subtracting the trailer axle weight of 3520 from the total trailer weight of 3900 says you have a tongue weight of 380 lbs, which is not even 10%. You need a good 500 lbs on the tongue, and I'm betting its the bicycles are a major part of the problem. In addition, that trailer appears to have a lot of weight on the rear, water tank? Water heater for sure. You might consider moving the spare to an underneath mount up forward, BAL makes a couple of good mounting systems.

Your third weigh ticket is useless. You don't care what weighs what with the bars hooked up, adjust them so they take out at least half of the front end rise at the front wheels. measure before you are hitched, then after you are hitched, If the front end rises an inch and a half, then adjust the chains to push the front end down more than 3/4 inch, but never below the unhitched height.

The spring bars are too stiff as it is now, but if you get the tongue weight to 500 lbs, the bars at 600 lb rating would probably be OK.

My 21 ft Bigfoot did a lot of bobbing and was downright squirrelly behind my RAM 2500. This was first trip with no WDH. Then I installed a Blue Ox Sway Pro and it helps tremendously. Then I moved as much weight forward as possible. Tows like a dream now, you almost don't know its back there. Balanced Goodyear Endurance tires and Centramatics helped alot also.

Charles

[Rossue]

Hey Charles- looks like you nailed it! Have been saying for some time that the 19 Escape is The Most sway prone in their lineup. Not hard to imagine with the queen bed in the back and storage access from outside and people storing things under the bed as well. Not to mention a water tank in the back weighing over 200 pounds when full. Add a bike rack + 2 bikes?!

This is definitely a trailer that would benefit from a Fastway E2 hitch with extra measures to be sure of a 12% Minimum hitch weight.

[Jake930]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

There is a significant improvement in towing experience and safety using a WDH. If you've never used one, you'll never, ever know that.

Do as you please.

Ya I agree with this. I never used a WDH until our Escape. I decide to get one because I was going to be 3000 miles from home picking up the trailer and I said to myself, self, better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. I’ve towed with it and with out it. I much prefer towing with it.
As for our Tundra we used to have bouncing to the bump stops. I added Sumo springs and no longer a problem. If it does bounce it’s much more subtle and controlled .