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Old 02-13-2019, 09:29 AM   #1
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towing without weight distribution...

We are buying a F250, mainly because on our long trips a 1/2 ton doesn't have the margin we would like for payload (tow capacity is fine, but our actual payload is very high when you combine tongue weight, a cap, passengers and gear in the bed).

Anyway, on the F250s these days the weight carrying and weight distribution ratings for towing are the same (12,500 for what we are looking at).

I've read the manual and discussion of weight distribution is very limited, obviously it can be used, but is it needed? There is no guidance I've found. Trailer is max 5500 loaded and we would be running with 2000 pounds in the vehicle. Is weight distribution going to be helpful? Obviously I can wait and see (and I'm all set up with weight distribution), but does anyone have any thoughts or has dealt with this (lighter trailer/heavy truck)? Just looking for thoughts or leads, I can research more as the time comes.
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Old 02-13-2019, 11:16 AM   #2
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I guess it would depend on how much the trailer weighs down the truck (i.e., how much does the rear of the truck drop when trailer is hooked up)

I'm guessing your trailer's tongue weight is around 650# - 700#.

Weight distribution is helpful for transferring weight to the front tires and avoiding a nose high situation with the truck. Though with a light trailer like your's you bring up a good point, will that occur. If the truck dropped at all when hooked up to the trailer I, personally would use the WD setup.

Other things to consider is that the rear / receiver on the F250 will probably be high that your current tow vehicle. So you'll have to make adjustments to the ball position (i.e., lower it) so the trailer stays close to level when hitched to the F250. That is you want to avoid a nose high trailer position when hooked to the truck.

IMO if you have the WD setup, why not use it?

If I were in your situation and had the WD setup with sway control, I would use it.

Just my $0.02.

Curious to see what others think.
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Old 02-13-2019, 11:25 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PTHutch View Post
I guess it would depend on how much the trailer weighs down the truck (i.e., how much does the rear of the truck drop when trailer is hooked up)

I'm guessing your trailer's tongue weight is around 650# - 700#.

Weight distribution is helpful for transferring weight to the front tires and avoiding a nose high situation with the truck. Though with a light trailer like your's you bring up a good point, will that occur. If the truck dropped at all when hooked up to the trailer I, personally would use the WD setup.

Other things to consider is that the rear / receiver on the F250 will probably be high that your current tow vehicle. So you'll have to make adjustments to the ball position (i.e., lower it) so the trailer stays close to level when hitched to the F250. That is you want to avoid a nose high trailer position when hooked to the truck.

IMO if you have the WD setup, why not use it?

If I were in your situation and had the WD setup with sway control, I would use it.

Just my $0.02.

Curious to see what others think.
Tongue weight is 550 when road ready. Absolutely will have to change ball height, the Tundra has one of the lowest hitch heights and the F250 is pretty high .

Our WD is a good one in the reese dual cam and I had not even considered sway. Good point - thanks. I have never had sway issues because I've always had anti-sway, so that is a good reason.

One reason I like the idea of no WD is because the WD accentuates rough road a lot (washboard on dirt, frost heaves on the ALCAN, etc...). I feel like the WD when really clamped down puts undue strain on the truck adn camper under those conditions. I used to get out and drop a link from the bars under those conditions to soften the ride, but I've gotten lazy. The Tundra needed the WD for sure. Running with no WD under rough conditions would be great, so I can probably just do that without awful sag and then put the bars on for the highway.

Thanks for the thoughts... Anyone else, fire away...
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Old 02-13-2019, 02:49 PM   #4
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You make some good points.

On rough roads, you're not traveling as fast and if you're setup rides better without the WD, then IMO you'll be ok without it, as long as you're not experience too much drop on the truck when trailer is attached. At 550# tongue weight, I double you'll get much drop from the F250, but it's always good to check it to confirm. Take some measurements at the front wheel well and rear wheel well (i.e., from ground to wheel well at center of the tire) before and after trailer is hooked up without WD to see what the impact is.

JohnB will probably give more specifics, but I'm guessing if you're only seeing a 1/2" difference between unhooked and hooked, there shouldn't be a problem.

Thought when driving good roads or highway were you're doing the speed limit (e.g., 55; 60mph, etc.), I would definitely use the reese dual cam, just from a safety perspective.
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Old 02-13-2019, 02:59 PM   #5
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You will know if you need or want WD after a few pulls if not immediately after hitching up.
I had a 1ton van and never noticed a difference with or without bars.
Towing with excursion (1ton rear spring swap) I can feel a difference without WD.
It's not really nose high without them but the front does seem to bob up & down more.
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Old 02-13-2019, 06:59 PM   #6
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Hi Tod,

I may be able to help but need a little more info.

What year F250 are you looking at?

Is is the gas or diesel?

What is the wheelbase? Is it crew cab, short bed etc or other?

Any idea on the added bed weight when towing? Include the truck cap weight too if you plan on using one.

By any change, do you know if that F250 comes with the 2 stage rear springs? 2 stage meaning there are helper springs (overload springs) that will touch a frame bracket when the bed load gets high enough. Some F250's have them, some don't. Ford has so many spring packages, trying to see which ones you are looking at.

The Reese DC, is it a trunnion bar hitch or the round bar hitch?

What rating size WD bars do you have?

I'm assuming you have a Reese brand hitch head and WD bars? Yes or no? Reese use to offer a DC kit with WD bar adapters to go on other brands of WD hitches. I'm trying to make sure I know which actual WD hitch you have.

With those answers, I should be able to give you some towing experience feeling in the truck and thoughts to think through based on some similar setups with and without WD on Fords and GM's 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

Thanks

John
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Old 02-13-2019, 07:48 PM   #7
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Hi John, we are going to order a 2019 F250, 4x4, Crew, 6.75' box, with the 6.2L gas (and 3.73 rear). Wheelbase is 160". Color is undecided .

We typically have roughly 2K on the truck for a long trip (550# on the tongue, 200# cap (topper), 1400 pounds passengers and gear). This varies wildly, many trips the 1400 would be 1/2 that.

I've not been paying attention to helper springs on the trucks, I *think* they have them. I've seen lots of helper springs on the lot when we were looking at them, but I could be noticing diesels or F350s.. Not very helpful, I know. I'll know in a couple months for sure.

Our Reese DC is all stock Reese with 800# trunnion bars.

Thanks for thinking through this.



Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB View Post
Hi Tod,

I may be able to help but need a little more info.

What year F250 are you looking at?

Is is the gas or diesel?

What is the wheelbase? Is it crew cab, short bed etc or other?

Any idea on the added bed weight when towing? Include the truck cap weight too if you plan on using one.

By any change, do you know if that F250 comes with the 2 stage rear springs? 2 stage meaning there are helper springs (overload springs) that will touch a frame bracket when the bed load gets high enough. Some F250's have them, some don't. Ford has so many spring packages, trying to see which ones you are looking at.

The Reese DC, is it a trunnion bar hitch or the round bar hitch?

What rating size WD bars do you have?

I'm assuming you have a Reese brand hitch head and WD bars? Yes or no? Reese use to offer a DC kit with WD bar adapters to go on other brands of WD hitches. I'm trying to make sure I know which actual WD hitch you have.

With those answers, I should be able to give you some towing experience feeling in the truck and thoughts to think through based on some similar setups with and without WD on Fords and GM's 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

Thanks

John
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Old 02-14-2019, 05:59 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by enormiss View Post
You will know if you need or want WD after a few pulls if not immediately after hitching up.
I had a 1ton van and never noticed a difference with or without bars.
Towing with excursion (1ton rear spring swap) I can feel a difference without WD.
It's not really nose high without them but the front does seem to bob up & down more.
Just wait and see is a good enough approach. The experience you shared is valuable, so thanks! WD is easy enough to deploy.
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Old 02-18-2019, 07:37 PM   #9
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Hi Tod,

Getting back to you. Been tied up, but thinking about this. I looked up your proposed new truck. That is a very nice truck. Some things to think about and which may help as you sort through this.

I noticed you picked the 3.73 rear axle ratio. That is not a bad choice, with the 6.2 gasser, it looks to be rated at 19,500 lb. GCWR. For your current trailer and payloads, that should work well. The curb weight depending on the extras you get starts at 6,500# plus your 2,000# payload and a 5,500# camper = 14,500 GCW approximately. That gives you 5,000# in reserve or approx. 25% extra pulling power.

If there is any thinking about getting a larger trailer, the 4.30 rear end up’s the GCWR to 22,000 lb.

With a curb weight of 6,500# less add on’s, 2,000# of cargo and 550# tongue weight = 9,050# GVW. Pending the spring pack it comes with, you should have a 10,000# GVWR. And rear axle rating can handle the entire payload the truck can handle. Your right, with the cargo loads you use a good amount of an F250.

Something which did stick out in your numbers. The camper fully loaded to 5,500# with a 550# tongue weight. That is 10% on the tongue load. That is the bottom end of OK. Keep that in mind in case a cargo shift inside the camper adds more to the back of the camper you can go under the 10% TW aggravating trailer sway giving the right conditions.

Being on a 160” wheelbase and using 65” from the rear axle to tow ball (an estimate) a 550# tongue weight with no weight distribution, will load up the rear axle by 773# and unload the front axle by 223#.

Ford now follows the new SAE guidelines on weight distribution setup. They use the words, Front Axle Load Restoration (FALR). Meaning they only want a certain percentage of the load back on the front axle to help ward off “oversteer” on the truck when towing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understeer_and_oversteer

100% FALR means all the weight lost from the front axle is returned. 50% FALR means half the load lost off the front end is returned. Page 289 in the 2019 F250 manual is talking about shooting for “approximately” 50% FALR. The “approximate” wording gives you some wiggle room to be somewhat heavier or say 60% FALR. See here for a manual if you do not have one https://www.fleet.ford.com/partsands...owner-manuals/


In your case, only 223# is removed off the front axle with a dead weight hitch setup. (no WD, towing on the just the ball) Now looking at 50% FALR means only 112# would be removed from the front axle if you did use a WD hitch. They want the front a little lighter then unhitched to make sure the truck front end slides some in a sharp turn when towing not going into oversteer. They do not want you more than unloaded weight (> 100% FALR) on the front end as that can create oversteer and kick the rig into a jackknife by the added front axle weight increasing steering traction.

With that long truck wheelbase, 3/4 ton suspension on a 10,000# GVWR truck and only a 550# TW, from a front axle situation you can get by without a WD hitch. The truck receiver appears to be rated at 1,500# in weight carrying and weight distributing. See page 38 in the 2019 Ford Towing manual. https://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/

On page 38 they also talk about the FALR going to 50% on the F250.

Something you will feel the first day you tow, probably in the first 500 feet, the entire truck is more stable over your 1500. The stiffer tires and the more massive suspension, you will feel more substantial.

A heads up, if you do tow without a WD hitch, you need a ball mount rated to handle the 550# dead load. Most hollow tube 2” drawbars only go to 500#. Reese does make 2 1/2” drawbars that can handle the 550# no problem and in drop shank. Then you do not have to fiddle with the 2 to 2 1/2" adapter. Since they are 2 1/2” they can handle the dead loads being hollow. Some up to 1,400#. See here. I have a few of these for my truck and trailers. Reese - Class V: 2-1/2” Ball Mounts

This now comes down to anti-sway control. Your existing Reese DC only works with weight distribution. Being on a 10% TW on the camper, having a working anti-sway is a good thing for when bad days towing come at you. I can tell you I pulled my T1950 300 miles on the ball and the trailer towed fine. The truck had no issues. Granted my springs are a little heavier, but the same wheelbase. It was still in the 10% to 11% TW range as the T1950 starts out with about a 9.5% dry TW. The camper was not loaded much but had 2 full LP tanks and a battery.

Since you travel cross country, having an effective sway control can be a good thing. If you were only doing local 50 to 100-mile trips, the heavy truck would overcome a lot, but it too needs help sometimes. The standard Reese trunnion bar head is rated at 1,000# dead weight with no WD bars on it. You can use that as your ball mount and add the bars as needed. Just make sure the DC is set up correctly so if you want to use it, then they are already set to go.

Hope this helps and have fun with the new ride. When is pick up day?

John
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Old 02-18-2019, 09:05 PM   #10
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Thanks John, let me read that a couple times, digest and think through it before I get back to you.

T
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Old 02-21-2019, 07:56 AM   #11
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Great John, thanks for your thoughts and research. I appreciate it.

We haven't ordered the truck, but plan to this week or next, we need the truck by July and they are 8-12 weeks out on orders. There are also incentives we want to get on too.

On the 3.73, that seemed like the way to go towing our light trailer. Also I want a rear locker, and the 4.30 with locker it isn't an option with what we are looking at. No matter what we do trailer-wise in the future, we will stay around 5-7K max given that we like a shorter trailer to be able to maneuver the places we go. I don't see retiring the T-1950 any time soon given the work I have in it (solar, electrical, plumbing, suspension, etc....).

I'm interested to see how the towing will be, you mention that it will be noticeable. I'd say right now, the trailer is a "dream" to tow, so any improvement will be gravy. When we first bought the Tundra, we took it out with the "P" rated stock tires and it was really loose on the highway, so I put my favorite "LTs" on it, which are E rated. That made a big improvement. The Tundra is running the exact tire size and load range that the F250 comes with, and those tires are new now, so I think I'll change them over to the F250. Should be a good comparison when we hit the road the first time - same tires, heavier truck.

As for the tongue weight, I hear you. Given the floor plan and loading at times, we probably frequently run with it under that 550#, by a bit. The combo has been remarkably stable over 50K on the road, so I hope that continues.

I will for sure just use our current reese head to start. Just get it set up for WD and see how things go.

Thinking about sway and anti sway, I'd think that with the DC the more weight distribution you applied the more anti-sway effect you would get given the design. With less need for weight distribution will the felt sway go up? I guess we will see.

It always surprises me that the WD setup instructions call for the truck loaded, but without trailer, in step 1. If you have a heavy load in the bed, the nose will be up already, but if oversteer and FALR is the focus then it makes sense.

Obviously, I'll report back along the way and thanks!





Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB View Post
Hi Tod,

Getting back to you. Been tied up, but thinking about this. I looked up your proposed new truck. That is a very nice truck. Some things to think about and which may help as you sort through this.

I noticed you picked the 3.73 rear axle ratio. That is not a bad choice, with the 6.2 gasser, it looks to be rated at 19,500 lb. GCWR. For your current trailer and payloads, that should work well. The curb weight depending on the extras you get starts at 6,500# plus your 2,000# payload and a 5,500# camper = 14,500 GCW approximately. That gives you 5,000# in reserve or approx. 25% extra pulling power.

If there is any thinking about getting a larger trailer, the 4.30 rear end up’s the GCWR to 22,000 lb.

With a curb weight of 6,500# less add on’s, 2,000# of cargo and 550# tongue weight = 9,050# GVW. Pending the spring pack it comes with, you should have a 10,000# GVWR. And rear axle rating can handle the entire payload the truck can handle. Your right, with the cargo loads you use a good amount of an F250.

Something which did stick out in your numbers. The camper fully loaded to 5,500# with a 550# tongue weight. That is 10% on the tongue load. That is the bottom end of OK. Keep that in mind in case a cargo shift inside the camper adds more to the back of the camper you can go under the 10% TW aggravating trailer sway giving the right conditions.

Being on a 160” wheelbase and using 65” from the rear axle to tow ball (an estimate) a 550# tongue weight with no weight distribution, will load up the rear axle by 773# and unload the front axle by 223#.

Ford now follows the new SAE guidelines on weight distribution setup. They use the words, Front Axle Load Restoration (FALR). Meaning they only want a certain percentage of the load back on the front axle to help ward off “oversteer” on the truck when towing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understeer_and_oversteer

100% FALR means all the weight lost from the front axle is returned. 50% FALR means half the load lost off the front end is returned. Page 289 in the 2019 F250 manual is talking about shooting for “approximately” 50% FALR. The “approximate” wording gives you some wiggle room to be somewhat heavier or say 60% FALR. See here for a manual if you do not have one https://www.fleet.ford.com/partsands...owner-manuals/


In your case, only 223# is removed off the front axle with a dead weight hitch setup. (no WD, towing on the just the ball) Now looking at 50% FALR means only 112# would be removed from the front axle if you did use a WD hitch. They want the front a little lighter then unhitched to make sure the truck front end slides some in a sharp turn when towing not going into oversteer. They do not want you more than unloaded weight (> 100% FALR) on the front end as that can create oversteer and kick the rig into a jackknife by the added front axle weight increasing steering traction.

With that long truck wheelbase, 3/4 ton suspension on a 10,000# GVWR truck and only a 550# TW, from a front axle situation you can get by without a WD hitch. The truck receiver appears to be rated at 1,500# in weight carrying and weight distributing. See page 38 in the 2019 Ford Towing manual. https://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/

On page 38 they also talk about the FALR going to 50% on the F250.

Something you will feel the first day you tow, probably in the first 500 feet, the entire truck is more stable over your 1500. The stiffer tires and the more massive suspension, you will feel more substantial.

A heads up, if you do tow without a WD hitch, you need a ball mount rated to handle the 550# dead load. Most hollow tube 2” drawbars only go to 500#. Reese does make 2 1/2” drawbars that can handle the 550# no problem and in drop shank. Then you do not have to fiddle with the 2 to 2 1/2" adapter. Since they are 2 1/2” they can handle the dead loads being hollow. Some up to 1,400#. See here. I have a few of these for my truck and trailers. Reese - Class V: 2-1/2” Ball Mounts

This now comes down to anti-sway control. Your existing Reese DC only works with weight distribution. Being on a 10% TW on the camper, having a working anti-sway is a good thing for when bad days towing come at you. I can tell you I pulled my T1950 300 miles on the ball and the trailer towed fine. The truck had no issues. Granted my springs are a little heavier, but the same wheelbase. It was still in the 10% to 11% TW range as the T1950 starts out with about a 9.5% dry TW. The camper was not loaded much but had 2 full LP tanks and a battery.

Since you travel cross country, having an effective sway control can be a good thing. If you were only doing local 50 to 100-mile trips, the heavy truck would overcome a lot, but it too needs help sometimes. The standard Reese trunnion bar head is rated at 1,000# dead weight with no WD bars on it. You can use that as your ball mount and add the bars as needed. Just make sure the DC is set up correctly so if you want to use it, then they are already set to go.

Hope this helps and have fun with the new ride. When is pick up day?

John
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Old 02-21-2019, 02:29 PM   #12
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We have an '18 F150 with 5.0 litre. It has a 10 speed automatic that has 200 rpm splits at 2000 rpm. When in tow-haul mode, it rarely hits 10th. You might want to consider getting the standard axle ratio in order to get better mileage when not towing. We are averaging 12.5 litres per 100km over 20k km.
The electric brake controller is really slick. You can enter the trailer info for each trailer that you have, and then select the brake profile for the trailer that is connected. it also has an odometer for each trailer. The backup camera has a line in it to help line up the trailer hitch with the ball, but mine is off by an inch or so.
The backup assist seems to be more work to set up than it is worth.
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Old 02-22-2019, 05:32 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tod Osier View Post
Great John, thanks for your thoughts and research. I appreciate it.
You are very welcome. We all learn new things when helping out. Including me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tod Osier View Post
On the 3.73, that seemed like the way to go towing our light trailer. Also, I want a rear locker, and the 4.30 with a locker it isn't an option with what we are looking at. No matter what we do trailer-wise in the future, we will stay around 5-7K max given that we like a shorter trailer to be able to maneuver the places we go. I don't see retiring the T-1950 any time soon given the work I have in it (solar, electrical, plumbing, suspension, etc....).
Good catch!! I had not realized they did not offer the locking rear end on the 4.30's. Mine has it on the 4.10 and I never gave it a thought the 4.30's didn't have it. Yeh, a pickup in the snow can be all over without that option. 4 x 4 helps, but a locking rear axle helps better.

If you are staying under, say 8,500# of the camper, the 3.73 will do you well. Just mentioning it if you were thinking a lot above an 8,500# camper.

And I hear ya on keeping the camper. I do not know if we will ever part with our T310SR. I have way too much into it that does not come on a new camper. Upgraded axles, self-adjusting brakes, shocks, commercial AC unit, the rear storage boxes, 16" LT tire upgrade, the frame reinforcement, and the list goes on. While we may someday get a different camper, ours is still in such great shape it may end up being a summer place at a local state park. I may become a camp VIP if I ever run out of projects to do.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tod Osier View Post
I'm interested to see how the towing will be, you mention that it will be noticeable. I'd say right now, the trailer is a "dream" to tow, so any improvement will be gravy. When we first bought the Tundra, we took it out with the "P" rated stock tires and it was really loose on the highway, so I put my favorite "LTs" on it, which are E rated. That made a big improvement. The Tundra is running the exact tire size and load range that the F250 comes with, and those tires are new now, so I think I'll change them over to the F250. Should be a good comparison when we hit the road the first time - same tires, heavier truck.
You will/should notice a difference. These new 1/2 ton PU's, ride like a cream puff. Any brand. The difference is with the cargo capacity and riding heavy when towing. This is why they make heavier suspension trucks, to handle the weight. When we had our T2499, I started out towing it with our 2002 Tahoe at the time. The truck and camper were stable and that was the reference I had. When our 2003 2500 Suburban came, towing that same camper was a global shift in truck stability. I felt it just driving out our 300 ft. driveway at the time. That was a great match.

Then came the T310SR. We used the 2500 Burb for about 3 months before the F350 came. While the Burb did OK on the flatlands of central OH, I was sitting at the limits of the truck. I had to limit camper cargo to make sure I did not overload it. I knew it was not a long term working situation for me. When I hooked up the F350 for the first time, that same exact feeling of stability came heading down the driveway. OMG yes, I did the right thing again! From 130" wheelbase to 156" WB and from 3/4 ton to 1-ton suspension made a noticeable difference and I can load the truck and camper as need.

The tires heads up on new tires. Something is going on in recent years than say, 6 to 8 years ago. I am now on my 3rd set of tires on the F350. The first set came of tires came with the truck approx. dates late 2004. (truck was used at ~ 28K miles). The truck was rock solid with those OEM tires. The 2nd set now 2009, hitched up and headed out on a 500-mile camping trip and no issues, same tire brand, and model. I think there were only about 100 miles on the tires before the trip.

Then in 2017 I again get all new tires. Same brand, same model. The first camping trip out the truck was no longer rock solid. The front end wanted to wiggle around. Having been through changing tire brands and having a very negative result, I stuck with what I knew worked. After checking the hitch, tire pressures etc. I started doing more research. Guys are talking about new tires and the truck being squirrelly. They had different brands then mine, but I got it too. 3,500 miles later the truck came back to being rock solid. Something about the newer rubber compounds or the methods they mold them by, the friction of the tire to the road seems to be less. After a few thousand miles, I can feel the truck come back to what it used to be. Finally, at around 3,500 miles whatever was different, it wore off.

With your camper being much lighter than mine and the F250 so much more truck compared to the camper, you may not have the issue. Just heads up, before you head west, camp locally to make sure the rig is stable.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tod Osier View Post
As for the tongue weight, I hear you. Given the floor plan and loading at times, we probably frequently run with it under that 550#, by a bit. The combo has been remarkably stable over 50K on the road, so I hope that continues.

I will for sure just use our current reese head to start. Just get it set up for WD and see how things go.

Thinking about sway and anti-sway, I'd think that with the DC the more weight distribution you applied the more anti-sway effect you would get given the design. With less need for weight distribution will the felt sway go up? I guess we will see.

It always surprises me that the WD setup instructions call for the truck loaded, but without trailer, in step 1. If you have a heavy load in the bed, the nose will be up already, but if oversteer and FALR is the focus then it makes sense.
You are correct, the DC needs the WD bars loaded to work the most efficient. How much load to they need, well it all depends… Many factors in play here. It used to be published that Reese did not recommend the DC for tongue weights under I recall like 400#. They sell the 600# bars and DC, so 400 and up works. That said it is all about how stable the camper is, the truck stability etc. and how much the DC has to work at keeping the camper in line.

To the need for a loaded truck before setting the WD, yes this is correct. Let me explain why. When you load the truck bed with no camper hitched, the entire truck will settle. Weight in the truck bed aft and forward of the rear axle is added to the rear and front axle. How much weight moves where depends on how close the cargo is to the front axle. But both axles are taking the on added weight.

Weight aft of the rear axle in the truck bed starts working on removing some weight off the front axle. However, the truck bed is short behind the rear axle in comparison to what is ahead of it. So the natural loaded weight on the front and rear axle are what it is, and that’s OK assuming you are within the axle and GVWR limits. They are not so worried about oversteer with truck bed weight and the truck front end getting heavier, it is when you hook up a camper on the tow ball some 65” behind the rear axle. The amount of rear axle weight added and the amount the front axle loses is a much larger difference when towing. And there is a large rolling mass behind the truck pushing the truck which affects the dynamics different than just truck cargo weight alone. You cannot go into jackknife without a trailer.

And then there is the truck receiver ratings. The receiver is sized to work on trailer TW, and not necessarily a lot of truck bed weight. While it can and does move some bed weight, they do not want you trying to shift a lot of bed weight forward that came with setting up WD with an unloaded truck bed. When the truck is loaded, you have fender heights and axle loads that the truck carries naturally for its own cargo weights. The trailer on the ball, only needs it’s TW compensated for. So setting the WD on a loaded truck makes that setup doable.

Oh and one thing I forgot to mention. Make sure you ask the dealer to give you a copy of the Ford sourcebook on your new truck. Ideally, get it before ordering, but for sure get it before taking the truck. It’s a “Ford thing” if you never heard of it. The dealers have these and they have a lot of neat truck info in them on the 2500 and up trucks that do not show up anywhere else without doing a major dig for it. For sure, get one. It is about 1/2” thick, 8 ½ x 11 paper. They are not going to just give you one if you do not ask.

Good luck and we are patiently waiting for pics!! New trucks are always fun times!


John
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Old 02-23-2019, 09:43 AM   #14
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Not to confuse things anymore than I am while reading everything "but" don't Fords have auto levelers? What happens to that when using hitch levelers? How about automatic sway controls on the TV? Do these things change setups?
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Old 02-23-2019, 06:25 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim-Bev-2363 View Post
Not to confuse things anymore than I am while reading everything "but" don't Fords have auto levelers? What happens to that when using hitch levelers? How about automatic sway controls on the TV? Do these things change setups?
Hi Jim,

Ford has had air bag leveling on the Expeditions with rear coil springs. And they may still have them. I have not looked at the SUV's in a while.

I myself have not seen that same setup on the Ford Super Duty trucks. Ford for sure has a boat load of spring packages, just I'm not sure they have a coil spring and air bag setup on the Super Duty's. I tried to find that feature and all I can find is rear leaf springs on that heavy of a truck. I even looked at the 2019 F150 and all it says is leaf springs with solid axle. I'm not saying they do not have it, but I would be shocked if they had that on a Super Duty.

For sure, if a truck is equipped with an air bag setup and auto leveling, that has to be taken into account with setting up WD. If not, then when the truck starts up and the thing auto levels, it can undo the correct WD settings if not setup correct. Most of those systems you have to compensate on the WD settings for the Auto level so after it does it's thing, WD is still effective.

The electronic anti sway systems on the truck, yes I agree they can be a good thing. However IMHO, that should not eliminate the need for an effective mechanical anti sway. The 2 can augment each other and create a very good setup.

That said, I have read of some folks who have the newer Blue Ox sway pro WD hitch where told to turn the electronic anti sway off as it interfered with going off before the BO corrected the truck wiggle. This is not "all" setups of the BO hitch, just some. It seems in some setups, the truck will wander slightly in certain windy conditions and the electronic system kicks in starting to brake the trailer before the BO snaps the rig back straight. Again it all depends on the trailer and truck. I know several folks with the BO and they have no issues.

That is the only mechanical anti sway hitch that I have heard interferes with the truck electronic anti sway when the mechanical anti sway hitch is setup correctly. Maybe some folks with the newer electronic system can chime in on their experiences.
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Old 02-24-2019, 07:47 AM   #16
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We have the Blue Ox and don't turn off the anti sway on the truck. We have no sway at all with our 38ft trailer. Now friends of ours just bought a new 30ft trailer with the Blue Ox, towing with an F150 and he said it tows better with the anti sway turned off. Now this was only bringing the trailer home from the dealer, so it wasn't loaded with gear. I think once it's loaded it should get his tongue weight to where it belongs and should change the way it tows. IMHO it's all about a properly loaded trailer, and the trucks anti sway should never really come into play.
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Old 02-25-2019, 07:22 AM   #17
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Thanks again John.

I have to admit a total mistake on my part in the 4.30 rear only comes with the e-locker, not without only as I said. Most of the rears have the 2 options, with and without, but the 4.30 is only with. My mistake, but I think I still want the 3.73 given our use.



Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB View Post

Good catch!! I had not realized they did not offer the locking rear end on the 4.30's. Mine has it on the 4.10 and I never gave it a thought the 4.30's didn't have it. Yeh, a pickup in the snow can be all over without that option. 4 x 4 helps, but a locking rear axle helps better.

If you are staying under, say 8,500# of the camper, the 3.73 will do you well. Just mentioning it if you were thinking a lot above an 8,500# camper.

And I hear ya on keeping the camper. I do not know if we will ever part with our T310SR. I have way too much into it that does not come on a new camper. Upgraded axles, self-adjusting brakes, shocks, commercial AC unit, the rear storage boxes, 16" LT tire upgrade, the frame reinforcement, and the list goes on. While we may someday get a different camper, ours is still in such great shape it may end up being a summer place at a local state park. I may become a camp VIP if I ever run out of projects to do.



You will/should notice a difference. These new 1/2 ton PU's, ride like a cream puff. Any brand. The difference is with the cargo capacity and riding heavy when towing. This is why they make heavier suspension trucks, to handle the weight. When we had our T2499, I started out towing it with our 2002 Tahoe at the time. The truck and camper were stable and that was the reference I had. When our 2003 2500 Suburban came, towing that same camper was a global shift in truck stability. I felt it just driving out our 300 ft. driveway at the time. That was a great match.

Then came the T310SR. We used the 2500 Burb for about 3 months before the F350 came. While the Burb did OK on the flatlands of central OH, I was sitting at the limits of the truck. I had to limit camper cargo to make sure I did not overload it. I knew it was not a long term working situation for me. When I hooked up the F350 for the first time, that same exact feeling of stability came heading down the driveway. OMG yes, I did the right thing again! From 130" wheelbase to 156" WB and from 3/4 ton to 1-ton suspension made a noticeable difference and I can load the truck and camper as need.

The tires heads up on new tires. Something is going on in recent years than say, 6 to 8 years ago. I am now on my 3rd set of tires on the F350. The first set came of tires came with the truck approx. dates late 2004. (truck was used at ~ 28K miles). The truck was rock solid with those OEM tires. The 2nd set now 2009, hitched up and headed out on a 500-mile camping trip and no issues, same tire brand, and model. I think there were only about 100 miles on the tires before the trip.

Then in 2017 I again get all new tires. Same brand, same model. The first camping trip out the truck was no longer rock solid. The front end wanted to wiggle around. Having been through changing tire brands and having a very negative result, I stuck with what I knew worked. After checking the hitch, tire pressures etc. I started doing more research. Guys are talking about new tires and the truck being squirrelly. They had different brands then mine, but I got it too. 3,500 miles later the truck came back to being rock solid. Something about the newer rubber compounds or the methods they mold them by, the friction of the tire to the road seems to be less. After a few thousand miles, I can feel the truck come back to what it used to be. Finally, at around 3,500 miles whatever was different, it wore off.

With your camper being much lighter than mine and the F250 so much more truck compared to the camper, you may not have the issue. Just heads up, before you head west, camp locally to make sure the rig is stable.



You are correct, the DC needs the WD bars loaded to work the most efficient. How much load to they need, well it all depends… Many factors in play here. It used to be published that Reese did not recommend the DC for tongue weights under I recall like 400#. They sell the 600# bars and DC, so 400 and up works. That said it is all about how stable the camper is, the truck stability etc. and how much the DC has to work at keeping the camper in line.

To the need for a loaded truck before setting the WD, yes this is correct. Let me explain why. When you load the truck bed with no camper hitched, the entire truck will settle. Weight in the truck bed aft and forward of the rear axle is added to the rear and front axle. How much weight moves where depends on how close the cargo is to the front axle. But both axles are taking the on added weight.

Weight aft of the rear axle in the truck bed starts working on removing some weight off the front axle. However, the truck bed is short behind the rear axle in comparison to what is ahead of it. So the natural loaded weight on the front and rear axle are what it is, and that’s OK assuming you are within the axle and GVWR limits. They are not so worried about oversteer with truck bed weight and the truck front end getting heavier, it is when you hook up a camper on the tow ball some 65” behind the rear axle. The amount of rear axle weight added and the amount the front axle loses is a much larger difference when towing. And there is a large rolling mass behind the truck pushing the truck which affects the dynamics different than just truck cargo weight alone. You cannot go into jackknife without a trailer.

And then there is the truck receiver ratings. The receiver is sized to work on trailer TW, and not necessarily a lot of truck bed weight. While it can and does move some bed weight, they do not want you trying to shift a lot of bed weight forward that came with setting up WD with an unloaded truck bed. When the truck is loaded, you have fender heights and axle loads that the truck carries naturally for its own cargo weights. The trailer on the ball, only needs it’s TW compensated for. So setting the WD on a loaded truck makes that setup doable.

Oh and one thing I forgot to mention. Make sure you ask the dealer to give you a copy of the Ford sourcebook on your new truck. Ideally, get it before ordering, but for sure get it before taking the truck. It’s a “Ford thing” if you never heard of it. The dealers have these and they have a lot of neat truck info in them on the 2500 and up trucks that do not show up anywhere else without doing a major dig for it. For sure, get one. It is about 1/2” thick, 8 ½ x 11 paper. They are not going to just give you one if you do not ask.

Good luck and we are patiently waiting for pics!! New trucks are always fun times!


John
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Old 02-26-2019, 08:40 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Tod Osier View Post
Thanks again John.

I have to admit a total mistake on my part in the 4.30 rear only comes with the e-locker, not without only as I said. Most of the rears have the 2 options, with and without, but the 4.30 is only with. My mistake, but I think I still want the 3.73 given our use.
AH good. Thanks for reporting back on this as that gas engine and 4.30 drivetrain was at least on the list of replacement tow vehicles when the time comes.
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Old 02-26-2019, 08:42 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by 264SRinPA View Post
IMHO it's all about a properly loaded trailer, and the trucks anti sway should never really come into play.
Mike, you are dead on! I am all for the safeties, just not as a main line of defense. Curious to hear back when your buddy gets his loaded and weighed if the issue will go away. The truck suspension has to do it's part too.
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Old 02-27-2019, 05:32 AM   #20
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Mike, you are dead on! I am all for the safeties, just not as a main line of defense. Curious to hear back when your buddy gets his loaded and weighed if the issue will go away. The truck suspension has to do it's part too.
Our truck’s anti sway has come on in the tundra a couple/few times. Each time it was obvious why it engaged and in all cases it was due to our intentional and abrupt actions at the wheel. It seemed to work well to calm things down in the cases it deployed, but like the other nannies on these vehicles, I can’t help but wonder about the downsides (for example, the inability to swerve to avoid something when you really need to).
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