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Old 06-29-2013, 09:50 PM   #1
MarkoPolo
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Default 2922 KD Sway Issues

This is a new thread to expand on what has been already posted on the "Anybody experience sway or fishtail?" thread.

Here are the conditions and problem as I am best able to ascertain:

Trailmanors are known to not have sway issues. This stems from the axle being farther back than other pop ups and travel trailers, which creates a heavier tongue weight. One scenario exception I have seen is when towing with a somewhat smaller front wheel drive vehicle, the increased tongue weight causes steering and perhaps sway issues.

I have a Ford F-150 1/2 ton pickup as a new tow vehicle. It can tow nearly 12,000 lbs and has four wheel drive and tons of available power with the Eco-boost engine. AFAIK, this has the most towing capacity of any 1/2 ton pickup. It has heavier duty suspension and basically, does not sag more than an inch when the trailer is connected.

I experienced sway violent enough on my second outing that the Ford integrated anti-sway took control of the truck, cut the speed, and used anti-lock braking with both the truck and the trailer to "thankfully" control the situation. I had passed another vehicle on a two lane road and was merging back to the right hand lane. No sharp or aggressive turning, just coming back to the right lane. No wind here and I don't think I got over 70 mph, probably less. After shaking out my drawers, I wondered what the heck had happened. I was very careful the rest of the trip (1800 miles, about 1100 of it pulling the trailer at rather high altitudes in the Colorado Rockies), but two more times, the trailer started to sway. One, there was a crosswind, the other not so much and I was able to slow down and the the trailer calmed.

After reading feedback on the other thread, I rearranged how I packed the TM. Took heavier things out of the back storage and put them in front of the wheels to better balance the load. I went on a short outing this week with the new weight distribution. Sway still occurred. Basically anytime I got above 60 mph you could feel slight side to side motion. On I 80 between Laramie and Cheyenne Wyoming the crosswinds and air pressure differential when 18 wheelers passed would induce sway. I had to stay between 55 and 60 mph for it to calm down. This was sway, not chucking. I have experienced that before with another trailer.

I mostly dry camp and am carrying about the same "stuff" as I did with my previous setup: GMC Envoy and Coleman Bayside pop up camper. The Camp Chef two burner stove is a little heavier than the Coleman and the TM's dry weight is about 985 lbs more than the Bayside. The Bayside had published tongue weight of 165 lbs, the TM is 435 lbs. The Bayside did have a "friction" type anti-sway device that attached to two small hitch balls. The Trailmanor does have a 2 1/2 inch lift kit installed.

I do think there is a weight distribution problem here. It may be that the two extra feet behind the axle upset the "anti-sway" sweet spot of other TM models. It may be that I carry too much "stuff"! I may be overloading the hitch with more than 500 lbs tongue weight. I do intend to either get to a CAT scale or get more information from Bill on using a bathroom scale to ascertain hitch (tongue) weight, because I like to understand why things happen. But at this point, all of this is purely academic, because the sway is there, regardless of the exact cause and I really can't leave out any of what I carry. It is hard for me to picture this as a purely "too much weight on the hitch ball" issue. It seems the truck would sag more or I would notice light, not well controlled steering. My best guess is the weight is too light to the front (or too heavy to the rear) and even with the potential for over 500 lbs tongue weight, there is just not enough weight on the front of the trailer. I may not be accurately picturing the physics involved here, so please correct me if this is wrong.

At any rate it seems a WDH with sway control is in my immediate future. I like the looks of the Anderson "no sway" hitch, but I am still researching this and am open to (actually asking for) suggestions.

I don't want this to sound like a negative rant about this trailer--it is anything but. I really, really like the Trailmanor. I suspect since I bought the floor show model at the Denver RV show, I may have one of the very first 2922's sold. It may be that this model should have a WDH with sway control as standard operating procedure.

I would like to know if other 2922 owners have had sway issues. I hope people chime in and we can understand if this is just peculiar to my set-up or is something of which all 2922 owners should be aware.

Mark
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Old 06-30-2013, 03:01 AM   #2
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Is the 2922 an elongated 2720 with the extra two feet behind the wheels of the TM? It sure looks like it to me.
Really bad engineering. I would get my money back and get another model. This is what happens when salesmen design things.

Best of luck Peter
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Old 06-30-2013, 05:14 AM   #3
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It looks like you are checking in the right direction; but have you also checked tire pressures? Are they the same? Another reason to think about the WDH is without one you maybe right at the 500#/5000# limit. The CAT scales will let you know there.
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Old 06-30-2013, 05:42 AM   #4
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Is your axle straight? Have you measured it front to back on both sides?

Any evidence that the trailer was ever jacked up under the axle?

I have one other theory, and it is purely a theory, but I wonder if the 29 foot length and a high lift kit has shifted the center of balance behind the axle?
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Old 06-30-2013, 09:21 AM   #5
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The tire pressures are 65 psi each side. I have not measured the axle, and will check that out. Being a new unit, I don't think it has ever been jacked up under the axle, but I don't know what the dealer did to install the lift kit. I too wonder about the center of balance, but it seems a WDH will solve that.
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Old 06-30-2013, 10:36 AM   #6
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Mark - I'm an owner of a 2922KB purchased in March. So far, my farthest towing distance was bringing it home from the dealer, around 130 miles, but baby'd it the whole way home (55 mph), with no issues and empty. We've taken 6 trips since delivery, nothing over 70 miles to and from. I have experienced sway when I tow with 4 bikes on the back of the TM (around 180 lbs) and if I go over 65 mph (she starts to move). I know I've exceeded the weight at the rear and compensate this by keeping under 60 mph and everything is fine. We plan on going somewhere over the fourth, and will load up without rack/bikes and hit I-95 for a test run. I never taken it camping this way, always have the bikes with us, so I would like to find out for myself if there are issues that I been missing. Will post what I observe and let you know. Good luck
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Old 06-30-2013, 06:34 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkoPolo View Post
I too wonder about the center of balance, but it seems a WDH will solve that.
Mark -

A WDH will definitely NOT make up for a trailer that is loaded too far aft, resulting in too little hitch weight. It may, in fact, make the situation worse.

I sent a diagram to your email of record.

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Old 06-30-2013, 08:50 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MisterP View Post
I have one other theory, and it is purely a theory, but I wonder if the 29 foot length and a high lift kit has shifted the center of balance behind the axle?
I'm confused. What does a high lift kit have to do with the center of balance with respect to the axle? If I raise a trailer 10 feet off the axle, it will still have the same amount of weight fore of the axle and the same amount of weight aft of the axle.

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Old 07-13-2013, 03:46 PM   #9
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As a follow up: My DW and I installed the Andersen No Sway weight distributing hitch today. We will be taking it out next Thursday for eight days camping in the Colorado Rockies. A couple of comments about the hitch.
Beautifully made: impressive machining and welding. Fairly straight forward to install on the 2922KD. I'm not the most mechanical guy, but it went well.
You do have to purchase (if you don't already have) 15/16", 1 1/8" sockets, 5/16" allen wrench, torgue wrench and 7/16" metal drill bit.
On this trailer it positioned best by removing two links from each chain. That way you don't have to re-position the emergency brake module or the clamp holding the trailer electrical hook up cable. This required another trip to Harbor Freight to get a 36" bolt cutter. I measure ease and complexity of projects by how many times I have to go back to the hardware store or lumber yard to finish--this only took two trips
This was made easier for me because of some great advice from clan_salmons via private messages on his experiences with the hitch. Again, ya' gotta love this forum! So many knowledgeable, helpful members.
I will post my observations on how it handles the trailer on the road after we get back.
Mark
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Old 08-11-2013, 08:20 PM   #10
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Default Also experiencing sway issues

I just purchased a 2013 2922KD model last month. I filled the water tank and went on my first boondocking trip a couple of weeks ago.. The trailer started to sway real bad whenever I went 65. It scared me to death since this is my first experience towing a trailer. Until I can figure out what to do with this problem, I have decided to travel with my water tank empty and fill up the tank at the campsite. For now I can only go to campsites that have water. I will also put more of my gear in my truck and less in the trailer. I have to learn what is a WDH and whether it will help with the sway issue. It seems to me that there may be a design issue with this model. I think it may have too much of its weight (kitchen, bathroom, sink, HW heater, water tanks, & King bed) over the axle and the rear of the trailer. Please let me know if the WDH helps with the sway.

thanks
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