Loud Noise while pulling TM

We bought a 2005 3023 a few weeks ago from a dealer. Brought it about 500 miles home and no problems whatsoever. Took it out this weekend and now I hear this awful noise (very hard to describe but bad) when we tow it... It's really loud. Does anyone have an idea on what it could be?

I think you're going to need to give us a few more clues.

What kind of noise - growl, rumble, thud, screech. High, Low,

When does it start and when does it stop?

Does it continue the whole time you are pulling or is it intermittent or just a one time noise which goes away?

This is harder, but any idea of location - near the hitch, near the wheels?

My boyfriend says the sound is from the hitch not being greased. I have no idea. Is that possible?

[ThePair]

Very much so, especially if you're using a WDH. If so, look to grease the WDH bars, especially the bottom/backs of the bars -- that's where mine made all the noise until I got just the right parts greased, then they were silent.

Look at your set up while hitched, and you may see one or two places where the bars put most of the pressure, and lay down a nice layer of grease in those places, and you'll probably be good to go.

Double check that your hitch body and ball are tight. Check to see if you need some grease on the ball. Use something like spray lithium, not spray silicone.
Also, have your spouse drive past you making the noise and see if you can locate it on the trailer. You could have a sticking brake, bad or dry wheel bearings, but most likely is that your wdh bars are needing lube.

[Bill]

Nothing on the hitch will make noise when towing straight and level, since none of its parts are moving relative to anything else. They can groan when turning, but that's about it. Get yourself to a parking lot of a quiet straight street, and get some idea where the noise is coming from.

My money is on wheel bearings. To your knowledge, have they ever been lubed? The process is not hard - it is described elsewhere on this board - but it should be done once a year or once every couple thousand miles. If this is, in fact, the source, it is NOT OK to ignore it.

Or, as Roger mentioned, it could be a stuck brake. By any chance did you pull the pin out of the breakaway switch on the trailer A-frame? What kind of brake controller do you have? Does the display indicate anything unusual? If you pull the TM's electrical connector out of the tow vehicle socket, does the noise quit?

Or, a garish noise could be made by a tire rubbing on a body part. Is there any loose trim in the wheel wells? Are the tires rubbing on anything?

Bluegrass is right - we need a lot more info.

Bill

Well, we lubed the ball and hitch really well and NO sounds at all!!!! Worked great!!! Thank you guys!!!!

Roger, U suggest lithium spray for hitch ball. I am using Teflon spray. Is it on your O K list or not to use like silicone spray? I quit using grease because if the dirty spots I seemed to acquire on all my trouser legs.

[ThePair]

Originally Posted by jcjim4

Roger, U suggest lithium spray for hitch ball. I am using Teflon spray. Is it on your O K list or not to use like silicone spray? I quit using grease because if the dirty spots I seemed to acquire on all my trouser legs.

I'm using teflon on the hitch ball as well, seems to work ok. I still use grease on the WDH bars, though -- the teflon was insufficient for those.

Originally Posted by jcjim4

Roger, U suggest lithium spray for hitch ball. I am using Teflon spray. Is it on your O K list or not to use like silicone spray? I quit using grease because if the dirty spots I seemed to acquire on all my trouser legs.

Dow Corning makes a product called 557. It sprays on, drys to a clear wax like consistency, and is NON STAINING, so it won't screw up your clothes.
It's considered an industrial specialty lubricant so you won't find it at your neighborhood hardware stores. You may need to do a distributor search on the DC website to find a dealer.