sway major problem

[Casey Freswick]

Just started a five day camping trip. On the way to the campground I was passing a truck and my trailer started swaying it was a pretty bad. Took my foot off the gas and and eventually got it under control. Not sure why it started swaying. I was pulling the trailer with a Toyota Hylander, no sway bar and going pretty fast, I may have hit 70. Taking a trip out west I know I hit 70 pulling with my Yukon. I also put a hitch on the back of the trailer and had about 20 gallons of fluid on that hitch. Could this make that much difference? Was my tongue weight not enough? I am trying to set up for off grid Camping and this trip was a kind of test trip. Now I can be told all of the things I did wrong but I appreciate the help.

[BrucePerens]

Move your cargo to the front of the trailer. When in the back it increases sway. And that is probably over the weight rating for the rear hitch. This is unusual for a TM.

[inghamm]

I think Bruce is right. TrailManors are renowned for NOT swaying, but part of the reason is more of the weight is forward of the TM wheels, rather than after. If it was 20 gallons of water on a rear hitch, you put 167 lbs WAY back with lots of leverage. What if there was room for the liquid to swish around back there also?

I think my rear hitch is rated at 100 lbs. I put a couple of bikes back there and also use the Andersen no-sway WDH.

One other thing, could be the opposite - too much weight on the tongue bringing the Highlander's front wheels up and not getting good grip on the road. Have you checked the measurements of front wheel wells to ground unloaded vs loaded and hitched?

[FujiPedaler]

I would strongly suggest you add a WDH (weight distribution hitch) and yes move the Liquid to the center of your TM.

Then go and have fun.

[tentcamper]

Most Likely weight and balance. you need 12+% 0n the weight on the ball.

Which TM model do you have?

If it ever starts to sway again apply the manual trailer brake lever in the brake controler and take your foot of the brake. DO NOT APPLY THE BRAKES ON THE TV.

[BrucePerens]

Make sure Toyota doesn't recommend against a WDH. Some lighter vehicles can't take the torque.

[Padgett]

Most common cause is improper weight distribution. My 2720SL has 435 lbs on the tongue (can measure with one of these - mine can read a bit above the rated limit).

The second most common cause is low tire pressure. In addition tires our size that are out of balance have a harmonic somewhere between 65 and 75 mph that can be quite an experience.

I would expect one or more of these things to have contributed to your experience. With 65psi in my tires it pulls rock steady.

[rickst29]

Recent Highlanders (especially the "5000 lb towing capacity" models) do have factory approval for using a WDH. Check your OM, and maybe some internet 'Highlander' sites.

Adequate tire pressure becomes critical at high rotational speeds. In fact, Goodyear used to recommend that people add 10 PSI extra for towing at 65 MPH on Marathons. (That recommendation might still be current, I didn't check.) The front "lip", which develops where the rotating tire slams into the pavement, becomes too pronounced and sharply bent - and that invites blow-outs.

Padgett is right about balancing the tires, too: The rotational energy of tires spinning at high speeds will also increase vibration a lot if they tires haven't been balanced accurately. The rotational energy of a tire increases according to speed-squared, it's not just a linear increase. When they're out-of-balance, the resulting unbalanced force (favoring a 'roll-out' towards the heaviest part of the tire) increases the same way.

[Padgett]

Just a minor point ST tires are rated for 65 mph. Is part of the definition. The Goodyears that came on my TM were LRC and rated at 50 psi. My LRD tires are rated at 65 psi. 60 psi in a LRC is probably OK but doubt I'd run 75 psi in mine.

TM made some odd recommendations about tires.

[tentcamper]

Goodyear ST buletin was to increase PSI by 10 if traveling over 65 mph. So yes you can go higher than 50 psi on the marathon LRC, if wheel and valve support the PSI

https://www.tirerack.com/images/tire...plications.pdf