Trailer Tug and Pull

[qwepp]

I decided upon a Ridgeline after hearing all the positive feedback of pulling a small travel trailer. I found a used 2006 RTL loaded Ridgeline with only 16,000 miles on it and got a great price. Last weekend, I purchased a used 2003 Rockwood Roo 19 hybrid TT with a dry weight of 3345 pounds and brought it home (Prodigy brake controller installed). My problem is that its not what I expected. I have heard many comments on the forum such as "you don't even know you are towing anything back there" and I just don't get it. There was a constant "tugging and pulling" the entire time down the freeway, and at times, it felt like the tail was wagging the dog. Is it supposed to feel like that? The dealer installed a weight-bearing hitch and a sway bar. We dropped the weight bearing hitch from 2 links to one with little or no improvement, then removed the weight-bearing hitch altogether for a slight improvement. Checked all the tires and inflated them to maximum. Eventually we even took off the sway bar (that basically helped with trucks passing us on the freeway) but didn't change the tug and pull.

Is this how it is supposed to feel? Entering onto the freeway was also trying as I had to floor it and it took a bit to get up to speed (my girlfriend owned a Ford F-150 and never had these issues). It kept shifting gears on the freeway struggling to go up and down the underpasses. This is not at all what I expected. Is there something I am doing wrong or is this normal? Should the trailer constantly tug and pull on the Ridgeline.

Other than towing, I love the Ridgline otherwise, and you would have to pry my cold dead hands from it to take it from me...

-Brian

[CUinaRidge]

Are you using Premium gas when you are pulling the trailer??

There is a night and day difference between reg and prem....

:)

[CUinaRidge]

Entering onto the freeway was also trying as I had to floor it and it took a bit to get up to speed (my girlfriend owned a Ford F-150 and never had these issues). It kept shifting gears on the freeway struggling to go up and down the underpasses.

Are you using Premium gas when you are pulling the trailer??

There is a night and day difference between reg and prem....
I have found the RL runs about 1000 RPM's higher with reg... and shifts much more often.

:)

[Whaleya]

What is the weight of the camper when you are towing it?

You mentioned the dry weight - does this include options for the camper? (fridge, water heater, etc). I say this since many times companies try to bring the weights down as much as possible with creative omission. Add everything back to the weight including your gear, water, batteries, etc and see where you are.

The other thing to check is the tongue weight.

Lastly remember that towing capacity is a function of both weight and the aerodynamics of the trailer. A trailer with a large front surface will cause a lot of wind drag.

-W

[qwepp]

To answer the first question, no, I was not using premium. I'll keep that in mind next time. Thanks.

As for the weight, I have not yet been to a scale, but yes, the dry weight is supposed to include all the included gear. No water. Even if loaded to capacity the GVWR is 4400 lbs. And yes, there is a flat surface that the wind will hit on the trailer, although it is angled slightly to lower wind resistance.

I've seen a lot of pictures of members here on the forum pulling even larger trailers and I'd like to know if they have the same tugging and pulling sensation. It doesn't seem right.

[MikeT]

To answer the first question, no, I was not using premium. I'll keep that in mind next time. Thanks.

As for the weight, I have not yet been to a scale, but yes, the dry weight is supposed to include all the included gear. No water. Even if loaded to capacity the GVWR is 4400 lbs. And yes, there is a flat surface that the wind will hit on the trailer, although it is angled slightly to lower wind resistance.

I've seen a lot of pictures of members here on the forum pulling even larger trailers and I'd like to know if they have the same tugging and pulling sensation. It doesn't seem right.

Make sure to check the tongue weight. Pulling a trailor without at least 10% to 15% of the total trailor's weight on the hitch will cause the (Very) unsafe side to side motion you described. Double and triple check the tongue weight. IIRC, GAry Flint stated that 600lbs will cause a three to four inch lowering of the rear end. Instead of using themeasure method, properly check the tongue weight. Okay, enough about tongue weight. The next thing to do is fill up with premium fuel as recommended in the owners manual and all of those that tow frequently. The next thing I would check before towing is the tires on the truck and trailor and make sure that they are at their appropriate pressures. Then double check that all of the gear is loaded evenly (From side to side) as best as possible.

And if I didn't mention it before, check your tongue weight.

[nolaridge]

When I first got my trailer (Coyote Sport 180, about 22' and 4000lb loaded) I remember thinking the same thing, that the truck shouldn't feel so different with the trailer as without it, but by the time I got back from Alaska I guess I was just used to it. Of course, you have to figure that you're towing something almost as heavy as the truck itself and aerodynamically challenged to boot, so it's going to take up a lot of power (and gasoline). Sometimes I feel like I'm towing a sail boat. With the sails up. That said, my experience is that the truck feels stable while towing if not a bit sluggish.

I think that I read on RV.net that it's possible for the wheels on a tandem axle trailer to be out of alignment with each other and that this can make the trailer tow "funny." Do the tires show any unusual wear patterns (like worn on the sides)?

This picture is on the Icefields Parkway in Banff/Jasper National Park.

[HH4]

Do you have much experience towing in other vehicles to compare the RL to? I haven't towed with the RL but I've done a lot of trailering with several vehicles. I've found that when you start towing you are sensitive to every little movement of the trailer, but you quickly get used to it after a while. Also, weight distribution hitches and sway bars seem to transmit more tugs or pulls to the truck. A friction sway bar for example will exert a push on the hitch that you will definitely feel. It works to control sway by having the motion absorbed through the friction in the bar and its connection to the tow vehicle.You get less unwanted movement from the trailer but you get more feedback through the truck.
It's also important that the links on the WDH are set up correctly as this makes a huge difference as to how the forces at the hitch are distributed to the truck.
I can't comment on the power untill I get a chance to try the RL hooked to a trailer. But I don't think that even prem gas will make it tow like a full size truck with a V8.
Hope you enjoy your new trailer as much as you enjoy your truck.

[goboilers]

I always read on truck forums (not just ROC) where somebody says "It tows like nothing is back there". This is a total BS comment unless you’re pulling a 6X4 single axle trailer with your lawn mower on it. If you’re pulling a TT, camper, or boat you will "know its back there". I have a 20 ft ski boat that weighs approx #3500 which I have pulled with both my previous POS Nissan Titan and the RL. Yes the Titan could accelerate quicker and could hold speed better but has far as sway, stopping the RL does just as good a job as the Titan. If you think about it, your TT weighs about #4400, that's about what your RL weighs (I think) plus your TT is a big box that is about as aerodynamic as,,,,,,,,, well a TT.

[Bradley]

My trailer weighs in at 4,300 lbs fully loaded for the road. I have pulled trailers for 38 years, and Ridgeline will pull this thing but with some difficulty. I did find some improvement when I put 50 lbs of air in the trailer tires(max rating) and filled the rear truck tires to their max rating. I also emptied most of the fresh water and moved as many supplies and grear to the back of the trailer to minimize tongue weight. It tracks and corners fine. It also brakes well with the electronic trailer brake system. The only thing that drives me nuts is the constant shifting and the slowing down at the slightest incline. Don't know what else to tell you......

[spun07RTX]

no, the tail should not be wagging the dog

[qwepp]

Thanks for all the great comments and feedback. I will get this thing weighed over the weekend and move weight around if needed, then try premium fuel. I did fill up the tires to maximum and I will forgo the sway bar and weight distribution hitch for now to remove those variables. I will let the forum know my results.

By the way, the pull and tug sensation happens even going 5-10mph, so I don't think wind has much to do with it. If the road is perfectly smooth you won't notice it as much, but the slightest bump or imperfection in the road will get your head rocking back and forth (and not because AC/DC is on the radio) :p

And yes, I am new to towing, but my girlfriend towed a heavy boat for years with an F-150 and said she never noticed the tug and pull until now.

Thanks for all the great advice!

[MikeT]

...And yes, I am new to towing, but my girlfriend towed a heavy boat for years with an F-150 and said she never noticed the tug and pull until now...


Let her try towing your trailor with your Ridge; maybe it's just a loose nut between the gas pedal and the drivers seat :eek: :D :o :)

[OhioJeffro]

Let her try towing your trailor with your Ridge; maybe it's just a loose nut between the gas pedal and the drivers seat :eek: :D :o :)

Ouch! lol...

There should be a huge difference between a boat and a trailer because boats are quite aerodynamic. No matter what the speed there will be some drag inherited by essentially pulling a giant wall. It will create some resistance that you will feel no matter what you are pulling it with. I used to tow everything from a 30' camper to a 20' flat trailer with 3-4 tons of dirt loaded on it with a 3/4 ton Suburban and every trailer I ever pulled, when you first pull it you can tell its there. Spend a week driving around without taking the trailer off and you'll get to a point that you don't even feel it there. IMO, before you go too crazy making adjustments to the truck/trailer, get comfortable driving it around and make small adjustments to try and improve the ride. Even if it pulls like crap, small adjustments is how to make things better in my opinion. Most things in life should be adjusted a little at a time.

[Ahab]

You don't have enough weight on the tongue. My rig is just over 4000# wet with 418# on the tongue, no WDH (Honda doesn't recommend) and no sway control. No problems. Prodigy brake controller. As for the hunting issue, try test driving a new Silverado, it does the same thing.;)

[ToyTruck]

qwepp--I would tow that same trailer with a different vehicle first, to make sure that nothing is wrong with the trailer. Tongue weight and tire pressures are so important. My 3300# Hi-Lo (loaded up) tows great, but I have the trailer tires at 48# each and the Ridgeline at 34# each. Also the tongue weight on my Hi-Lo is under 300#. I towed this TT with my 02 RAM and my 07 Ridgeline, and the difference is pronounced--the RL does a much smoother job. What kind of setup did the dealer sell you?