Looking for suggestions for towing pop-up

[flit]

Hello everyone,

I have been a lurker for a very long time and have gained valuable information from everyone here on the disboards. We just returned on 8/17 from a wonderful 1st stay at the Fort with our pop-up.

I thought this might be the perfect place to ask for suggestions regarding our towing situation, so here it goes.

We have a Coleman Bayside pop-up (12 foot box with a 2 foot trunk). Our tow vehicle is a 1/2 ton suburban. We use a sway control bar that helps but does not eliminate the swaying. We have had this set up for 5 years and gone cross country 3 times in addition to many other trips closer to home. We have tried many options and discussed it with the dealer, but nothing eliminates the swaying. On a good road, it pulls like a dream, but if the road has any grooves it starts swaying, not dangerously, but enough to become very annoying.

So if anyone has any suggestions, I would welcome them. This may end up being something we just have to live with, and that is fine, but I just thought I would ask. Thanks.

 

[LarryJ]

Hello everyone,

I have been a lurker for a very long time and have gained valuable information from everyone here on the disboards. We just returned on 8/17 from a wonderful 1st stay at the Fort with our pop-up.

I thought this might be the perfect place to ask for suggestions regarding our towing situation, so here it goes.

We have a Coleman Bayside pop-up (12 foot box with a 2 foot trunk). Our tow vehicle is a 1/2 ton suburban. We use a sway control bar that helps but does not eliminate the swaying. We have had this set up for 5 years and gone cross country 3 times in addition to many other trips closer to home. We have tried many options and discussed it with the dealer, but nothing eliminates the swaying. On a good road, it pulls like a dream, but if the road has any grooves it starts swaying, not dangerously, but enough to become very annoying.

So if anyone has any suggestions, I would welcome them. This may end up being something we just have to live with, and that is fine, but I just thought I would ask. Thanks.

For the sway I assume it's a friction type like the following

If so there are adjustments to tighten up the sway control and with that vehicle and size of your popup your trailer will bounce around some and sway shouldn't really be a concern. I towed a POP-UP around 20' with a 1973 Pontiac Grandville with no WD and no sway across the US coast to coast twice w/o issues.

Larry

 

[tim5055]

Hello everyone,

I have been a lurker for a very long time and have gained valuable information from everyone here on the disboards. We just returned on 8/17 from a wonderful 1st stay at the Fort with our pop-up.

I thought this might be the perfect place to ask for suggestions regarding our towing situation, so here it goes.

We have a Coleman Bayside pop-up (12 foot box with a 2 foot trunk). Our tow vehicle is a 1/2 ton suburban. We use a sway control bar that helps but does not eliminate the swaying. We have had this set up for 5 years and gone cross country 3 times in addition to many other trips closer to home. We have tried many options and discussed it with the dealer, but nothing eliminates the swaying. On a good road, it pulls like a dream, but if the road has any grooves it starts swaying, not dangerously, but enough to become very annoying.

So if anyone has any suggestions, I would welcome them. This may end up being something we just have to live with, and that is fine, but I just thought I would ask. Thanks.

FFT/Coleman pop ups have been known for sway problems for years. Sway is caused by many factors, and the first one most people think of is tongue weight. While too little tongue weight can quickly lead to sway, there are other causes. They also include tire pressure (both vehicle and trailer), wheelbase of the tow vehicle, weight/mass of the tow vehicle, length of the trailer, weight of the trailer, loading of the trailer (side to side as well as front to rear) and vehicle speed. Outside factors also play a part, road type, road condition, weather (wind/rain) and other vehicles around you (semis...).
Always load you trailer evenly, side to side as well as front to back. Do not carry a load that can easily shift from side to side (like a half full water tank). Check you tires before every trip for uneven wear, and maintain the air pressure at or near the rating if you are loading the trailer to the max weight. While you are checking the tires, get in the habit of checking the lug nuts. Maintain 10 - 15% of you trailer weight on the tongue, but keep an eye on the tongue weight rating of your trailer.

No matter what size tow vehicle you have, I am a firm believer in trailer brakes and sway control. When you think about an emergency stop with 2000 pounds hooked to the back of your vehicle and/or a line of semi trucks passing you at 80 mph I think you will agree. We have a Reese "friction" type sway bar installed between the tow vehicle and the trailer. For less than $200 it is cheap insurance. Another type of sway control is a weight distribution hitch.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I think Tim is on the right track with weight distribution. Any trailer will experience some sway, depending on road conditions, anti sway equipment and other factors like wind and traffic. If your sway controller is adjusted properly, start looking at the load and how it is distributed. Keep in mind, however, that a lighter trailer like a pop up, even under the best of circumstances, will bounce more under rough conditions than a larger, heavier trailer, and some sway is just a factor of towing.

 

[flit]

Sorry it took me a few days to get back to the boards. We had family in town that had to evacuate LA because of Gustav.

Thanks again for the suggestions. We have tried most of them ( tire pressure, distributing weight inside the camper, friction sway control bar,etc.) We do have electric brakes so stopping is not an issue. We will look into the weight distribution hitch.

I think our problem is that we had a very small pop-up before this one and never knew it was back there. This one is bigger and heavier, so the sway we are feeling on the grooved roads is probably normal, and we'll just have to deal with it. Like I said before, it's not swaying dangerously, just annoying.

Thanks again, and if anyone thinks of anything else, please post.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

You also might want to check to see if your trailer is level. Tounge down is ok but tounge high / tail bumper down is just asking for sway.

 

[bradisgoofy]

You also might want to check to see if your trailer is level. Tounge down is ok but tounge high / tail bumper down is just asking for sway.

Sorry, I disagree. I've been hauling trailers most of my adult life, including behind my Harley, and I've never had a sway problem. knock on wood Every time I've found sway problems it is usually NOT ENOUGH tongue weight. Your overall loaded weight should be 60/40 with the 60 between the front and the axle. The trailer should be as level as possible, if not, get a different hitch or draw bar. With a vehicle the size of a Suburban your shouldn't near a weight equalizing hitch ($$$$$) for a pop up. If the back of the Suburban does not get compressed when the trailer is hooked up, then you're ok. Your fresh water tank should not be an issue since most modern RVs have baffled tanks to prevent shifting water. But, water weighs a lot, so unless you are boondocking, keep a minimum mount of water in your tank.

JMHO