Tremors and Campers let's talk camping!!

[Raspy]

Here's a pic of my new Roamer1. Cruisemaster swingarm independent air suspension for leveling up and down, and side to side with remote control. Disk brakes. Maxxis Load Range E off-road tires. 1240 watts of solar and 1080 Amp hours of lithium batteries. Fully insulated with no outside pipes and rated for down to -40 degrees F. Inside induction stove and outside pull-out kitchen with propane grill. 12 volt compressor fridge. 12 volt AC system. Waterless toilet with no black tank. McHitch articulating hitch. All aluminum outside storage boxes. 2000 watt inverter/charger. Insulated and heated tanks with skid plates. This is an off-grid trailer, everything works without shore power.

 

[catastrofe]

Here's a pic of my new Roamer1. Cruisemaster swingarm independent air suspension for leveling up and down, and side to side with remote control. Disk brakes. Maxxis Load Range E off-road tires. 1240 watts of solar and 1080 Amp hours of lithium batteries. Fully insulated with no outside pipes and rated for down to -40 degrees F. Inside induction stove and outside pull-out kitchen with propane grill. 12 volt compressor fridge. 12 volt AC system. Waterless toilet with no black tank. McHitch articulating hitch. All aluminum outside storage boxes. 2000 watt inverter/charger. Insulated and heated tanks with skid plates. This is an off-grid trailer, everything works without shore power.

Nice rig. Some US manufacturers are finally catching up to the Aussies.

 

[Briski]

Yeah, regardless of trailer weight a TT looks a lot like a sail to me. I would want some form of sway control. You don't need it until you need it as @MiTremor906 said... My WeighSafe WD hitch is pretty easy to hook up even on an incline. I have a power tongue jack though which makes it a non event... Curious what hitch you have @Briski ??

I bought this one with the trailer.

 

[MiTremor906]

I bought this one with the trailer. View attachment 126289

I have the same one. My opinion as said above, it takes time but isn't difficult.

 

[MrFancypants]

I wish I had a picture to share. I have to Jack up the truck hitch to get the bars into place with the truck and camper aligned. Then push the rods into place and fix them to the trailer. Sounds easy but it’s not.

I do not have a perfectly level drive way which adds to the challenge

That's the normal process for engaging the spring bars. Mine uses chains and spring bars but I always lift the trailer so that I can pre-tension the bars by hand rather than brute force. I imagine with bars you have no choice to do it that way. If you are having a hard time lifting the trailer high enough it could be you have overtensioned the bars. Are you on the lowest setting with the frame brackets? If you're trying to do this with a manual jack then definitely get a powered high-speed jack like the Husky Brute. It's also fine to move the trailer to level ground before installing the bars. I prefer not to stop for this but it's better than running no WDH at all.

Using airbags as a bandaid for skipping the WDH is not solving the problem of distributing tongue weight across four wheels instead of two. This results in better handling and better safety, regardless of the size of the trailer. It's not really about sway but about tow vehicle handling. My trailer is also 6000lb GVWR but it has a very high tongue weight (>1000lb). While I have moved the trailer in town without the WDH I see no reason to skip it altogether because it just drives better.

 

[Bill]

We run an Andersen WD hitch. I really didn't feel that I needed it, but at just over $600 it was cheap insurance if I do end up needing it. It's a breeze to hook up, doesn't pop and click during turns and has no issues when backing up. Those are the things that sold me on it ... I didn't want to eat a big ticket item or deal with a lot of side-effects for something that I wasn't sure I had to have.

Over 2 years later, almost 16 of those months full-time, I'm still happy with the investment.

 

[njburn]

Any members from Quebec visiting Niagara Falls?

 

[LoftyJon]

What makes it a pain to connect? While the truck can handle it without a WDH, it will tow better with one.

I disagree from my experience. Towed my 28 foot Transcend that has a gross weight of 6995. With the Equalizer 4 point hitch the camper was felt more and had bounce. Just went on a 400 mile trip and I tell you, I didn't know the camper was back there. May be the case for certain scenarios but not all.

 

[Raspy]

The purpose of the Tremor package is to have a truck capable of off-road use. And I pull my trailers as far into the back country as I can, with my Tremor. But a WDH cannot be used off-road. The forces are too extreme and the articulation is severely reduced. I'm not interested in towing a trailer that is too large for my truck, or so unstable on the highway that I need a special hitch to compensate. Don't buy a WDH in order to get sway control, buy a sway control system for that problem, if sway is a problem. At some point, it's better to get a dually than a Tremor.

 

[MrFancypants]

I disagree from my experience. Towed my 28 foot Transcend that has a gross weight of 6995. With the Equalizer 4 point hitch the camper was felt more and had bounce. Just went on a 400 mile trip and I tell you, I didn't know the camper was back there. May be the case for certain scenarios but not all.

Sounds like low tongue weight to me, or the rating on the WDH was too high for the trailer. A WDH will move tongue weight to the trailer axles and if you have a light tongue to begin with and rear-heavy loading in the trailer, you'll definitely get bounce. That will also greatly increase sway risk so sway control will be much more important. Did you go to a CAT scale?

I was pleased to see a dually Super Duty with a <30' bumper pull on I10 using a WDH yesterday. Clearly they understand the benefits.

 

[pickleknuckles]

I disagree from my experience. Towed my 28 foot Transcend that has a gross weight of 6995. With the Equalizer 4 point hitch the camper was felt more and had bounce. Just went on a 400 mile trip and I tell you, I didn't know the camper was back there. May be the case for certain scenarios but not all.

Sounds like low tongue weight to me, or the rating on the WDH was too high for the trailer. A WDH will move tongue weight to the trailer axles and if you have a light tongue to begin with and rear-heavy loading in the trailer, you'll definitely get bounce. That will also greatly increase sway risk so sway control will be much more important. Did you go to a CAT scale?

I was pleased to see a dually Super Duty with a <30' bumper pull on I10 using a WDH yesterday. Clearly they understand the benefits.

I agree w @MrFancypants. Sounds like you need to dial back the tension on the trunnion bars to add a little weight back onto the tongue. I experienced a similar issue when I first got my Tremor and was able to adjust the WD head angle up a bit to reduce bar pressure.

 

[Supercup]

It has arrived - look forward to breaking it in soon!

 

[LoftyJon]

Sounds like low tongue weight to me, or the rating on the WDH was too high for the trailer. A WDH will move tongue weight to the trailer axles and if you have a light tongue to begin with and rear-heavy loading in the trailer, you'll definitely get bounce. That will also greatly increase sway risk so sway control will be much more important. Did you go to a CAT scale?

I was pleased to see a dually Super Duty with a <30' bumper pull on I10 using a WDH yesterday. Clearly they understand the benefits.

I get there are benefits and know for my trailer although at the limit can do fine without a WDH. I have always used one pulling heavy especially when I was in an F150. When your wife gives the look of I'm not comfortable is that how it's supposed to ride... that isn't safe. On her thought it was more we are paying a monthly mortgage for this and it rides like shit, way worse than the F150? Now when not using the WDH it rides like a Cadillac and no one is getting a glute workout... I know that's how it's supposed to ride. I packed my Equalizer 4 way 10k just in case but no way in hell is it safer. Factory hitch weight is 546, the 6K only handles up to 600lbs and Equalizer will tell you to step up. I have no tilt on my ball and the bars are installed properly by being parallel. Not sure going outside the designed parameters is safe to do. Have not got the scale yet but know we don't pack light. Seems like you always add to and never take away as the camping years increase. The 546 is manufacturer and is higher due to 2 - 30 lb tanks, duel batterys and the front cargo packed to the brim. The rear of the coach is empty bunks and bathroom, so not rear heavy and light front. Years ago I was going through the mountains and had some crazy cross winds come out of nowhere while in the F150. I was impressed the one and only time the truck anti sway kicked in.. I know don't rely on electronics thanks for the thoughts. May look into the Anderson chain WDH.

 

[MrFancypants]

Factory hitch weight is 546, the 6K only handles up to 600lbs and Equalizer will tell you to step up. I have no tilt on my ball and the bars are installed properly by being parallel. Not sure going outside the designed parameters is safe to do.

There's more to the story. When you pretension your bars, some of the tongue weight is moved to the front wheels of the tow vehicle and some of the tongue weight is moved to the trailer axles. In my experience it's typically around 2:1 (i.e. double goes to the front axle). If you figure you are moving 100 lb to your trailer axles, you are probably getting into the danger zone of <10% tongue weight.

The size of WDH you choose is about more than the starting tongue weight you are dealing with. The best thing to do would be to go to your local CAT scales and measure weights at each axle with and without the WDH engaged. That will help you dial things in exactly for your specific TV/TT/WDH setup.

I know you're happy with your current solution, but I still think you'll be happier with a properly dialed in WDH. Moving even 100 lb from your rear tires to your front tires will feel a lot better.

 

[LoftyJon]

There's more to the story. When you pretension your bars, some of the tongue weight is moved to the front wheels of the tow vehicle and some of the tongue weight is moved to the trailer axles. In my experience it's typically around 2:1 (i.e. double goes to the front axle). If you figure you are moving 100 lb to your trailer axles, you are probably getting into the danger zone of <10% tongue weight.

The size of WDH you choose is about more than the starting tongue weight you are dealing with. The best thing to do would be to go to your local CAT scales and measure weights at each axle with and without the WDH engaged. That will help you dial things in exactly for your specific TV/TT/WDH setup.

I know you're happy with your current solution, but I still think you'll be happier with a properly dialed in WDH. Moving even 100 lb from your rear tires to your front tires will feel a lot better.

I agree the scales will definitely help solve the problem and really give the information to troubleshoot. Thanks

 

[Hercule73]

Rustic Timbers- Door County Wi

 

[Bull]

Getting ready.....new world for us......lots to learn.

 

[mds2004]

Getting ready.....new world for us......lots to learn.

I love the Brinkley! I briefly looked into one but wanted a shorter bunkhouse model.

 

[Trueblue2296]

2022 tremor 6.7L power stroke with ultimate tow package. 43’ trailer dry weight 11,500 GVWR 14,500. Pills and handles like a champ. I also have the roadmaster active suspension springs installed and I love em so far.

 

[Oak]

Getting ready.....new world for us......lots to learn.

I've been eyeing those Brinkleys. I'd be curious your opinion on them after you have owned it for a bit.