Trailer wobble at 60mph help

[Jeff99gsx]

So I’m having an issue pulling an empty trailer.

I’ve used this same small 5x8 utility trailer for years on my 2020 Durango and it pulls great at any speed.

Now I recently bought this 2009 Ram to pull with. I bought an adjustable drop hitch receiver and made sure the trailer was perfectly level with the truck.

So I pick up lawn mowers for customers so obviously the trailer is empty on the way to the customer.

At about 60-65 the trailer starts to get a side to side wobble/sway and I’ll slow down to 50-55 it’s fine. But then loaded with some tongue weight on the way home it pulls great with no sway.

What could be the issue? The trailer pulls great at 75mph empty on my Durango so why is it wobbling side to side on the ram?

Should I raise the trailer up in the front slightly or keep it level? Nose down on the trailer. I tried to go down with the adjuster so it had some tongue weight while empty but it didn’t help.

Why would the tow vehicle change the way the trailer rides?

There is some play in the adjustable drop hitch. Should I put a clamp to lock the tongue into the receiver tight?

 

[BossHogg]

Short single-axle trailers can be difficult. Stay on surface streets to avoid travel speeds that are dangerous.

Tongue Weight Safety Demonstration

Proper trailer tongue weight improves the vehicle and trailer towing experience by improving performance. Not enough tongue weight or force on the hitch/tow ...

www.youtube.com

 

[Dennis Shellito]

You need to lower the tongue slightly. Just enough to put more weight on the forward side of the trailer axle.

 

[markabby]

i'll take a shot at a more scientific approach...maybe the wind over the Durango there's more wind pressing down on the trailer, keeping it more stable, whereas with the truck, the wind is flowing less and making the trailer more unstable.

The Durango sits lower than the truck, allowing the flow of wind to "hold' the trailer better. The truck, being higher, obstructs the flow of wind. That's why at lower speeds it's more stable.

it's called turbulence

hey....it was just an off the wall guess...LOL

 

[Jeff99gsx]

i'll take a shot at a more scientific approach...maybe the wind over the Durango there's more wind pressing down on the trailer, keeping it more stable, whereas with the truck, the wind is flowing less and making the trailer more unstable.

The Durango sits lower than the truck, allowing the flow of wind to "hold' the trailer better. The truck, being higher, obstructs the flow of wind. That's why at lower speeds it's more stable.

it's called turbulence

hey....it was just an off the wall guess...LOL

Yeah that makes sense though. The trailer has a ramp gate too that’s fairly tall and maybe that’s catching the air and acting like sail making it pull up on the to tongue. The Durango probably cut though air better.

Weird stuff haha.

The other thing is the drop hitch has a lot of play in the end of the truck hitch. Should I clamp it in tight? You think that would help anything?

 

[etbrown4]

Carry 100-150 pounds in the front of your trailer when empty, and the problem should go away.

 

[Jeff99gsx]

Carry 100-150 pounds in the front of your trailer when empty, and the problem should go away.

Should I just put the weight on the trailer deck front or on the tow bar section in front?

 

[markabby]

Yeah that makes sense though. The trailer has a ramp gate too that’s fairly tall and maybe that’s catching the air and acting like sail making it pull up on the to tongue. The Durango probably cut though air better.

Weird stuff haha.

The other thing is the drop hitch has a lot of play in the end of the truck hitch. Should I clamp it in tight? You think that would help anything?

by play, you mean it bounces inside the receiver? my 16' trailer does that so i bought one of those goofy hitch clamps. That noise drove me nuts sounding like i lost the hitch or something.

i don't think that would have much to do with the wobble, it's just makes an annoying sound

 

[markabby]

Should I just put the weight on the trailer deck front or on the tow bar section in front?

i always load heaviest weight over the axles ( i have two) but, in your case with that nice big mower, best you can do is balance it out on the trailer.

you didn't mention if it wobbles with it loaded.....

 

[joesstripclub]

Slightly different, but I had an enclosed trailer that was still getting some sway on the highway with a 4" drop hitch. At the recommendation of some users on here, I went to a 6" drop and the sway went away. I would see if you can't get the tongue a bit lower while its empty.

 

[Jeff99gsx]

by play, you mean it bounces inside the receiver? my 16' trailer does that so i bought one of those goofy hitch clamps. That noise drove me nuts sounding like i lost the hitch or something.

i don't think that would have much to do with the wobble, it's just makes an annoying sound

Yeah it’s slightly loose inside the receiver. I was thinking the clamp thing would help the sway but it sounds like it’s more to just stop the rattling noise.

I think I’ll try some buckets of sand in the front and see how it drives then.

 

[etbrown4]

There are published guidelines on tongue weight vs total loads searchable on the web.

Start with 100 or 150# at front of trailer bed, only when empty. Add more as needed. You have already proven that with a full load you are ok for weight distribution.

Applying weight over the wheels is not always the answer as it depends on the location of the trailer axle.

Over many decades, owners of boat trailers, other trailers, and even tractor trailers have had to shift their axles to balance loads. Tractor trailers move pins in their rear trailer tandem, sliding their axles by locking their brakes, to shift loads forward or aft to meet weight requirements per axle on state highway scales.

Utility trailers rarely have adjustable axles, but if yours were, it's possible that shifting the axle forward just 6" might cure the problem.

 

[2003F350]

I can't tell from the pictures, but does this particular trailer have the type of ramp that can be folded flat to the bed of the trailer? If so, you may want to also try that. Because yes, that ramp is a MASSIVE sail that's creating a LOT of drag and actually unloading your hitch, thus making it too light and inducing sway. Think of it like a lever, with the axle of the trailer as a fulcrum - wind pushes on the ramp, pulling back/down on the rear of the trailer, meaning the front HAS to go up thanks to the laws of physics. The Durango, being an SUV, created a better 'cone' behind it that allowed less air to hit the ramp and therefore didn't remove as much weight from the hitch.

Lowering the tongue MAY help as it'll force a little more weight to the tongue of the trailer, but I'm not sure if it'll be enough - it depends on the overall weight of the trailer in front of the axle. If you can lay that ramp flat to the bed of the trailer, though, it'll remove that drag force completely while not changing the overall weight distribution of the trailer. It will also give you the added benefit of slightly increased fuel economy while towing it empty.

 

[Tulecreeper]

You're tail-heavy. Put a tool box or something similar somewhere on the front of the trailer. Or, if your spare is mounted on the side you could move it to the tongue.

 

[Jeff99gsx]

Thanks everyone, my spare tire for the truck is normally in the bed of my truck because the spare tire lift cable broke. So I put the truck spare tire up in the front of trailer and strap it in. Then the trailer rides perfect empty.

I’m thinking the ramp gate catches the wind and pushes the rear down.
I guess the weight of the truck spare is enough to balance it out.

Thanks for all the help figuring this out!
It feels much safer at 60 now, not swaying side to side.

 

[Fire5506]

To be honest, I would get a spare tire for the trailer and mount it on the front of the trailer. That way you have a spare if you get a flat on the trailer and adds some weight to the front of the trailer.