Rough ride pulling the trailer

Ravgardner · Mar 30, 2009

I'm pulling a twin axle, 5 ton, 18 foot long equipment trailer with a 1/2 ton, two wheel drive pickup with a trailer package, and don't know if the vibration I'm feeling is normal.

This is my first trailer so I'm new to hauling one. The ride is rough. Hard to describe, but it feels like when the trailer wheels hit a bump, it pulls back on the truck with a small jerk. I understand and expected that, but the jerk continues at a low frequency. Almost feels like a wheel out of balance. Gets really annoying and I can't imagine driving on a long trip this way. Its not that way all the time, there are smooth stretches.

It was that way coming home with a empty trailer. We loaded it with a small 2500 lbs tractor with just a some front weight. Same ride characteristics. We re-loaded it with the weight more to the front. Same ride. We then loaded the trailer with the weight more to the rear, it had the same ride. I thought maybe the load position was a factor.

What can you tell me about this. I this normal.

souNdguy · Mar 30, 2009

If you have an underweight / powered tow vehicle, the trailer will tug on you alot..

if you have a tire on the trailer with a knot on it, it will feel like a bump/tug on the tow vehicle.

if the load can move -any- on the trailer.. IT.. tractor setting on squishy tires, then the load can undulate and you will feel this tug on smaller tow vehicles.

I much prefer towing with a 3/4 ton truck vs a 1/2 ton when pulling naything over 4000-5000#

soundguy

Anonymous-0 · Mar 30, 2009

check your tires and get load levelers to put on your trailor!
good luck

PhilipIN · Mar 31, 2009

I have 18' trailer rated 5K as well. Trailer empty weights 2500 lb. I used to pull trailer empty with 3600 lb Ranger, would beat you to death. You can see set up I have now, my F250 weights in at 6600 lb. Empty or loaded ride is okay. I also have radial tires on trailer. With my normal load as shown, 6000 pounds, I only run 50 psi in each tire (tires are rated 3000 lb each at 80 psi). Tire pressure load charts can be found at Goodyear. Philip.

xfarma · Mar 31, 2009

Make sure you are using the right size ball and the coupling is closed tight.

Ravgardner · Mar 31, 2009

The ball and the hitch are ok, but I check the tires and I think maybe I found something.

Left front tire has a "Flat spot". I jacked them up and spun them and it very easy to see and feel when spinning. The rest of the tire has 3/8 inch of tred, but this one section is flat and hardly any tred depth.

Could that be the cause what I described?
What do you think?

They are made in China

Nanco Super Highway 7.50 x 16 LT Load range B.

jason, NW Ontario · Mar 31, 2009

The problems you're describing happened on a car I used to own - the bearing was shot and needed replacement.
Are B load tires enough to be hauling around equipment? I'd always thought that D or E range tires were best on trailers.

Jason

Ravgardner · Mar 31, 2009

Can't answer the question on the load rating B D or E. I'm looking on the net for information and not finding much. Need help here for sure. the sidewall on these states the load range is 2755 lbs and 75 psi So 4 of them are good for 11,020 pounds. One source I read said the tires should be good for 20% more that the GVW of the trailer, so these are a little light.

larry cook · Mar 31, 2009

agree with soundguy. i haul my n with shredder on a 16' trailer and the rider is not bad. the tow vehicle is a ford ranger(edge) when i haul my 640 with shredder the ride is not near as smooth and it feels like it tugs on me pretty good.
larry cook

T_Bone · Apr 1, 2009

Hi Ravgarnder,

I pulled my first load weight over 45years ago. Gee's am I getting old

but what I've learned along the way.

Buy one trailer that's correct for you the first go around. After 4 trailers I finally have it right for me. Look at the money I could have saved if I had only bought two trailers in that time. Now that is if your the typical trailer user that pulls maybe 6 to 12 times a year. Commercial then there's a new set of rules.

Tires, buy the best. Nanco's are cheap junk. They can not be rated for 2750lbs being a B tire. Gee's a "D" tire is rated for 2750lbs and a "E" is rated 3040lbs. So how do they get 2755??? They lie!!! lol

If you buy Michelin XPS they'll last you 8yrs plus and get better fuel mileage.

With trailers it's pay me now or pay me latter but your gonna pay me.

T_Bone

showcrop · Apr 1, 2009

Reading these posts makes me realize that my gooseneck trailer pulls a lot more smoothly than my bumper hitch. When I used to pull a heavy load with the bumper hitch trailer it would hit the tow truck pretty hard over every bump, to the point where I would find myself bracing for it. Tow truck is the same rating on each.

mattofvinings · Apr 1, 2009

My opinion is a 10k GVW trailer is going to jerk on a 1/2ton pickup pretty good without much that can be done other that goto a 3/4t or 1t truck.

As stated above...a gooseneck would pull so much smoother!

02XLT4X4 · Apr 1, 2009

(quoted from post at 05:05:22 04/01/09) Reading these posts makes me realize that my gooseneck trailer pulls a lot more smoothly than my bumper hitch. When I used to pull a heavy load with the bumper hitch trailer it would hit the tow truck pretty hard over every bump, to the point where I would find myself bracing for it. Tow truck is the same rating on each.

Yeah, you have that much less of a lever on the back of your truck. I would love to get a car trailer sized gooseneck. I pull with a F-150 so I can't really utilize a full blown normal flatbed, but a low profile (with the deck between the wheels) 18'ish gooseneck would be slick IMO.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 5, 2009

I pull my 3600 Ford Tractor on a 16 tandem axle trailer (10k rated) with a 2006 Nissan Titan (2WD) with absolutely no trouble. I have a 2008 Ford F250 (diesel 4WD) that will not pull it (it will if you dont want to run more than 45-50 mph). The Titan rides better, pulls harder and uses half the fuel. Go figure.

souNdguy · Apr 5, 2009

I'm wondering why your diesel f250 won't pull it...

I have an 04 diesel 4wd fF50 and I've pulled my 16' trailer on multi-thousand mile trips to grab tractors in the same weight range as that 3600.. and have no problem meeting ( or exceeding) the speed limit on the interstate.. with pleeeeenty of pedal to spare. mine has the 6L PSD. my half ton dodge with 5.9L does not pull as good as my 6l 3/4 ton diesel.

soundguy

larry cook · Apr 5, 2009

got me to wondering too, that 3600 must have loaded tires or extra weights/something. do you have a fel or shredder on it? i pull my 16' trailer with a ford ranger with v6 and have hauled my 640 with shredder on it. i can travel 65 - 70 on the interstate, could go faster but dont want to risk it with that kind of load on a small pickup. if your 3600 doesnt have weights/loaded tires/implement then there is only about 800 pounds more that you are pulling than i am. something aint right.
larry cook

Anonymous-0 · Apr 5, 2009

Tractor tires are not loaded and a bush hog is the biggest thing I have had behind it. I don't understand it either. I just know it is very hard on the F250. Wife gets mad when I need to haul something because the Titan is hers

souNdguy · Apr 5, 2009

I'd take the f250 to the shop and see what's wrong with it.

last year I made a red eye 40 hour round trip to texas to grab a 951 and a front end loader.. and a few weeks ago I made a 20 hour trip to lousiana to grab a 541...truck ran straight thru each time ( 2 drivers ).. only stopping for fuel and food/bathroom and a single 'rest' stop once, on the way into texas.

Truck felt like it was driving with no trailer.. pulled real well..... like it should.

you'rs has a problem... you got one of them superchips modules in it and set it on economy or something?

I know guys that drag HD 20' trailers and small TLB's or skid steer loaders .. quite a load and they do it with 3/4 ton trucks like that f250... like I said.. you need to get you'rs fixed.. it's broke... if it acts like you say it does.

soundguy

Anonymous-0 · Apr 6, 2009

My bro-inlaw's 08 F250 pulls a 24' drop deck 5th wheel loaded with a 4440 JD @ 16,000 down the road @ 65 with no problem. I think your pulling our leg here and I'm a GM man myself.

Embery Jarvis · Apr 9, 2009

Truck is brand new (just tripped 25,000 miles). Fully factory, no add-ons (unless you count step bars).. Due for an oil change. I"m gonna have the dealer check it out, won"t hardly pull a greasy string out a cats u know what.

souNdguy · Apr 10, 2009

yep.. it's got a bad problem.. it should be able to pull your half ton clean apart.

soundguy

fort67 · Apr 25, 2009

He needs to have it checked. I pulled(don't recommend for the inexperiened) an oliver oc-46 w/backhoe with a 1990 ford diesel (5 speed) 450 miles doewn i-77 and handled like a dream. Don't get me wrong little overloaded probaly 20,000+ but trailer brakes would would stop truck too. little touchy if they quit.lol

john_Bud · Apr 26, 2009

(quoted from post at 16:30:35 04/09/09) Truck is brand new (just tripped 25,000 miles). Fully factory, no add-ons (unless you count step bars).. Due for an oil change. I"m gonna have the dealer check it out, won"t hardly pull a greasy string out a cats u know what.

It's possible the trailer controller in the Ford is activating the electric trailer brakes all the time. Hard to pull if the brakes are on....

jb

mkirsch · Apr 29, 2009

There'd be smoke if the trailer brake controller was activating.

Nah, that F250 has got something wrong with it. It's in limp mode.

With a diesel it should pull that little bit of weight like it isn't even there. Diesels let you pull way more than your truck is rated for, and not even notice. When a small block gasser, especially if it's a Nissan Titan, the redheaded step child of the half ton pickup world, is outpulling a Powerstroke Ford, there is something wrong.

Did you ever get it checked out?

Rough ride pulling the trailer

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