sway issue |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Topic: sway issue Posted: 06 Oct 2014 at 11:15am |
We're all here to help, ask anything and you'll get multiple answers!
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Danno
Newbie Joined: 04 Oct 2014 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 11 |
Posted: 05 Oct 2014 at 9:11pm |
Thank you all for your concern and comments. It's a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget. I don't know how to explain the feeling of being out of control like that and pretty much knowing what was coming. I suppose sheer terror might begin to describe it. If I could have overcome the fear that was gripping me as it was happening, and let go of the wheel with one hand, maybe I could have found the controller button fast enough to do some good. A button on the steering wheel would have come in handy.
I did have the trailer tires at 50psi. But yes, now I realize weight distribution is all important and never to be taken for granted. If it had been correct in the first place, even without a sway bar, there probably wouldn't have been any problems.
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Dan
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Old Dingo&Mrs.Dingo
Senior Member Joined: 07 Jul 2012 Location: Tarentum, PA Online Status: Offline Posts: 138 |
Posted: 05 Oct 2014 at 8:13pm |
Many years ago, when I was young and brave, (and foolish) I regularly towed a 15 1/2 foot Scotty TT (3500#-4000#) with a '72 Jeep CJ5 V8, (about 3000#) no WDH or sway bar. At highway speeds it would start to sway with almost every passing 18 wheeler, to stop the sway I would simply accelerate briskly for a short time. It would eliminate the sway almost immediately, only one problem, if there was much traffic, I would wind up going much faster than I wanted. As Doug says "mash on the brake controller", that will pull the hitch tight and straight, stopping the sway. If you are afraid to release the steering wheel to apply the trailer's brakes, a healthy dose of horsepower may allow you to regain control, in fact that is the only way I know of to stop sway on a trailer equipped with surge brakes. Lifting your right foot will not, applying the TV brake usually isn't the answer either. All this said, now I use a WDH with sway control, (not the friction type) and my TV is rated to tow twice the 'pod's weight. Take note: many people on this forum have found out, no device can correct all the problems caused by poor weight distribution.
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Old Dingo and/or Mrs. Dingo
181G 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee |
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ToolmanJohn
Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2014 Location: Connecticut Online Status: Offline Posts: 451 |
Posted: 05 Oct 2014 at 7:48pm |
Make sure you trailer tires are at the max of 50 psi... Low tires pressures are very bad on trailers and the rear of the tow vehicle. Much better to run maximum cold pressures in your tires when towing. |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 05 Oct 2014 at 3:56pm |
Welcome. Sorry to hear about your accident. Unfortunately you made 2 mistakes. First, the #1 rule with sway is you must mash on the brake controller (and don't touch the TV's brakes). Second, you never want to try to steer out of the sway - hold the steering wheel straight (within reason, steer away from traffic of course).
See the link in my signature and look for the article on sway. The fresh water tank is behind the axle on the 177, true. However, with adjustments to apply more weight forward of the axle and to increase the sway control (which differs depending on the brand), it is perfectly safe to travel with that tank full and the waste tanks empty. My 171 has a different configuration but I've traveled most of 15,000 miles with the fresh water tank full.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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David and Danette
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1216 |
Posted: 05 Oct 2014 at 2:16pm |
I too am very sorry about your accident and thankful no one was injured. My parents had a Jayco trailer many years ago and a similar situation except the road had ice on it and thankfully the trailer flipped and exploded in pieces but the Suburban they were driving remained upright on four wheels. I hope your insurance covers most of your loss. Next camper you buy I am sure you will be checking the tongue weight and where the fresh water tank is located. Its good you are not getting discouraged and are planning on to continue camping. My parents never bought another camper my mother said that was enough. Your experience will help others to be mindful of the tongue weight and drive careful with caution in that things can quickly change to a dangerous situation. David and Danette
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2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019) 2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014) Middle Tn 2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab |
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Podster
Senior Member Joined: 16 Sep 2014 Location: San Antonio Online Status: Offline Posts: 1108 |
Posted: 05 Oct 2014 at 8:04am |
Thanks for sharing this...a very educational read that may save another from this terrible misfortune. Good to hear that you came out of it OK.
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Danno
Newbie Joined: 04 Oct 2014 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 11 |
Posted: 05 Oct 2014 at 12:16am |
Hi Mike and All, I wanted to share my experience with the RP-177 being towed with a '98 Ford Explorer. I don't wish to unnecessarily scare anyone away from towing a travel trailer but I do think people should learn from other people's mishaps and know everything they can about it before rushing out and getting on the highway with one. I am very lucky to not have been permanently paralyzed or otherwise badly injured, not to mention, killed. I was using a WDH and friction sway bar but the bow wave from a very large RV I went by started the Rpod swaying and no matter how I tried to steady it, the oscillation continued to grow very quickly. There was only 6" of shoulder pavement beyond the white line and a few inches of dirt before the highway bed dropped off very steeply. I didn't want to touch the brakes, fearing it would make it worse and I didn't feel I could take either hand off the wheel to try to actuate the trailer brakes but I had taken my foot off the accelerator so was slowing down. The trailer swung the Explorer hard right and onto the dirt, resulting in both rolling down the embankment. The trailer literally exploded with nothing but pieces plus the frame left. Luckily, the Explorer cab wasn't crushed so I managed to escape with very little injury. Yes, I was wearing my seat belt which kept me clamped in the seat and probably wouldn't have survived if not. I just got the trailer last year (2013) and had gone on two trips with it, once even without a sway bar. However, this was the first time I had completely filled the fresh water tank which is unfortunately the last of 3 tanks, located in the back, behind the axle. I was headed into the Nevada desert to go dry camping, with my brother driving separately, and we both take showers and use a lot of water over a several day period so that's why I had it filled. It was a lack of understanding on my part that the trailer isn't engineered to be stable at highway speeds with the fresh water tank being filled and the gray and black water tanks being empty even though the total weight of the Explorer, trailer, and contents were well within what the Explorer is rated to tow. Apparently (I'm still researching this), it's necessary to counter balance the fresh water tank weight with weight placed in front of the trailer axle. According to a salesman I talked to at Poulsbo RV, the 10% tongue weight, shown in the RP-177 specs, is with all tanks empty. So when the fresh water tank is filled, there is about 300lbs of weight pushing down on the back and lifting on the tongue, which would appear to reduce tongue weight to less than 10% of the total trailer weight. I've now seen various websites that say the tongue weight should be no less than 12% to 15% so they're saying even 10% is not a safe percentage. I've also now found companies that make (very expensive) hitches that they 100% guarantee will not allow sway to ever begin in the first place. And they say friction sway bars can actually make a situation worse once the force on the trailer overcomes the friction in the sway bar. In any case, I've definitely learned (the hard way) that you do not take anything about towing a trailer for granted. Your life and everyone else's life out there on the road, is literally in your hands. I do intend to buy another RV, whether TT, 5th wheel, or other. But I will be fully educated and weighing, measuring, and verifying everything myself before ever towing again. BTW, for those that haven't already seen it, here's another person that had a very bad sway problem and crash with the RP-177. Just google "Crashed on the interstate while towing the R-Pod" or see "forum_posts.asp?TID=3141&title=crashed-on-the-interstate-while-towing-the-rpod" on this site. I wish there had been a guard rail where I was, like they had, but I was on a straight highway and they were on a curve.
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Dan
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 11 Jul 2014 at 11:57pm |
See the link in my signature for info on sway.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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2rsinapod
Newbie Joined: 29 Apr 2014 Location: s/w Ontario Online Status: Offline Posts: 16 |
Posted: 11 Jul 2014 at 8:35pm |
Thanks all ...... it makes total sense and I'm not sure why I didn't put 2 & 2 together! I drained 2/3 rds of the tank and will try it with 10 gallons to start with. After all that was the size of the tank on my last pup.
Mike |
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'15 r-pod 178
'17 F150 2.7L ecoboost |
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