DunnInn
Texas
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Joined: 01/17/2012
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First the equipment:
2009 Winnebago 29T class C on 2008 Ford E450 with V10 Triton
2007 Jeep Liberty with 4 wheel drive
Blue Ox Tow Bar and Tow Plate
Brake Buddy
Now the problem:
When driving the Winnebago or Jeep separately, they do fine. When you hook them together, it becomes a white knuckle experience. When the toad is hooked up, driving at city speeds, the steering on the RV seems stiff and doesn’t try to return to center after a turn. With the toad hooked up, driving at highway speeds, when I try to correct for a wind gust or a truck passing, the RV seems sluggish in responding then overcorrects and must be corrected back. This leads to overcorrection to the left followed by overcorrection to the right and this continues for several cycles. Then it’s back to a constant wandering between the lines. The tow bar handles are both in the locked position and there is no slippage in the bar. The alignment on the Jeep checked out OK. Also had the shocks on the RV checked – they’re OK. No oversized tires on the vehicles. Sure would like to find an INEXPENSIVE solution to this problem. Any suggestions?
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naturist
Lynchburg, VA
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Joined: 04/24/2008
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That sounds way too dangerous to attempt to drive UNTIL you do get it solved. I have no insight to impart, but there's no way I'd drive a rig that acts like that.
i assume you are towing the Jeep 4 down. I trust you've made sure the steering wheel isn't locking up, and that the transfer case is in neutral with the tranny in park. Might be worth a trip around the block (but not one inch farther!) with somebody riding in the Jeep while towing just to see what is going on from that end.
Hope you get this one figured out before you actually have to try to drive it anywhere.
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ScottG
Bothell Wa.
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Joined: 02/25/2005
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Kinda sounds like the "tail wagging the dog" scenario. Are your front tires on the Winne aired up to max? I think that's the first thing I would try.
Scott, Grace and Wesly
2003 Dodge 3500 4x4, 6 speed Cummins (lightly bombed),
2004 Forest River 25RKS many, many mods.
H0NDA eu2000i
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RGordon
Atoka, TN/North Ft Myers, FL
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Joined: 02/17/2003
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I would look into installing a Henderson rear track bar on your Class C. This will eliminate the tail wagging the dog effect. Also sounds like an alignment issue with one of the vehicles.
Ron & Libby Gordon
07 Ford F350 Dually Tow Boss Diesel
07 Mobile Suites 38RL3 #3698
02 Winnebago Adventurer 35U V10 (Former RV)
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow
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ron.dittmer
Northern Illinois
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Joined: 02/26/2007
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Dunnlnn, You sound like me 5 years ago. I took our new rig at the time to THIS specialty shop that deals with motor homes all the time. They came up with a list and I said "Do it". Afterwards the rig with our 2006 Jeep Liberty 4x4 in tow handles perfect. It did cost us $3900, but worth every penny.
- rear Roadmaster heavy duty stabilizer bar
- front Roadmaster heavy duty stabilizer bar
- rear Henderson trac bar
- Koni-RV shocks all around
- Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer bar
- front wheel alignment done with rig as would be loaded on trips.
I also learned recently that if the tow bar is not horizontal when hooked up, it encourages "bucking" of the tow vehicle. If your tow bar is high at the Liberty and low at the motor home, you will need to buy one of these and longer 76" safety cables, both sold by Roadmaster and other sources.
2007 Phoenix Cruiser model 2350, with 2006 Jeep Liberty in-tow
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othertonka
Stockton, CA
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Joined: 11/15/2003
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I agree with Ron, make sure that the tow bar from the toad is level with the hitch ball on the MH. Most tow bars will allow maybe 4 inch difference but level is the best.
Othertonka
2004 Southwind 32VS 8.1 Workhorse chassis
2002 CRV Toad
U. S. Gear Unified brake system
Retired Fire Captain, SFD
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Beverley&Ken
Tottenham,Ontario
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Joined: 08/22/2006
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Are you using a drop receiver or extension. We had a similar situation when we first started towing 4 down. Our problem was a sloppy fit with the drop receiver. A little side to side play at the MH receiver and more where the Blue Ox draw bar went in. It translated to about 2inches of side to side play at the tow bar, made for a very scary drive. I removed the drop receiver extension after 3 miles of driving and have not had any problems since. I now tow with about a 4 inch drop from the MH to car, no problems.
Beverley and Ken
2006 Winnebago Outlook 29B E-450.
2012 Honda CR-V AWD
Blue Ox Aventa LX tow bar and Brake Buddy Vantage.
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NewsW
US
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Joined: 02/06/2012
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Run this experiment.
1. Go to U-haul, and rent the 2 wheel (front wheels off) trailer.
See if it does the same.
If it does, disconnect the rear drive shaft and see what it does.
If it is stable with drive shaft disconnected and U haul lifting front wheels off the ground, you ruled out a misalignment, weak hitch, etc.
2. Now try towing without the U haul and front wheels on ground and ditto rear.
See if the problem recurs.
If it does, try disconnecting the front drive shaft and see if it recurs.
Off hand, I think you got it on 4wd and both axles are locked... and that is the source of the problem.
The front wheels are not freewheeling nor are the rear --- and it is 4 wheels fighting each other via the center diff.
If I am right, there should be abnormal tire wear or rapid tire wear on towing.
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gotsmart
Aberdeen, WA
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Joined: 02/20/2012
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Here's a stupid question. Have you tried taking a square to the receiver to see if it's canted - not left or right of center, but installed at an angle? If it's canted just a few degrees, the tow bar may not pull straight.
2005 Cruise America 28R (Four Winds 28R) on a 2004 Ford E450 SD 6.8L V10 4R100
2009 smart fortwo Passion with Roadmaster "Falcon 2" towbar & tail light kit - pictures
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DunnInn
Texas
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Thanks for all the responses. PLEASE keep the ideas coming. We are towing 4 down, steering wheel is not locked, xfer case in neutral and tranny in park. Had the tires rotated on the Winnie a while back and told them to air them up, but haven't checked them, so that's a possibility. Guess we also need to look into getting the Winnie aligned. The tow bar is not level, looks like a 2 inch drop from the MH to the toad. We tie a white cloth in the center of the steering wheel on the Jeep when we are towing so we can make sure the wheels are turning freely. Haven't tried the square on the receiver, but when we get home from our current trip, will check it out. Right now, if the problem gets too bad, we disconnect the Jeep and run them separately. WHAT A PAIN!! Ron, don't think we have any EXPERTS in our area of the country. Sure wish we did.
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