Gidgetgirl
Washington
New Member
Joined: 10/30/2009
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
 Offline
|
We have a 2008 Cameo 34CK3. Our tow vehicle is a 2002 Chev Duramax, 2500 HD with air bags. Our huge problem with the Cameo is that it porpoises while traveling. Has anyone out there had this problem and if so, how was it resolved. Or any suggestions as to what we need to do to keep the trailer from doing this?
|
Blaster Man
USA
Senior Member
Joined: 08/01/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Easy answer, your 3/4 ton truck is no match for a Cameo...it cannot handle the pin weight. You can put air bags to level it, but that will not take care of the over weight problem. Your trailer weighs in at 15k, you are in dually country.
|
skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/17/2003
View Profile
|
The trailer is well above your rating from the factory which is probably the base CAUSE of the problem. There's really nothing you can do to correct the overweight situation but you may be able to do something to make if more comfortable to tow overloaded. Good luck / skip
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed (new)
OR 2004 F-150 HD (85,000 towing miles)
Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
|
FiverDragger
MI
Senior Member
Joined: 06/10/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
The specs for the 34ck3 fit your truck empty GVW weight wise, if your truck is a 6 liter gasser. If it is a diesel then the coach empty will put you over GVW. I also have a Carriage and pull it with a 2002 2500 hd chevy. The only time it porpoises is if the highway is not smooth. We have a couple of stretches around my house that the road varies about 1/2" every 40 ft or so in equal measurements and my fiver does this. Empty the truck barely shows it but pullin the fiver it bounces quite a bit only in thse areas. I would weigh the fiver and truck and see where you stand on pin weight. If it is getting out of hand I would look into the items you have in the basement and front storage area. These things can add up quickly and push your pin weight way up. If this is the case move some things to the rear of the coach or do without to lighten the pin weight. Sometimes in areas where the road has these dips in it you can change your speed and that will lessen the effect.
Ron
2002 Chevy 2500HD 6.0 4.10 axle ext cab longbox
36' Carriage Lite Dbl Slide Fifth Wheel
Ron, Barb and Scooter the watchmop
|
marspec
West Virginia
Senior Member
Joined: 04/13/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
What is your pin weight and what percentage of trailer weight is that? Too low a pin weight can cause porpoising. If you're not over rear axle rating and towing with an empty water tank I'd add some water. I had a problem when switching to a higher rated truck. Adding water helped since it reduced the rebound from the heavier truck springs.
|
|
|
TXiceman
(Near) Houston,TX
Senior Member
Joined: 11/17/2000
View Profile
Offline
|
3/4 ton truck is way overloaded on GVWR with that trailer.
Ken
KE5DFR
Vintage 1979 Silver Streak Supreme Rocket toted by a 2002 F350, crewcab dually, 7.3L,4.10 axle,SCMT. Travel with two miniature Schnauzers and one African Gray parrot. Practicing for retirement!
|
ArkieVet
Fulltimer
Full Member
Joined: 05/10/2007
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
Not enough truck. Do a weigh-in and I think you'll find that you're over the GCWR of your 3/4 ton. My F35SB3 weighs right at 15k lbs. That puts my GCW (with my F350) at 24,480 lbs. I have the Tow Boss pkg which puts my GCWR at 26k. My GVWR is 13k. I don't know if GM has a pkg like that.
Retired U.S. Army SFC ('67 - '88)
(Infantry, AG Corps)
2009 F350 Crew Cab Dually PSD Tow Boss
2009 Cameo F35SB3
|
daytona7
Florida
Senior Member
Joined: 04/01/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Had the 06 Chevy 2500HD with the 8.1 gasser. Towed an 04 Cameo F35KS3 with no problems except on rough roads. I had contacted GM Customer Service requesting all info on my truck by giving them the VIN. Their reply stated that under that VIN, the truck will tow a 15,500 Fifth Wheeler. Just traded it in for an 07 GMC 2500HD with the 6.6 Duramax due to my Chevy becomming a magnet for accidents, 3 since July. Did notice though that the rear on the Chevy was higher up than on the GMC.
|
randy&shereen
Jackson, MI
Senior Member
Joined: 01/26/2005
View Profile
|
Funny how many jumped weights without giving you any ideas of what to try. Is the trailer level? If you are nose high you are transfering weight to rear trailer axle and away from the pin. Have you upgraded the truck shocks? I had airbags on a different combination than current rig and had huge proposing problems. I tried all kinds of different air bag pressures and it really came down to standard shocks could not control the rebound. What I thought was porpoising was really just out of control truck bounce. I installed Rancho 5000 shocks and they made a huge difference. The 9000 series are adjustable and I think that is the replacement shock that most are using today. You might want to search or start a new thread about air bag pressures. I found that the 5# you keep in the bag unloaded jumps to 20# when compressed under load. 35 psi was my sweet spot on old combination of 98 GMC 2500 and 13,000# Travel Supreme Express. Randy
2004 GMC Sierra 2500HD SLT CREW CAB LONG BOX (7380#)
8.1 Big block Gas/Allison 4:10 4x4
2004 Newmar Kountry Star 34 BLWB 3 Slides (15620#)
Pin Wt 2560# (16.3%) Total combination Wt=23,000#
|
