Good w/d hitch choice for improving the ride in the TV

[RDMueller]

I'm looking for opinions from those who have towed with different hitches regarding which ones performed the best in terms of the ride.

My setup:
TV is a 2001 Ram 2500 diesel quad cab long bed
TT is a 2015 FR Wildwood 28DBUD (29 footer with a GVWR of 7805)

I initially towed with just a weight carrying hitch and a friction sway bar. In this configuration the truck stayed level and the steer axle still had 3400 lbs on it, a reduction of less than 200 lbs. Tongue weight was about 900. There was no sway and handling was fine. On smooth roads, it towed great, no issue whatsoever.

The problem was simply ride quality on poor roads. Driving over a bump or dip in the road would cause a front to back rocking motion that was pretty uncomfortable at times. So began my quest to improve the ride. Here's what I've done so far:

1. Replaced the aging shocks on my truck with Bilstein HD shocks. This produced a modest improvement, but the front to back rocking was still present, just not quite as severe.

2. Upgraded my hitch to an Andersen no sway no bounce w/d hitch. I did a lot of research here and elsewhere before deciding on this hitch. It seemed that "bounce" was probably the best word to describe the front to back rocking I was experiencing and this hitch was supposed to address that. Some did say the Andersen has a hard time restoring enough weight to the steer axle with heavier tongue weights, but because of the very long wheelbase of my truck, that was not really the issue. Anyway, I will say the Andersen made a substantial improvement. However on the worst highways and interstates, the front to back rocking when hitting a bump or dip is still very much present and can be quite annoying.

3. Upgraded the trailer suspension to the Dexter E-Z Flex suspension. I'm sure this made a huge improvement inside the trailer itself, but it didn't make that much of a difference in ride quality in the truck.

At this point, I don't know - maybe this is just as good as it gets. After all, it tows really well on good roads. But we all know, the condition of our highways and interstates in this country is often not great. It is what it is. But I do find myself wondering if there would be a better hitch option that would smooth things out some more.

It does seem to be almost universally accepted here that a Hensley or PP is the best hitch you can buy. However the issue that seems to be front and center when talking about a Hensley or PP is sway and how their design prevents sway from ever beginning. I have no issues with sway whatsoever. I'd be happy to invest in a Hensley or PP if it would substantially improve the ride. But I'd really hate to spend that kind of money only to get little or no improvement over what I'm seeing with the Andersen.

I know a lot of people swear by their Equal-i-zer, Reese dual cam, or Blue Ox sway pro. Judging by what I see walking thru campgrounds, those make up the vast majority of the w/d hitches. I almost never see another Andersen and not very many Hensley or PP hitches. Since the first 3 don't represent a huge investment, I could just try one and see if I like it better than the Andersen. But before I do anything, I'd love to hear from people here who have likely gone down this same path.

As usual, thank you in advance for the good advice I know I will receive!

[RDMueller]

Thanks everyone for all the advice and ideas! There are clearly a number of things I can do, each of which will probably provide incremental improvements. I agree that the first thing will be to try a different hitch. Of all the things I've done so far, going from no w/d to the Andersen was by far the biggest improvement. A hitch that can restore 100% to the front axle may be all it takes to make me happy.

If after that I'm still looking for improvement, stiffer shocks for the truck or timbrens would be a fairly easy and low cost thing to try. Last would probably be the Air Safe. It looks like a beautiful product and one that looks like it's designed to deal with precisely what I'm complaining about. But considering the cost, I'll definitely be trying the other things first!

I'll definitely update this thread after I try a new hitch.

[dodge_guy]

Dump the Anderson and go with a Reese DC, EQ, or another type of traditional hitch, with the proper weight bars for your trailers loaded, ready to travel weight.

[Hemi_Joel]

I can almost guarantee that a stiffer set of shocks will cure the problem. Those Bilstein HD 4600's are a very soft shock, not made for controlling heavey loads. Get some adjustable ranchos and set them up stiff. It will be night and day difference.

[ktmrfs]

Airstreamer67 wrote:
The truck-and-trailer combination makes for a 50-foot-plus articulated snake that is prone to moving like a sine-wave on undulating surfaces such as disjointed Interstate concrete slabs.

I don't think there is much that can be done about it, except perhaps drive on different types of roads, such as smooth blacktops that don't have expansion joints every few feet.

I've been using an AirSafe hitch for 10 years now. It is a wonderful hitch that does provide all the many benefits they claim. However, when it comes to some of the concrete slabs I drive over, it's roller-coaster time, folks.

I agree, especially on the airsafe hitch. It does wonders, but as they say "you can't defy physics". It helps decouple the TV from the trailer but it can not decouple completely.

Thankfully, even on a bad road it turns a terrible awful road into just a not nice road. I've driven over some road before and after I installed the air safe hitch and it did and does make a big noticeable improvement.

but given it's cost and weight it is not really a good solution for everyone.

[Airstreamer67]

The truck-and-trailer combination makes for a 50-foot-plus articulated snake that is prone to moving like a sine-wave on undulating surfaces such as disjointed Interstate concrete slabs.

I don't think there is much that can be done about it, except perhaps drive on different types of roads, such as smooth blacktops that don't have expansion joints every few feet.

I've been using an AirSafe hitch for 10 years now. It is a wonderful hitch that does provide all the many benefits they claim. However, when it comes to some of the concrete slabs I drive over, it's roller-coaster time, folks.

[RDMueller]

Muddydogs wrote:
How about slowing down? If your talking anything like the frost heaves we get around here then nothing is going to help unless you slow down.

I pretty much never go above 65 regardless of how good the roads are. Tried slowing to 55 when it got really bad, but there was very little improvement. Not sure how much you'd have to slow to get a significant improvement, but I'm not going to go less than 55 on on interstate!

Muddydogs wrote:
I would think that a 2500 long bed pickup would handle your 8000 lbs trailer just fine without any WD.

Well, that was how I started out. I asked at the dealership (and you know, they like to sell you things) however they told me that with my truck, "I'd just drop it on the ball and go." I did opt to add a friction sway bar just in case. Like I said, the truck handled it just fine like that. Sat level, no sag, good steering and handling, no sway and on a good road, it towed great. But when you hit bad sections of pavement, the porpoising was very uncomfortable. Never unsafe in any way, just very uncomfortable.

Muddydogs wrote:
Is the porposing normal for the road conditions and you don't realize it? Are you new to trailer towing? Hate to see a guy throw a bunch of cash at a problem that isn't really a problem and isn't going to be fixed. You have to expect some porposing with a truck and trailer as well as some pushing and pulling due to wind conditions.

That's exactly why I asked here. I don't really know if it's normal or not. I am familiar with certain streatches of road though that I drive all the time and they are not that bad in a car or even in my truck unloaded. Of course I understand that a 3/4 ton truck pulling a 8000 lb trailer isn't going to ride like a luxury sedan. I just want to improve it if possible. The Andersen was a big improvement and possibly a different hitch that can restore more weight to the front axle will do even better.

[BenK]

Harmonics...lots of them and their secondary/tertiary/etc (resonances) and
EVERYTHING contributes...even the distance between pavement tar strips vs the
speed traveling

Easiest is to change speed and normally slowing down to see if that reduces and/or
changes where the harmonic starts

Once a harmonic is reached...the other components/systems/etc then play with their
resonances and if sync'd...building and building to ever higher amplitudes

The softer the lower the harmonic point...the stiffer the higher the harmonic point
Meaning a softer suspension (ride quality, lowest class tires, aired down, soft
suspension, soft shocks, etc, etc) will have a lower frequency harmonic point

Then the moment (lever arm) between the TV wheel base vs the trailer (contact
point with the TV to the trailers axis (axle center line) of rotation

Too many things to mention and check...why said to change speed as the quickest
and easiest test to find that harmonic point.

Next easiest things that cost more money and time would be shocks, tire PSI, class
of tire change (going from P class to LT class), etc. Within that is the WD
Hitch spring rate & ability to WD weight around. Even changing the tongue weight
changes the harmonics

Good luck

[Muddydogs]

How about slowing down? If your talking anything like the frost heaves we get around here then nothing is going to help unless you slow down.

I would think for the size of trailer you're towing the Anderson would be the worst hitch to use. The dealer sold me on one when I got my 28 foot toy hauler which runs 7200 lbs dry and around 10000 lbs loaded and I can tell that it just barely is enough hitch. I have thought about changing to a bar type hitch a couple times but I do like the lightweight Anderson and in the end I guess I just don't care as I have towed through some heavy Wy winds without any problems but then again I have towed 1000's of miles across the West with no weight distribution hitch on many different trailers and never had an issue.

I would think that a 2500 long bed pickup would handle your 8000 lbs trailer just fine without any WD. How fast are you towing? I'm not busting your chops on speed as I tow 70+ down the interstate and 65 on secondary roads when conditions permit, just don't tell the speed and tire police around here or this thread will do to hell.

Is the porposing normal for the road conditions and you don't realize it? Are you new to trailer towing? Hate to see a guy throw a bunch of cash at a problem that isn't really a problem and isn't going to be fixed. You have to expect some porposing with a truck and trailer as well as some pushing and pulling due to wind conditions.

Last time we came back from your favorite camping spot I was towing along on a secondary road at 65 when I noticed I was getting to the rough section of the road. Behind me was a guy pulling a boat, he probably was wondering why I went from 65 to 50 as he passed me. Shortly after passing he realized why I slowed down when he hit the first of 3 frost heaves and his 20 foot fiberglass boat and trailer came off the ground as he pounded through the heaves. I went through the heaves at 40 ish and my outfit proposed fairly well.

[AMG1978]

I pull a 35' 9k dry, 11k typical filled with my 12' f-250 and I have the Anderson. I would love to get it on the scales, but I really think I dont get enough weight to the front axle as the rear sags a good amount. I have Air Lift 5000 bags, so that helps, but it doesnt transition weight, only ensure that I dont bottom the suspension, improve ride feel, and ensure my lights arent up in the sky. I too would love to at least try the Equal I Zer hitch or BLue Ox, but alas, not sure where I could demo one really.

I cant really speak to the bounce, as I know it happens occasionally, but I would really need to try one of the other hitches you mention to say if it is normal, or what with the Anderson. The previous hitch I had was a standard bar setup from etrailer.com and the trailer was 4k dry 25', and pulled with a '15 F-150 and it pulled like a piece of cake. apples to oranges in size/weight.

[RDMueller]

BarneyS wrote:
I am willing to bet a case of beer that installing a WD hitch that can put more weight back on the front axle will solve your problem. In my previous responses I was under the assumption you originally had a WD hitch but I evidently mis-read your first post.

On another note, you say your tongue weight is 900lbs. That was probably overloading your receiver hitch rating by almost double, which I believe in Dodge trucks of that year was only rated for 500lb in weight carrying mode. It was rated for 1000lbs in weight distribution mode.
Barney

I really think you may be spot on. The reason I went with the Andersen was because it was supposed to be a "no bounce" design. I considered bounce to be another word for porpoising. Some proponents of the Andersen said that the spring bars on a conventional w/d hitch could actually exacerbate bounce whereas the poly bushings on the Andersen absorbed that energy. Well in theory...

And, who knows? Bounce may not really be referring to the same motion as porpoising anyway. Regardless, the known fact is that with my setup, the Andersen doesn't return more than about 25% to the front axle. Supposedly it works great with smaller, lighter trailers with lower tongue weights. Mine clearly doesn't fall into that category.

So, clearly I think the next step is to try a different hitch that may be more appropriate for my trailer. This may be a situation where it's best to stay with herd. I'll bet 90+% of the trailers around the size/weight of mine are being pulled with a Reese DC, Equal-i-zer, Blue Ox, etc.

BTW, you are right that I would have been overloading the hitch originally installed on my truck. My answer to that was to upgrade to a Class V receiver on the truck.

[BarneyS]

I am willing to bet a case of beer that installing a WD hitch that can put more weight back on the front axle will solve your problem. In my previous responses I was under the assumption you originally had a WD hitch but I evidently mis-read your first post.

On another note, you say your tongue weight is 900lbs. That was probably overloading your receiver hitch rating by almost double, which I believe in Dodge trucks of that year was only rated for 500lb in weight carrying mode. It was rated for 1000lbs in weight distribution mode.
Barney

[noteven]

An AirSafe hitch made the biggest difference in overall ride on our TC towing 7000lbs cargo trailer.

[myredracer]

One thing not mentioned is shocks on the trailer. After installing them on ours, I found that there was a lot less vertical motion of the coupler transferred to our F250 (which also has Bilsteins) resulting in a better ride.

[bluepost]

Check trailer loading. 1000 lbs over the trailer axles is better than 500lbs, 10 ft forward and another 500 lbs 10 ft back, even though both have the same center of gravity.

A lot of weight in the front and rear of a long TT will keep the pendulum motion going. Imagine 2000 lbs centered in your truck bed vs 1000 lbs on the front hitch and another 1000 lbs on the back. Teeter tauter comes to mind. Center that weight in the trailer. Oh, and it's free.