Blowing in the wind...

SRXSRULE · Oct 10, 2018

whizzer182 said:
A few suggested sway control bars, I’ve read that those are not recommended for winter use. Is there any truth to that? Any experience in winter driving with them?

Have you looked at sway control bars, and understand how they work? The amount of control is adjustable. The bar is trying to keep the truck and trailer traveling in a straight line, and it works VERY well in windy and slick roads. It makes it harder for the trailer to just kick out, or try and jack-knife. what it does instead, is it will try and push the truck and trailer together as one and reduce the chance of getting out of control, and also give you more time to recover.
Another important factor in safe winter towing is good working trailer brakes and a good brake controller. All the brakes need to be adjusted, and working evenly. Uneven or out of adjustment trailer brakes can make the trailer get out of control or a wheel lock up when it normally wouldnt.
There are many times that if the trailer starts to get a little sideways I will manually apply the trailer brakes by hand and not use the truck brakes and this will straighten it right out. I also use that method going downhill on a slick or snowy road if you just want to slow down a little, but dont want to risk getting the trailer out of shape.

Castforcash · Nov 26, 2018

Air bags will help. I tow a 27 foot inline that weighs the same as yours empty. I towed it with a '13 3.5 eco super crew 6.5 foot box. Before I put the air bags on, the trailer had quite a bit of sway. Air bags cured that. I now have a '18 3.5 eco super crew with 6.5 foot box. New truck has max tow package and doesn't seem to squat at all when trailer is hooked up. Maybe the max tow has an extra leaf not sure on that though. I bought air bags for the new truck too, but haven't installed them yet. I towed it to pinedale from detroit last year and it did fine, but I had dry roads the whole trip as it was a late spring trip. The only time I had some trailer sway was when I passed semis. Pretty much 80mph all the way across Nebraska. I've always been told sway bars are a nono for winter trailering. I think the longer wheel base on the truck helps a little bit too. If your truck is sagging too much after hooking the trailer up, this can cause some issues too, as you are taking traction/control away from the front tires. This is where the air bags really help. As others have said, you need that trailer as level as possible. Good luck and safe travels.

MountainCat1 · Nov 26, 2018

Use Enough Truck

As stated above tow vehicles need adequate tires inflated properly pulling a LEVEL trailer. I am certainly no expert here on trailering , but I can pass along some proven wisdom given to me from friends with experience & the stories they have lived to tell. #1 Wheelbase is king! Short-bed pick-ups are complete BS for pulling trailers; They are for city drivers looking for parking spots! When you get into nasty cross-winds on bad roads a longer wheelbase is way more stable & forgiving giving you time to correct for a bad situation. #2 A truck (NOT 1/2 tons) designed with heavy rear springs (air bags optional) for towing is way less likely to start rocking out of control when the trailer encounters severe cross-winds. Again, no expert here, but here's what I have driven in wild, windy, Montana winters; Ram 3500 Cummins srw crew-cab, load range E winter tires with a wb ~ 170 inches, weighing ~8,500 lbs with a utility box ~1,500 lbs for ~ 5 tons of truck pulling a 28 ft V-nose (floor space) or ~ 30 ft bumper Mirage Extreme Sport sled trailer (4 sleds, 30 gal of 91 octane & gear) weighing ~6500 lbs in too many blizzards to forget & got along fine with-out dangerous trailer sway, given a little common sense! I'm fully aware you 1/2 ton owners have gotten by & will throw **** my way for this post. BUT try that light weight stuff on a daily basis out here in the wild west and you will eventually get in a predicament & I'll tell you I told you so!!! Hope you & your passengers don't get hurt or freeze to death. Happy Sledding.

MountainCat1 · Nov 26, 2018

Pulling a trailer in a Blizzard

True Story. Just a few years ago, I was hauling my 28 ft Mirage Sled trailer out of West Yellowstone with my Ram 3500 & got in a white-out blizzard after dark with severe side winds. The truck & trailer performed very well, better than I, driving from roadside reflector to another; NO trailer sway whatsoever! My passenger buddy consuming a rather large whiskey/water, seemingly unconcerned, said "Can I fix you a drink?" I responded ****-No, I'm having enough trouble navigating as it is, BUT when we get home, I might need one!! Upon arriving home there was a foot of packed snow on the windward side of the 28 ft trailer. Use Enough Truck:flame:

Castforcash · Nov 27, 2018

All I can say mountaincat is that today's 1/2 tons are much better than the old ones. I agree with you a 3/4 or 1 ton is much better, but keep in mind a lot of us aren't towing giant trailers with 1/2 tons either. You just have to be smart about weather and know when to take a break when it gets too wild. I owned 2 f350s and would love to have another one, but just can't justify that kind of money for something I might need 3 times a year. I'm going on 50 and nearing max vacation time/retirement so someday soon I will have a dedicated puller and goose neck. I only make it out west occasionally and honestly have no desire to ride in the midwest anymore. On a side note, does Dodge or Chevy even offer a half ton super crew with a 6.5' bed? I've seen them in a 4 door super cab, but not a true crew cab. The wind is no joke in the plains states and out west, and I get what your saying. Everybody be safe and have fun, I'm heading out day after christmas, hoping for 3-4 more feet where I ride before I get there!

gonehuntnpowder · Nov 27, 2018

A few years ago we bought a 32 ft travel trailer. In the Wind that thing was terrible. Bought the Andersen anti sway hitch. It helped a ton. I was pulling it with a 1 ton chevy. Lots of tongue weight and an anti sway hitch are the best solutions.

MountainCat1 · Nov 27, 2018

Shorty's

Castforcash said:
All I can say mountaincat is that today's 1/2 tons are much better than the old ones. I agree with you a 3/4 or 1 ton is much better, but keep in mind a lot of us aren't towing giant trailers with 1/2 tons either. You just have to be smart about weather and know when to take a break when it gets too wild. I owned 2 f350s and would love to have another one, but just can't justify that kind of money for something I might need 3 times a year. I'm going on 50 and nearing max vacation time/retirement so someday soon I will have a dedicated puller and goose neck. I only make it out west occasionally and honestly have no desire to ride in the midwest anymore. On a side note, does Dodge or Chevy even offer a half ton super crew with a 6.5' bed? I've seen them in a 4 door super cab, but not a true crew cab. The wind is no joke in the plains states and out west, and I get what your saying. Everybody be safe and have fun, I'm heading out day after christmas, hoping for 3-4 more feet where I ride before I get there!

Thank-You, It seems that all the manufactures only make short & shorter bed 1/2 tons these days responding to their marketing surveys to appeal to the city drivers willing to purchase an easy to park truck in town! Also, look at the sticker prices for the fancy 1/2 tons compared to the HD trucks. You can own a HD truck for similar dollars; The diesel optional engines are the biggest $$ difference! Don't get me wrong, I own a Suburban, NOT a Tahoe short wheelbase & love the ride more than my Ram 3500, but I don't tow with it either.

AZ800 · Dec 1, 2018

Ok, many truths and a few misconceptions posted here.
Yes, trailers with torsion axles should/need to be almost level. Becasue torsion axles don't equalize between the axles like leafs. So you get muc more weight on the front if nose low or vice versa. THAT was likely not the OPs problem though.
Main problem was IT WAS BLOWING sideways and you had a very lightweight trailer with a lot of surface area and low coefficient of friction on the road.
However, by turning the sleds around, you not only increased tongue weight which helps considerably with sway, but you also reduced the pendulum effect by reducing weight BEHIND the axles.
Of course a bigger stiffer truck helps, but anyone who says a 5-6000lb trailer is close to/at/beyond the limits of any new well equipped 1/2 ton is just trying to justify their big diesel or doesn't know how to drive!
And a CCLB truck is not THAT much better at towing than a CCSB. Yes longer wheelbase is better. But not night and day like some purport.
Beyond that, yes sway control bars will also help keep the whole thing straight, but you didn't have a trailer sway issue. You had huge side winds. Period. You said it yourself. Just because it's the 21st century, trucks are all bad @ss, you're a sledder so naturally you're a bad @ss too, or at least think you are.....Mother Nature still rules. Why do you think semis pull over when it gets too windy.

Your question is akin to "my stove is hot, how do I keep from burning my finger when I touch it?" Answer....Don't touch it.

meathooker · Dec 3, 2018

my .o2

in regards to a level trailer - if the front is too low it weights the front axle of the trailer and effectively shortens your wheel base. I have had good luck raising the front of the trailer a tad. note all of my trailers are torsen axle.

i really like weight distribution hitches. used to think they were for a small truck but after i got a Blue Ox installed i was sold. they are awesome in wind and passing semis.

also + 10 on the wheelbase comment. i HATE the way long bed trucks look. never ever thought id get one. pulled my 28' trailer on a 6 hour trip to a race with my tuned/deleted 2010 f250 CCSB and it did great ... or so i thought. the next month heading to the same race my buddy really wanted to try out his new stock CCLB 2011 f250 so we took it. i was initially bummed bc we'd have to go slower with the stock truck. after that trip i sold my short bed and have had longs beds ever since - and will not go back to a short bed for a tow rig.

MountainCat1 · Dec 3, 2018

REALITY TOWING DURING A BLIZZARD

AZ800 said:
Ok, many truths and a few misconceptions posted here.
Yes, trailers with torsion axles should/need to be almost level. Becasue torsion axles don't equalize between the axles like leafs. So you get muc more weight on the front if nose low or vice versa. THAT was likely not the OPs problem though.
Main problem was IT WAS BLOWING sideways and you had a very lightweight trailer with a lot of surface area and low coefficient of friction on the road.
However, by turning the sleds around, you not only increased tongue weight which helps considerably with sway, but you also reduced the pendulum effect by reducing weight BEHIND the axles.
Of course a bigger stiffer truck helps, but anyone who says a 5-6000lb trailer is close to/at/beyond the limits of any new well equipped 1/2 ton is just trying to justify their big diesel or doesn't know how to drive!
And a CCLB truck is not THAT much better at towing than a CCSB. Yes longer wheelbase is better. But not night and day like some purport.
Beyond that, yes sway control bars will also help keep the whole thing straight, but you didn't have a trailer sway issue. You had huge side winds. Period. You said it yourself. Just because it's the 21st century, trucks are all bad @ss, you're a sledder so naturally you're a bad @ss too, or at least think you are.....Mother Nature still rules. Why do you think semis pull over when it gets too windy.

Your question is akin to "my stove is hot, how do I keep from burning my finger when I touch it?" Answer....Don't touch it.

Re-Read my Post# 24; That's NO BS!!

GoBigParts · Dec 4, 2018

Aren't the beds getting shorter to make up for the extra cab length of a crew cab? The actual truck is not shorter.

Just towed my 7x27 RnR out to Rabbit Ears in back which 19 hours one direction. Mostly across I-80 and most of you know how bad that can get with wind. No sway unless caused by my own jerkyness of the wheel. Had a great time. We pulled with my Buddies 2016 Duramax crew LTZ. I used to have a 06 duramax but when I upgraded had to be honest with myself and how much I towed and bought a 1/2 ton. Still pulls my trailer good and will probably only use my 1/2 ton for short 6-10 hour trips not long ones out west.

Castforcash · Dec 4, 2018

GoBigParts said:
Aren't the beds getting shorter to make up for the extra cab length of a crew cab? The actual truck is not shorter.

Just towed my 7x27 RnR out to Rabbit Ears in back which 19 hours one direction. Mostly across I-80 and most of you know how bad that can get with wind. No sway unless caused by my own jerkyness of the wheel. Had a great time. We pulled with my Buddies 2016 Duramax crew LTZ. I used to have a 06 duramax but when I upgraded had to be honest with myself and how much I towed and bought a 1/2 ton. Still pulls my trailer good and will probably only use my 1/2 ton for short 6-10 hour trips not long ones out west.

Ford is the only 1/2 ton with a crew cab and 6.5 foot box, wheel base is 157"

GoBigParts · Dec 4, 2018

Castforcash said:
Ford is the only 1/2 ton with a crew cab and 6.5 foot box, wheel base is 157"

You been able to order the Chevy with longer box too for quit some time.

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Castforcash · Dec 4, 2018

Thanks for info go big. The chevy wheel base is 4 inches shorter in that configuration. Honestly didn't know if chevy did or not, don't see many. Their looks are deceiving to me as they use the 4 door configuration on their super cab too.

GoBigParts · Dec 4, 2018

Castforcash said:
Thanks for info go big. The chevy wheel base is 4 inches shorter in that configuration. Honestly didn't know if chevy did or not, don't see many. Their looks are deceiving to me as they use the 4 door configuration on their super cab too.

I couldn't find where the list the wheelbase.

MX86 · Dec 4, 2018

Chevy ford and ram all have short and longer box crew cab models

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Castforcash · Dec 4, 2018

MX86 said:
Chevy ford and ram all have short and longer box crew cab models

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Current Ram 1500
The Ram 1500 is a full-size truck offered in three body styles -- regular cab, extended cab ("Quad Cab") and crew cab. The regular cab can be had with either a 6-foot-4-inch bed or an 8-foot version. The extended cab comes only with the 6-foot-4 bed. The Ram's crew cab model provides the most interior room but comes only with a 5-foot-7-inch bed.

MX86 · Dec 4, 2018

Castforcash said:
Current Ram 1500

The Ram 1500 is a full-size truck offered in three body styles -- regular cab, extended cab ("Quad Cab") and crew cab. The regular cab can be had with either a 6-foot-4-inch bed or an 8-foot version. The extended cab comes only with the 6-foot-4 bed. The Ram's crew cab model provides the most interior room but comes only with a 5-foot-7-inch bed.

As well as I own a Ram 1500 crew cab 6’4” box I can attest it is available as well as did inventory management at a chrysler store and ordered 19 crew cab 6’4” boxes before leaving for a GM store, wherever you got that information from it is not updated and accurate.

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Castforcash · Dec 4, 2018

Is it possible that ram just started offering this configuration? I'm not trying to start ****, I didn't type the above post, it was copied and pasted from a page I found when searching wheelbase dimensions and cab configurations. Back to the moral of the story, the longer wheel base helps with towing especially with the 1/2 ton trucks.

Blowing in the wind...

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