Wild Ride 2022 320S Boondock

boontab

I poked around and found a few towing-with-a-Honda Ridgeline threads but need some current information about sway control.  The new Boondock tows great with my 2014 Honda Ridgeline Special Edition during straight ahead highway driving.  With only 46k miles our black Ridgeline V-6 has perfect credentials for the Boondock tow -5000 lb tow capacity, transmission cooler and oil cooler - the complete tow package, well balanced and looks cool.  Lots of nice comments. And I've towed a lot of different trailers over the years, several with an older Honda Ridgeline. Never a problem. We just returned from a 300 mile round trip to Cape Disappointment on the southwestern Washington Coast. The best and most scenic route, after the usual grueling 40 miles on Interstate 5, is south 101 from Montesano WA. The two lane 101 is 45-60 mph, smooth, bumpy in places from washouts, hilly and a lot curves. In my side mirrors the Boondock looked like the tail of an anxious dog at dinner time. Felt worse behind the wheel. The slightest bump created a lot of sway. A bad rough patch felt dangerous and almost out of control at 30 mph. I've never had that experience towing. Uncomfortable and stressful at best.  Nucamp recommends not using a weight distribution hitch on the 320S Boondock. I read the pros and cons threads about sway control and weight distribution and up until this week I was in Nucamp's no-wdh necessary camp. Not so sure now.  Any suggestions, tips? Jeff

VictoriaP

What’s the loaded tongue weight on your trailer? That should always be your starting point with any sway issues, before adding any type of sway control. It needs to be between 10-15% of the overall loaded trailer weight to minimize or eliminate sway, and closer to 15% is generally more effective than 10% in my experience.

Assuming your trailer tongue is level under tow and at 10-15% overall weight, I’d skip the WDH and just go with a simple sway control bar. A WDH is overkill for a trailer this small.

Grumpy_G

Well you went to a place called Cape Disappointment so what did you expect ? Did you have any weight in the bed ? The Ridgeline is based on a FWD platform and doesn't have a lot of unloaded weight in the back. Even with my much heavier full-size truck I can sometimes feel the trailer rocking front/aft and wanting to unload the rear. Another thing to have a look at are the rear shocks. 
I would advise against a WDH on a trailer that light. People have managed to bend the tongue on lightweight trailers. 

kottum

We tow a 2022 320s Boondock with a 2021 Ridgeline.  We do have a sway control bar on for safety in any emergency maneuver, but it is completely stable without it.  You should not be experiencing any of the described sway issues if your rig is properly set up.  Forget sway control until you solve the problem.  Here are some likely culprits we learned in years of towing travel trailers:

As mentioned, too light on the tongue and/or too much weight in the back of the trailer.

Trailer not level front to back, okay if an inch or so too low in front, but never too high in front.

Too much weight behind the rear axle of the ridgeline, effectively lightening the steering axle, "floating" the front tires.  This is what a w.d. hitch corrects, but you should not be experiencing a light truck front axle if this lightweight trailer and truck are loaded properly.  If you need to load the truck bed heavy, especially in back, then indeed you need a weight distribution hitch.

Hitch ball too far from Ridgeline rear bumper.  The greater this distance, the more leverage sway tendencies are transmitted to the steering axle.  Get the hitch ball as close as you can to the truck rear bumper.

Squishy tires on the truck or trailer, maybe from too low tire pressure.  The less tire sidewall movement, the better.

Worn truck suspension or steering components, including shock absorbers.  Can you grab the back side of the truck bed and rock it back and forth sideways.  It should be tight.

A combination of these problems.

Doug

boontab

Thanks for the helpful replies. Lewis and Clark named Cape Dissapointment by the way. It's right up the road from "Dismal Nitch" on the Columbia River also named by LandC. It's now a "Dismal" rest area. Tongue is level under tow and with the spare tire, propane, battery, and other general stuff on the tongue should be in range. Rear shocks are solid. No weight in the truck bed this time, just in the sunken trunk that locks (Ridgeline special - low closest to tailgate).  1/3 water load in trailer, no gray, no black, not a lot room for heavy extras..but it works. trailer was light. What's a good sway control bar? 

boontab

Thanks Doug. Weight distribution is as balanced in the truck and trailer as I can make it. Camera equipment (heavy stuff) put the seats up in the back. 2014 with 46k easy miles, professionally gone over from end to end mechanically. solid. Hitch ball perfect position for factory receiver. No float in the front. I've towed airstreams, fiberglass trailers, car behind a Class C and a Class B, WDH no WDH,  lots of experience in lots of different situations but this combination has me baffled.  

boontab

doug, By the way, do you have a screen door for your 2022 BD? If so, and if you have an extra, we could use one. No help from Nucamp or the dealer in AZ.  Forgot also, the BD tows fine..easy, peasy.. on the highway. Bumpy, curvy roads no so good. 

Denny16

OK, you need to either tow with the water tank empty or full.  Pulling a trailer with 1/3 to 1/2 tank is part of your issue, as the water gets to sloshing around in the tank, rough roads make this worse, and it it causing the bucking back and forth you are experiencing.  Also pack heavy items forward and low in the trailer, not in the overhead lockers, which should just be sued for light weight items, like clothes, plastic ware, etc.  

On smooth highways the water doesn’t slosh as much, so it pulls smoother.  The water moving forward and then aft, is causing the trailer to be unstable.  I experienced this with a 1/2 tank of water on rough coastal mountain roads, going down north part of highway 1 in California.
 Cheers 

boontab

Hat's off! I've never towed a trailer this lightweight with this tall of a profile and narrow relative to the width of the truck.  And I've mostly towed with a WDH so I never really paid much attention to water level.  Water sloshing in this light of a trailer makes sense. I've been more focused on lower trailer weight for fuel efficiency (less water weight, but enough water for rest stops was the equation) . No overhead bins to worry about. Thanks much. We head out in a couple of weeks for a few days in eastern Washington -- with a full water tank outbound, empty coming back. North part of Highway 1 in CA...been there, done that in an Airstream Interstate class B+ towing a Smart Car. Love the yellow sign early on that indicates a winding road ahead with the placard that reads "For the next 32 miles."     

GatorEgg

Proper loading has the largest effect on towing sway.  Also check on anti-sway bar requirements in your Hondas Owners Manual.  My Tacoma tows fine without it, but my owners manual specifies an anti-sway device for any trailer over 2000lbs.

Denny16

Having the water tank full actually improves the trailer handling, and lowers the center of gravity, increasing the trailer’s stability.  The water tank is located just over the axle, so is fairly neutral weight distribution wide.
 Cheers 

boontab

I'll be back here in a couple of weeks with a "water-tank-full" tow report! Thanks again for the suggestions. 

kottum

We always start our trips with a partial tank of water, enough for the planned trip.  Less weight to pull and stop, but still have water facilities when stopping along the way.  Never had an issue with trailer destabilization because of it.  The properly loaded Tab 320s Boondock and Honda Ridgeline are a remarkably stable combination.  We installed a sway control bar primarily to stabilize the trailer in case of an emergency maneuver, but it also is useful in gusting sidewinds and poor road surfaces, especially if encountered at higher speeds, and more especially downhill at higher speeds.

I think 50-60 lbs of water "sloshing" in a relatively small tank, low and directly in line with the axle will cause no destabilizing of the trailer.  The location low and on the axle means it has to push the tires sideways to move the trailer sideways, just not enough weight there to do it.

More water in the tank means less sloshing because it's more confined, less water in the tank means less weight moving around.

Now if that sloshing water was located at the back end of the trailer, or on the roof, maybe.  But that's not the case.

The idea that on one occasion you had some sway, and next time you emptied the tank and had none may have been other factors.  Heavy wind gusts, semi's passing in heavy leeward sidewinds, irregular or rutted road surfaces, different speeds or truck/trailer loading.  Every trip has its own variables. 

Doug

Sharon_is_SAM

Just to offer an alternative, we never travel with water in our tanks.  Depending on where you are traveling, you may be able to get water at a gas station if you purchase gas.  We did that out in Utah.  Another option is to stay a night at a state park or private campground and fill up before you go.  Sure beats hauling more weight.  

boontab

Thanks again for the comments. For years, our tow practice has been to tow as little weight as possible with just enough water in the tank for the drive. Makes sense. The boondock profile however is much different than our 20' Airstream for instance or our 17' Casita for that matter. It's taller, narrower, lighter and no MDH to rely on. It's shorter too so I just need to tweak it to tow behind the 2014 Ridgeline (1st gen) sans MDH. I like the idea of the sway control bar as an addition to proper weight and balance, especially on the rougher roads. We plan to tow next week so I will experiment with different weight distribution scenarios and report back. The combination hitch/tongue height is right on the money to start with.  

kottum

On long trips I just like to have some water.  We have our own kitchen, bathroom, and bed/lounge when on the road no matter where we stop, but we need water to make them function.

As for the water in the tank, my sense is if sloshing water is destabilizing the truck/trailer combination, your combination is on the edge of stability and needs to be corrected.

Doug

pthomas745

If you are in the West...carry water.  Always.  The stories recently about people stranded in the west didn't die due to "running out of gas", etc.  They died of dehydration. 

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

N7SHG_Ham

The difference in weight between full water and no water will make zero observed difference in fuel economy, fill the tank and see how it goes, there will be little to no financial impact from doing so.

The biggest fuel saver moves all involve the operator, slow acceleration and deceleration, right gear and keeping top speed down, not trying to be the first to next light or to the top of a grade, etc. Drive like an egg is under your foot and watch your instantaneous fuel economy if your vehicle has such a readout. Slow even more with a headwind if safe to do so, a 20 MPH headwind is the same as driving 20 MPH faster. Wind resistance is biggest killer of economy, not weight at least within reason.

Marceline

Is there any chance that your hitch ball is at the wrong height? 

GigHarborTom

We have traved large and small. Only issue was once I mistakingly filled to the max the huge water tank against the front wall under dinette, 30 gallon or so. Large restored Avion, pulled with 4Runner (V8). Also one time for some reason never with a semi, but just a flat faced van, felt tremendouse turbulance when being passed. I used to use sway and weight distribution. With the TAB sway only. With the Mazda CX9 and the Boondock so far all is well.

Denny16

A large water tank forward of the axle like the Avion would shift the weight distribution forward, not sure it would effect mpg with added 300lbs of weight on a trailer that is 3K to 6K lbs?
 Cheers 

GigHarborTom

Denny16....You ain't wrong. I learned the hard way. I pulled over and dumped a bunch. Try now to have just enough for flushing plus a little.  

Denny16

Yes Tom, in the Avion that could be an issue, but in TaB, the water tank is over the axle, and a full load of water helps, not hurts the TaB’s load balance or add any negative issues.  It actually helps to balance the TaB in my experience.  I did a 1/2 tank once, worked OK, but had some porpoising due to water slushing froward and back.  Now I fill the tank all the way up before hitting the road.
 Cheers 

Marceline

Denny16 said:

Yes Tom, in the Avion that could be an issue, but in TaB, the water tank is over the axle, and a full load of water helps, not hurts the TaB’s load balance or add any negative issues.  It actually helps to balance the TaB in my experience.  I did a 1/2 tank once, worked OK, but had some porpoising due to water slushing froward and back.  Now I fill the tank all the way up before hitting the road.
 Cheers 

Just to be clear in case someone stumbles onto this thread in the future, the early clamshell T@Bs have the water tank in the galley, well behind the axle, and traveling with that tank full is not a great idea.  

Denny16

Marceline, how big is this water tank?  If 10+gallons or less, and gear is packed in the front of the tab, might not be an issue, as 10 gallons is only 100 lbs.  
But, this is a good point to be aware of, nice catch. 
 Cheers 

Marceline

Denny16 said:

Marceline, how big is this water tank?  If 10+gallons or less, and gear is packed in the front of the tab, might not be an issue, as 10 gallons is only 100 lbs.  
But, this is a good point to be aware of, nice catch. 
 Cheers 

I think it's about 7 gallons. It's very, very far back in the trailer and I definitely noticed it. It might be OK if you have some heavy stuff on the tongue (bike rack?). I travel with an empty tank now and I leave a jug of water on floor of the wetbath in case I need to flush enroute. Just want to caution people about making generalizations across the entire T@B lineup as there are so many different versions.

If @boontab's hitch ball is too high couldn't that cause the trailer to misbehave?

Denny16

So 7 gallons is 70 lbs, with its rear location, could reduce the tongue weight by 100 lbs. so this would be noticeable if not countered with additional weight forward to balance the rig properly.

This was a good idea Marceline, and you made an excellent point.  I agree, you need to know the specifics of your rig when making these type of decisions, as there is no standard for where water tanks are put.  I did assume tank location on current TaB 320 and 400s, and was not considering older TaBs.  Glad you made this point. 

Cheers 

scottincarmel

I tow a 320S-BD with a 2022 Ridgeline RTL-E. I’ve probably towed 19K miles or so, and it’s been stable as hell. I’m wondering if you have too much weight in the back of the camper?

boontab

scottincarmel said:

I tow a 320S-BD with a 2022 Ridgeline RTL-E. I’ve probably towed 19K miles or so, and it’s been stable as hell. I’m wondering if you have too much weight in the back of the camper?

No extra weight in the back of the BD. One difference maybe? My 2014 Ridgeline SE doesn't include built in trailer sway control. I suspect your 2022 Ridgeline RTL-E with the tow pkg does? We needed a new driver anyway, so tomorrow we take delivery of a 2022 Ford Explorer Timberline with Trailer sway control and class 4 tow package (standard) 5000-5300lb tow capacity. Love the Ridgeline but time to rocket into the future. 

Marceline

boontab said:

scottincarmel said:

I tow a 320S-BD with a 2022 Ridgeline RTL-E. I’ve probably towed 19K miles or so, and it’s been stable as hell. I’m wondering if you have too much weight in the back of the camper?

No extra weight in the back of the BD. One difference maybe? My 2014 Ridgeline SE doesn't include built in trailer sway control. I suspect your 2022 Ridgeline RTL-E with the tow pkg does? We needed a new driver anyway, so tomorrow we take delivery of a 2022 Ford Explorer Timberline with Trailer sway control and class 4 tow package (standard) 5000-5300lb tow capacity. Love the Ridgeline but time to rocket into the future. 

What is the measurement from the ground to the top of your hitch ball?

boontab

Marceline said:

boontab said:

scottincarmel said:

I tow a 320S-BD with a 2022 Ridgeline RTL-E. I’ve probably towed 19K miles or so, and it’s been stable as hell. I’m wondering if you have too much weight in the back of the camper?

No extra weight in the back of the BD. One difference maybe? My 2014 Ridgeline SE doesn't include built in trailer sway control. I suspect your 2022 Ridgeline RTL-E with the tow pkg does? We needed a new driver anyway, so tomorrow we take delivery of a 2022 Ford Explorer Timberline with Trailer sway control and class 4 tow package (standard) 5000-5300lb tow capacity. Love the Ridgeline but time to rocket into the future. 

What is the measurement from the ground to the top of your hitch ball?

Ridgeline or Explorer?