Towing issues

Samtrina

Hi,I am new to this group, looking for some advice on our 2014 t@b little guy, we are having a serious problem with this camper bouncing down the road, really bad and violently on concrete highways,not so bad on regular roads, things I have tried so far are adjusting tire pressure around 40psi, adding more tongue weight, more weight inside to the front of camper, new rear shocks on our 2019 pathfinder tow vehicle. I have seen a shock kit you can add to the torsion arms but our torsion arms don't have the knock out plate or holes drilled in the frame. Do these torsion arms go bad? Has anyone had this experience or trouble?I would appreciate any help with this! Thanks

tabiphile

Does the speed you are towing make any difference? Do you have your rig properly leveled?

The shock kit should not be necessary. Very few t@b owners have these installed and most t@b owners do not have towing issues.

Samtrina

Speed definitely makes the difference, l could be going along about 50 mph hit a bad section of highway then I will slow down to about 40 for it to quit bouncing. I would definitely say it is sitting level, thanks so much for your input 👍

AnOldUR

We tow a 320S (non-boondock) with a two door Wrangler and have on occasion experienced what sounds like the same issue. No problem with sway, but when on an older concrete road with the perpendicular seams, we'll get bucking. Kind of like sway, but up and down instead of side to side. It is directly related to the distance between the seams and how much the road has settled. A harmonic motion develops that's no fun at all.

I blame it on the short wheelbase of our Jeep and the T@B's short frame, but I'd be interested to hear what others think.

DanManz

I have no idea why you are experiencing what you are. My next step in diagnosing the problem would be to try towing your T@b with a different tow vehicle. It might be some weird anomaly of your specific Pathfinder and your specific 2014 T@b. See if you can borrow a full-size pickup and if the towing experience with that is the same as your Pathfinder. It might at least help narrow the issue down to your TV or your trailer.

MuttonChops

While not a direct solution for road travel bouncing . . .
Do you have a "Hitch Tightener Anti Rattle Stabilizer" installed on the vehicle tow bar?

The Anti-Rattle hardware makes a huge positive difference when tow vehicle speed is varying.

One Tightener Anti-Rattle example (Amazon)

AnOldUR

@MuttonChops
For my part in this discussion, yes, I use an anti-rattle clamp. It does a great job of stopping the in and out clunking, but does nothing for the scissor motion that we experience. I even tried the Curt RockerBall Cushion device. That was a total fail and got returned.

mx4789

My 320 tends to pogo after hitting bumps if I don't have any water in the two tanks. I realize yours probably doesn't have any kind of tank, but do you think adding more weight over the wheels might make it ride smoother? Mine rides like a Cadillac when I have a 1/2 full gray or fresh water tank, but definitely feels bouncy when both tanks are empty. Just a thought…

MuttonChops

@AnOldUR said: . . . 320S with a two door Wrangler . . .
.. . . No problem with sway, but when on an older concrete road with the perpendicular
seams, we'll get bucking. . . .
. . . . harmonic motion develops that's no fun at all.

I experience 'that' when towing my 6500# boat trailer. One section of Interstate between the house and the lake is older concert and the vertical motion in a speed range of 50-60 MPH is both 'no fun' and makes me wonder about control in emergency stop/maneuver situations.

Like you, I've assumed it is caused by a combination of TV wheelbase and hitch to trailer axle(s) distance and there is no hardware solution - - - drive at a different speed or on a different road.

pthomas745

On your 2014: can you tell us which axle you have? "Frame shocks" were a mod for the older Alko frames with the "surge brake" type frames. Not sure we have ever seen them on Tabs after your model year.

Assuming you have the "Alko" frame, which eventually on the Tabs became the Lippert frame. In the years around 2015, there were "tongue cracks" that formed in a few particular spots along the frames, and you should take a close look at that issue and inspect your frame.

This is one long thread that discusses this issue. Whether or not this would cause "bouncing" is way beyond my level, but is something to look over on the frame itself.

Cracks where tongue bolts to frame

Other things that have happened with axles: the axles can be bent, causing camber issues on that could affect handling and cause issues with tire wear. You mentioned lowering your tire pressure to 40 PSI, but I'm never comfortable with lowering tire pressure below what the tire manufacturer recommends. Anyway: when you are checking for "tongue cracks" take a good close look at the tires and look for any misalignment or strange tire wear. Not sure if there is a discussion of axle camber on a 2014, but this has happened from time to time in recent years. One thread:

Axle Camber Seems Excessive

One other weird thing that has come up with the frames is something called a "huck bolt" that holds all the parts of the frame together. This is hard to explain, but I did manage to take some of my huck bolts out, and before I realized what had happened, I noticed that pushing on the front tub of the trailer could make the tub "dip"……check out this thread about them, and there is another thread listed in a comment with more info. I replaced all my "huck bolts" using the good info from this thread.

Huck Bolts

Along with all the other thoughts about trailer loading, towing speed, tire pressure, anti-rattle devices, phases of the moon, etc, have a look at your frame. Fine some sort of utility trailer business (not necessarily an "RV dealer) who can take a close look at your frame and see what they might think.

TourDeForth

Hitch height can have a negative effect while towing. Target a level trailer with a Tongue weight that’s 10-15% of the placarded GVWR. Run recommended tire pressures for both the tow vehicle and the trailer (each have a placard that applies to their stock size tires.) If these are all good, the next culprit could be the suspension. It’s designed to work with weights up to the GVWR of the trailer however, an unloaded or light trailer can lead to increased bouncing especially if the suspension is wearing out.

madisontadpole

We picked up a new to us 2014 CS-S last December and towed it home completely empty with a honda Ridgeline. We experienced the same problem severe up and down bucking like a see-saw. When I got it home, I checked the tongue weight and it was around 100 pounds. Assuming the camper weighs about 1600 pounds, we were tongue light. We recently took our maiden voyage after a renovation where I added the spare tire carrier up front to the jack. This seems to correct the problem in our case. We towed this trip with a 2007 Honda Odyssey. my thought was with the correct tongue weight, it stopped the see-saw effect. Keep in mind with gear, water, food, etc the loading can be dynamic. it is a good idea to check your tongue weight regularly.

IMG_5026.jpg

Samtrina

Thanks so much for your input on this problem! Like you I have taken the spare off the back and added to the tongue for more weight,.I will definitely get a scale and check the tongue weight. I had also been suggested to add water to the gray and black tanks, didn't help. We only experience this bouncing on certain concrete highways, other roads are fine.I had also had taken the camper tires to get balanced. Thank you again for your input! We love our camper just the same! Good luck with your camper also!

madisontadpole

I use a mini crane scale bought on amazon to check tongue weight…https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08669YYV7?ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details&th=1

initially bought it for a work thing, but works great around the shop (and camper).