Towing - Bouncy bouncy 😨

[Kenneth23763]

Guys

Sorry for my first post as a question but quite frankly I nearly soiled myself.

Borrowed a mate's Chinese rear fold and off I went.
Travelling along the fwy towards Geelong and the trailer started bouncing.
Not sway but bounce.

The tlr has coil suspension.
Water tank empty and to try and reduce tow ball weight spare tire on top of tlr but behind the axle.
It bounced on several other occasions and although it was scary the car kept straight.

Should I be worried?
Is there anything I can try such as putting the spare back on the draw bar?

Tow vehicle Passat Alltrack tow ball weight 90 kg hence wanting to reduce weight.

Going to enjoy the sights of Port Fairy for the week but am not looking fwd to the return trip.

Ken

[DrewXT]

Try putting the spare back where it was, Ken...

We've towed our Customline behind our Alltrack a couple of times and it's rock solid on the road...

Does it bounce all the time, or just at certain times?

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[GanG]

Where is the water tank..........my chinese front fold is rea of the axles and it tows better full

[Kenneth23763]

Hey Drew

Thanks for the response.
Usually on rough patches where you can almost see the undulations.

I towed to Warburton and back a couple of weeks ago and the only time it played up was entering the Mullum Mullum tunnel on the Eastern.

I love the Alltrack since changing from a Pajero.
Wanted to downsize and didn't think I'd go camping again but........

How are you finding the Alltrack?
I would like a FF but am conscious of the ball weight.
There has been some discussion that it has been set at the Euro 5% rather than the 10% we are used to.

Sitting back with a Cuban and Tennessee Honey.
Life is tough.

Ken

[DrewXT]

We have the Alltrack and the Amarok and love both of them...

I've not checked our ball weight, but the Alltrack didn't care too much that the CT was there... Trans oil temps get a little higher when towing, but that's about it really

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[Metters]

Do you know how much ball weight it has?  Bouncing can be caused by not having enough.  I experienced this recently with my large 480 kg box trailer that tows perfectly with an empty ball weight of 40 kg.   I got a scoop of gravel from the local nursery and they placed it to far to the rear.  All I had to do was drive out their front gate then straight across the road and down my street for 800 metres and I was home.  My street is in a 50 zone but the trailer bounced all the way home and I had to keep it well below 50.

Another point is the shock absorbers.  I assume it does have them because coils do not have any self dampening.  If it does have them then they may be on too much of an angle to be effective. 

[callmejoe]

1. Not enough ball weight.
2. Weight not evenly spread (too much behind centre)
3. Tyre pressures to high.
4. Springs are to heavy so without a load/ packed it always   
     going to tow poorly.

Joe

[Kenneth23763]

Hey Guys

Thanks for the input.

On the trip home I will top up water tanks, relocate wheel to draw bar and put wife on top of tlr Beverly Hillbillies style.

Will report back Sat week.

Ken

[Paddler Ed]

We had something similar with our trailer when it was still a general box trailer.

Empty it towed fine
2 sheep in it, it towed fine
4 full sheets of 5mm plate steel and it was bouncing around
Empty again towed fine
Canvas on top towed fine
Finished and loaded towed fine

What we think happened was that the shocks were stiff (again independent coil springs) so once they eased off they were fine.

We're 750kg loaded and about 70kg nose weight.

[prodigyrf]

Check your hitch is adjusted firm on the ball and if you have a Hayman Reece type insert make sure it's solid too with the adjuster bolt or tiling wedges and then see how it goes.

[Kenneth23763]

Check your hitch is adjusted firm on the ball and if you have a Hayman Reece type insert make sure it's solid too with the adjuster bolt or tiling wedges and then see how it goes.

Unfortunately I went with the Euro phallic symbol because the install is neater.
Now I am stuck with something that won't accept levelers etc or even a treg  type hitch - not that I would take the Alltrack off anything more than a bumpy gravel road.

Cheers

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Hi, Ken.
Your Euro hitch isn't flexing as you drive along is it?

Your sure the head of the tow bar is a true 50mm. type ball that suits your trailer hitch?

The trailer hitch have an adjuster on the ball socket part of the hitch? (A grub screw with a lock nut on the front of the hitch.)

Because they are all contributing/or not, to the security of your tow hitch.
And as others have already mentioned, where the weight is on the floor of the trailer dictates how it will behave when towed.

[DrewXT]

Standard VW supplied towball is a true 50mm, I put the calipers on our one...

The Euro gooseneck is pretty stable - I'd be very surprised if that's the cause...

You can change to any hitch that goes through the ball home... I've used our OzHitch no issues

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[prodigyrf]

Just mentioned it because the BIL found that cured his ride-on mower trailer after suspecting wheel wobble and tyre out of round but his problem was more a side to side harmonic shake/oscillation at highway speed.

[nab]

Check your hitch is adjusted firm on the ball and if you have a Hayman Reece type insert make sure it's solid too with the adjuster bolt or tiling wedges and then see how it goes.

I'm 95% sure that the bolt on the towbar is only used when not towing to stop it rattling. I read some instructions a while back that said to loosen the bolt when towing.

Never tried the tiling wedges.....

[prodigyrf]

The bolt is usually applied on the top corner and to some extent only stabilises the front of the square tube insert and can still leave the back free to move a bit. The secret with the bolt is to chamfer the end of it so it doesn't mushroom and then apply a good dose of nickel anti-seize to the bearing end and thread. The tile wedges can be added if you've still got a sloppy one and they do vary in that regard.

[lincolnland]

the anti rattle bolt is simply that. only used to stop the hitch rattling when NOT towing. bolt should always be loosened when towing of any sort. cheers

[prodigyrf]

Then I'm a naughty but clunky free boy then. Cheers

[nab]

Then I'm a naughty but clunky free boy then. Cheers

Haha for someone who is usually a stickler for following manufacturer's instructions, you are living on the edge 

[Kenneth23763]

Guys

Firstly I'd like to apologize for not providing feedback earlier and secondly thank everyone for their input.

Well on the trip from Port Fairy to home I relocated the spare wheel to the draw bar, filled the water tank and then set tyre pressures to 34psi.

Overall I would suggest a marginal increase.  Did not get as much out of shape as before but still uncomfortable.
I'll put it down to bad design.
When it stops raining and I get home in daylight I'll take a couple of photo's and post.

As I said I had borrowed a mates trailer just to get a feel and I now know what I want.

Cheers

Ken

[Foo]

You need to look at weight distribution for a start! If there is too much over the rear end of the trailer, well that = outta control! 

Foo

[chester ver2.0]

Guys

Firstly I'd like to apologize for not providing feedback earlier and secondly thank everyone for their input.

Well on the trip from Port Fairy to home I relocated the spare wheel to the draw bar, filled the water tank and then set tyre pressures to 34psi.

Overall I would suggest a marginal increase.  Did not get as much out of shape as before but still uncomfortable.
I'll put it down to bad design.
When it stops raining and I get home in daylight I'll take a couple of photo's and post.

As I said I had borrowed a mates trailer just to get a feel and I now know what I want.

Cheers

Ken

I would hazard a guess as above that the springs are too firm for the trailer

[bully]

What are the shocks like. They should stop any bouncing if they are in good condition.
Also what tyre pressures are in the tyres. If they are to high they will not be taking any impact and transferring it all to the suspension. But even so the shocks should be stopping any bouncing.

[prodigyrf]

Interestingly my 1186Kg Jayco Dove (ahem and it may be more than that) sports 14" light truck tyres standard and the recommended tyre pressure is 200kpa/29psi cold which is exactly the same spec as the 16" Bridgestone Dueller HT tyres on the front of the Challenger and my Holden VUII ute . Never had a murmur out of the Jayco following their spec and I suspect many make the mistake of pumping up light truck tyres to sedan radial specs when they're completely different tyre walls.

[cheif carlos]

Are the wheels balanced lately, I have seen wheels moving done the road rising 100mm don't know how they drove the car like it