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We use the Sherline scale and loan it to others . . . inexpensive and simple to use - - WAG is not too accurate :-)) YRMV . . .
. . . enjoy your trailer ,
Regards,
Roy T
Is your truck an FX4? I am told that the FX4 suspension has a softer spring rate in the initial 2" of travel. That maybe the reason for the sag, or you just have too much at the nose?
I DD a '20 F350 SRW/Super Cab/8' and sometimes pull my 26' Aluminum Sundowner car trailer. I cannot even get the back end of my F350 to move down during my tows. (please verify), but the only rear suspension difference between a F350SRW and F250 are spacers and one leaf. This maybe the easiest OEM thing to do to help the back end of your F250.
And yes, I am familiar with your part of the world and the west-east high winds. I have had my guys parked around Cheyenne/I25 due to high winds many times...
Best of luck.
Originally Posted by Nickshu
Good point my 2021 is an FX4 yes.
From everything I read the 2020-2022 F-250 with High Capacity Towing Package is identical to the F-350 suspension/frame wise. That was not the case on the 2017-2019 when the 250 was softer even with the high cap tow package. Maybe FX4 makes a difference as I do get about 2" of sag right off the bat, even with the trailer empty.
A little automotive OEM industry insider info.... the main difference rear suspension wise is the F-350 has a helper spring and larger block for the leaf springs. The F-250's don't have this and is why you get a couple inch sag when hooking up a heavier trailer. The F-350 helper spring really keeps the sag minimized all around, but also give you a slightly harsher ride when unloaded.
Tongue weights are 1150 without the car and 1250 with the car in the trailer measured today with my Sureline scale I just got. I did not load extra wheels and stuff I would usually have for a race weekend but I will weight it the next time I need to fully load. Wheels go at the rear of the trailer so they would reduce tongue weight slightly, probably offset by all the junk I put in front of the car so may be a net-zero change. I figure all that adds an extra 1000lbs with about 500 at the front and 500 at the rear. That puts me at about 9000lbs when fully loaded and about 8000lbs as weighed today.
I think I am going to install airbags and try a non-WDH hitch with less of a drop and see how it feels and levels. I calculated with the trailer level and 1" of rear squat I can use a 6" drop hitch and that will be way above the ground as there is no WDH mechanism below it. At best I think I can get the WDH up 1" more off the ground with airbags, which is some but not much.
I think the root of the problem here is how low my trailer's tongue is by design, plus the size of the WDH mechanism that hangs quite a bit below the ball. Thanks for everyone's help so far.
A little automotive OEM industry insider info.... the main difference rear suspension wise is the F-350 has a helper spring and larger block for the leaf springs. The F-250's don't have this and is why you get a couple inch sag when hooking up a heavier trailer. The F-350 helper spring really keeps the sag minimized all around, but also give you a slightly harsher ride when unloaded.
That's interesting. Even Ford's own literature says the 2020-2022 F-250 and F-350 have identical rear suspension if the F-250 has the HCTTP option, which mine does. Do you have another reference?
^^^^ sorry but I've got no other reference to share. My info comes from the Ford engineering team that my company works for all the underbody items.
But, like you already mentioned....I believe the main issue is how low our trailer tongue sits. Below is the blueprint of my inTech trailer, and as you can see my hitch height is higher that yours. My 2015 F-250 sags about 1-2in and tows this trailer like a dream. On the longer hauls I will hookup my WHD system just to keep things a little more stable if needed when on the highways arounds the bigger trucks.
^^^^ sorry but I've got no other reference to share. My info comes from the Ford engineering team that my company works for all the underbody items.
But, like you already mentioned....I believe the main issue is how low our trailer tongue sits. Below is the blueprint of my inTech trailer, and as you can see my hitch height is higher that yours. My 2015 F-250 sags about 1-2in and tows this trailer like a dream. On the longer hauls I will hookup my WHD system just to keep things a little more stable if needed when on the highways arounds the bigger trucks.
Yeah I have seen an Intech and an ATC at the track that has the raised tongue like that. I wish Haulmark did that, mine is level with the trailer frame. Clearly raising the tongue is a design feature that has the purpose of solving the exact problem I have with my trailer.
Yeah I have seen an Intech and an ATC at the track that has the raised tongue like that. I wish Haulmark did that, mine is level with the trailer frame. Clearly raising the tongue is a design feature that has the purpose of solving the exact problem I have with my trailer.
Cheers!
Shouldn't be hard to put a different coupler on your trailer. Have you ever tried that route? Put a coupler that bolts onto your frame like the Intech and ATC you mentioned above.
Shouldn't be hard to put a different coupler on your trailer. Have you ever tried that route? Put a coupler that bolts onto your frame like the Intech and ATC you mentioned above.
Actually my coupler has 3 different positions. If I do not run a WDH then I can raise the coupler up by about 2.5". If using a WDH then raising the coupler will result in the WDH arms hitting the plate on the front of the tongue. I mentioned this earlier in the thread. It's a bummer.
Shouldn't be hard to put a different coupler on your trailer. Have you ever tried that route? Put a coupler that bolts onto your frame like the Intech and ATC you mentioned above.
Actually my coupler has 3 different positions. If I do not run a WDH then I can raise the coupler up by about 2.5". If using a WDH then raising the coupler will result in the WDH arms hitting the plate on the front of the tongue. I mentioned this earlier in the thread. It's a bummer.
Check with your trailer dealer and see about an upgrade to remove that plate and install a different coupler. That plate looks like the design wasn't completely thought through from a WDH perspective.
Actually my coupler has 3 different positions. If I do not run a WDH then I can raise the coupler up by about 2.5". If using a WDH then raising the coupler will result in the WDH arms hitting the plate on the front of the tongue. I mentioned this earlier in the thread. It's a bummer.
I think you missed my point. Seems to me you should be able to get rid of your coupler AND that plate in the front, and put a more conventional coupler on, like the one in the above pic, that sits on top of your frame, not on the front of it. A good trailer shop should be able to figure that out. Maybe you tried that already and it's not possible, but seems doable to me.
I think you missed my point. Seems to me you should be able to get rid of your coupler AND that plate in the front, and put a more conventional coupler on, like the one in the above pic, that sits on top of your frame, not on the front of it. A good trailer shop should be able to figure that out. Maybe you tried that already and it's not possible, but seems doable to me.
Thanks I will look into it. The aluminum plate that my steel tongue "plate" is bolted to is welded to the aluminum tongue A-frame. I suppose it could be cut off and something else welded on, deleting the big plate. Or maybe the bottom of the plate could be cut off then a new hitch bolted on in a different way by drilling the tongue.
Sorry for this late addition to your thread, and apologies for how dirty my trailer is. These pictures show how Featherlite attached a bulldog coupler to my trailer when they made it. Four 3/8” high strength bolts on each side, two more on the top. The underlying aluminum structure was constructed to mate with the coupler. It’s worked well for me towing 10,000 lbs—I’m using the Reese anti sway system, and the safety chains drag occasionally but the hitch on the truck does not.
Following up on this. After towing on two 8-10 hour drives to races in the wind early this past season without my WDH (awful) I ended up having a lift kit installed on the trailer in August to raise it about 2.5 inches. With this I was then able to switch to a shorter Equalizer drop hitch shank, greatly increasing the ground clearance at the hitch while keeping the trailer level. Downside is the step up into the trailer is higher and I have to tilt the trailer to get my car out now w/o scraping on the rear door hinge cover, but since I towed long distances twice, and short distances a few times and it works great. One bonus is that less worry about scraping the rear when going out of parking lots w/ inclines, etc.
Next time I'll buy a trailer, such as Intech, that has the offset tongue design to prevent this specific problem. But for now this is working.
10-14-2021, 11:56 AM
