Posted on 10/22/2015 7:00:44 PM PDT by Paul R.
I wonder if we have on FR someone familiar enough with aerodynamic design to roughly estimate the upward force ("lift"*) on a pop-up camper being towed at 60 mph if the camper is tilted, front up...
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I don’t tow stuff on the highway with it, I just use it to move stuff at the ranch.
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Maybe you need to look at modifying your trailer instead. Larger tires or have the ball receiver mounted higher, if you’re still afraid of it getting light at interstate speeds.
With or without a dish antenna?
Ooooo... That doesn't sound good!
On one forum, a guy raised the entire trailer (axle mount mod) to help with getting into certain locations. I've also seen wheel well mods and bigger tires. I don't think I'm quite that energetic (or moneyed) at this time...
Any trailer (single axle more so) can lose tire contact at any speed on any bump. Your truck could lose contact at 90 on any highway in the midwest. I doubt it will “fly away” but it is probably very light on poor and bumpy roads. The good news is your front wheels will give you a heads up every time. After you put some miles on it and get used to it you just know. Best advice to a beginner is don’t over react.
Fill the Trailer full of Lead Shot and the problem will go away, unless you stop short that is.
So weld a bead around where the adapter connects to your drop hitch - replace the 5/8" pin with a 5/8" bolt and locking nut as well. No more rattling but you may indeed have a torque problem if your Class II receiver is lightweight.
If you require electric brakes, perhaps you do need a Class III?
Axle blocks and longer u bolts should not run over $100 or so. Install is pretty simple.
Run the electric brakes heavy to prevent lift.
Not sure why anyone ever made a 1-7/8” ball to begin with, unless it came into existence through some kind of proprietary thing. For sure they’ve been the root cause of much profanity.
It wont go anywhere unless you put wings on it.
The only reason you need it level is it’s easier to hook up and you don’t drag the back off the trailer when your trailer tire goes through a hole.
Can’t help you with your formula, but don’t exceed the MPH your tires are rated for, which is probably 65 if you have standard 15” trailer tires.
Waaaaay too much science for this country boy.
What I do have is experience watching those pop ups from behind the wheel of my rig.
1) most of the pop ups I have seen have small tires. They tend to hop around at high speed.
I saw one break loose from the tow vehicle. It hit the car passing, the car behind and disintegrated across the median. All told 5 vehicles were involved. 3 people were taken to the hospital.
Another time a pop up hopped so bad the tow vehicles rear tires broke traction. Both tow vehicle and pop up met a Jersey barrier. The barrier won hands down.
2) Passing can be an adventure of a lifetime. Pull out or into a lane to quickly and the trailer starts to sway, which can become hopping very quickly.
Lane changes and turns need to be very smooth. Like silk.
3) Road construction is the enemy of every pop up produced.
Uneven lanes and road debris from construction can ruin your day quickly. Be aware and slow down.
4) Most trailers and pop ups have speed ratings on axle and wheels/tires. These ratings are our friends put there by very smart people who *have* done the science.
In addition to the wrecks I have witnessed, I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times I have seen Law Enforcement pull over vehicles because the trailer it was towing was just this side of a wreck.
I plan on buying a pop up to do some traveling in soon.
I don’t plan to drive over 60 mph so I will probably stick to the more scenic US and state routes.
Good luck on your 90 mph trip. Let us know how it works out.
Put bigger wheels on the trailer.
I had a similar issue on a pop up tent camper we pulled with our Bronco years ago.
I solved it by changing the axle mount from being bolted on the top of the leaf spring to under the leaf spring.
The axle had no camber built into it. It was a simple matter of putting jack stands under it to get the wheels off the ground. Removing the wheels. Removing the U-bolts holding the axle in place. Pulling the axle off the springs and relocating it under the springs. Installing the U-bolts and wheels.
Besides getting the camper to ride level, it had more ground clearance for back country trails.
Yes, see my post 40.
Here, I was just trying to find out if we'd be ok for a camping trip this weekend (B4 it gets too cold.) In the long run, a custom ball mount is probably the best bet.
(Sorry for the slow response - This thread generated more responses than I expected, and I can't be at the computer all the time...)
U-Haul I believe.
I’ll probably look at that possibility too (but not for a trip this weekend - heh-heh.) Raising the camper and using the biggest wheels / tires that then make sense does indeed give more clearance, which is a consideration: A spot we were checking out (less camper) in our Subie (Outback) a couple weeks ago had a “dip” at a creek crossing that was enough that slowing down to just over 5 mph was not enough - I still whacked the end of the (almost straight) ball mount on the way out...
Raising the camper would increase wind resistance a bit. On the positive side, it would also make maintenance under the camper easier - might be worth the mpg hit!
The tires on our popup are N rated (87 mph) but no way I’d tow at over 65 mph, and even that with no headwind or oncoming semis...
I did briefly take it up to 70 mph on the Interstate one time, when we had my Dad’s pickup for towing, but, with the pickup, the trailer was level, maybe even down in front by 1/2”.
It appears you have a Subaru Outback. So do we, and just love it. We pull out pontoon with it or our ATV trailer with two ATV’s.
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