2022 Ranger unstable towing

[BReeves61]

I have a 2022 Supercrew and tow a 3500 lb travel trailer. On the interstate it feels every vehicle that passes causing a wiggle to truck and trailer. I have a weight distribution hitch and both truck and trailer are level. We load everything in the front part of the camper. I use a sway bar (brake style)
at medium tight. I pump my tires to the max rating on both truck and trailer as well. It's mainly when someone passes me from behind. What am I missing? Thanks!

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[JJB525]

get a trailer sway bar! game changer! bolts on.

 

[BReeves61]

get a trailer sway bar! game changer! bolts on.

yep, got one and have it about medium tight.

 

[Fritz]

I always get a bit of wiggle when a truck passes.
Have you towed a travel trailer before? I’d say some instability is normal.

 

[BReeves61]

I always get a bit of wiggle when a truck passes.
Have you towed a travel trailer before? I’d say some instability is normal.

yep. I went from a Ram v6 to the Ranger. Never felt the trailer at all with the Ram however it did not have the power the Ranger has.

 

[9zero1790]

maybe try putting more of the weight in the camper near the camper axle. the weight over the wheels in the camper may keep the trailer a bit more planted and keep it from "walking" or wagging the truck. in some cases, if your camper is taller than the truck and catches a lot of wind, suction etc. from passing cars not a lot can be done to "fix" it. trying different settings on the hitch and sway bar may help.

 

[ctechbob]

Are you sure you're level? Only reason I ask is that the Ranger is usually near the high end of hitch heights and usually requires quite a bit of drop on the hitch shank before things are back level. They're certainly taller than a Ram. Especially if you reused the equipment you already had and didn't adjust for the height.

I'd look at the tire pressure as well. There are several of us that tow heavy with ours and most of us settle around the 40psi area for tire pressures. If the pressures are too high, you'd probably expect the truck to be 'fidgety' when pushed around a bit by the wind.

 

[Big Blue]

I have a 2022 Supercrew and tow a 3500 lb travel trailer. On the interstate it feels every vehicle that passes causing a wiggle to truck and trailer. I have a weight distribution hitch and both truck and trailer are level. We load everything in the front part of the camper. I use a sway bar (brake style)
at medium tight. I pump my tires to the max rating on both truck and trailer as well. It's mainly when someone passes me from behind. What am I missing? Thanks!

A couple things to look at. First of all what is your tongue weight. It needs to be between 10% and 15% of the trailer weight. Even though not as bad as too light, to much tongue weight can cause handling issues. Second, having the trailer level or slightly nose down is good. Having the truck level is relative. If your truck has the stock rake it should still have some when hooked up. What I mean is you should see your front not raise when hooked up. If it is you are taking weight off your front steering wheels. This will let the trailer push the truck around. To correct this you may need to adjust your distribution bars to get more weight transfered to the front of the truck. Too much tongue weight plays into this as well. Third, I personally am not a fan of the friction sway bars. They are hard to adjust consistantly and need to be removed to backup. Much perfer WDH with built in 2 or 4 point sway control. Lastly if you have a FX4 with the stock rear shocks, change them.

 

[Blmpkn]

yep. I went from a Ram v6 to the Ranger. Never felt the trailer at all with the Ram however it did not have the power the Ranger has.

The ram, anemic v6 or not.. is still a full size truck.

A full size is always going to tow better than a Ranger.

 

[JJB525]

I guess crank it down ... I do have plenty of tow experience. tow haulers too 5th wheels. I bought my ranger to flat tow behind our RV and go off roading. Your honestly challanging this choice of truck. Sure it can pull it, but a 3500lb trailer is usually empty, loaded your 4500. a 4500lb parachute is gonna challange a 5000 truck. if it was a boat you'lld been ok because low profile. but the size and shape works is working against you imho. but Tonge weight critcal, where your weight inside the trailer is too. A level trail so axels are level and a sway bar gonna be only help. Not sure if you would have 2 sway bars. But the sway bar worked amazing for me way back with a 2500 suburban and a 26ft toy hauler. Eventually I went to diesel truck and then 5th wheel. Now on to class A's You might want to call a couple trailer hitch company tech line direct!!

 

[Elmosaurus]

Stupid but important question; how fast are you going?

Trailer tires are only rated for certain speeds, and with their typically very basic tread patterns, can easily get squirrely above the rated speed.

 

[Fritz]

yep. I went from a Ram v6 to the Ranger. Never felt the trailer at all with the Ram however it did not have the power the Ranger has.

I’ve heard the Ram 1500s are more stable towing than the f150, possibly because it’s heavier.
It’s actually my biggest complaint of the Ranger. It gets blown around even without a trailer imo.

 

[BassRanger]

When in doubt start with the basics.

-Take the trailer at travel weight and get it weighed.
-Arrange your gear so that 10-15% of the trailer's weight is on the ball(this can be done with a bathroom scale and some 2x4s.
-Follow the WDH manufacturer's guide to setup the hitch.
-The trucks tires absolutely do not need to be at maximum sidewall pressure to pull a 3500# TT. Start with the trucks recommended tire PSI and add a pound or two if you are having sidewall flex.
-Make sure you have the correct size WDH for your trailer.
-Lastly you may need to play around with your tongue weight and WDH tension. Some trailers will feel more stable with 10% over the tongue with less tension on the bars. Some will feel better closer to 15% with more tension on the bars. Leave the sway control loose or off while you are setting the trailer up.

 

[BReeves61]

Stupid but important question; how fast are you going?

Trailer tires are only rated for certain speeds, and with their typically very basic tread patterns, can easily get squirrely above the rated speed.

I run between 55 and 60 most of the time.

 

[BReeves61]

When in doubt start with the basics.

-Take the trailer at travel weight and get it weighed.
-Arrange your gear so that 10-15% of the trailer's weight is on the ball(this can be done with a bathroom scale and some 2x4s.
-Follow the WDH manufacturer's guide to setup the hitch.
-The trucks tires absolutely do not need to be at maximum sidewall pressure to pull a 3500# TT. Start with the trucks recommended tire PSI and add a pound or two if you are having sidewall flex.
-Make sure you have the correct size WDH for your trailer.
-Lastly you may need to play around with your tongue weight and WDH tension. Some trailers will feel more stable with 10% over the tongue with less tension on the bars. Some will feel better closer to 15% with more tension on the bars. Leave the sway control loose or off while you are setting the trailer up.

thanks!

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