Poor towing experience

MXGOLF

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I tow this tent trailer and with my Bilstein shocks I don't even know it's back there. I have towed it on gravel and dirt roads, highway at 75mph good to go. I do put weight in the trailer since it's only 1200# to help out. I still really need to stop at a weight station and determine my whole GVW, GV trailer weight when loaded but so far with 6 trips in the books good to go. The bed is full of camping stuff.
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Grumpaw

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Also, I looked on the web site for your rig and could see no leaf springs, which leads me to believe that it's a torsion bar type suspension. You might check with the trailer manufacturer to see if there is any type of adjustment for the torsion bars like there is on some similarly equipped cars/trucks. There might be a way to crank some of the "stiffness" out of the system.
Additionally, you might want to try a anti rattle/hitch immobilizer like one in photo. I can't tell from your photo, but if you have a slide in type hitch, one of these will work wonders for stopping the jarring being transferred to the truck. Even if there is only a slight amount of play in the hitch ball mount to the hitch platform, it will magnify to the truck. Basically this "locks" the ball mount to the hitch platform.

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Big Blue

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Floyd

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Just picked up my 2022 Intech Flyer Pursue. 1600lbs dry weight, tongue weigh about 200lbs

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I drove from VT to KY to IL. the owing experience is horrible (stock equipment: only light bedding added). I'm towing with 2020 Ranger FX4 with tow package (7500lbs capacity) and every time I go over bumps or even slight undulations on highway it's bouncing so much that it feels like the car is misfiring (feels like a back and forth push-pull).

I've towed a Bantam T3-C (no shocks) for a year and that bounces all over the place, but I've never felt it in the truck (half the weight though). Hitch height is perfectly set, and I have a 2-inch WeighSafe ball hitch for the trailers 2-inch receiver.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks
Mark
You likely don't have your trailer set up quite right.
I tow a 1950# trailer with 240# of tongue weight and it is liquid smooth behind my 2WD STX SuperCab.

Start by actually weighing your trailer loaded and ready to tow.
Then measure the tongue weight.
Your trailer's attitude must be level or slightly low at the tongue,
Weight in the trailer should be biased over the axle and forward with 12 to 15% of the actual loaded weight on the tongue.
Be sure that the payload on the rear axle of the truck is not exceeded (INCLUDING the tongue weight)
Be sure that overall payload on the truck is not exceeded.
I see you have a roof rack on the truck which could help with cargo/passenger weight distribution.
Some of this stuff is not likely to be a problem but you must be step by step methodical.
When you get the trailer lined out and towing well, add a friction antisway device to the hitch.

Be sure that your tire pressures are right or a little tight ( including the trailer)

DRY weights are almost ALWAYS WRONG (light)

With a short wheel based (pin to axle) trailer, bounce can often be a bit of a problem, especially on concrete interstate highways which often have a bad screed pattern which is less noticeable
on LWB trailers or no trailer.
Check your work on Blacktop.
Lastly your truck runs great at 80MPH but that trailer does not... slow down and increase following distances when towing.
Good luck!

BTW ; I-294 in WI is the worst stretch of bad screed control in the US especially west of Madison.
Of course I-80 here in IL looks like the bombed out Ho-Chi Minh trail
 
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Gil-galad

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Get Eibach rear shocks.
This.

I had similar, unwelcome porpoising towing my 20' travel trailer with my '21 Lariat. Swapping out the stock shocks for Eibachs made a huge improvement. Added air pressure in the tires (+6 psi) helped a bit more. Adding the Hellwig rear sway bar helped a bit more (although this is probably not an option for serious off-roaders). Finally, increasing the spring bar tension on my weight distribution hitch helped in a noticeable way.

My spouse can now drink from a coffee mug while towing, instead of wearing it.
 

BOB RAD

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I tow a 3200 lb trailer with a tongue weight of about 350 with another 100 lbs in the rear of the bed. It tows great so I don’t think you are heavy in that area. My guess is it’s just the light trailer doing a lot of bouncing which is being transmitted to the truck. Solutions, I have none.
 

halligan1201

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You likely don't have your trailer set up quite right.
I tow a 1950# trailer with 240# of tongue weight and it is liquid smooth behind my 2WD STX SuperCab.

Start by actually weighing your trailer loaded and ready to tow.
Then measure the tongue weight.
Your trailer's attitude must be level or slightly low at the tongue,
Weight in the trailer should be biased over the axle and forward with 12 to 15% of the actual loaded weight on the tongue.
Be sure that the payload on the rear axle of the truck is not exceeded (INCLUDING the tongue weight)
Be sure that overall payload on the truck is not exceeded.
I see you have a roof rack on the truck which could help with cargo/passenger weight distribution.
Some of this stuff is not likely to be a problem but you must be step by step methodical.
When you get the trailer lined out and towing well, add a friction antisway device to the hitch.

Be sure that your tire pressures are right or a little tight ( including the trailer)

DRY weights are almost ALWAYS WRONG (light)

With a short wheel based (pin to axle) trailer, bounce can often be a bit of a problem, especially on concrete interstate highways which often have a bad screed pattern which is less noticeable
on LWB trailers or no trailer.
Check your work on Blacktop.
Lastly your truck runs great at 80MPH but that trailer does not... slow down and increase following distances when towing.
Good luck!

BTW ; I-294 in WI is the worst stretch of bad screed control in the US especially west of Madison.
Of course I-80 here in IL looks like the bombed out Ho-Chi Minh trail
Can't speak to anything you said about towing because I rarely do but I can 100% agree with 294 and I-80; sounds like we run much of the same stretches of pavement and they are both awful!
 

Return Ranger

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Just picked up my 2022 Intech Flyer Pursue. 1600lbs dry weight, tongue weigh about 200lbs

IMG_2291.jpeg


I drove from VT to KY to IL. the owing experience is horrible (stock equipment: only light bedding added). I'm towing with 2020 Ranger FX4 with tow package (7500lbs capacity) and every time I go over bumps or even slight undulations on highway it's bouncing so much that it feels like the car is misfiring (feels like a back and forth push-pull).

I've towed a Bantam T3-C (no shocks) for a year and that bounces all over the place, but I've never felt it in the truck (half the weight though). Hitch height is perfectly set, and I have a 2-inch WeighSafe ball hitch for the trailers 2-inch receiver.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks
Mark
As others have said, try some Bilstein or Eibach rear shocks. It's not an expensive investment, and you can do the work yourself, if you are mildly handy. I didn't tow prior to swapping mine out, but it drastically changed the rear bounce over speed bumps and the like.
 

Floyd

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As others have said, try some Bilstein or Eibach rear shocks. It's not an expensive investment, and you can do the work yourself, if you are mildly handy. I didn't tow prior to swapping mine out, but it drastically changed the rear bounce over speed bumps and the like.
That appears to be a problem exclusive to 4WD Rangers??
The 2WD set up is perfect for towing IMO. This is the first truck I have ever owned which left completely stock out of the box.
Fact is Good shocks were always my first mod until now.
 

Flymac1

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I just pulled this, loaded about 200 miles with no problem. I shouldn’t have, but at times I hit 80mph. I also have lots of gear under those battery assist trikes with 4 bundles of fire wood. This is a 2019 Ranger. Go figure.

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T Bone

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I just pulled this, loaded about 200 miles with no problem. I shouldn’t have, but at times I hit 80mph. I also have lots of gear under those battery assist trikes with 4 bundles of fire wood. This is a 2019 Ranger. Go figure.

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i would LOVE to find one of those scamps used at a decent price LOL
 

Shaneb72

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I have already installed the "Factory" accessory trailer brake controller and plan on towing a small RV camper next summer (under 6000 lbs.). But, before I tow anything I am going to upgrade the rear shocks, and add a set of Timbren SES rear bump stop spring helpers. Then finally the Hellwig rear sway bar kit just for some added stability. I have already upgraded the factory tiny box transmission cooler to a remote located Derale cooler with an inline thermostat and cooling fan.
 

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I have already installed the "Factory" accessory trailer brake controller and plan on towing a small RV camper next summer (under 6000 lbs.). But, before I tow anything I am going to upgrade the rear shocks, and add a set of Timbren SES rear bump stop spring helpers. Then finally the Hellwig rear sway bar kit just for some added stability. I have already upgraded the factory tiny box transmission cooler to a remote located Derale cooler with an inline thermostat and cooling fan.
You would actually be suprized on how well the Ranger does with transmission temps when towing. Yeah it wouldn't hurt to do something like replace the transmission pan for a fined one. Other than that it does very well at controlling temperature.
 

halligan1201

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That appears to be a problem exclusive to 4WD Rangers??
The 2WD set up is perfect for towing IMO. This is the first truck I have ever owned which left completely stock out of the box.
Fact is Good shocks were always my first mod until now.
It is the FX trucks.
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