"Pulling" sensation when towing a camper/caravan...

[Paul (SA)]

Hi there folks,

I feel stupid asking this question, but here goes.....

I am new to camper trailer towing. We are towing a Swift behind a V6 Commodore wagon and I got to say I find the sensation of towing one that is a little weird (even after I remember to take the trailer handbrake off)

I find that when I am towing there is a little game of "tug of war" going on between the camper and the car. Not a massive jolting or anything, but I have to say it's not 100% smooth - like a tiny shunting back and forth as we drive along. I am pretty conservative driver and accelerate smoothly and uniformly and I only go a max of 90kph on the open road. I definitely don't hoon, but still there is a weird feeling with towing such a weight.

Is this normal due to carrying such a load and is this something experienced by all who tow a caravan/camper?

Will it be any different when I upgrade to a 4wd in the near future?

I am interested when people say their camper tows beautifully, but I am keen to know what it should "feel" like towing a camper/caravan properly.

Cheers, Paul

[Brett B]

yes this is normal you need to know some thing is hanging of the back but the tug o war thing sounds like a weight distrabution thing
every combination of car caravan 4x4 ct will be different so will be the way it is loaded road speed and wind direction changes alot
 
Brett B

[D4D]

I'm wondering if your Swift is pointing hitch down when connected to the car? If so the natural inertia of the Swift is to try and force itself under the car on deceleration and lift the car up under acceleration. This could be causing the push/pull sensation.

[@fnq4now]

As above from Brett. & if your upgrading to a 4WD try towing your van when you test drive so you have an idea of what you'll be in for.

[gonfishen]

It will or can depend on 2 things 1 the tow hitch, when i tow the boat with a tow ball it can feel a bit bouncy, but that has something to do with number 2, weight distribution, a big motor at the rear of the boat is not an ideal place to put allot of weight, but when i tow the camper with a trigg hitch and a well balanced trailer i don`t even know it is there, i tow both with  4x4s so that helps, but weight distribution and tow hitch are your biggest concerns, get them right and it should be smooth driving.

[xcvator]

Some hitch receivers have a bit of play in them too, have a look and you might find a small threaded hole to take bolt to tighten up against the hitch tongue
cheers Excvator

[Big Tread]

X2

My boat on a standard tow ball pulls a bit and is worse on very smooth roads. I guess the slightly rough roads mask the pulling. And i agree that a heavy motor hanging off the back doesn't help. In the camper with the treg hitch it is much smoother than the boat and it is hardly noticeable. I reckon weight distribution has big impact. At the moment both are towed with a ford territory.

Big Tread


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[bunyip]

When I tow the light tower (big generator etc..) with a ball I feel exactly the same thing, whereas with the normal trailer I don't notice it is there unless I am going over a gutter (intentionally of course) or something.

It will be interesting to see what the CT feels like when we pick it up, that has a tregg hitch so I am hoping aside from a speed issue it will not be noticed.

Bunyip

[Paul and Bern]

  Hi Mate, no expert here..
I would have thought the old commodore would have had enough weight to counter the surge effect
Is the trailer bouncing/swaying? It could be weight distribution, not too much at the back, the hitch weight needs to be a bit not just lift with a few fingers, sometimes it's done to save the tow car's springs.
What sort of brakes are on the swift? If they are over-ride brakes (ie. the hitch bit slides and pushes the brake lever style), is the cable too tight and pulling the brakes on slightly at every bump, the cable needs to have a slight bit of slack, I would look for a small gap between the hitch nut and the brake lever.
For our 1.4t CT I don't actually feel any surging, feel the weight pushing starting/stopping or up hills but not anything I can note on cruise on the highway, mind you normally tow with a 4wd
It almost sounds like you have a really big un-baffled water tank, and it's only half full and the water is surging...
Hope it helps, best of luck with it
  Paul

[Janbo]

You could try adjusting you brake controller

[HKB Electronics]

I find the same thing if I tow my little 5x3 trailer I feel it push the car and it bounces around, when I tow
my finch campa don't even know it's there.

As others have said, it is weight distribution and setup, my campa has a lot heavier ball weight and the
coupling has virtually no play, therefore the camper can't "bump" or pull the car hitch.

Try tightening the coupling if you can and repack your trailer to put more weight on the tow ball.

I have also found level riders even if you don't require them are good sometimes as the damp
any movement.

Cheers
Leigh

[Bird]

your towing several hundred kg's.. theres going to be some movement and a different feeling

I think D4D could be onto something too with drawbar angle..

[Paul (SA)]

Thanks for all of your input folks....and for not hanging 'you know what' on me for asking this question.

I am wondering if D4D is onto something. I am not sure about the weight dist thing as it has happened ever since I drove it out of the Jayco showroom.

There is no bouncing or swaying, just that ongoing push/pull feeling as we drive along. Will have a look at the poly block coupling (we have a Trigg Hitch).

I will double check the braking as well. Thanks for that suggestion too.

Can't wait to get the 4wd - arrrggh that wait is killing m!!!!

Thanks again, Paul

[Eski]

If it was a bike & trailer it usually is a sign of too lower tyre pressures on the trailer...

Just a thought..
 

[GeoffA]

You're always going to feel something.......

[jeeps]

You need stiffer rear springs or less towball weight.

Cheers