Towing an Imagine 2670MK - handling issues

[Mark waller]

It's only 500 pounds over EMPTY..................you need to change.

[R Crawford]

I know this is an older thread but would like to know if the Pro Pride helped your trailer sway? I have recently purchased a 2670MK and experiencing trailer sway. This is the first camper I have ever pulled so have been trying to figure out if it is something I should get used too or if there is something that can resolve it.

[TucsonJim]

I know this is an older thread but would like to know if the Pro Pride helped your trailer sway? I have recently purchased a 2670MK and experiencing trailer sway. This is the first camper I have ever pulled so have been trying to figure out if it is something I should get used too or if there is something that can resolve it.

I tagged Sande005 to flag them to your question. Welcome to the forum by the way.

Jim

[sande005]

What a bad poster was I, no follow up to this thread that I started! Although I have commented in many other threads (and Facebook) about it since then. Yes, yes moving to the ProPride did fix the issue. We have about 4,500 mi towing on it. Have not done any big mountain driving out west with it yet, but lots of local (<400 mi) trips and several from Minn. to eastern PA. It still nags at me that perhaps a cheaper hitch may have resolved - Blue Ox, Equalizer, etc. Many others seem to have good luck with those. I think my root causes were two: 1) just not enough tongue weight, which after lots of research clearly is the primary cause of sway, and 2) the Andersen hitch just didn't have enough friction dampening for such a long trailer to prevent sway from starting.
I get a little bit of "truck suck" still, but never have a need for 2 handed driving. Mostly those triple trailer deals on the Interstate in Ohio, who are doing 75+ while I'm going 65. No worse than what my wife's Prius experiences in the same conditions. Have not experienced the fabled "Hensley Bump", but I can't say I've given it a true test like crossing the Bighorns in WY on Hwy 14 would give it. But, I've cruised for long stretches at 70 mph, with up to 30 mph crosswinds, and it has been rock steady behind.
The only downside - due to the unique setup, you can't just drop the trailer at the dealer (or, in my case, my storage yard), as they have no way to hook up to it to move it. So you have to dismount the part that normally stays with the truck by pulling the receiver pin, and leave everything with them so they can move it. A minor drawback.

Sway is not something you can get used to. If you are getting a little bit, you are in danger of getting a lot. All you need are the right conditions of road surface, speed, wind or passing trucks to set off what might end up being a catastrophic crash. There are lots of YouTube videos illustrating how fast it can hit you.

So, am I happy that I got one? YES.
Should you? I would first see if added tongue weight settles it down. As suggested above move things around, and add bags of rocks, etc. to get it well over 900 lbs. And then go for a test drive. Perhaps just going to 2 bigger batteries (rather than 1), and maybe an over-the-tongue bike rack combined with your hitch will do it.

[R Crawford]

What a bad poster was I, no follow up to this thread that I started! Although I have commented in many other threads (and Facebook) about it since then. Yes, yes moving to the ProPride did fix the issue. We have about 4,500 mi towing on it. Have not done any big mountain driving out west with it yet, but lots of local (<400 mi) trips and several from Minn. to eastern PA. It still nags at me that perhaps a cheaper hitch may have resolved - Blue Ox, Equalizer, etc. Many others seem to have good luck with those. I think my root causes were two: 1) just not enough tongue weight, which after lots of research clearly is the primary cause of sway, and 2) the Andersen hitch just didn't have enough friction dampening for such a long trailer to prevent sway from starting.
I get a little bit of "truck suck" still, but never have a need for 2 handed driving. Mostly those triple trailer deals on the Interstate in Ohio, who are doing 75+ while I'm going 65. No worse than what my wife's Prius experiences in the same conditions. Have not experienced the fabled "Hensley Bump", but I can't say I've given it a true test like crossing the Bighorns in WY on Hwy 14 would give it. But, I've cruised for long stretches at 70 mph, with up to 30 mph crosswinds, and it has been rock steady behind.
The only downside - due to the unique setup, you can't just drop the trailer at the dealer (or, in my case, my storage yard), as they have no way to hook up to it to move it. So you have to dismount the part that normally stays with the truck by pulling the receiver pin, and leave everything with them so they can move it. A minor drawback.

Sway is not something you can get used to. If you are getting a little bit, you are in danger of getting a lot. All you need are the right conditions of road surface, speed, wind or passing trucks to set off what might end up being a catastrophic crash. There are lots of YouTube videos illustrating how fast it can hit you.

So, am I happy that I got one? YES.
Should you? I would first see if added tongue weight settles it down. As suggested above move things around, and add bags of rocks, etc. to get it well over 900 lbs. And then go for a test drive. Perhaps just going to 2 bigger batteries (rather than 1), and maybe an over-the-tongue bike rack combined with your hitch will do it.

Thanks for the response. I guess my biggest thing is I am so new to pulling a TT that I don't know what I don't know. I don't know if i am really having trailer sway or if it is a common "push" I am having. I feel like when I am going down the highway I have to pay attention to opening fields coming up because the wind will give me a push. It hasn't pushed me out of my lane but I also have not traveled in any wind over 10mph that I know of. I pull with a 2018 Nissan Titan 2wd so I am also debating on whether or not I need to upgrade my tires to a 10ply tire or if that will even help. I currently pull with a Curt TruTrack weight distribution hitch and just hard decision to shell out almost $3K for a hitch. The batteries are a good idea because who can ever have too much battery power :-).

[315RLTSinPA]

They always say 10% tongue weight is minumum and a lot of people say get to about 12%. Personally I think 15% is the best for a stable trailer. All of our trailers have been between 15% - 16% and never had any issues with sway.

[goducks14]

They always say 10% tongue weight is minumum and a lot of people say get to about 12%. Personally I think 15% is the best for a stable trailer. All of our trailers have been between 15% - 16% and never had any issues with sway.

Sounds good on paper but when MFG's like GD build TT's with sub 10% tongue weights from the factory it makes it reall hard to load it to 15%. BTDT with a Heartland Northtrail back in 2010. It came in at 9.7% or so from the factory. Loaded everything I could think of in front of the axles but only managed to get 12.5%. Biggest issue was the axles placed too far forward, same as the 2670.
Couple that with the main cargo areas, i.e fridge cupboards, pantry etc, and it makes it tough to achieve optimum tongue weights.
I too went with a Hensley Arrow (used $900). Made all the difference in the world. Initially I started with an EQ with 4 pt sway.

Lets say the 2670 was loaded to 7800 lbs. 15% is 1170 lbs. It would be real hard to achieve that since a lot of weight is added rearward as well due to it being an RK floor plan. Proper design would be to be tongue heavy at the start with the axles more rearward. But that eliminates the "1/2 ton/SUV towable " idea.

[315RLTSinPA]

You bring up a good point. Bad design right from the start. There really is no excuse for being less than 10% right from the factory. And a lot of that could be changed with the placement of the axels.

[Steven@147]

I have read a lot of owners issues with sway, I have had my own issues with sway. There are so many different factors involved specific to each owners combination that affect sway and handling, it is sometimes hard for the individual to figure out what will eliminate or reduce sway in each persons particular combo. TV specs, weights and configuration, hitch type, RV specs, weights and loading.

My experience
RV = 2950RL, 33 ft coach 35 ft overall- Factory dry weights = GVWR 9000# - TW 902# = 10% factory TW - Tires load range "E" ST factory tires all aired to 80psi.
Loaded RV - TW 1200# sherline scale, 13% TW, (don't have GVW so I am using GVWR 8995 rounded up to 9000) H2O tank up front empty.

Hitch = Equalizer 1400, dealer standard installation.

My experience with two different tow vehicles, with the same RV, loaded the same with each TV -
First TV Initially - Ram 2002 - 2500 - SB -SRW -LT 285x75x16 - Load Range E all tires aired to 80psi - RV right at trucks tow limit.
initial Result = sway, semi passing suck.

Adjustments = Equalizer hitch adding more washers on pin from 4 to 6 - transferring more weight to front axle and more down force on sway/ lift bars - Result Towing Stability = Good

Second TV = Ram 2018-3500-LB- DRW- LT 235x80x17 Load Range E- Tires front 80psi- Rear 65 each 4 tires - way more truck than needed for this RV - Result Towing Stability = Exceptional / Rock Solid, No Push, No Sway
Same RV, same tongue weight %, same Equalizer hitch configuration.

The long bed of my new Ram and its dual rear tires make a big difference in towing with everything else being the same. I am not saying to run out and get a LB DRW truck to tow your RV but each item involved in towing contributes to the stability of the whole. You can upgrade or adjust a hitch to solve your problems and keep the same TV. And yes tongue weight is a big part of the equation.

I should go to a cat scale and get the GVW when loaded but I have no scale near me, someday I will just to get more accurate numbers, but for now I am rock solid in towing.
I can not tow with the H2O tank filled without moving weight to the rear of the coach. The H2O tank is right up front and would add 300# to the tongue weight. (I measured it with my sherline scale tank empty, tank full) So I would be right at 1500# TW on a 1400# max hitch.

[bigb56]

This is a very enlightening thread for me as we are looking at either an Imagine 2150 RB or an Imagine xls 22RBE. The slightly larger, slightly heavier 2150 RB comes with a dry hitch weight of only 8% while the smaller, lighter 22RBE comes with a dry hitch weight of almost exactly 10%. Not knowing the exact placement of the fresh water tank on either unit I wonder how loading will affect the hitch weights. Even with my F-350 crew cab I only have 1,040 lbs of payload left after the truck is fully loaded for a trip so I am paying close attention to hitch weights.