Trailer scraping issues while towing.

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t_j

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drop the ball one, notch on the draw bar, then go find your closest neghbour with bigger muscles than you and put some hurt on those leveling bars, your truck should be level if setup properly. Measure front and rear before hooking up, then measure again and tighten the bars until the sag is the same front and rear.

Oh and yeah your totally over weight and your insurance will probably not cover you in the event of an accident.....


@oxfordraptor++++++++
 

jgree32

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Are you sure it's only 7k pounds?
If so I think you're hitch needs adjustment to drop tongue weight.

In another thread a member posted pics of towing a 6300lb boat and it wasn't squatting anywhere near like that. He had a normal hitch too.
 

Sasquatch77

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First of all the engine on this thing tows like a beast. I'm very happy with the low rpms even up steep hills. Also, I'm getting zero sway using anti-sway bars. At 75 mph, and up some steep hills, I'm averaging 9 MPG which is decent...

But I'm fairly new to towing and am having some issues... I seem to be scraping everywhere; on my maiden voyage I ended up scraping the anti-sway bar pins completely off just by slowly exiting a gas station causing one of the sway bars to fall off. Ugh.

The trailer I'm towing weighs 7,000 lbs loaded, the hitch weight is 900 lbs.

The dealership where I bought the trailer installed the sway bar and did all the measurements so I'm assuming they did it correctly...

What is the ideal solution to this problem? Different leaf springs, air bags, or is my hitch setup incorrectly?

The Raptor is not meant to tow (baja suspension). You needed a regular f150, or better yet a 250/2500.
 

MJslasherADMIN

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That's just not safe. Regardless how well that thing seems to handle right now, you are one quick move away from a disaster. Hey - you wouldn't be the first to realize that the Raptor just isn't set up to haul these types of loads, so no attack going on from me. I find it hard to believe that any reputable business would tell you that you are good to go with that truck squatting like that.

You gotta get that thing leveled out somehow, and the really tragic part of that is - it's not gonna be the same truck when you finish. No matter what you do to the suspension to be able to handle that type of load, it's gonna affect the off road and the on road manners when empty.

I sympathize with your situation, but the best advice I could give you is to buy another truck to haul that camper and keep the Raptor for what it is......



You nailed it


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dirtslinger

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Is that the view from your house? Amazing! Where do you live?


BTW, some possible solutions, move the axles of the trailer forward a bit to lesson the tongue weight, loose the shell, maybe just for when you're towing, but if you want to get rid of it permanently, I'm looking for one in that color!

You could also probably find an airbag system that wouldn't loose suspension droop, I have seen some that are only physically attached to the rear end, and not the farm, that way you're not limited by stretch.

Use the electric tongue jack to lift the truck beyond level with the trailer attached, then install your load leveling bars, it makes it so you don't have to crank on them so hard, and when you lower the trailer it will pull on them.

Make sure you tow the trailer as empty as you can, and fill up your water an propane as close to your destination as possible.

And an easyone, lift the ball on your hitch, or flip the hitch so it's a little higher, unless it's so much of angle that you're now dragging the rear of the trailer.
 

oxfordraptor

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I can't believe we've never had a thread on how to tow here. Good job guys lets see what we can come up with here. If only there was a website?

@t_j
 

Kowboy17

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Here's all you need:
Stage 2 from RPG and the 4" bump stops. Get 1K load bars for your hitch. I'd upgrade that WDH also to a Blue Ox.
Don't be afraid to tow with the Rap, just do the things that will help its spring load (or lack of). While you'll here it's not a tow vehicle (which I agree if you're doing nothing but), it's more than capable with the proper setup. Be careful on your loads (nothing in the bed if you can help it) and get with someone who has towed so they can show you the ropes. Traveling down the road at 70+, as you described, with that set up is an accident waiting to happen. Also, since you're new to towing, you do realize that your trailer tires have a max speed rating of 60 mph. Those are trailer tires and aren't your run of the mill radials. This is where most people get themselves in trouble with trailer tires exploding or overheating.

Good luck and be safe......, it just might be me and my family coming the other way and need you to be safe first.
 
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