mwtrowbridge Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 Greetings from Central Texas. Before I go into my almost fatal mistake allow me to introduce myself. We are the Trowbridge's, me, wife Robin, and pup Sophie. We have owned several tent campers/pop-ups as well as a couple old 70's canned ham size bumper pulls. Last month we decided it was time to upgrade RV's in preparation for retirement by purchasing a 2017 Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S. Our tow vehicle is a 2016 Mega-cab Ford FX4 F-150 with the 302 V-8. To insure a comfortable ride while towing I decided to purchase and install the Eaz-Lift Elite Weight Distributing Hitch Kit. Let's just say I should have found a mentor prior to ordering! Our Mini Lite weighs in at just under 4k lbs with a 500lb tongue weight. I log onto Amazon, read the reviews, and decide on the Eaz-Lift system as it included everything (including sway control system) for less than any other kit and had awesome reviews. Now for my mistake mistakes... In my logic, bigger is better and if 600lbs will work, 1k should be that much better, right? WRONG! I ordered and installed the 1k lb weight distribution kit then pulled the RV the 5 miles+- at 40mph trough town to our house. I make a couple adjustments to get the RV level as well as equally distribute the weight to both the front and rear tires of the truck. We spend the next two days Oohing and Aahing as we load it up with @ 100lbs of stuff for our trip the following week. Finally, the morning arrived for us to embark on our madden voyage! As we slowly enter the Highway doing 53mph I noticed a little bounce (bucking) but chalked it up to the road. As I tried to increase speed it caused me to "white knuckle" so I kept the speed @ 53. 18-wheelers began to pass me and it got scary very quick. Now 45 miles from home my low tire sensor light came on so I pulled off at the first exit and found a pay air pump. It was out of order! What am I to do, I have a tire that is almost 10lbs low. Well, it took me 60 miles to find a station with a working air pump. I filled it to match the other three (37psi) and got back on the Highway. The ride did smooth out some but it was still scary as heck as the wind picked up to 25mph at @ 160 degrees of me. We finally reach our destination, setup camp, and enjoy our 5 days. As we prepared to head home my anxiety level went through the roof as the wind had now picked up to 30-35mph as a cross wind most of the trip back. Oh my gosh, can this trip get any scarier? I decided to stay off the Highway and take back roads everywhere I could. I was able to relax, take my time, and enjoy parts of the drive. We made it home an hour later than expected but in one piece. The following day I did what I should have done prior to even purchasing our RV, I did some homework. Now understand, I thought I knew what I was doing. I have towed smaller and lighter trailers/RV's all across the Country w/o any trouble so I did not understand what was so different this time with this RV. I got online and found everything I had done (almost) was wrong! I am way outside of my comfort zone here in posting all this stupid stuff I did right from the start in hopes that it will help someone. I mean, this is my very first post on this forum and already I am exposing myself to possible total humiliation and ridicule but to me it is worth it. I am sure this has all been covered several times over but, here it is anyway: #1, proper tire inflation. This is a direct cause of trailer sway and the #1 cause of tire blowouts. My tow vehicle tires were inflated to 37psi with a max cold psi of 44. They are now at 44psi! Also insure your trailer tires are properly inflated. #2, properly match equipment. I purchased the 100lb weight distribution system thinking bigger is better. In fact, with only 500lbs of tongue weight I had effectively caused the vehicle and trailer to become too stiff causing it to "buck" violently when at highway speeds. I have purchased and run 600lb bars now. In this case bigger was definitely not better! #3, educate before. Do your homework before you buy or tow. In my case, I was very lucky I did not have a blowout or worse, cause an accident. Well, there you have it. If I had a camera rolling I could have made one awesome "what not to do" video. Stay safe, keep it between the lines, and hey, live every single day to its fullest because we are not promised tomorrow! Michael Life is too short so live each day as if it were your last! ~Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skp51443 Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 Welcome, Live and learn, and as in your case be very happy any "learning experiences" can be solved with a credit card and not bandages. You could try selling the 1000 pound bars down in the Marketplace forums if you want them gone. First rule of computer consulting: Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day. Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwtrowbridge Posted November 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 Welcome, Live and learn, and as in your case be very happy any "learning experiences" can be solved with a credit card and not bandages. You could try selling the 1000 pound bars down in the Marketplace forums if you want them gone. So very true and thank you, I had not thought about posting them up. Right now they are propped up in the corner of my shop collecting dust. Michael Life is too short so live each day as if it were your last! ~Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty77_7 Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 Thanks for sharing. I had a nice mentor that would call that 'Burn as you learn!'... Go have some fun, and stay safe, Smitty Be safe, have fun, Smitty 04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpsinc Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 Greetings from Central Texas. Before I go into my almost fatal mistake allow me to introduce myself. We are the Trowbridge's, me, wife Robin, and pup Sophie. We have owned several tent campers/pop-ups as well as a couple old 70's canned ham size bumper pulls. Last month we decided it was time to upgrade RV's in preparation for retirement by purchasing a 2017 Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S. Our tow vehicle is a 2016 Mega-cab Ford FX4 F-150 with the 302 V-8. To insure a comfortable ride while towing I decided to purchase and install the Eaz-Lift Elite Weight Distributing Hitch Kit. Let's just say I should have found a mentor prior to ordering! Our Mini Lite weighs in at just under 4k lbs with a 500lb tongue weight. I log onto Amazon, read the reviews, and decide on the Eaz-Lift system as it included everything (including sway control system) for less than any other kit and had awesome reviews. Now for my mistake mistakes... In my logic, bigger is better and if 600lbs will work, 1k should be that much better, right? WRONG! I ordered and installed the 1k lb weight distribution kit then pulled the RV the 5 miles+- at 40mph trough town to our house. I make a couple adjustments to get the RV level as well as equally distribute the weight to both the front and rear tires of the truck. We spend the next two days Oohing and Aahing as we load it up with @ 100lbs of stuff for our trip the following week. Finally, the morning arrived for us to embark on our madden voyage! As we slowly enter the Highway doing 53mph I noticed a little bounce (bucking) but chalked it up to the road. As I tried to increase speed it caused me to "white knuckle" so I kept the speed @ 53. 18-wheelers began to pass me and it got scary very quick. Now 45 miles from home my low tire sensor light came on so I pulled off at the first exit and found a pay air pump. It was out of order! What am I to do, I have a tire that is almost 10lbs low. Well, it took me 60 miles to find a station with a working air pump. I filled it to match the other three (37psi) and got back on the Highway. The ride did smooth out some but it was still scary as heck as the wind picked up to 25mph at @ 160 degrees of me. We finally reach our destination, setup camp, and enjoy our 5 days. As we prepared to head home my anxiety level went through the roof as the wind had now picked up to 30-35mph as a cross wind most of the trip back. Oh my gosh, can this trip get any scarier? I decided to stay off the Highway and take back roads everywhere I could. I was able to relax, take my time, and enjoy parts of the drive. We made it home an hour later than expected but in one piece. The following day I did what I should have done prior to even purchasing our RV, I did some homework. Now understand, I thought I knew what I was doing. I have towed smaller and lighter trailers/RV's all across the Country w/o any trouble so I did not understand what was so different this time with this RV. I got online and found everything I had done (almost) was wrong! I am way outside of my comfort zone here in posting all this stupid stuff I did right from the start in hopes that it will help someone. I mean, this is my very first post on this forum and already I am exposing myself to possible total humiliation and ridicule but to me it is worth it. I am sure this has all been covered several times over but, here it is anyway: #1, proper tire inflation. This is a direct cause of trailer sway and the #1 cause of tire blowouts. My tow vehicle tires were inflated to 37psi with a max cold psi of 44. They are now at 44psi! Also insure your trailer tires are properly inflated. #2, properly match equipment. I purchased the 100lb weight distribution system thinking bigger is better. In fact, with only 500lbs of tongue weight I had effectively caused the vehicle and trailer to become too stiff causing it to "buck" violently when at highway speeds. I have purchased and run 600lb bars now. In this case bigger was definitely not better! #3, educate before. Do your homework before you buy or tow. In my case, I was very lucky I did not have a blowout or worse, cause an accident. Well, there you have it. If I had a camera rolling I could have made one awesome "what not to do" video. Stay safe, keep it between the lines, and hey, live every single day to its fullest because we are not promised tomorrow! Michael Dont even waste time having any negative thougths here. Your experience has already likely helped MANY that didnt have your courage to speak up, but rather just kept silent in wonderment. You approached your problem in a very logical way, methodical and with diligence. You avoided putting yourself and your family in harms way and by sharing that, you have affected others to do likewise. This forum is a wealth of information for the education of all of us through learning from others. Come back often and continue to educate and be educated. Thank you for what you did for me. Marcel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronbo Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 Thanks for sharing. A lot of people would not due to embarrassment. I really appreciate your willingness. Ron C. 2013 Dynamax Trilogy 3850 D3 2000 Kenworth T2000 Optimus Prime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwtrowbridge Posted November 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 Thank you all and I will continue to post. I have several DIY projects in the works with parts/pieces order. First is a complete "off-grid" solar system for our little RV to include 1,200 watts of solar, a few batteries, controllers, inverter, and lots of wire. We have been taking many pictures to document our project and will do a full DIY post after we complete and fully test. Michael Life is too short so live each day as if it were your last! ~Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 Welcome to the Escapee forums! It is always good to have new folks join in but it seldom includes such a soul bearing introduction. Remember that there are only two types of RV owners, those who have made mistakes and those who are going to make mistakes. None of us are so smart that we don't learn some things by trial and error. When we are fortunate we learn from the mistakes of others and when we are wise we learn from research, but none of us can learn so well as we do from actual experience. Experience will prevent mistakes, but mistakes are the way that we get experience. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat & Pete Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 "Experience is what enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again." Goes around , comes around . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RV fan Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 Michael, You might want to hang onto those 1000 lb bars for a couple of years in case you get a case of 2 foot-itis and end up with a larger and larger trailer. Good luck, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris-n-Dennis Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 Glad all did come out well in the end! I have one recommendation for you though I'm pretty sure you've probably already done it: Get and really know your weights then apply that knowledge to your tires. Safe travels. Berkshire XL 40QL Camphosting and touring Our blog: cndtravels.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuneElliot Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 Welcome to the Escapee forums! It is always good to have new folks join in but it seldom includes such a soul bearing introduction. Remember that there are only two types of RV owners, those who have made mistakes and those who are going to make mistakes. None of us are so smart that we don't learn some things by trial and error. When we are fortunate we learn from the mistakes of others and when we are wise we learn from research, but none of us can learn so well as we do from actual experience. Experience will prevent mistakes, but mistakes are the way that we get experience. So far I am lucky that the only mistakes I've made so far were when adding a screw for curtain rods to the wall and hitting an electrical wire (for an outside light) causing the GFCI to keep blowing...took us all day to figure it out. I also bought the wrong roofing recoater and had the entire thing peel off...waste of money! The other was driving off with my steps down and taking out a t-post; I was in a hurry to escape with the camper from a threatening and abusive neighbor at the time and didn't damage the camper. Once I hit the road full time I'm sure there will be more, but it's reading about other people's mistakes that help me learn and prevent my own screw-ups. I research like I'm aiming for a doctorate in RVing. I'm really hoping to find someone to help me install my solar set-up as I just KNOW that's going to be a lot of mistakes waiting to happen. 2007 Keystone Springdale 245 FWRLL-S (modified) 2000 F-250 7.3L SRW Cody and Kye, border collie extraordinaires Latest departure date: 10/1/2017 Find us at www.nomadicpawprints.wordpress.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly2low Posted November 8, 2016 Report Share Posted November 8, 2016 Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. Will Rogers Rich and Carol 2007 Dynamax DQ 340 XL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorrie Posted November 9, 2016 Report Share Posted November 9, 2016 Thank you for sharing. This is how we all learn, from our mistakes and others who are willing to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwtrowbridge Posted November 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2016 Thank you one and all again. I have been reading these forum posts until my eyes crossed! Lot's of great information here for sure. The only thing I have not figured out yet is my tow vehicles proper psi while towing. The first thing I did after purchasing the truck was discard the cheap street tires for all-terrains. I wish now I would have gone 10-ply instead of the 6-ply's! They are rated at 44psi cold and I plan to run them at 44psi this next trip out. I only have 6k miles on this set but depending on how the ride is in a couple weeks, I may change them out and craigslist the set on it now? We shall see. So far I am lucky that the only mistakes I've made so far were when adding a screw for curtain rods to the wall and hitting an electrical wire (for an outside light) causing the GFCI to keep blowing...took us all day to figure it out. I also bought the wrong roofing recoater and had the entire thing peel off...waste of money! The other was driving off with my steps down and taking out a t-post; I was in a hurry to escape with the camper from a threatening and abusive neighbor at the time and didn't damage the camper. Once I hit the road full time I'm sure there will be more, but it's reading about other people's mistakes that help me learn and prevent my own screw-ups. I research like I'm aiming for a doctorate in RVing. I'm really hoping to find someone to help me install my solar set-up as I just KNOW that's going to be a lot of mistakes waiting to happen. I am more than happy to assist you in your solar venture. I am not affiliated in any way with any company but I can turn you on to some great ones with great prices and warranties. Fell free (anyone) to e-mail me (quickest as it goes to my phone) with any questions regarding solar just please do not add me to any spam list, I delete enough e-mails as it is. My username at yahoo dot com Life is too short so live each day as if it were your last! ~Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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