• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Pulling a pop up camper question

STUART69

NAXJA Forum User
Location
LUBBOCK TX
I've been pulling a pop up camper around and it kinda squats my XJ. Would an add a leaf help hold up the rear end without giving it any or minimal lift? I'm running a budget boost on mine now; spacers up front and longer shackles in the back. Don't want to go any bigger. My leaves are flat and will go negative if I load up the back, but they are nice and flexy right now so I don't want to get rid of them.

TIA

Stuart
 
First thing to check - when you're rigged, does the trailer sit level, or close to it? You might just need to get a ball mount with the correct "drop" to it.

It's amazing how often I see vehicles towing that don't ride correctly simply because the ball mount is wrong...

Check and correct as required. After the trailer sits level, make sure you have any internals to the trailer located correctly (check tongue weight with a bathroom scale - should be about 10% of total weight) and correct as required. After that's done, let us know if you still have trouble with ride height being off.

If you plan on doing a lot of towing/hauling, airbags are a good idea. However, this does not replace proper rigging as a safety measure - so make sure you get the weight right and the trailer sitting level before doing anything else. If this is one of those little Coleman pop-up jobs I see all over, you DEFINITELY need a drop ball mount...

5-90
 
You could try an overload leaf, they are a almost flat. And when your springs sag it limits them. Or they sell a contraption that bolts onto your springs and I think they might be called trailer springs. They sould have them at you local auto parts store.
 
The ball and the trailer set at the same height, untill I raise the dolly and put all the weight of the trailer on the ball. It is one of those Coleman trailers, about 1200 - 1400#'s total, maybe 250#'s on the tounge. I'm leaning towards the full length add a leaf. If I'm going to loose any of my flexy-ness, I don't want it to be because of helper leaves.
 
Add-a-leaf will stiffen the spring and reduce the flex. Look at getting a new set of rear leaf springs from one of the suspension lift companies. Another idea is to check with a spring manufacturer and have custom springs made with the correct lift and a bit of extra weight handling. I agree that you need the proper lift or drop to make your tongue weight correct. Look at the websites for some of the hitch makers, I saw one that had a good explanation of all the details for safe towing.
 
I know that on traiers this light, most people don't bother with a weight distributing hitch, but it might be just the ticket for splitting the load and distributing some to your front springs.

I thinik they make the whole truck-trailer combo handle a heck of a lot better than a regular old hitch.

CRASH
 
CRASH said:
I know that on traiers this light, most people don't bother with a weight distributing hitch, but it might be just the ticket for splitting the load and distributing some to your front springs.

I thinik they make the whole truck-trailer combo handle a heck of a lot better than a regular old hitch.

CRASH
I tow a popup(coleman) and I have the Rancho aal. The suspension is much stiffer, and I got 2" of lift. I also have the Daystar 1" shackles in the back. I ride higher, exept when towing. I also have a drop hitch(2-3" I think).

I haven't tried my Weight Distributing hitch on the popup yet, I just pulled it off my 4500# trailer yesterday. But I do plan on atleast mounting the anti-sway bar.

My father added a set of helper springs to his Dodge van, they bolt on, and do not affect the ride, until weight is applied. JCWhitney is where he got them, if I remember correctly. They do a nice job, he tows a 10000# trailer.

Good luck
 
Back
Top