Gone and done it - 2021B 2108DS

jimroxstone · 03-12-2021, 07:28 AM

After several months of research and viewing floor plans, and changing my mind several times I gone and done it. Just picked up a 2021B 2108DS. That was my original choice and ended up back to it. Just beginning to prep it for some shake down trips to see what I can break before a big trip to Colorado. First and foremost, this was my first experience with a TT. I have experience with cargo trailers, boats and minimal semi trailer training. I had a 40 minute trip home from the dealer. That day, 20-25 mph winds. The trailer did not track well at all. Dealer installed the Andersen WDH. Between the wind, hitch, and maybe the C rated Westlakes I was not comfortable on the handling, so much so, if I can't get it better there is no way it will see the mountains in Colorado. I have traveled in 30-40 mph winds on two wheels there. Right now I'm considering Goodyear or Maxxis tires, lowering the trailer, and exchanging the Andersen for a Curt. My truck is on the lighter side but should be capable, 2018 F150 Super Crew short box RWD, 2.7. Ohhhh K, no Ford jokes, it was what I could afford at the time and never bought it with intentions of towing

. Thoughts, yep I know, I asked for it

**creativepart** · 03-12-2021, 08:09 AM

The Goodyear’s ST tires are supposed to be pretty good. Go for higher ratings... I found E-rated worked well for me (after blowing a number of C-rated tires).

The Anderson seems to be a popular hitch but I’ve been told that anti-sway is not it’s long suit. I never used one so I don’t know. I used a Husky Centerline and liked the control it gave.

Marine359 · 03-12-2021, 08:11 AM

I have had a good experience with my Husky Centerline WDH with Built-in sway control. It’s a bit noisy in slow speed turns, but on the road at 65mph in crosswind it’s rock solid. And my truck is smaller than yours. Same trailer. You might want to check the height of your ball with a standard bed load for travel. Park on a level surface and check truck/trailer level. Mine was way off, as installed by my dealer. Bought big wrenches and lowered the ball 2 notches. After, that, the 2108ds towed 100% better.

Bigbird65 · 03-12-2021, 09:10 AM

Your Ford truck is not your problem. I tow with a RAM 1500 and it works great. My opinion is that your problem is your hitch. I have used this type hitch first on a WB 2101DS and now on a 2250DS. 6 years total and never a problem with handling or sway. The friction sway bar allows you to crank in the right amount of resistance to make your towing like you like it. Yes, it squeaks and complains when you slowly turn a corner but so what. I also run Goodyear Endurance ST 205/75R14 D rating. Best you can get.

https://www.campingworld.com/pro-ser...bution-hitches

jimroxstone · 03-12-2021, 10:21 AM

Just got off the phone with the dealer. They are going to swap the hitch with a e2 tomorrow. With the weight of the TT I'm good with trying it. Still considering going with a E rated tire like the Goodyear. The Westlakes just seemed spongey going down the road. Don't have anything to compare that to other than watching them roll down the road. Need to have them broke down anyway to have steel stems installed for a TPMS, probably be a good time to swap them and sell the Chin@ stuff.

Bigbird65 · 03-12-2021, 10:38 AM

Jim, sounds good. Glad you are getting the metal stems for your TPMS. I have those for my TireMinder TPMS. I don't think you need E rated tires for that 2108DS. Our 2250DS is a little larger and GY Endurance D rated tires work fine.

travelkids · 03-12-2021, 03:36 PM

Jim, I’m using the Fastway e2 towing our 2529RG. Seems to work fine, but I had my favorite RV shop “dial in” the hitch for me.
As far as tires.....the OEM Castle Rock on ours are “E” rated. I checked the manufacture date and they are week 34 of 2020. I’ll watch them real close until I can get the Goodyear Endurance tires...they will be “E” rated.

Paul n Nancy · 03-12-2021, 07:37 PM

Don't buy into the hype it's the tires. They should be good for a couple of years as long as you make sure the pressures are correct.

I have the same truck, same motor with a R3 Recurve hitch. Driven in windy conditions, mountain roads and freeway speeds of 70 plus and no issues.

backtrack15 · 03-12-2021, 09:15 PM

I'm thinking of going with the Endurance "D" tires when the time comes. I can't find much info on these Westlake tires, or any source for buying them in load range C. The Rockwood Geo-Pro and E-Pro trailers have had them for a couple of years now ("D" versions) and they seem to be doing well. I can't find any horror stories on the Rockwood forum about them so it's hard to pull the trigger on replacing them.

RocknRoll · 03-13-2021, 05:17 AM

I have a 2001 F-150 Super Crew with a normal hitch setup. I have some crappy, oversized C rated tires that are only a few years old that I'm trying to get a few more miles off of. I originally bought these before I thought I was going to tow anything heavy.

My first outing (1200 mi.) with my truck bed loaded with ~300 lbs. of firewood initially pulled pretty well. I'll admit that my rig was not 100% horizontal, confirmed by the TPMS sensors showing a difference in heat from the front and rear axles. The second half of the trip with the firewood exhausted, sway was definitely noticeable and chalked it up to a reduced tongue weight and low hitch.

Prior to my second long trip (1500 mi.), I replaced the hitch with one 2" taller and installed a set of rear Timbren's. The stability the 2nd half of the trip sans firewood, was not perfect, but greatly improved. Heat distribution was now perfect according to the TPMS.

I have an additional situation that I haven't tested yet. I've recently replaced (2) 6V GC batteries located on the tongue to a single LifeP04 battery in the pass-thru. This reduced my tongue weight by 80-90 lbs. To make up for the lost weight and weight distribution, I've relocated the spare tire from the rear to under the tongue. In addition, I bought a waterproof toolbox and transferred my tools from the pass-thru to the top of the tongue.

The jury is still out how it will perform, but I expect an even higher level of stability with new tires, and think they'll make a huge difference.

A WDH may still be in the cards, but I want to work out all of the common towing issues first.

jimroxstone · 03-13-2021, 03:33 PM

Update: Just got back from the dealer, they done a hitch swap. Was supposed get the updated Andersen but they offered the e2 since I wasn't impressed with the old version they put on to get me home until the newer Andersen came in. Though the wind was not as bad, my wife and I instantly could tell the difference with the e2. The nose of the truck was lower, and the bucking and chucking was a lot less. Seemed to track well. I'd say for the weight of the trailer the e2 seems fine. There is the ability to fine tune this one, I'll have to learn about that and see if it can be even better.

tinglett · 03-14-2021, 10:07 AM

I've had very good luck with the Andersen WDH. Sounds like they didn't adjust it right if the nose of your truck is different now, but as far as I know the anti-sway isn't adjustable at all. It works well for me in heavy winds, but you can't have even the tiniest bit of grease on the ball or the anti-sway won't work. I learned that from experience

. My coupler had leftover grease in it from prior use.

splitley · 03-17-2021, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimroxstone

Just got off the phone with the dealer. They are going to swap the hitch with a e2 tomorrow. With the weight of the TT I'm good with trying it. Still considering going with a E rated tire like the Goodyear. The Westlakes just seemed spongey going down the road. Don't have anything to compare that to other than watching them roll down the road. Need to have them broke down anyway to have steel stems installed for a TPMS, probably be a good time to swap them and sell the Chin@ stuff.

I slapend my tires for Goodyears, I have a 2106 DS and tow with a 2016 Colorado 2WD, Duramax, plus I have a Equalizer hitch and have towed 6000 + miles nary a sway.

backtrack15 · 03-17-2021, 04:53 PM

It’d be nice if Goodyear had an Endurance tire at 235/75 R15 with LR D. I’m not too keen to run LR E (can our wheels handle 80-psi?) or go with a smaller diameter tire.

NormnLonnie · 03-17-2021, 04:59 PM

Our dealer installed an equalizer hitch on our unit (2019 2108DS, which we are loving!) and a neighbour in a campground we were staying at told us we weren't tightening the chains enough. HUGE difference with tighter chains, and we tow with a little Tacoma. I've never had a problem with sway except that day I forgot to shoulder check before changing lanes and had to jerk back into my own lane. I popped a few rivets in the wheel well that day, and learned my lesson!

Diesel-Lover · 03-17-2021, 10:07 PM

Congratulations on your rigs. Just do make sure the chains are good and hooked correctly. As to leveling the overall set up its paramount. Weighing it pre weight distribution and even post will give you a tremendously clear picture of what exactly is going on and how! I used to tow a 27 ft trailer with a 24 ft E350 diesel. Yep it was the boilermaker special! Went all over the US of A through wind and rain and even a snow storm. A Well balanced set up is worth its weight in gold. Having a tall van pulling the TT I am told helped with the handling a lot. Proper tire sizing and pressure in the towing vehicle as well as the trailer is also equally important.

Blacktoe · 03-18-2021, 06:21 AM

As previous reply’s have stated get a good and properly installed WDH w/ sway control. I have a very similar rig 2106DS, TV 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3.0l Duramax with an Equalizer 4 WDH and I upgraded to Goodyear Endurance tires. Last weekend I had a blowout of one of the trailer tires. We felt a bump and heard a bang, just thought we hit some debris and continued on for a couple of miles without any trailer movement even with the blown tire!

Curmudgeon41 · 03-18-2021, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimroxstone

After several months of research and viewing floor plans, and changing my mind several times I gone and done it. Just picked up a 2021B 2108DS. That was my original choice and ended up back to it. Just beginning to prep it for some shake down trips to see what I can break before a big trip to Colorado. First and foremost, this was my first experience with a TT. I have experience with cargo trailers, boats and minimal semi trailer training. I had a 40 minute trip home from the dealer. That day, 20-25 mph winds. The trailer did not track well at all. Dealer installed the Andersen WDH. Between the wind, hitch, and maybe the C rated Westlakes I was not comfortable on the handling, so much so, if I can't get it better there is no way it will see the mountains in Colorado. I have traveled in 30-40 mph winds on two wheels there. Right now I'm considering Goodyear or Maxxis tires, lowering the trailer, and exchanging the Andersen for a Curt. My truck is on the lighter side but should be capable, 2018 F150 Super Crew short box RWD, 2.7. Ohhhh K, no Ford jokes, it was what I could afford at the time and never bought it with intentions of towing

. Thoughts, yep I know, I asked for it

I have an Andersen hitch. It’s my second one. Make sure the hitch is installed properly. The anchors need to be 26” from the tongue. I’ve pulled 2 different TT with Hyundai 2.0T and Santa Fe Limited. I’m currently pulling with a RAM 1500 Limited. Make sure you have 6-7 threads showing. I’ve never had a problem with swaying and there’s nothing to disconnect when backing up.