Why am I Having Such a Rough Ride Pulling My 2023 Cougar 26RBS While Using R3 WDH?  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Hello Craig,

I am sorry to hear that your first time pulling your 2023 Cougar 26RBS was not enjoyable.

With any WDH is making sure you are using the correct spring bars. You can figure out which ones you need by determining your loaded tongue weight. To get an accurate measurement, I recommend using the Big Truck Big RV Tongue Weight Scale w/ Storage Bag for Trailers - 2,000 lbs # BTBRV44FR. Typically, your tongue weight will be 10-15% of your total trailer weight. It definitely won’t hurt to weigh it and double-check, but based on what you described, it sounds like your 1K spring bars should be sufficient.

The pounding and banging you felt over every seam in the road is a classic symptom of not enough weight being transferred from the truck’s rear axle back onto the front axle. That uneven weight distribution causes the truck to "pop" or "bang" over bumps, and you definitely feel it in both the truck and the trailer. It’s not a fun ride, and it can really wear you out fast.

I did some research on the R3 and found that the spin dial adjustment on your hitch (for the head angle) is really important. If it wasn’t tilted properly, your spring bars wouldn’t have been doing their job. In general, the goal is to have the spring bars pretty close to parallel with the trailer frame once everything is tensioned. Most setups recommend starting around 5–6 turns on the adjustment dial and then fine-tuning from there. If you didn’t have enough tilt toward the trailer, your bars wouldn’t have been preloaded enough to transfer the weight properly. That’s most likely a big part of why your ride felt so harsh.

There are a couple of other factors that could have made things worse too. Tire pressure is a big one. Truck tires that are either too soft or too stiff can exaggerate jolts over seams. Trailer tires can be just as bad, so I would definitely recommend checking your trailer’s PSI as well, they might be overinflated right from the factory.

Another thing to think about is how your trailer is loaded. If too much weight is either too far forward or too far back inside the trailer, it can cause "porpoising," that awful bouncing and banging feeling. Ideally, you want your loaded trailer to have 10–15% of its total weight on the tongue.

Also, Tundras (especially stock ones) have pretty soft rear suspensions for ride comfort when empty. When you’re towing heavy, it can lead to a lot of rear squat and instability if the weight distribution isn’t dialed in perfectly. Some folks with setups like yours add airbags to the rear suspension to help keep things level and cushioned under big loads. If that’s something you are interested in adding, the Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs - Double Convoluted - Rear Axle # F2445 would be a great fit for your 2016 Tundra. If you prefer a maintenance-free option, you could go with the SumoSprings Solo Custom Helper Springs - Rear Axle # SS58HR.

Once you get the WDH dialed in and go for a ride, please let me know how it handles. I see that you were looking at the B&W Continuum Weight Distribution System w/ Sway Control for 2" Hitch - 16K GTW, 1.6K TW # BW78FR, if you wanted to upgrade to that system it is pretty awesome. I set my brother-in-law up with it for his pull behind and he absolutely loves it!

expert reply by: Kate F

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Craig C.

4/28/2025

Regarding tire pressure, I thought the same, my tires max was rated at 51 psi, so I orginally put rear tires at 45 and front at 40, but on the return trip back that off to 35 and 40, which only help a bit. I am leaning toward the adjustment of the spin dial, I'm getting more comfortable with what needs done. There isn't much I can do with how the trailer is loaded, some of the heavier parts of camper are forward of the dual tires. i.e. Kitchen, bed, frig, only the rest room is in the rear. I also believe the bars are good, as long as we don't overload the camper. If loaded weight is around 8000 lbs, then the 1000 bars should be good according to your formula. I had already installed the air bags, but the dummy in me didn't use them as I was in a rush to get back 1000 miles. I have the Airlift Ultimate brand of air bags. With the light ended Tundra setup, what PSI would you recommend for the air bags, or whatever is needed to level out what the WDH doesn't? I'm guessing you have to the air bags to the proper psi BEFORE putting the camper on the hitch, cause it isn't strong enough to raise the truck to near level with the camper on the hitch? After fixing all of this, with your suggestions, it will be alot better. Thanks!

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Craig C.

4/28/2025

I forgot one quick question. The trailer tires are set at 81 psi, per manufacturer, that sure sounds like a lot, but is it needed for a 8000 camper?

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Kate F.

4/29/2025

@CraigC You always want to keep the tires aired to what the manufacturer recommends. Part of the reason why the ride was so bad too, is because the camper was not loaded up like you were going camping. When you have all your gear in there, having the heavier tongue weight will help too. When it's too light and unloaded it can cause some extra sway. Regarding the airbags, the AirLift Ultimate kit you installed is excellent. You are correct that airbags don't "lift" the truck back to unloaded height after sagging, their main job is to assist the suspension and prevent excessive squat. The proper way to use them is to inflate the airbags before coupling the trailer, adjusting them to help level the truck with the expected tongue weight. Typically, for your Tundra, somewhere around 15–30 psi in the airbags works well. I'd suggest starting at about 20 psi and adjusting as needed. Be careful not to overinflate, too much pressure can take weight off the front tires, making steering and braking feel light or less effective. It will take some time to get it all find tuned, but you will definitely get there!

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Craig C.

4/29/2025

Let me just add, I'm very impressed, that you decided to become an expert in a normally a male dominated field. You have great advice, I'll let you know how it is after "fine tuning" a bit!

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Kate F.

4/29/2025

@CraigC I appreciate that Craig, at times it can be a little challenging. As I like to tell people, " I have 2 brothers, but I am my Dad's favorite son." I have always been curious and hands on, I didn't seek this role it just kind of found me =)

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Craig C.

5/11/2025

@KateF So I filled up the air bags to 20PSI, realigned the the E3 hitch, and it seemed better. I didn't get up to highway speed, but at 55-60 it felt way better. I did have the proper psi in truck tires, only about 30psi, but I hope it will be better on our trip this week.

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Kate F.

5/12/2025

@CraigC Happy to hear you were able to get things dialed in a better, Craig! Let me know how the trip goes, where are you headed?

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Craig C.

5/23/2025

@KateF I have tested and measured my current setup, I will add a picture of it. I dialed back the E3 dial by 5.5 turns, but it appears it is not quite parallel with the sway bars. I measured the height of the fenders front and back on Tundra, and the front is almost an 1" high, and rear is almost 1" low, the air bags are currently at 23psi. What combo of adjustments would you think I need to make. I'm thinking to increase the turns of the dial until completely parallel with sway bars, and see if that reverses the 1" difference between front and back o truck, then add maybe 10 more psi in air bags? Keep in mind I just came back from the trailer dealer and it again road well with the current setup, nothing like when I brough it back from TN to WI. it wouldn't let me attach the picture. :(

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Kate F.

5/27/2025

@CraigC When setting up your towing system, it's best to air up your Firestone airbags before installing or adjusting your weight distribution hitch. The airbags are designed to help level out your tow vehicle by lifting the rear end slightly, especially when there's a heavy load on the hitch. If you wait to inflate them until after the hitch is set up, you’ll end up changing the ride height and throwing off the balance that the hitch was adjusted to correct. A good process to follow is this: First, load your trailer the way you normally would for travel gear, water, etc. Then, inflate your airbags to the recommended pressure to get your truck sitting level (or close to it). Once your suspension is supported correctly, you can move on to setting up the weight distribution hitch. This way, the hitch will be working with the suspension, not fighting against changes that come afterward. If you need to send in pictures, you can respond back to the email you receive and they will go straight to my inbox. I think after you try this process, you will be able to get things dialed in to that sweet spot.

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Craig C.

5/29/2025

@KateF I did do that, so it sounds like you rather have me go high on air bag psi, vs trying to get the hitch angle level with sway bars? Then back off on air bag psi, till I match my fender heights front and rear? Craig

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Kate F.

5/29/2025

@CraigC Yes, you’ll want to adjust the PSI in your airbags before setting up the weight distribution system. I know the initial setup process can feel a bit frustrating, but once it's dialed in, it gets much easier. The Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs # F2445 have a PSI range of 5–100. You definitely don’t need to max them out, I recommend increasing in small increments (maybe 10 PSI at a time) until your rear sag levels out properly. A great way to measure your progress is to take a measurement from the ground to the top of the rear fender when the vehicle is unloaded. Then, compare that to the height once you're fully loaded. This gives you a clear, accurate idea of how much the suspension is compressing and helps you dial in the right air pressure. Also, keep in mind that up to 1" of rear-end sag is considered acceptable. With your setup, though, you should be able to get things tuned in really nicely. Once you find the right air pressure and weight distribution settings, be sure to write everything down that way, future hook-ups will be quick and easy!

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Craig C.

7/31/2025

@KateF So I have finessed the settings of the air bags and E3 WDH, to ride good now with one exception. It is one that seemingly shouldn't do what it does. The highway is relatively new, but it has the expansion cuts they put in the newer cement, and as our 2016 Toyota Tundra and 2023 Cougar 26RBS go across them its like riding 1-3 ft waves in a boat, giving us a quick repeting bounce I assume from the cuts in cement, as most highways it rides really well, except this one type. My question is I have airbags set at 22 psi, in theory I'm thinking to raise that, would that make sense or would it be to lower it cause it is bouncing from a minor imperfection in the highway? If raise it to what PSI would you suggest, or lower back to 10 PSI? I'm interested in your thoughts? Craig Conklin

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Kate F.

8/1/2025

@CraigC That “bouncing boat” feeling you're getting on newer concrete highways is actually pretty common, especially with the type of expansion joints they use. These joints are spaced at regular intervals, and sometimes that spacing lines up just right (or wrong!) with your truck and trailer's suspension. That creates a rhythmic bounce that feels like you're riding soft waves, even though everything is mechanically set up well. Now, about your airbags: you're currently running them at 22 PSI, which is a solid middle ground. If I were in your shoes, I’d try increasing the pressure first, maybe up to around 28 to 30 PSI. Sometimes stiffening the rear suspension just a little can help prevent that bounce from building up repeatedly over those road seams. Give it a test run and see how it feels. If it makes things worse or starts feeling too harsh, no worries, just back it down to somewhere around 14 to 18 PSI. Lowering the pressure can let your suspension soak up those little imperfections a bit more gently, which might be just what you need. Also, don’t underestimate the power of a small speed change. Slowing down just 5 to 10 mph can totally break up that harmonic rhythm and smooth things out without touching anything else. And while your E3 WDH feels good overall, it never hurts to double-check the tension or your fender measurements loaded vs. unloaded, just to be sure it’s not contributing a little stiffness to the mix. Wish I had a more straight forward answer for you, but you are just going to have to play around with it until you find that sweet spot.

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Craig C.

8/1/2025

@KateF I will give that a try. thanks!

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Kate F.

8/4/2025

@CraigC Please let me know how it works out =)

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