First let me lay it all out. I have a 2006 f150 supercab w/4.6l, magnaflow siso catback, and reciver hitch. Ok now for the question.........I was pulling my 14' trailer loade with riding lawn mower, 4-wheeler, and small garden trailer. In the bed of the truck had a 150 qt ice chest full of water(another story there) and misc tools (chain saws and what not). While goin down the road I notice there was fair amount of vibration when I hit a expansion joint in the road. Seems to me that with the load I was pulling and carring made the front end rather light.

Dose this seem like a correct prognosis. The only problem I have is that my 2004 ranger never responded like this. I even loaded this trailer full of sand and pulled it with the ranger. Any thoughts on this? If so what changes could be made?

 

I am not too sure, the only thing that I can think of is that you may have most of your load on your tongue and not over your axle(s), that way it will force your weight down on the back of your truck and raise your front. Obviously I don't know how you had the weight and it may have been distributed just fine, thats the only thing that makes sense to me right now. I had what you are describing to me, but I had a hell of a load on the back of the truck. Wish I could be more help.

 

I just don't think i had that much weight on the tounge. The only difference between when I pulled this same load with the ranger was that i had the 150 qt cooler with water. It just seems odd for this to happen with a truck thats bigger. Anyone else give me some ideas about this. Would helper spring help?

 

That cooler might have been all it took.
150 quarts is 37.5 gallons or 330lbs.

When a trailer is loaded correctly, like you said it might have been only 10% of the trailer weight is tongue weight.
We'll take conservative measures:
850lbs 14' trailer
350lbs riding lawn mower
150lbs garden trailer
250lbs 4 wheeler

say...1600lbs of trailer or 160lbs of tongue weight

Now add that cooler and and it drops the back end like an extra 3300lbs of trailer. Obviously it pulls it ok, it just drops the back end.

Bed weight capcities between the Ranger and the 150 is about double. That being said, with the load on the Ranger you were probably bottomed out on your spring (like with the sand), while you still had suspension to go in the 150. The amount of suspension give that was left probably gave you that bounce or vibration you were talking about.

Or I could be completely wrong............

 

I think you are right about the cooler weight. I think that plus everything else loaded up the tounge weight so I'll buy that. Now what could be done to help with this situation. I have been looking at some helper springs in a performanc cataloge that won't change the ride quality when its un loaded. Or is it better to add air bags to level the truck when loaded. The main reason that I asking is down the road I may get a travel trailer and would like to be setup better. The stuff I pull now can rearranged to compensate for the added cooler weight.

 

Skip overload springs and air bags. Just get a weight distributing hitch, although I hardly think you need it for 2000 pounds of cargo. Try putting the garden trailer in the middle with the tractor in front and quad in back. Trailer is light, other two are heavy and should even things out a ltitle. Single or double axle trailer?

 

its a single axle trailer. The springs are for down the road. That is if my wife and I decided to get a travel trailer. I just got concrened about about the way the truck handdled. Anyway I do appreciate all the help on this subject. I do belive I could redistribute the load somewhat.