TV vibration causing doggy fears & big woes for us!

[marijke]

Stevebaz, you sound like you have your dog figured out. My dogs know we're off on a roadtrip when their beds, bowls etc go near the door. (I do their "luggage" first) and they settle in for the long haul right away. We travel with the back seat down, they can sleep or gaze out the window. Both are used to travel kennels, and will nap in them, they seem to enjoy the cave- like space.

[RogerDat]

Our dog knows what the cooler means. Cooler means Road Trip! Excited until we get underway and stays that way for a long long time.

About kennel cages. If your dog has one at home it tends to become the dogs "safe place". Do sometimes use them for confinement but most of our adult dogs have tended to sleep in them at least some of the time by choice when we leave the door open. In effect if it is used at home it becomes the home when you travel. With an old blanket as a cover it was where one dog would go during storms. The current dog prefers an interior bathroom without windows but then her cage is not always available.

[Penney H. & Mike E.]

Thank you all for the great suggestions. Will definitely ask Mike about checking the bearings and lubricate on hitch. I know it needs it. He's had the bearings checked in past but it's overdue. Tires were replaced/balanced last year, they were definitely the problem that started Abby's fear and anxiety as we started out on a trip. I could feel the increased vibration, especially in back seat. Unfortunately, once she experienced that, it made her sensitive and now she's always sensitive with the trailer hooked up. Will look into the Easy Lift hitch brand, appreciate your information Wayne.

We're likely going to get anti-anxiety meds for Abby. First, I've ordered a pheromone collar to see if that will help. Have tried Rescue Remedy, it doesn't work for her level of anxiety. I've great success with it in dogs for other issues.

We're thinking we won't take the trailer on this trip, might be easier to rent a cabin in the Teton Valley area and travel 'light' with just the car. (hard to consider, we love our home on wheels, but sometime have to 'think outside the box', so to speak!) But certainly plan to do more camping closer to home this year and want to resolve this dog vs trailer vibration issue!

(PS would love being talked into taking our trailer by someone telling us of a great camping place in Teton Valley, ID! )

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by marijke

Hi Carol,
I always have that, and a few basic homeopathic remedies with me esp. when camping. How cool that you were told about it in a first aid course!

What's cooler is that it was problem more than 15 years ago I was told about it and before it was real trendy with the TV doctors

I did not know until about 10 years ago that I could use it on dogs though... only found that out when I made the switch to a vet that had trained/licensed in both traditional veterinarian medicine as well as Homeopathic veterinarian medicine. Made the switch due to having a dog that had a reoccurring health issue and I started to question if traditionally trained vets are not a little to fast in prescribing meds with lots of known side effects such as corticosteroid that may doing nothing to solve the cause of the problem but simple masking it due to simple never having been trained and/or aware there are alternative approaches to the problem that have been proven time and time again to be successful.

[Bob Miller]

Just a note: Out of round and/or cupped tires will balance just fine, but can give a very rough ride.


And keep in mind that the recommendation for the Easy Lift (?) wdh was possibly based on use with much heavier Airstream trailers. As long as there is no play in the system you have, I really doubt if the hitch will play into the equation.


Good Luck

[Joe MacDonald]

Try installing a set of ez lift air bags in the rear coils, you will feel the bumps, but shouldn't shimmy or shake
Joe

[Penney H. & Mike E.]

Thanks for the suggestion. The mechanic at a Toyota dealer we asked a few years ago not recommend the airbag lifts, but we are considering it now.

[Joe MacDonald]

They weren't recommended for my lumina either, even though I had air suspension. I put them on because I didn't like how low my van sat with the trailer connected. I was really impressed with the difference they made. When my air shocks failed the third time I went to HD shocks and the air bags and had a great ride

[gordon2]

I can’t add much more to the fine suggestions already given but I can offer some encouragement. My dog would stress out really bad in the car and trips were so miserable that I finally got some sedation from the vet. I hated to use it because it pretty much knocked her out for 8 hours and it took her a while to wake up fully, but it had to be done at the time. She was really bad in the crate so I usually didn't use it. Instead I tied her to the seat she could touch me but not interfere with my driving. It was not as safe for her as it would have been in a crate, but it had to be done.

But as time went on, she got better. Especially on interstates where the motion and noise was steady. One reason I bought a Sienna was to be able to use the crate on the floor, and for some reason she did not object to it and now rides pretty well. She still gets overly excited when I slow down (thinking “we’re HERE! I guess) but all in all she is a pretty good traveler now, and the sedation has not been used in a few years.

After I got a new HVAC system in the house, she had similar panic episodes when the fan kicked on. I am guessing because it sounded like rain, and rain means thunderstorm in her world. T-storms are still the worst for her. However, as time went on (only a month this time) she adjusted to the fan noise and not does not even flinch when it comes on.

So hang in there! I would try some of the remedies suggested here and also get some sedation from the vet to be used only if needed. Not taking the trailer is not much of a long term solution either

As for the towing, I think you might be pushing things with the Sienna, even if you are well under 3500 lbs. I have a 2015 Sienna and a 16 foot Scamp on order, so hope the lighter Scamp is OK with it, but I know the Sienna is far from a great TV. Perhaps some sort of towing expert in your area can inspect your setup? Also, I wonder if you know someone with a beefier TV who could drag your trailer while you sit in the car with the pooch, and see if that helps.

[Carol Christensen]

The van does feels every bump, curve, swerve, and vibration in the trailer. ...
We are facing having to take this trip without the trailer if we can not find a solution and wonder if there might be a better hitching system, or some way to resolve the vibrations, etc. Has anyone else had this problem, do people think it is the tow vehicle/trailer combo creating the vibrations, etc.

I do think it is quite possibly the tv/trailer combo is the problem. For one thing it sounds like this began with the Sienna, not the Previa. The other thing is that you should not feel every bump, etc, as you say. To me, it sounds like a scary way to travel. It's quite possible you are carrying a bigger load than your van's suspension system can handle. BTW, our first tow vehicle was a Previa and we noticed quite a difference when we changed to a 4-Runner. In our case the Previa was a marginal tow vehicle for our 17' Casita and upgrading the tow vehicle made our travels far more enjoyable.

Otherwise, see if your trailer is level when loaded and if the load is balanced? If the trailer is "tail heavy" it can oscillate back and forth and if the hitch is too heavy, it can lighten the load on the van's front wheels (which can cause problems with steering and braking). You could try rearranging the load in the trailer to see if that makes a difference. And I think it would be a good idea to weigh your rig when it is loaded for a trip to see if your trailer & van are within all the recommended maximum weight limits.

I hope some of the suggestions for Abby work for her and for you.