How to stop truck bouncing?

[rohlingerrv]

I took my new Flagstaff 5th wheel on first trip and my truck bounces more than with my old camper. The only difference is my new camper sits back about 2ft further than my old one because the old camper had a straight pin while the new has the angle pin.. will new shocks solve the bounce?, they are original and my truck is 10yrs old

[Hatchet58]

I have a Newer 30ft 5th wheel that bounced alot more then my old pull behind 26cks Sunnybrook, I sloved the Problem by installin Air Bags, its not to bad, at around $350 you install,

[kvtaylor]

We did the same thing and added air bags under the rear of our truck.. At the time we were towing a 38 ft Montana (5th wheel) that had a gross wt of 14000 lbs and 2000 on the hitch. the bags helped a lot in the bounce department. We added the compressor and gages and could adjust the air pressure to fit the road.

[Dave_Monica]

The bouncing or chucking, is a huge topic of discussion on RV.net. Just type in 'chucking' in the search line and read away. Lots of opinions and remedies.

Dave

[dezolen]

Would definitely replace the 10 yr old shocks as a start

[08flagvlite]

Replaced my shocks on my 06 Ram 1500 with Bilstein shocks....Very good quality, but a little pricey. It fixed the problem, however, and I had 55 thou. on the clock. Stock shocks are not very good, they make it through the warranty period, and that's about it! Randy

[E.S.P.]

New shocks or air bags will definitely help, but I question whether your new trailer's pin weight may be significantly different than your old trailer, especially if you say the pin configuration is different.

A change in pin weight may be causing an adverse effect on how well your truck rides. I noticed with my trailer that just traveling with an empty vs. full water tank has a significant difference on bouncing. You might want to check the scales first before you go invest money on high end shocks or air bags. Shifting weight around in the trailer is free!

I'm sure someone else can chime in to correct me, but I think the pin weight ratio should be between 10-15% of trailer weight?

[08flagvlite]

Yes E.S.P., I totally agree that the pin or hitch weight should be 10 to 15% of the total weight, but at 10 years old, AND being a tow vehicle, shocks are needed anyway, in my opinion. They made a world of difference on my set up, going down a bridge that I frequently travel when towing. Randy

[Travel Hog]

For the most part OEM shocks over 3-4 years old should be replaced anyway. Air bags help and the combo of air bags and adjustable shocks are the best solution. I have air bags and 9 way adjustable Rancho 9000 shocks on my Super Duty along with a rear kitchen Cardinal and have no problem with bounce. Rear kitchen rigs are famous for bouncy bouncing down the road especially if you leave any water in the rear galley tank when traveling. If you have a rear galley tank be sure to have it empty and that will minimize your bounce a great deal.

[ribbs65]

thanks travel hog for the info. i too have an RK model and it does bounce. have added rancho 9000s but not air bags, yet. do you think air bags would help? what settings do you use on your ranchos -towing and not towing? thanks

[donn]

You so easily forgot to mention what your TV is? So any comments are purely conjecture. Please provide some acurate information if you want a good answer.

[RhoZeta]

Originally Posted by E.S.P.

New shocks or air bags will definitely help, but I question whether your new trailer's pin weight may be significantly different than your old trailer, especially if you say the pin configuration is different.

A change in pin weight may be causing an adverse effect on how well your truck rides. I noticed with my trailer that just traveling with an empty vs. full water tank has a significant difference on bouncing. You might want to check the scales first before you go invest money on high end shocks or air bags. Shifting weight around in the trailer is free!

I'm sure someone else can chime in to correct me, but I think the pin weight ratio should be between 10-15% of trailer weight?

I dont know about other manufacturers, tho I am going to assume they are similar, but Ford recomends 15% to 25% of 5th wheel weight be on the pin.

[Herk7769]

Everything I have read says 15-25% pin weight.

Here is the calculator:

Fifth Wheel Weight Calculator

Optimum is 20% for the best towing.

Your tiny photo of your rig seems to indictate your pickup is a bit "down on the rear" with the pin weight you have. Without knowing what the TV is and it's rear axle load capability, its hard to give you a good answer.

From the photo only, my money is on "You are overloaded" and the bounce is the camper driving your truck.