I-80 Road Bumpy - what to do??

[tommybill]

Hi, Just spent the better part of last 2 days driving across I-80 in Iowa and Nebraska with our Travel Trailer. Lot of concrete Interstate roads. A good portion of the trip was spent vibrating from the bumps in the concrete, a continual bump, bump, bump. I know not all concrete roads are that way, but these were horrible.
What have others done to reduce this?? Different type of shocks on TV ?? We gotta do something, at this point we will never drive across Iowa/Nebraska again. Do we need to do something with the camper??

Thanks, Tommybill

[asquared]

Airbags would likely help.

[updhaul]

There are limits what you can accomplish on bad concrete. The best results I've had came with replacing front and rear original equipment shocks that behaved well in all other situations including dealer check-up with "performance" level monotube Delco shock absorbers (I'm sure someone else made them) that absorbed wheel hop from concrete joints faster. Impacted unloaded ride, improved handling on cornering and bad concrete performance is much improved. We have GM product but I would look to similar product for your's if you haven't been there already. I was tired of slowing down on old interstates and looking for blacktop

[larryo]

How is it without the trailer? If it only does it when hooked up Google airbag receiver hitch. They actually make receiver hitches with a built in air bag.

[SaskCampers]

Hate to say it but Ram trucks ride like tanks. Take a look at the spring pak in the back and it becomes quite obvious why they ride like they do, couple that with 60 in the front and 70 PSI in the rear on 10 Ply tires and that is most of the ride quality. I had an 08 2500 Megacab and it brought my wife to tears on more than one occasion driving through some places in Minnesota and Ontario. Had I kept mine I would have gone to a full air ride suspension or put air suspension on the front seats like the Semi's have.

[NMWildcat]

Don't know if you can do much with a 2010 dodge (they do ride rough) but these eliminated the bounce for us (Bilstein 4600 or 5100):

http://www.shockwarehouse.com/news/i...heavy-duty.cfm

[Underthedog]

I came across I-80 in NE/IA this summer (Fd explorer and pup) and don't recall a particular issue with the ride.

[dbarr]

Originally Posted by Underthedog

I came across I-80 in NE/IA this summer (Fd explorer and pup) and don't recall a particular issue with the ride.

X2

[dwhit]

We dragged a 21Klb 5th wheel from Denver to Chicago. Road is poor yet there are many more far worse. I-65 comes to mind.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by f5moab

Not mad, just laughing my tail off.

Right there laughing on the floor with ya!!! We vote every time we get a chance, attend meetings with our politicians, and try to be involved in pressing matters. Doesn't seem to do a bit of good. Politicians just do what they want, usually to benefit themselves and their PAC groups. Laughably frustrating.

[Electra glide]

Parts of I-80 in Iowa are bad. Not all of it but a good chunk. Hwy 30 right around Cedar Rapids has a long stretch (concrete) that is terrible when pulling fifth wheel. I've wondered what I could do to help reduce this as well. It's not too bad just the truck itself but it's really bad when pulling.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Electra glide

Parts of I-80 in Iowa are bad. Not all of it but a good chunk. Hwy 30 right around Cedar Rapids has a long stretch (concrete) that is terrible when pulling fifth wheel. I've wondered what I could do to help reduce this as well. It's not too bad just the truck itself but it's really bad when pulling.

We noticed a marked ride improvement when we replaced our truck shocks with Bilstein and upgraded to a kingpin setup (trailer side) with a shock absorber (for chucking) and an airbag. Really smoothed out the ride when towing.

[CaptnJohn]

Just wait until you get on I-80 in PA. The rest of that road looks smooooooth.

[walljammer]

A lot has to do with wheel base
and distance to axles on trailer!

[TandSH]

Originally Posted by walljammer

A lot has to do with wheel base
and distance to axles on trailer!

...And the distance between concrete joints, and vehicle speed. Only things you can change "on the fly" is speed and route if it gets too uncomfortable.

[DAISY BOYKIN]

Capt john, don't tell me that about I-80 in Penn. Will be using that road from Scranton to Conn. I just returned from the rally in Goshen to Florida.
The road in Kentucky just south of Cincinnati and the by-pass around Atlanta just about beat my Rockwood fifth wheel to death. It was so bad and rough, the black tank and grey tank for shower bent the brackets
that support the tanks down about 3", causing the tanks to read full when only two lights were suppose to be on where you check your tanks.
I only carry about 5 gallon of water in the black tank to keep stuff from turning into cement. Just the 5 gallons and rough roads caused me to have to drop the underbelly under the fifth wheel and jack the brackets back into place. It was a two day job. I had heard of OP having the problem, didn't think it would happen to me.

I will be using the road from Scranton, PA to Conn in transit to Maine.

[jtesta1]

There is plenty of money taken out fuel tax to repair our highway system. Only problem is the road tax now is used to pay for government employees health welfare and pension funds. Go figure.

[Captain America]

Might consider the Sulastic Shackle http://www.sulastic.com/truck-shackle-suspension-sa-06

I have no experience with them, but many reviews online
Here is a review for a Dodge 2500 http://offroad-review.com/new/index.php?page=587

[Major Oz]

Originally Posted by walljammer

A lot has to do with wheel base
and distance to axles on trailer!

x2

Virtually all the "bucking" comes from that.

Wheelbase, distance from TT axle to each TV axle.

Each has a "resonance" which, combined with spring rates and vehicle(s) speed, have a range of speeds at which it will shake you like a Bond martini.

[EDABEUT]

If you want to drive a really bad interstate try I-69 south in Michigan between I-96 and I-94. It's like riding a roller coaster from all the semi traffic. Been like that for years. I have my WDH set up as good as it can get and have little to no problems anywhere else. Not sure if you have leaf springs or coils. I plan to buy the Roadhandler suspension kit for mine with the leaf springs.