Chucking with new 5er

Firechic78 · 06-13-2017, 10:08 PM

So I am new the the 5er world. Had TT before this. We picked up the trailer Friday and at the dealer I thought the nose was a little high. I asked a number of times if it was ok and they assured me it was normal and it would settle as we loaded it. So on the drive home I noticed how much more I felt the trailer moving back and forth. Jerking the truck. Or chucking as i guess it's called. I was a bit disappointed as everyone has said how much better they pull. I started thinking maybe it is because I am a little nose high. Although the trailer was empty and not loaded with all our stuff but I was still surprised. Some back ground it's a 31' rockwood bunkhouse pulled my 2017 Ram 2500 diesel. Hitch weight is 1430 on trailer. Hitch is Reese R16 with Reese revolution pin box. Any help would be appreciated. I've attached a picture but still might be to hard to tell. Ask questions please if I have not provided enough info. As I have said I am new to 5ers so be patient. Thank you in advance.

asquared · 06-13-2017, 10:21 PM

I would start by loading the fiver and then seeing how it handles. I have the Reese 16k and have a good bit of chucking. We have gotten used to it but airbags have been suggested to me. We will likely add them when we get our fiver. Use gave also been told to try a better hitch. We need a heavier hitch for the next TH so we will likely go pullrite or B and W.

Firechic78 · 06-13-2017, 10:31 PM

Yeah I thought about loading it before I totally freaked out. Our next trip is next month and it's a short one so might be a good judge. We have air bags on the truck. As for the hitch I went with Reese because I was told it would be the most compatible with the revolution. I have family that tow and they only use B & W so maybe i made a mistake there.

BandJCarm · 06-13-2017, 10:34 PM

What are air bags set at? Nose looks way high. Loading it will sure help. But maybe turn air bags down some if they are set high?? And where did you determine the 1430 pin weight? Just curious. I'd think a nose that high would make the trailer squirrely a bit for sure.

Firechic78 · 06-13-2017, 10:40 PM

Truck has the auto leveling suspension so auto set from factory to auto level truck. You're right hitch Weight is 1580. My typo. I knew it looked nose high. I should have been more adamant about it at the dealer. But being inexperienced I trusted them. I knew better. I think I will lower the hitch and see what that does. Then loaded on our next trip I think that will give me a good idea if anything has changed. Thanks for all the help.

Firechic78 · 06-13-2017, 10:42 PM

If I lower the hitch I'm a little worried about the clearance of the bed rails. As it is I have 8".

asquared · 06-13-2017, 10:42 PM

Make sure you keep 6" between trailer and truck bed rails. I would still load the fiver before making any changes.

Firechic78 · 06-13-2017, 10:43 PM

Ok. That's prob a better idea. Make to many changes at once won't know which one really worked. Thanks.

NMWildcat · 06-13-2017, 11:11 PM

In my experience chucking is caused by nose high (more than 1.5") fivers and/or low pin weight. It can also be caused by your kingpin being directly over your axle instead of just in front of it. Some things to check. Lots of articles on this problem.

shorthorn · 06-14-2017, 05:11 AM

I personally think the level looks ok... chucking as I understand is slop in the hitch... not sure how u fix it. I have never had any with my B&W hitch and my trailer is slightly nose high too.

aquaholic3 · 06-14-2017, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shorthorn

I personally think the level looks ok... chucking as I understand is slop in the hitch... not sure how u fix it. I have never had any with my B&W hitch and my trailer is slightly nose high too.

I totally agree with this. I have a similar 5er and setup near the same. I was advised to use a B&W hitch by my brother who tows a 40' Redwood 5er. I had to use a borrowed Reese hitch the first time I towed my 5er and I was extremely unhappy with the "chucking" and banging. When I got my B&W all that went away. The B&W is great. No noise no movement at all. When you pull away form a stop sign it is smooth as silk. Side benefit, it was less expensive.

aquaholic3 · 06-14-2017, 05:43 AM

Another observation...... I have the revolution. It is compatible with the B&W. Just make sure you get the B&W adapter. Don't use the universal one that the revolution comes with.

rjshiflet · 06-14-2017, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shorthorn

I personally think the level looks ok... chucking as I understand is slop in the hitch... not sure how u fix it. I have never had any with my B&W hitch and my trailer is slightly nose high too.

100% agree - there is no comparison with our B&W Companion OEM hitch and our previous fifth wheel hitch. Our previous one banged and clattered if riding unhooked around town. The overall experience is great with B&W.

OldCoot · 06-14-2017, 06:16 AM

Something to check is there movement up and down in the hitch legs without the trailer attached? If you can move the 4 leg pins in and out easily, you have too much clearance between the legs and the rails. I had to add 0.075" thick shims to all 4 legs to remove the slop in the hitch. BTW, it is also a Reese 16K with a Revolution pin box.

Gonetothedogs · 06-14-2017, 12:52 PM

I too had the same problem with my fifth wheel. I installed a Morryde Pin box and that reduced the back and forth chucking (bucking). Check it out on the internet. The Morryde glide box cost around $450, but it has dramatically reduced the problem

sfsgm · 06-14-2017, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aquaholic3

I totally agree with this. I have a similar 5er and setup near the same. I was advised to use a B&W hitch by my brother who tows a 40' Redwood 5er. I had to use a borrowed Reese hitch the first time I towed my 5er and I was extremely unhappy with the "chucking" and banging. When I got my B&W all that went away. The B&W is great. No noise no movement at all. When you pull away form a stop sign it is smooth as silk. Side benefit, it was less expensive.

I'll chime in as #3 agreeing with this. My B & W Companion has very little chucking (compared to other hitches I've had) and I ride nose high, too. What I like about this hitch, too, is that it comes in two pieces so you don't kill yourself manhandling it in and out of the bed.

5picker · 06-14-2017, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Something to check is there movement up and down in the hitch legs without the trailer attached? If you can move the 4 leg pins in and out easily, you have too much clearance between the legs and the rails. I had to add 0.075" thick shims to all 4 legs to remove the slop in the hitch. BTW, it is also a Reese 16K with a Revolution pin box.

I had the problem OC refers to.
I cut up a couple mouse pads for shims (where the hitch legs pin to the rails) in mine. Took a lot of the slop out.

Chucking is a common complaint from 5th wheel owners especially on concrete roads. It seems the expansion joints are spaced perfectly to induce the chucking. (porpoising)

Air bag pin boxes and hitches eliminate an awful lot of it but with any new rig, I have always got used to it after the first couple of tows.

8" between the bed rails and the bottom of the trailer is plenty. I always shoot for 6" and have even got away with slightly less on some rigs.
You could lower that some but should wait to see once it is loaded.

jeepman71 · 06-14-2017, 01:22 PM

We had a similar Rockwood with a Reese 15K. It chucked quite a bit. I changed to a B&W Patriot so I could use the Reese Revolution and this made things much better. I have since changed trailers and now have spring suspension with a MorRyde equalizer and quite a bit more pin weight and it is much better. I don't know of anyway to soften the ride on your suspension. Old Coot might be able to help with this.

shorthorn · 06-14-2017, 01:35 PM

Interesting my B&W hitch sits on standard rails... it's the Patriot version not the companion. Do you know someone local with a different type of hitch you could try and see if you get a different result? If I am local to you, you are welcome to try my Patriot.

ben31 · 06-14-2017, 01:55 PM

Moving to a 5er from a pull-behind is a big change. It took a couple of trips for me to get fully used to how different they are. No matter what you use for a hitch, you will get some chucking, depending largely on how you drive. You will learn to slow down more gradually, speed up more gradually, and just plain adjust. Overall, pulling a 5er is much better than pulling my pull-behind, almost non-existent swaying, much less porpoising, less wind resistance, less effect from cross winds, and much easier connecting and disconnecting.

Before you chuck (pun intended) your present hitch (unless you just want to spend money), use it for a bit, adjust your driving, and see if you can live with it.

You may also like: