New 5th Wheel Rough Ride

[cc102bob]

I just towed my 2891BH home from our seasonal lot this afternoon. During the trip I tried to pay attention to just how the trailer, truck, and road interacted. The thought occurred to me that what I think of as "normal" in terms of ride quality may not be acceptable to others. I realized that I have never driven any other truck while pulling a fifth wheel trailer, so I may think mine is just fine because it's the only thing I've ever known.

Having said that, I can say that I didn't feel at all like the trailer was "bouncy". When hitting large enough bumps in the road, the truck wasn't able to completely absorb the bumps, but as far as I could determine the suspension did what it was supposed to do and I didn't experience any "bouncing" beyond what I would expect. When I got home I didn't find any issues inside the trailer (open drawers, things falling off, etc.). I will have to admit that the roads I traveled were not horrible, but this is Michigan, so they are not perfect either.

My truck is a 96 Dodge 3500 long box dually and as far as I know, the suspension is all original at just over 100K miles on the odo. I bought it from my dad 15 years ago and I don't remember him ever making any changes to the suspension. I run both the truck and trailer tires just a bit under maximum pressure as listed on the sidewalls. The maximum weight carrying capabilities of the tires are all a fair amount higher than the weight they are actually carrying, so I don't feel the need to run them right at max. I also use a basic Reese fifth wheel hitch, so no special cushioning happens there.

Anybody want to volunteer to let me drive their rigs to see what it feels like in comparison??

[Worthmo]

I believe I have improved the bouncing on my camper. I turned the Andersen king pin coupler backwards so that camper sits 8 inches further into the bed of the truck. I took it on a short drive down some bumpy roads and the ride was much better than before. I don't have anymore long trips planned this year, but I feel much better about the situation heading into next season.

[corn18]

Originally Posted by Worthmo

I believe I have improved the bouncing on my camper. I turned the Andersen king pin coupler backwards so that camper sits 8 inches further into the bed of the truck. I took it on a short drive down some bumpy roads and the ride was much better than before. I don't have anymore long trips planned this year, but I feel much better about the situation heading into next season.

I just went and hooked up my 290RL to see if I could do a 90 deg turn with the Andersen with the coupler backwards and I'll be darned, I can. Did you check that after you flipped the pin coupler? Now that I have a few hundred miles with the flipped coupler, I am convinced it rides better. Still not sure why.

[Worthmo]

Even though Andersen says on their web pages that it does not make a difference when way the coupler is pointed I called them and asked. They told me that pointing the coupler backwards will move the weight of the camper further into the bed. I'm not able to make a full 90 degree turn, but it is close enough that I should be fine.

[Aeross]

Hi Worthmo - I'm still exploring options trying to get my 2891BH bouncing to settle down. I tried driving with lower tire pressure (73 psi instead of 80)... no luck. I just had my tires balanced to see if that helped (it didn't), but the technician did inspect the under carriage of the RV and noticed that the cross bars that provide support just above both axles had some cracks in the welding to the frame. So, that might be something you want to check on yours. I'm now trying to get this one resolved ASAP as we're heading on a trip across the US next weekend. I'll keep you posted.

[Worthmo]

Originally Posted by Aeross

under carriage of the RV and noticed that the cross bars that provide support just above both axles had some cracks in the welding to the frame. So, that might be something you want to check on yours

Was these cross bars behind the corrugated underbelly or can you see them without taking off the underbelly material?

[Aeross]

No, it’s a support beam that’s just above both axles. You can see it clearly when you look above the axles. I’d take another picture but there’s a hurricane outside at the moment. I have attached pictures of the weld cracks.

[Worthmo]

Aeross - Did you get your axle welds repaired? If so how is the ride after the repair?

[Aeross]

Yes, all the welds are repaired ($250, but I put in a warranty claim). I don't think the cracked welds were impacting the ride, but more a resulted of the bumpiness.

Better news to report is that I did add an extra 240lbs of sand loaded in the front bay in addition to the 240lbs of salt bags I had added under the bed and we've traveled nearly 1,000 miles and the ride is much better. So, I think there's something to increasing the pin weight of the unit. I'm planning to stop by some CAT scales in the next week or two and will let you know what the numbers are for comparison.

There's still more rocking than I'd like, but with the Hensley airbag hitch and the extra weight, the ride has improved a lot since this summer.

I still have a list of items that will need to be repaired when we return from this trip. There are several places where the exterior wall is separating from the cabinets and floor, the oven is still pulling away from the cabinet, etc, but fortunately all the major mechanics are working well.

I'll keep you posted.