Newby Asks: Travel Trailer Shock Absorbers

[CharlesHoward]

Shocks came on my 05 Montana BigSky. Not mounted at the angle Joyrider suggests for real performance improvement....

 

[MoparBob]

I am very interested in adding shocks to my Nash 23D...anyone have any experience with JoyRider kit?

 

[RUSSELL5000]

I ordered the JoyRider kit and it is sitting in my garage now. I won't have a good report until the end of July, however. At that point I should have a very good report because there will be about 5,000 miles added.

I'll post an initial impression later in May when I get the kit installed. It snowed again yesterday and snow is in the forecast for this weekend, so the travel trailer will be staying inside storage for a while longer.

 

[RVTRKN]

Old 5vr didn't have them and the new 5ver does, much better ride for 5ver and Truck.

 

[RUSSELL5000]

Here is an update on the JoyRider installation and impressions.

I have not driven that much; my impression is there is a definite improvement in "bounce:" after a bump, there is no longer a feel of the trailer "bouncing" up and down.

My wife says she is happy with the ride and how the trailer pulls after roughly 1,300 miles.

There are still sections of road where there are "seams" in the pavement which cause a rhythmic rocking of the truck and trailer. I don't know that anything will cure this. I am convinced it is the road because I always felt this on a section of interstate right by us. The feeling was there without the shock kit and after the shock kit. That section of road was milled and repaved - no feeling at all after repaving.

 

[Mawvelous]

If you are trying to solve the ride of a long TT while towing. There is one and only one solution IMO. That is the Air Safe Hitch. They are about 1200.00 but the difference is astounding. My wire talked about following in the car because of the harshness. The Air Safe is the cure

http://airsafehitch.com/video/

 

[GAmes]

The Air Safe is the cure

So is a good set of air bags.

 

[AH64ID]

My TT isn't the longest out there but it is just under 30' and tows 10x better than my old TT which was 22'. I have been in rigs with harsh trailers and they were all improperly loaded.

That hitch looks like a bandaid for other issues to me, but maybe not.

I will say that the Dexter EZ-Flex suspension made a difference and things inside the camper stay put better, but the towing experience was still pleasant prior to their install.

 

[slowmover]

Wheel travel increase, shock absorbers and best WD hitch set make the most difference, IMO, for leaf sprung trailers in ride quality.

Truck tire pressure needs to be set to the load via individual scale readings to get cross axle minimums correct. Too much is of no benefit.

 

[RUSSELL5000]

I was out at the trailer last night getting some stuff ready for this weekend when my younger son asked what was hanging down off the rear axle. The plate that forms the lower shock mount for my Joy rider shock kit had broken. I can't imagine how this could be other than poor quality metal. Broke off on each side of the rear axle.

 

[B.G. Smith]

All four broke? Looks like two welds broke and the metal failed on two. Wow. From the thickness of the metal, it looks like that would take a lot of force.
What kind of angle were shacks in relation to vertical? How did the top mounting area fair? bg

 

[RUSSELL5000]

Only two broke - the two that broke were on the axle closest to the rear of the trailer. There are two kits for a tandem axle trailer; I installed one kit on each axle. The spring pack tie plate that comes with the kit is bent to form this part that sticks down which the lower end of the shock mounts to. The following is not a picture of my trailer, but comes from the website. My installation looks like the picture. The white circled area is the part that broke.

The upper mounting brackets (the upper parts that attach to the frame of the trailer) appeared fine. The kit on the front axle appeared fine. I can't figure this one. I don't think there is enough travel in the suspension system for the shocks to bottom out or extend out all the way.

 

[MichaelOverfield]

Russel,
I just added shocks to mine, and it is less bouncy, but I also have new stiffer springs, the Dexter EZ-Flex and new tires.. I think you've seen that on the other thread.. I'll have to get the final pictures up some time showing it completed. The shock kit I used needed only 2 1/2" clearance from the frame to the tire, so most applications it would work. The issue I had was it was meant to bolt on with self-tapping bolts to the I-beam, but it did not stand out far enough in my case to clear the lower section of the I-Beam, so I had to make a bracket which I welded on to the frame, then bolted to that structure (after tapping the holes the old fashioned way). I actually used metal parts from the old spring mounts I was replacing, and some extra 2" X 1/4" thick hot rolled steel I had from a prior project.

One of the reasons I wanted to add shocks was due to the stiffer springs, which would make for a more bouncy ride if loaded lightly as I suspect they will be for the most part.... I went from 3500# per pair to 4800# per pair on the springs. (oh, on one axle only for the shocks - front, because it will affect both axles via the equalizer.. so I did not see the need for both axles).

My recent over 1000 miles it pulled and rode better than ever, so the project was a complete success.

 

[MichaelOverfield]

Russel..
Missed the 2nd and 3rd pages with my last..
On that breakage.. I would make a guess... when I put on my kit, on the front only, I noted that even while I did per the instructions, the shocks on mine or near fully extended when trailer is level, but when I jack it up to connect, and it goes front up, the shocks hit the maximum travel, and that means the rear axle gets more load, as the equalizer is effectively locked out in that case, but it is pretty front up to hitch in my driveway due to it not being level.. so I'm not too concerned.

In your case, I'd look real careful at the travel of the shocks in the various conditions of trailer tilt, being as you have a much heavier rig than mine, if you were to hit the limit of travel on the shock, it could apply considerable force to the mounting bracket beyond what it was designed to handle, and perhaps break the weakest spot. since both sides are consistent I think that spot is now known...

I might also suggest you just go with the front axle for shocks, as they will affect both axles for dampening from the action via the equalizer.. one can't oscillate independent of the other in any case.

 

[RUSSELL5000]

Michael,

I simply removed the shocks when I saw the two hanging there.

I'll measure the shock travel tonight. I'll measure how much movement there is when we hitch up this weekend. I would not think, but.....

There is a curve in the metal where the break occurred, so I assume that is the weakest spot.

I simply assumed there should be shocks on both axles. I purchased that kit because it seemed like it would fit very well without fabricating additional approaches (as you did). I was stunned to see the break on those parts.

Thanks.

 

[MichaelOverfield]

Russell,
Agree that failure is pretty shocking and unexpected. the brackets look heavy duty, and it seems the force to cause that failure had to be significant. It is hard to imagine the normal forces of the suspension as it rolls down the road, and transfers through the shocks could reach a level to cause that amount of force.. unless they were at bottom of travel.. where the weight of the trailer would be completely transferred through that mount, and then I can see it breaking.. I'm just not sure how else it happens. Is there any evidence on the unbroken brackets of preexisting cracks from the fabrication process? A preexisting flaw could also do this, if they were bent cold, and cracked, then hot dipped, the cracks would be covered and non visible, and a ticking time bomb... it is still possible this is a manufacturing error. If you don't have a bottom out, limit of travel issue, then I think it has to be a manufacturing flaw..
Having said all this, I think you'll find little difference in ride with one or two axles with shocks. With the equalizer in place, the force on one axle is always partly transferred to the other axle, and in so doing the dampening of one axle, will also dampen the other axle. That and the rubber in the equalizer link helps even more to smooth our would be oscillations.

 

[MichaelOverfield]

One other thought.. I posted the instructions for the shock kit I used, but it specifically noted to angle the shocks toward the equalizer, while your kit angles the opposite direction. It suggests they won't be as effective if the opposite is used, though I'm not really sure WHY.. just wonder if maybe there is something to it.

 

[MichaelOverfield]

Actually, thinking about movement in the suspension.. it makes sense to angle away from center.. reason is that puts the shock in a position to dampen the side of the spring that sees the most movement, both from flex and from angle changes due to action of the equalizer. When angled in the other direction the action of the equalizer has less movement for the shock, and the shock mostly sees spring flex movement alone, which if you put shocks on both axles.. seems to mitigate that issue.. then I wonder if the shock having less travel in the angle away orientation translates to more force, over shorter travel distance.. that perhaps could be a fatigue failure concern, but it still seems unlikely given the pretty stout construction of those brackets.

 

[RUSSELL5000]

I don't know much about metals, but while the metal is thick it does not seem as stout as other metal to me.

I am out to the trailer tomorrow night - as well as call manufacturer.