5th Wheel rough ride

[Pmaloney]

I've got a '97 Kit Patio Hauler 320F (1st 5th Wheel we have ever owned) and am having problems getting it to pull smooth. I seem to get a bit of "bucking" I am running a RBW Lil'Rocker 15k hitch, flipped the axles so as it sits now it is level with the truck. What is the common practice to remove the "buck"? Would air bags on the truck help at all? It does seem better with the fresh water tank full (87 gallons). This to me would indicate too little pin weight when empty. I havent weighed it so I dont know the weights. Any ideas on how to get this thing to pull smooth? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[WOT]

Might try putting shocks on the 5th wheel if it doesn't already have them.

 

[RHARVEY]

Check the air pressure in the trailer tires. . When we brought home our new 30' Cardinal 5th wheel. . it would bounce real bad. I checked the air in the tires and they were at 80lbs. Now they are at 65lbs. I dont run with all the tanks full so I dont worry about them being under inflated. Ours does still bounce but I dont think its the trailer that is doing it. I finally watched the rear of the truck in the mirror and the back end of the truck bounce. And I am not sure that you would consider it bouncing. What I believe what is happening is that the truck rear end comes up and then when it comes down... it hits the over loads. It really jolts the truck when it does.

I have a set of Firestone air bags in the garage that I have thought about removing the over loads and put the airbags back on. This way I can level the truck when loaded. .



Rick

 

[Pmaloney]

Those are some good ideas I'll check. I am just wondering if pin box/hitch height may also help any.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Pmaloney, Is it a "Bucking" or a "Bouncing"? I pull a 5th wheel and I had a bucking while pulling. I thought it had something to do with the hitch and tire pressures. Checked everything but found nothing. I have an upgraded 100hp inject. pump and 100hp inj. To me, it felt like the truck was lacking fuel. I replaced the cam plate with a Stage 5 BD plate and no more problems. Hope this helps, Mike

 

[Pmaloney]

No it is definetly a trailer issue. When you hit bumps in the road the trailer feels like it is "surging" the truck. Kind of gives you that whiplash affect. Not that bad but is is a forward-backward motion feel.

 

[David Oxland]

Patrick

I know exactly what you mean. We're pulling a 5th "Citation" made in Canada 29RKDS of 13,000# GVWR. I speculated that the truck rear end was just bouncing off of the overloads. When we do the hook up it just settles on the overloads a bit. It's really annoying and if you happen to hit the right concrete crack spacing on the highway you worry that the constant bucking will break something. For us it's not the trailer midsection bouncing up and down, but the truck rear end. I'll be interested to hear if any good suggestions come out.

 

[CUMMINZ]

bucking

Are you running a 5th wheel hitch or a ball in the bed?

 

[CUMMINZ]

bucking

I ran a flipover ball and kinpin conversion on my truck and 5er for many months and loved it. We made a trip to southern Illinios several weeks ago and wife finally told me to leave home till I did something about the bucking. She rode in the 5er for several miles to see if 5er was also bucking like the truck. The 5er was solid. I rode in back of truck and you could see the harmonics in the ball back and forth which multiplied the feel in the truck. You could be getting the same harmonics if your 5er hitch has any movement in it at all.

 

[David Oxland]

not trying to hijack this but for me it's a fifth "hijacker" hitch

David

 

[Pmaloney]

When we purchased the trailer it had a gooseneck adapter on it so I figured the roughness was caused by that so I have since converted to the 5th wheel hitch. That made it better but before it was also nose high. I flipped the axles to level it out which has made it better but it still isnt great.

 

[CUMMINZ]

pmalonie

Have you hitched a ride in the 5er down the road with the truck surging? If it is not surging it is not the 5er but your truck.

 

[OTRPU]

Best thing I did to smooth my ride was have an EasyRider Air Ride Hitch installed. Trailer rides better than I do now. It's alot of hitch and you ain'ta gonna get much else in the bed with one, but I wouldn't tow without it now. I tow a different trailer every time so a bed hitch solution was better for me. Maybe an air bag on the extension would be better for someone with one trailer. JMHO



Cheers,

Steve J

 

[Applegator]

We had a similiar problem with a bumper pull tilt deck 1999 equipment trailer 14K GVW. We bought it used about 300 miles from home. For about the first 20 miles it was dancing all over the freeway, bucking, jumping, ramming. So we stopped and checked the tire pressure, 55 lbs. Cut that to 40, improved a little. Stopped again, cut the pressure to 24, no more dancing.



As some members have already suggested, your tires may be over inflated. We would suggest lowering the pressure to what you feel is safe and take your trailer for a test. This would isolate if you have a tire inflation problem. Fred

 

[jacqnbill]

You may verify the location of the hitch to the rear axle. Most hitches require the center of the pin position be forward of the rear axle which prevents sway and bucking. I had a short box with the center behind the rear axle and the thing did exactly as you describe. The improvement with water tank full indicates this could be your problem.



Bill Davis

 

[Pmaloney]

I will have to measure the exact distance forward but if I remember correctly it was around 2-3" ahead of the rear axle. I am going to try and lower the hitch or the pin box to see if that helps at all.

 

[Ron Bissett]

wow some suggestions . I would not say not to do them but ,If you think about it low air psi in tire will cause flex and heat build up . The tire is marked on the side wall with the proper psi for the load. If your spring pack in on top of the axle ,did you or who ever moved the axle add shim to bump stops ? if not over travel and busted or failed suspension . Same under inflation on the truck will cause heat build up and tire failure and reduced load capacity ,the spring on the truck should be sufficient if not air bags could held or lighten the load. 87 gal of water over 5oo lbs cost $money to move it . Hi way bounce is caused by the expansion joint in the concrete road. Have you noted no bounce on the black to pop except in pot holes or large cracks and bumps in the road . Lower the pin box will raise the trailer . Raise the pin box lowers the trailer . Shocks help keep the stuff in the trailer from bounce . Read owners manual for the truck as to proper air psi for the load the truck will carry (pin ) and any other load in bed or cab (tools fuel people pets hitch extra fuel tank or cans). Just some things to think about . Ron Bissett in Metro Louisville KY :-{}

 

[CCutshaw]

Weigh the trailer and find out the pin weight first. You said the 500 lbs of water helps. Where is your water tank located? Up by the front of the trailer or behind the axel like it is on mine?



Calvin

 

[RustyJC]

If all else fails, you might take a look HERE.



I have the MorRyde equalizer system on the current 5th wheel (see signature), and it tows much more smoothly than any of our previous conventionally sprung (with shocks) 5th wheels.



Rusty

 

[viper700]

I had a problem last November as my truck was to high for my 36' 5er. We flipped the axels and at the same time took off the original shocks with a 4" travel. Then went to NAPA and found a longer travel Steering shock or some call it a racing shock with about 8" of travel. We made new shock brackets to weld to the trailer frame and new brackets for the axel pads. When going down the highway there isn't any sway or movement on the trailer just a minor up and down when hitting those jumps on bridge sections and road shifts. Also when being passed by 18 wheelers there isn't any sway from them at all. it was a bunch of work but well worth the ease in traveling. I have a 36' 3 axel 3 slide King of the Road and it is 14,075 empty with full propane.