5th Wheel Suspensions, Springs, Wheel & Tires

I upgraded my spring packs from 3500# rated to 4,000# rated, and believe me, I'm the first to know that doesn't offer me one more ounce of GVW..BUT, it sure made my 5er track better and handle better...Also had the Moryde equlflex added and 4 new Monroe heavy duty shocks replaced my OEM shocks....Makes for a better towing experience because I can compare "before and after"...I also had a sagging spring pack which had caused less height above a tire and the tread was ripped off the tire...

Again, I KNOW I didn't add an ounce of extra carrying capacity. I know I have 7,000# rated axles...My 5er's GVW is 16,950 and it's loaded to 16,200#..But the upgraded suspension makes for a more stable 5er when setting and it seems to track better....one of the best investments I've added to my 5er.

And when you consider the money you pay for the******they put under a nice blinged out 5er...70-90k$$..looks nice but if one starts digging around a look at a 10"I-beam...wow I think there so strenght built into my camp ..but its only about 3/16 thick and depending on what alloys are used also must be taken into consideration..My Montana gross at 15,625lbs, axles are 6750lbs ea,so axle gross out at 13,500 but scaled at 12540lbs im near my max.. already needed to replace 3 of my goodyear marathons, its only 2yrs old and have driven around 8,000miles..Ive got the Mor/ryde suspension w/6leaf spring...its time for upgrades.....just ordered tires ST LRF 12ply 3940lb @95psi max speed 75mph not the 65mph ST tire max..next is suspension like 8k w/disc brakes...we drive cross country or into the Rockies every other year.......

Just because you beef up your suspension does not give you the green light to pile the stuff into the trailer. Many builders, to cut costs, build a frame & suspension to minimum spec resulting in frame cracks, broken springs & bent axels.

I have had the areas of my spring hangers re engineered, boxing the areas in making them much stronger. No more fears of a cracking frame. I upped the springs from a 6 stack to a 7 stack. They don't sag anymore. New shocks went on last year.

Leaving things stock may be fine for the average weekend warrior who only puts a few thousand on the trailer each year but if you are a high milaege traveler you need to be prepared to be able to face the road in confidence that things are not going to fall apart under you.

Still, no matter the preparations, things will break. I have the Equaflex centerpoint suspension system, wet bolts included. Found that one of the bolts had broken recently. Very lucky that it was discovered during a routine inspection underneath. Also lucky that I had a spare being hundreds of miles from any RV service shop in Dawson City, Yukon. 4 hours, some fancy jacking & blocking & with the help of the DW we were good to go again.

Oh yeah, just because it is a toy hauler don't assume that anything is stronger underneath. Had one pull into a gas station here in Alaska a couple of days ago, right side of the trailer was smoking. Right rear spring had broken sending the tire into the front tire blowing the tire & destroying the front tire too.

What was underneath? A 6 leaf spring stack, same as would be found on a lighter residential model on the same frame. The spring hanger areas were built pretty light too.

Saw that article earlier today and wanted to comment on it on the site, but didn't have time to register, so I'll comment here. First off, there are many FWs that have quite a bit more payload than does that Wildcat. You should mention that trailers are supposed to have a weight placard that will spell out the dry weight, dry pin weight, gross weight and tire specs. You need to know this to tailor the trailer for a proposed load. If one can't be found or it's too faded to read, the manufacturer can provide a new one based on the VIN. My Komfort low-profile has 4,000+ lbs cargo capacity, though it has very little storage. Many others I've seen have 2,500-4,500 lbs capacity. Also, by beefing up your suspension, you imply that you'll likely be loading over the GVW on a regular basis. While the suspension might take that load, the frame is likely going to fail, most likely in the pin box area, though the webbing around the suspension area can crack and fail. Search out Lippert frame problems and you'll be reading for days, non-stop. IMO a "bug out" FW (or TT) would be much better made from a toy hauler. They're designed from the get-go with a high cargo capacity and larger water tanks, besides the garage area. You also didn't address the pin weight issue with your truck based on loading. Huge issue and can be damaging to the truck if too heavily loaded. Air bags don't make up for inherent payload. Again, for the purpose you're trying to build around, a SRW 350/3500 class 4x4 would probably be a much better all-around tow vehicle, especially if you stay in that ~30-32' size range. Would give you more payload for towing or just hauling a load of wood, rock, supplies, etc. I look forward to Part 2!

Lyle