Calling ALL Trailer Saver Owners

R12RTee wrote:

mguay wrote:
I understand the concept of unloading the hitch completely and then pulling out. Hensley says different. They must be thinking that if you just unlock the jaws and drive out without removing the pin weight from the head, it will hyper-extend and break the shocks?

NO, Hensley does not say different. Did you not read what I bothered posting from the Hensley User manual? Go up and read it. They say NOT to bother releasing the air to unhitch!

Sorry....I did read it and downloaded the installation manual as well. I thought I read it somewhere in the manual. Guess I thought wrong

mguay wrote:
I understand the concept of unloading the hitch completely and then pulling out. Hensley says different. They must be thinking that if you just unlock the jaws and drive out without removing the pin weight from the head, it will hyper-extend and break the shocks?

NO, Hensley does not say different. Did you not read what I bothered posting from the Hensley User manual? Go up and read it. They say NOT to bother releasing the air to unhitch!

big buford wrote:
Only thing I would warn folks on is to make sure you lube the inside of head pins that allow it to tilt foward and back. Easy to lube outside of pin, not so easy for inside of that pin. It will will cause ware if not lubed. You need to use two big screwdrivers and close the jaws to see the area I'm talking about. Make sure it gets lubed!

How about a pic?

I have 2 ts3 hitches, an older one and a new, just starting to use, 2007 hitch. The older one i added more air to about an inch above the line. The newer one seems fine at the line. I think the older bags have more articulation than the newer ones or there just worn more?. I added the the compressor and really like being able to air up on the go.

Have always lifted the trailer a couple inches with air in the bags, figured any help for electric motors lifting front of fiver helps it live a longer life. Before compressor I would just lift until I could just see any light between slip plate and head or pin box surface. At that point you can just pull out and nothing moves, there is no tension on anything. With the compressor in hitch, I raise an inch or two then let air out.

Very happy with their hitches! Only thing I would warn folks on is to make sure you lube the inside of head pins that allow it to tilt foward and back. Easy to lube outside of pin, not so easy for inside of that pin. It will will cause ware if not lubed. You need to use two big screwdrivers and close the jaws to see the area I'm talking about. Make sure it gets lubed!

mguay,

Not sure why Hensley recommends what they do. I would think the shocks would keep the hitch head from propelling upward too fast but not enough to prevent a clang.

Also, what part of Northern NH are you from? I was born and brought up in Berlin.

golf_bears wrote:
Just to add about letting air out to unhitch. You do not have to let the air out. I lower the front legs of the RV and lift it until I see the hitch pin floating in the jaws. At this point I pull the lever to release the jaws and drive out. Never been an issue.

I understand the concept of unloading the hitch completely and then pulling out. Hensley says different. They must be thinking that if you just unlock the jaws and drive out without removing the pin weight from the head, it will hyper-extend and break the shocks?

Thanx for all the info :)

Just to add about letting air out to unhitch. You do not have to let the air out. I lower the front legs of the RV and lift it until I see the hitch pin floating in the jaws. At this point I pull the lever to release the jaws and drive out. Never been an issue.

Just a tad over level. I think I run at 43# Get it to ride best the way you like it.

The line is the mid-point of the hitch travel. Too much above or below, and you run the risk of hitting the stops. Air pressure isn't used for leveling, it's used as a spring. By running to high, it's turning the spring into a block of rubber, and defeating the purpose of the air ride.

I do as the factory suggests. I have the automatic inflator and once I determined my desired height it was set there and always goes back to that setting. I added the last paragraph from "disconnecting from the trailer" so that you may see that it is NOT necessary or needed to let the air out when disconnecting.
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From the user manual:

Step 4) Raise the legs of the trailer and then add the correct amount of air to the air springs. On the left rear of the hitch, you will see a white line on the traveling arm. As the hitch goes up, the white line will just become visible over the edge of the hitch. At this position, you are at the operating height of 1". Start here and adjust to get the ride that you desire. If the hitch is making a "clunking" sound as it bottoms out, add more air to the hitch until it stops. A rule of thumb is that less is better. Observe the air pressure on the gauge when the ride acceptable and inflate to this pressure every time. The pressure on the gauge is usually between 25 and 90 pounds depending on your pin weight. The minimum operating height for the TrailerSaver Air Suspension Hitch is ¾" from the lower most or parked position.

Disconnecting from the trailer

After you have located your trailer in its final position and put in your wheel chocks, lower your trailer legs and apply enough downward pressure to pick up the trailer a little bit. At this time unlock the jaws on the 5th wheel hitch. To do this you must first pull the spring loaded detent pin located on the left front side of the hitch, and while holding the pin move the unlatching handle forward, (toward the front of the truck) as far as it will go. This will be the ten o'clock setting. At this position, the detent pin will engage a hole in the sliding steel bar locking it open. Usually the jaws will open, however, if there is pressure against the kingpin, the jaws may not open, but the hitch is unlocked and as soon as you move your truck a fraction of an inch the jaws will open.

NOTE: It is not necessary to dump the air out of the hitch to unhook