New to towing 5'r question

MFL wrote:

oilcan1001 wrote:
I'm only 30lbs over RAWR
400 lbs over GVWR
1830lbs under tire ratings.
This is with an empty trailer.
I'm hoping it will get under specs when I load the garage (behind rear axle).
We'll see Sunday when I weigh fully loaded

Jerking, bounce, (chucking), can be caused from too light of pin. I don't think this is your issue, as a TH usually has a heavy pin with an empty garage. That said, making the pin lighter, loading the garage may increase your chucking.

If the rear suspension is sagging from the load, you may want to add Timbrens, or airbags to level your load, and add stability, which may help your chucking too.

It is normal to have a little jerking, especially on concrete roads. Most of us can remember a certain section of roadway, that has caused some pretty noticeable chucking. A high end air hitch, may help, but expensive.

Your weights aren't great, but not a disaster either. Your truck is designed to operate at max RAWR, and your well under your tire max. Many are towing a little over GVWR.

Good luck, hope you enjoy your new to you TH!

Jerry

Jerry,
Thanks for the info.
My TV is not sagging much(about 1") and I do plan on installing Timbrens for the added support.
I've learned a lot from researching and asking questions and I do want to stay within ratings as much as possible. I just didn't realize how much these 5'rs weigh at the pin.
I'll be looking to upgrade TV in the near future.

What does everyone think about the MOR Ryde pin box ?
Worth the investment ?
Does it help with chucking.... a lot, a little ?

Thanks

Chunking/fore and aft jerking can a problem with any size truck ....even a DRW pulling a small 10k 5th wheel/GN trailer. BTDT with more than one rig.

There is no single thing that causes chunking in all truck/trailer combinations as there are probably a couple of dozen things that can cause it....however there may be one thing causing any truck/trailer chunking issue.
Finding it can be a big headache and frustrating although many find relief in a air ride pin box.
And some folks think what worked for them is the answer to all others chunking issues.

Don't let the weight police scare you as anytime a poster mentions he has a 250/2500 truck we hear the same old tired "get a bigger truck" nonsense. A bigger truck may or may not be the answer.

Good luck and enjoy the rig

Your truck is fine, I just traded my 1997 F250 for a 2016 F350. I pull a 38' Fifth wheel with a 14' trailer behind it with my side x side on it. Have been towing for years and in the mountains of Colorado, actually the 97 F250 towed much better as far as chucking/bucking is concerned. The new truck does not like some sections of concrete, I mean really does not like it, same highway was smooth as glass with old truck. Now when it comes to power and brakes there is absolutely no comparison between the two.

Mor/ryde is a good pin box, and helps on the chucking issue.

Jim - I don't scare easily, lol, but I do want to be as safe as reasonably possible when my family is at stake. I am checking all my weights/ratings and a little over I'm ok with.

Okie1 - Thanks for your personal experience input.

As I stated earlier, I am using the Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel Hitch which does NOT clunk and clang, but delivers the chucking pretty solidly.
I'll start looking into the Mor Ryde a little more. (no pun intended)

And Thanks to this forum and everyone for chiming in. Really helps shorten the learning curve !

Bilstein 4600's should be your first thing to control the road, next will be air bags ran with just enough air to maintain the truck to be level around 25-30 psi loaded.

Been there done that and the above WORKS!!!

oilcan1001 wrote:
I'm only 30lbs over RAWR
400 lbs over GVWR
1830lbs under tire ratings.
This is with an empty trailer.
I'm hoping it will get under specs when I load the garage (behind rear axle).
We'll see Sunday when I weigh fully loaded

:h

As the owner of HD 2500 of about the same vintage, your numbers don't make sense. I am not playing "Weight Police" just can't make sense of your numbers based on my own.

Your TV should at least have a 6,000# Rear GAWR and unless you have a ton of stuff in the bed, empty should weigh about 3,000# or slightly less on the rear axle empty. That would place the empty pin at over 3,000#.

The total GVWR on a 99 F250 should be south of 10,000# maybe as high 9,800# or as low as 8,800#. If you are 30# over rear GAWR, and only 300# over GVWR, if I took my TV to full rear GAWR (6,084#) I would have a GVW of about 10,600#+.

Is the 1,830# under on tires, just the rear axles or all four tires.

Not weight police as I tow over GVWR, with our 32' 11,200+ 5er, but within rear GAWR and also like you well within tire ratings.

Russ, I too noticed the 1,830 lbs under on tires, but over RAWR by 30 lbs. It is likely a typo, maybe all 4 tires, or some hefty replacement tires/rims?

OP is doing his homework, so he should get things figured out.

Jerry

Here is my opinion. Chucking forces are generated by your trailer. As the 5er goes over a bump it creates a rolling motion on an axis between the two axles. Due to the angle created by this axis and the height of the hitch this rolling action is translated into up and down forces and back and forth forces (chucking). The greater the angle (shorter trailer) the more fore and aft forces relative to vertical forces and the greater the chucking. This is why bumper tows have no chucking as the angle is small due to hitch height and the forces are all vertical.

A standard fifth wheel hitch is a solid joint between the trailer and the frame of your truck. This is why you are feeling it in your cab. The solution could be two fold. One, reduce the rolling motions with better axle equalization or trailer axle shocks. Second, isolate the fore/aft forces from your truck with a rubber isolation pin box (MorRyde), air suspension pin box or air suspension hitch.

The forces generated by the truck tires going over bumps and being transmitted to the frame might be mitigated by better shocks, Timbrens, air bags or a bigger truck but the chucking forces are coming from the trailer. A hitch with tighter jaws may be quieter but would be better at transmitting chucking forces to the frame and therefore to your seats.

I've been exactly where you are and tossed money at the truck fixes with no results. Chucking was eliminated once I isolated the trailer. Good luck and have fun with your new 5er.

oilcan1001 wrote:
I'm only 30lbs over RAWR
400 lbs over GVWR
1830lbs under tire ratings.
This is with an empty trailer.
I'm hoping it will get under specs when I load the garage (behind rear axle).
We'll see Sunday when I weigh fully loaded

Oilcan, this may help in your calculations. Here.