New 5er owner!

[anaro]

Well, we did it. We finally made the leap from tt to 5er. We purchased a 2014 Palomino Sabre 34REQS. Dealer installed a Reese 16K hitch for us. Now to look into options to level the ride out as we had a decent amount of squat empty. Considering adding timbrens for this. We will weigh the rig next weekend after we finish loading it. I should have no issues being within specs as I crunched all the numbers from a worst case scenario for the 5er (gvwr w/ 25% pin weight) and used actual loaded scaled weights on the TV.

Pics are from our pdi.

[anaro]

Here is a pic from the storage lot.


I think the pics are deceiving because in person you don't see the squat and it doesn't measure out as a big squat but the pics all look like I have a lot of squat. It also doesn't handle light in the front end at all.

[anaro]

Ok so here are today's weights. These are with a full tank of fuel, family in the TV and trailer loaded up with everything except food.

Truck no trailer (reese 16k hitch in bed)--
Front axle 4900 lbs
Rear axle 3380 lbs
Total truck weight 8280 lbs

Truck with sabre attached
Front axle 4900 lbs
Rear axle 6000 lbs
Trailer 9760 lbs
Total combined weight 20,660 lbs

Truck specs
Gvwr 11,600 lbs
GCWR 24,500 lbs
GFAWR 5600 lbs
GRAWR 7050 lbs

So it looks like I have a 5er weight of 12,380 lbs and it looks like my pin weight is 2620 lbs. My available payload without 5er was 3320 lbs so I'm well within specs.

Measurements
Truck no trailer, front wheel well 40", rear wheel well 42 1/2"
Truck with sabre attached front wheel well 40 1/2", rear wheel well 40"
There is 7 1/2" clearance between the bed rails and the 5er.
The front and rear corners of 5er both measured 26". I forgot to measure the kingpin height and will have to get that another day.

I'm thinking I might be a tad nose high. The reese is currently on its highest setting. I'm thinking of dropping it one hole.

[retispcsi]

Congrats on the new rig

[Cummins12V98]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

Lantley wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Why do people think they need Timbrins/air bags or anything when the truck is loaded and sits level as the pic of the op's shows?

Trucks are supposed to "squat". Op drive your combo I bet everything will be fine!

It's ridiculous to see so many TV's with the ass end sitting high going down the road with the RV nose high because someone thinks they need to be sitting ass end high like when they are running solo. Also it makes for a very rough ride!

If you are within specs you don't need to add anything.

The OP's headlights are pointing to the sky. They need to do something!
Unless the OP wants to shine their lights in the eyes of passing motorist.

Sorry his truck is setting exactly as it should when fully loaded.

My 3500 RAM with 4,500# pin weight sits level also. My headlights don't shine towards the sky and the op's don't either.

The people that have their rear sitting low to the front should get a heavier duty truck. With that condition they are overloaded. Point is trucks that "need" a bandaid are overloaded.

I assume your truck squats when loaded with your RV. Do you feel the need to raise the rear to solo height? I have seen trucks exactly like yours and mine with airbags and they are going down the highway with the bags pumped up with the rear at solo height and that causes the front of the RV to be noise high and that causes too much weight to be on the rear axle and makes for a rough ride.

The OPs picture was taken shortly after getting trailer......it's NOT loaded up. (Go back and read OPS first post with pictures)
And OPs truck is squatting with an empty trailer.

I did re read

"We will weigh the rig next weekend after we finish loading it. I should have no issues being within specs as I crunched all the numbers from a worst case scenario for the 5er (gvwr w/ 25% pin weight) and used actual loaded scaled weights on the TV"

They were camping so they were partially loaded and he says he will still be within spec with even 25% pin weight. Unless you are full time 20% is probably more accurate.

Bottom line the truck in the pic was sitting fine! Even with more weight it won't change any noticeable amount when "fully loaded".

Op weigh your rig when fully loaded tow with it and if the truck sits like in the first pic DRIVE IT!

Now if you want to improve the ride bags can help. I run mine at 30spi and it does not change my ride height at all but it does help control the springs on some of these nasty roads.

They have a 3500 it is designed to ride LEVEL when loaded!

[bfast54]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

Allworth wrote:
So many experts! So little actual knowledge!

Have either one of you ever seen the OP's combination in person?

Shame on both of you.

Quoting the OP:

" Now to look into options to level the ride out as we had a decent amount of squat empty."

not to mention that it has squat like ( Before being loaded)....that will unload the front end causing you eratic steering and possibly No steering on a big bump .......:E

Oh.... that's right everyone knows all the roads in america are perfectly smooth and no potholes ..........if anyone can look at the picture the Orginal poster posted ,and say that is normal for a truck With trailer not even Loaded...they need to get their equilibrium in balance......A truck.car.bus....should sit LEVEL when loaded and ready to roll....PERIOD.

Air bags are not that big a deal, and easy for a Private Owner...to maintain....I assume the Private Owner,will maintain All his equipment...as he Paid for it,unlike a Employee...who Might not care, because its Not his.....So,that argument,is out the window.

[Dave_H_M]

All the talk about firestones and money and the on board compressor.

I been running firestones for years without the on board compressor.

They need the same amount of air each time and it is no biggie to air them up and down at the beginning and end of a trip. I do the air unloaded so it is less effort to air up. I know ahead how much to add unloaded to get what I want loaded.

[Old-Biscuit]

Allworth wrote:
So many experts! So little actual knowledge!

Have either one of you ever seen the OP's combination in person?

Shame on both of you.

Quoting the OP:

" Now to look into options to level the ride out as we had a decent amount of squat empty."

[KSadler1]

Allworth wrote:
So many experts! So little actual knowledge!

Have either one of you ever seen the OP's combination in person?

Shame on both of you.

Regardless of what the OP does, whether it be Timbrens or air bags, it will help before it hurts anything. If nothing else, the Timbrens will help the TV springs from being overloaded when bouncing around on the well maintained roadways of our nation. My truck was much more stable when towing after I put the Timbrens on and it rode smooth and level. I also felt better about the spring support, especially since I liked to dry camp and a lot of those roads were pretty rough.....

Ken

[Allworth]

So many experts! So little actual knowledge!

Have either one of you ever seen the OP's combination in person?

Shame on both of you.

[Old-Biscuit]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

Lantley wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Why do people think they need Timbrins/air bags or anything when the truck is loaded and sits level as the pic of the op's shows?

Trucks are supposed to "squat". Op drive your combo I bet everything will be fine!

It's ridiculous to see so many TV's with the ass end sitting high going down the road with the RV nose high because someone thinks they need to be sitting ass end high like when they are running solo. Also it makes for a very rough ride!

If you are within specs you don't need to add anything.

The OP's headlights are pointing to the sky. They need to do something!
Unless the OP wants to shine their lights in the eyes of passing motorist.

Sorry his truck is setting exactly as it should when fully loaded.

My 3500 RAM with 4,500# pin weight sits level also. My headlights don't shine towards the sky and the op's don't either.

The people that have their rear sitting low to the front should get a heavier duty truck. With that condition they are overloaded. Point is trucks that "need" a bandaid are overloaded.

I assume your truck squats when loaded with your RV. Do you feel the need to raise the rear to solo height? I have seen trucks exactly like yours and mine with airbags and they are going down the highway with the bags pumped up with the rear at solo height and that causes the front of the RV to be noise high and that causes too much weight to be on the rear axle and makes for a rough ride.

The OPs picture was taken shortly after getting trailer......it's NOT loaded up. (Go back and read OPS first post with pictures)
And OPs truck is squatting with an empty trailer.

[P_Kennedy]

Timbren's work and are the cheapest solution, I don't like the constrictions on the axle travel when they are loaded. Big trucks use air bags combined with a ride height valve which adjusts infinitely to each load maintains frame level and best possible ride to reduce load damage and operator comfort. My truck is paid for so I took springs out and put in true air ride, trailer air ride would be my next upgrade.

[P_Kennedy]

"load equalizer" between the 2 springs on the trailer axles. This little chunk of metal is to help equalize the load on each axle however when you see a trailer going down the road unlevel the axle on the low end of the trailer will have more weight on it. Scale each axle on the trailer individually and you can see the difference. This also means those 2 tires will have more weight and run hotter going down the road. Rule of thumb if the side walls of the tires on the unit are hotter than what you can holds your hand on for 10 seconds they will likely have a catastrophic failure. Hope this helps.

[goducks10]

Timbrens here also. If I had the money for the bags and the compressor then I'd probably do bags. After having bags before and no onboard compressor, the Timbrens are more user friendly.

[2112]

I prefer Timbrens
Set it and forget it.

[C_Schomer]

I like the air bags for the adjustability and the air system was no biggie to me. Then I added the Rancho 9000s and I already had the air to make them in-cab adjustable. Between the bags and 9000s, I can tune out any bad road. Then I added the exh-brake and I already had the air for it. I also have emergency air for tires. Craig