Pin box or airbags?

Some have mentioned the TrailerSaver BD3, I have to add my support for that hitch if you are looking for smooth comfort. Our rig also came with the MorRyde pin box. Fantastic combination. Absolutely no chucking and the pin box rides on a cushion of air from the hitch....extremely smooth. I examined air in the pin box and air in the hitch and decided on the latter. Good luck on your decision.

No experience with air bags but did change the standard pin box to a Morryde. I couldn't believe how much it improved the ride.

I installed air bags to take up off the overloads, works great. I only run 35# to accomplish this.

I must be an odd duck then :)

The airbags on our 250 DID handle the bed sagging and the 5er, but even at 5 psi, it seemed to ride rougher ?!?

The new 350 seems to ride better unloaded than the 250,
only did a short test run with the 5er the other day,but it seemed fine...

maybe Ford did something between 2012 250's and the 2013 350's - same cc sb, engine combo... dunno ?!?

Put air bags on the truck - air them up to 45 psi towing and lower to 8 psi when not towing. I carry a pancake style air compressor in the trailer. Have a Rota-Flex 5th Wheel Pin Box with Rubber Bushings on our fifth wheel - it came on the unit. I am sure the rubber bushing helps some.

I have been thinking about the airbag solution...

Don't discount airbags altogether, I noticed something on my truck camper years ago, increasing the airbag pressure often will lift the bed off the spring packs and their bump stops causing the ride to actually soften.

If memory serves me correctly with the camper on the bed, any pressure above 35 psi raised the frame enough to affect the harshness.

While this caused what I liked call wallowing or sway which was dangerous with the truck camper it might work better to smooth out the harsh up/down chucking I'm experiencing with my 5th wheel.

I'm going to try my theory out next week on my next camping trip.

Ron W.

With 4,500# pin weight my Ram 3500 Dually did not need air bags but I added them to help stabilize the springs on rough roads and also added Bilstien shocks. I also have the trailAire kingpin with triglide.

I only run 25psi in the bags it does not change the ride height.

My trailer has no shocks and I don't see much purpose in them for the cost. The Demco took out the chucking, and I don't have any other motion worth mentioning. There is a little bobbing on big bumps, but I don't feel them coming from the trailer, just the truck itself.

I should note that I DO have those equalizer thingies between the axles, and I think they do a lot to share the load between the axles. And I insisted on having my last set of tires balanced and I stood there and watched them do it. That helped a little with smoothing out the ride.

My brother has a Raptur, triple axle, toy hauler pulled with a 3500 CTD quad cab 4x4 longbed and I once rode with him. He has a straight hitch with stock pin and let me tell you that truck would beat anybody to death. The trailer pounded that truck back and forth violently compared to mine. I could never stand more than a couple of hundred miles on smooth road at the most. My truck rides like a Caddy compared to his but then again I have not quite 2/3 his total weight too. He drove mine and wanted to trade his whole rig in on a setup like mine. I will tell you any air pin and bags will make all the difference as I also drove my dads 3500 CTD quad cab long bed 2 wheel drive hauling my camper home before the air pin install and you could feel the back and forth clunking. That is with his B&W hitch and a brand new 5er too. I am a believer in them now and will never be without one again.

I haven't considered shocks. my previous camper had them and they broke and I never noticed a difference. The trucks are relatively new. I guess I will try a pinbox. I have no chucking issues that I have noticed. It's just the rough roads will beat you to death. The rest of the time it pulls great. Thanks for the replies everyone.