My wife and I just purchased a 30' 2008 Rockwood Signature Ultralight Model 8285SS. I pull it with a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9 Diesel. I had the dealership install an Airsafe hitch. The one he installed was the Airbox Model 18018. The reason I wanted an Airsafe hitch was because my wife suffers from very severe migraines and anything I can do to keep the ride comfortable was a good idea.In my research I had done it seemed like the Airsafe was the best choice. We picked it up in Menomenee Falls Wisconsin and have had it for 12 days travelling the I 94. I am so dissapointed. Whenever I stop and start it makes a big jerking and clunking noise which cannot be good for the vehicle or the 5th wheel. Then there is the forward backward jerking. I believe this is called chocking??. At one point I told my wife that I felt as if I were riding a horse. I know that the Interstates sometimes are pretty bad (I am used to Alberta highways which are amazing)but are not these hitches supposed to take care of or at least cushion the extreme bouncing and jerking. The installation of the hitch is fine and the pressure in the air bag is OK. In the middle of the green guage. I am used to pulling a bumper pull with a load levelling hitch and never had such a bad towing experience.I am new at pulling a 5th wheel so I would really appreciate some input and maybe some solutions. Is this typical of pulling a 5th wheel. Is it my truck, 5th wheel combination. Is it the hitch. I Please help as I am so dissapointed with pulling the unit already.Thanks GuysGill

mine did the same thing, only I had the air hitch and the air pin box as well, the problem was my trailer was 14,400 pounds and my truck weighted about 7500 pounds, a dodge 3500 SWD diesel, after changing out my truck to a MDT a freightliner FL-60, no more chucking, I still have the air ride pin box but not the air ride hitch, BTW the freightliner cost way less than a newer truck would of cost me, it has air ride cab, air ride seats, my wife suffers from the same thing, with the 7' back seat that lays down into a bed she can crawl back there and take a nap http://www.pinterest.com/pin/551339179353517264/

Moved from Forum Technical Support

I suggest taking it across a scale, I suspect you are tail heavy. You want about 20% of the trailer weight on the pin. Is the trailer close to level behind the truck? Also ensure that the hitch is set up properly, the jaw may not be completely closed.

I too had the chucking and bouncing on rough roads. Sometimes the bounce was so severe I though the trailer was going to brake lose. I was about to spend big bucks on a new hitch and other remedies when someone on this site told me to replace my stock shocks that had about 30K miles on them. I bought a set of the blue and yellow Bilsteins and wow, what a difference. Another thing some do beside that is to move (if you have the adjustment) is to move the hitch forward two inches. Best of luck. I know you will get this sorted out. David

Hi,My guess is there is some sloppyness in the air ride hitch. Fred.

First Tim 5r dissapointed | Good Sam Community

21 Replies

TXiceman
Explorer II
Jun 10, 2014
A friend on mine wa having a horrible ride from his GMC dually 4x4. The truck pulled his toy hauler fine. HE got a new Hitch Hiker and it was a terrible ride. He tried two different air ride hitches and the ride was worse. He finally had a Mor/Ryde ID suspension put on the trailer and it rides beautifully. Morryde weighed the trailer and set up the rubber suspension based on the weights. The trailer was not balanced between the two axles and was causing the problems.

SO Mor/Ryde IS may be the solution.

ken
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Jun 09, 2014
wirenutz wrote:
NC Hauler, it was a choice of GO BIG, or stay home with the light duty trucks, I needed a MDT to pull my trailer across country as I move from job to job building America, and living full time in our trailer.
tsetsaf, I believe the OP's truck is a dodge 2500, I was not aware that air ride seats would fit in such a low and small cab?

I understand why you did what you did...but again I was just stating that one doesn't need to tow a 14,500# 5er with a MDT.....There are 2014 2500's out there that can handle those now and do it comfortably and safely..just like a 3500 SRW truck and easily, the 3500 Dually. One things for sure, if you ever move up to a heavier 5er, you already have the truck...but the 5er will cost you then:)
wirenutz
Explorer
Jun 09, 2014
NC Hauler, it was a choice of GO BIG, or stay home with the light duty trucks, I needed a MDT to pull my trailer across country as I move from job to job building America, and living full time in our trailer.
tsetsaf, I believe the OP's truck is a dodge 2500, I was not aware that air ride seats would fit in such a low and small cab?
tsetsaf
Explorer III
Jun 09, 2014
I have a similar truck and have towed for a while. Here is how I have obtained a buttery smooth ride.

Start with truck:
Bilstein Heavy Duty shocks all the way around
Firestone ride-right helpers in the back; with your trailer you will probably only be running about 20psi in the bags.

Now for the trailer
Some sort of equalizer spring ie Ez-flex
Balance the tires
Make sure you are towing level
air ride pin box- I like fifth airborne

Also you can replace your vehicle seats with air seats to help your wife.
Idahosrt10
Explorer
Jun 09, 2014
Sounds like you could need more pin weight.
larry_barnhart
Explorer
Jun 07, 2014
I helped a man install the trailair pin box on his MS fifthwheel during a winter a few years ago. On the trip home they exoerienced chucking that was not before the air pin box. He was waiting for his wife at a shopping center and decided to look at his hitch. Trailer was at an rv park. He noticed the sliding bar was adjustable. He adjusted it later and not more chucking. We figured the air was allowing the fifth to float up and down on bumps and when the front of the fifth went up because of the air bag the pin would go back and then forward as the weight was lifted. No more problems.

chevman
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Jun 07, 2014
It doesn't seem right to me that you can move that hitch and get a clunk out of it. That just seems like something isn't quite kosher, but if there's a lot of play in that hitch it sure seems like that would contribute to chucking.
GoPackGo
Explorer
Jun 07, 2014
I agree with NC Hauler. I tow #14,000 with my dually that weighs somewhere over #9,000 and I don't have chucking issues at all - but I attribute that to the air ride hitch and (mostly) to the Mor/Ryde pin box.
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Jun 07, 2014
wirenutz wrote:
mine did the same thing, only I had the air hitch and the air pin box as well, the problem was my trailer was 14,400 pounds and my truck weighted about 7500 pounds, a dodge 3500 SWD diesel, after changing out my truck to a MDT a freightliner FL-60, no more chucking, I still have the air ride pin box but not the air ride hitch, BTW the freightliner cost way less than a newer truck would of cost me, it has air ride cab, air ride seats, my wife suffers from the same thing, with the 7' back seat that lays down into a bed she can crawl back there and take a nap http://www.pinterest.com/pin/551339179353517264/

You needed a FL-60 to tow a 14,400# 5er with?? I towed a 14,000# 5er with a 2500 until I purchased my first dually in 05'..Never had an issue with chucking or anything else for that matter, though the 2500 was overloaded... Your truck may have cost "way less" than a new truck, but I can take mine through drive throughs and still can park about anywhere I want to and is my daily driver....I understand that the big compartment would be nice, but even with my dually, towing a 16,000# 5er, I have zero issues with chucking or anything else for that matter...I would think you possibly purchased the FL due to it being cheaper and knowing that it would easily handle the weight of your 5er and afford you more room to make your wife comfortable..nothing wrong with that at all.

The dually I have now weighs 9100#, the 5er, 16,000#, zero issues with chucking...don't believe that difference in weight ratio means that much, or every truck out there towing a 5er that weighs more than the owners truck would be having the same problems and I haven't read that much about it...
TXiceman
Explorer II
Jun 07, 2014
I am running a Trailer Saver TS3 (air ride hitch) in the truck and a Mor/Ryde pin box on the trailer. Between the two, the chucking is pretty much minimized.

Ken