airstream ride?

[billy1davis]

Is there a bumper pull manufacture that builds a trailer that tows as well as an Airstream?

[hvac]

Much of the drag is what commercial trucks are trying to mitigate. Distance between tractor and trailer with Fairing to connect, ground effect and horrible turbulence underside of entire rig. Also lowering entire rig is now the rage. Very little ground clearance.

[gmw_photos]

Much is made of the supposed advantages of the aero shape of those trailers. I don't deny they seem like they ought to be more slippery thru the air.

However, if they really are, we should see a substantial improvement in fuel mileage. Yet most of the folks on the airforums report approx the same MPG the rest of us get pulling our "white box" trailers. ( or "SOB's", as the Airstream folks like to call our some-other-box )

With my Frontier, I have towed extensively. Among the trailers are four different horse trailers and my Funfinder square boxy trailer. Two of the horse trailers are somewhat lower and have the rounded edges where the walls and front meet the roof. I get within 1 mpg on all of these trailers over the years including the funfinder. The rounded-edge horse trailers weigh approx the same as the FF when I have one horse in them. I track all my fuel on paper, because I know it's accurate vs what the scan gauge 2 reports.

So again, I am not dissing' the Airstream or any of these other trailers. I'm just saying my experience and observation has been there is not a significant difference in how any of these trailers tow, when comparing them behind the same tow vehicle.

EDIT: granted, 1 mpg when we are talking about 10 mpg fuel usage is 10%. Some might call that a worthwhile gain. Fair enough.

[bakerkids]

He stated fiberglass trailers have the same rounded shape.
You stated you had not seen those. He responded by listing them.
lol You weren't initially referring to aerodynamics being the same (although I believe they are, having been in and around both. Pretty darn close)

Lynnsr wrote:

GrandpaKip wrote:

Lynnsr wrote:

colliehauler wrote:
I take it you're talking about aerodynamics. Depends on size, lots of fiberglass trailers have a rounded shape but tend to be smaller.

Iv'e never seen this fiberglass trailer you speak of????

LynnSr

Casita, Scamp. Bigfoot, Oliver, Burro. Sure I'm missing a few.

I guess you have never seen an "Airstream".
I've seen all of the above and they do not come close to the same aerodynamic form.

Lynnsr

[Lynnsr]

GrandpaKip wrote:

Lynnsr wrote:

colliehauler wrote:
I take it you're talking about aerodynamics. Depends on size, lots of fiberglass trailers have a rounded shape but tend to be smaller.

Iv'e never seen this fiberglass trailer you speak of????

LynnSr

Casita, Scamp. Bigfoot, Oliver, Burro. Sure I'm missing a few.

I guess you have never seen an "Airstream".
I've seen all of the above and they do not come close to the same aerodynamic form.

Lynnsr

[hvac]

I have found when towing heavy, that's when it really becomes apparent how it works seamlessly to improve the overall experience.

I would go one step further. Unless GM or Ford offer the same design, they are off the replacement list. I tow nationwide and will not go back to conventional suspension.

[_1nobby]

My 2008 RAM 1500 had leaf springs. Pretty rough.

My 2010 RAM 1500 had coil springs very smooth.

My 2017 RAM 1500 has air suspension....not rough but not smooth, either.
I'm not a big fan of it ride wise....but it does have other uses that work for me.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

There is nothing magic about an Airstream ride. They use the same rubber band axels or leaf springs as any other make. Same ol, same ol.

[SidecarFlip]

hvac wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:

amxpress wrote:
Airstreams pull nicely because of their aerodynamics AND their Torflex suspension, without needing shocks. Most of the AS can be towed with the newer half tons, which ride better than 3/4 & 1 Tons. The latest gen RAMs have coil suspension and ride really smooth as compared with their previous gen trucks. Test drive the half tons by Ford, GM, Toyota, & RAM and decide for yourself.

My opinion is, coil, springs belong on the back end of a Buick, not a truck.

I still remember the old Chevy / GM pickups from the 60's with coils in the back, going down the road and looking like a pogo stick. Work good when the shocks are new but when the shocks start wearing out, the ride gets, shall we say, bouncy.....

and shocks wear out faster with coils than leaves because coils have no inherent friction dampening like leaves do. The very act of leaves moving against each other and the friction produced by that produces suspension dampening, not so with coils at all.

You really need to ride in a heavily loaded ram 1500 wit 4 corner coil air suspension. Game changer.

Maybe but it's not a high enough GVCW for my needs.

[shastagary]

upgrade your seating and isolate your self from the ride air ride seat base for dodge

[hvac]

SidecarFlip wrote:

amxpress wrote:
Airstreams pull nicely because of their aerodynamics AND their Torflex suspension, without needing shocks. Most of the AS can be towed with the newer half tons, which ride better than 3/4 & 1 Tons. The latest gen RAMs have coil suspension and ride really smooth as compared with their previous gen trucks. Test drive the half tons by Ford, GM, Toyota, & RAM and decide for yourself.

My opinion is, coil, springs belong on the back end of a Buick, not a truck.

I still remember the old Chevy / GM pickups from the 60's with coils in the back, going down the road and looking like a pogo stick. Work good when the shocks are new but when the shocks start wearing out, the ride gets, shall we say, bouncy.....

and shocks wear out faster with coils than leaves because coils have no inherent friction dampening like leaves do. The very act of leaves moving against each other and the friction produced by that produces suspension dampening, not so with coils at all.

You really need to ride in a heavily loaded ram 1500 wit 4 corner coil air suspension. Game changer.

[GrandpaKip]

Lynnsr wrote:

colliehauler wrote:
I take it you're talking about aerodynamics. Depends on size, lots of fiberglass trailers have a rounded shape but tend to be smaller.

Iv'e never seen this fiberglass trailer you speak of????

LynnSr

Casita, Scamp. Bigfoot, Oliver, Burro. Sure I'm missing a few.

[Lynnsr]

colliehauler wrote:
I take it you're talking about aerodynamics. Depends on size, lots of fiberglass trailers have a rounded shape but tend to be smaller.

Iv'e never seen this fiberglass trailer you speak of????

LynnSr

[NWnative]

rbpru wrote:
For all the rhetoric, it is generally agree that the low profile and tube shape do result in better towing and less wind buffs. As for the eye appeal that is up to the viewer.

Since non of this is measureable and solely dependent on opinion and other human factors, it is a moot point. Kind of like asking which is the best beer.

Or which is the better truck...LOL

[rbpru]

For all the rhetoric, it is generally agree that the low profile and tube shape do result in better towing and less wind buffs. As for the eye appeal that is up to the viewer.

Since non of this is measureable and solely dependent on opinion and other human factors, it is a moot point. Kind of like asking which is the best beer.

[ktmrfs]

billy1davis wrote:
I don't care about the aerodynamics.....wife has a bad back and I am looking for the best smoothest ride. We have tried everything that we can afford to sink into the Dodge dually and whether it is empty pulling a trailer or with truck camper it is just not tolerable for the wife at all. And I did get allot of help on trying to make it work and I suppose I could spend 5k and get the better ride but not doing it on that old of a truck.
So we are looking for either a small 5th wheel pulled buy a newer 1/2 ton or a trailer.

If your issue is the jerking from frost heaves, concrete expansion joints rough roads, there is a possible solution. An AirSafe Air hitch. We have one, tow a 35ft 9,000lb trailer. with the airsafe trailer reaction in the truck from frost heaves, expansion joints etc. is almost completely eliminated. you can see the trailer front moving up and down on the heaves but don't feel it affect the truck.

Before and after on some of the same roads we travel was a dramatic improvement.

Now the downside, One, it isn't inexpensive, two it is heavy, over 100lbs.

And of course it doesn't improve the unloaded ride, so you need a comfortable tow vehicle to start with.

However, it will work with most WD hitches, a hensley or similar may not be compatible, but reese dual cam, friction type, etc. are compatible.