Air Bags, Will they give me a smoother ride - Page 2

Keith T · 11-18-2018, 06:41 PM

I installed air bags on my 2011 Ford F-250 and they do help the ride. More importantly they help to level the truck and keep the trailer level.

The one thing you have to play with the amount of air to use to get the ride you are looking for.

Keith T.

2naEagle · 11-18-2018, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A.Cassaro

Concerned more for camper

Looking for any suggestion my make ride better.

Thanks

Angelo

Suggestion.

Look into the TrailerSaver air ride hitch.

If you are going to do the wet bolt kit go ahead and do the MORryde SRE4000.

With a DRW truck I don't think you need air bags.

I think you should go with the SRE4000 first and see how it works before getting shocks.

I absolutely love my TrailerSaver hitch and can't say enough good things about it.

eharris205 · 11-18-2018, 10:28 PM

Ditto on the Trailer Saver hitch. I also had my 5er upgraded with the MorRyde Independent Suspension. Improved the trailer ride tremendously.

Magnolia Tom · 11-19-2018, 09:11 AM

X3 in the trailer Saver hitch.

I would do as Dan suggested and get some shocks for the trailer first. I was having a similar experience with stuff in the fridge being tossed about. The shocks really helped eliminate the problem. The hitch in combination with the shocks makes for a really smooth towing experience.

eagleback · 11-19-2018, 09:41 AM

If you want the ultimate ride, then change the leaf springs on the trailer to Morryde independent suspension and disk brakes. No more rough ride. then a new king pin box and airbags will not be needed. as your 3500 ram should not need them anyway pulling that eagle.

eharris205 · 11-19-2018, 02:57 PM

Ditto on the MorRyde Independent Suspension and disc brakes. I've had the MorRyde 3000 and the 4000 with JoyRyder shocks on other 5th wheels and nothing comes close to the Independent Suspension

PlayersZ28 · 11-19-2018, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eharris205

Ditto on the MorRyde and disc brakes

That's what I'd like to have stuck under my fiver

What is the cost to do both? Brakes are a different vendor?

eharris205 · 11-19-2018, 03:03 PM

I had MorRyde do the 8K independent suspension and the brakes. $6500.

PlayersZ28 · 11-20-2018, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eharris205

I had MorRyde do the 8K independent suspension and the brakes. $6500.

Thanks for the info.

A hefty number when you figure it as a percentage of trailer value. Not so bad on a new one but as the unit depreciates you're putting more unrecoverable money in. Based on the trade-in value of my fiver that's about 25% of it's current value while it might add 5-10% to the trade value. Unlike solar & batteries the suspension can't be moved to the next unit.

I'd still like it though and I could justify it in my head, just harder to do with my calculator.

hboy · 11-20-2018, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A.Cassaro

Looking for maintenance to-do's for the 5th wheel (wet bolt kit)

What about my truck, been thinking about air bags. Will they give me a better ride?

In my opinion, the air bags would not improve the ride of the truck or trailer. That truck is stout. I used air bags to level the truck a bit cuz I was getting the high beams flashed at me sometimes when night driving. I feel like my ride is better when loaded and the springs get compressed down a bit. Adding air just takes weight off the springs and firms up the ride more. (just my opinion) Unless you replaced springs or cut springs, or added weight to the rear axle to compress more, I'm not sure the ride would change much on the truck. The truck looks like a short bed dually. The long bed I would think would improve the ride, maybe not significantly tho.

The air pin boxes and hitches do improve the fight between the trailer and truck tho. I'm not convinced there is anything that would really improve the rolling earthquake going on in the trailer when traveling tho.

eharris205 · 11-20-2018, 03:19 PM

With regard to the cost of the independent suspension as well as the Trailer saver hitch, I look at the value of the improvement in the ride and the reduced impact to the trailer as opposed to any trade-in value.

As for the rolling earthquake, my first 5th wheel was a 2001 Jayco Eagle. In early 2003 I was travelling on I-69 in Michigan headed for Canada. The road was so bad the chair at the rear of the 31ft trailer flipped. That summer I had the MorRyde Independent Suspension installed and to say the ride improved would be an understatement. That fall I drove the same portion of I-69 again and the chair never moved. Had that trailer for 14 years and never had an issue with the suspension. My current 5th wheel came factory equipped with the MorRyde 4000 but no shocks. As originally equipped, the trailer would bounce 6-7 times when hitting the bumps in the concrete going over an expressway overpass. After having the IS suspension installed, the bouncing has been reduced to 2-3 times. I am a firm believer that upgrading the factory suspension reduces the impact and stress on the trailer.

For me, it is worth every cent to reduce the amount of bouncing and the impact to the trailer and truck

eagleback · 11-21-2018, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eharris205

With regard to the cost of the independent suspension as well as the Trailer saver hitch, I look at the value of the improvement in the ride and the reduced impact to the trailer as opposed to any trade-in value.

As for the rolling earthquake, my first 5th wheel was a 2001 Jayco Eagle. In early 2003 I was travelling on I-69 in Michigan headed for Canada. The road was so bad the chair at the rear of the 31ft trailer flipped. That summer I had the MorRyde Independent Suspension installed and to say the ride improved would be an understatement. That fall I drove the same portion of I-69 again and the chair never moved. Had that trailer for 14 years and never had an issue with the suspension. My current 5th wheel came factory equipped with the MorRyde 4000 but no shocks. As originally equipped, the trailer would bounce 6-7 times when hitting the bumps in the concrete going over an expressway overpass. After having the IS suspension installed, the bouncing has been reduced to 2-3 times. I am a firm believer that upgrading the factory suspension reduces the impact and stress on the trailer.

For me, it is worth every cent to reduce the amount of bouncing and the impact to the trailer and truck

X2. even if you forget to take the shampoo off the shower shelf, it will still be standing there when you arrive at your destination. Now Moryde has a disk brake option on their IS system so you kill two birds with one stone.

The Moryde system is super sweet.

putz · 11-24-2018, 05:39 PM

I am sure you thought of this but did you balance your trailer tires
and if so check to see if you lost a weight.
For some unknown reason the factory does not do this which is crazy
because most trailer do not have shocks.
This will also cause tire wear.

RRRiddle2521 · 11-24-2018, 07:57 PM

I added the air bags to our Ford F-250 and when towing our Eagle I air them to 45 lbs. I notice a difference in the ride .

LegalEagle · 11-25-2018, 05:52 AM

I have a 2016 F250 with a 323LKTS Eagle, 14,000 GVWR. I put air bags on the truck, as the fifth wheel really weighed down the back to the point I needed to raise the truck to get level. But the air bags, with 40-45 lbs pressure made the ride harder, as the truck gave less under bumps in the road. So I added JoyRider shocks to the fifth wheel, and then purchased the TrailerSaver air hitch. ( I was using the CurtQ20 before). Both the shocks and the air hitch helped, but the air hitch helped more. Now, when we head out on 3,000 mile trips, the wife can read in the truck, which she could not do before because of the hard bouncing. I recommend both shocks and the air hitch. They have really made a big difference for me.

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