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Old 06-30-2022, 12:31 PM   #41
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Originally Posted by craigav View Post
Thanks for the many years of driving, I believe that Truck Drivers are certainly under appreciated.

I wanted to share that when it comes to smaller trailers (smaller than tractor trailers), all of the guidance I have seen states that if "Excessive Sway" occurs, you should manually activate the trailer brakes and not apply the tow vehicles brakes. I have actually used this procedure when a huge wind gust blew the trailer 45 degrees out of alignment with the truck and was about to go over.

While I would have to search to find it, this guidance (using trailer brakes to control "excessive" sway) was published by the NHTSA many years back although I haven't checked lately to determine if their guidance has changed.

In the case of the OP with excessive bouncing, I don't suggest that hitting the trailer brakes would help with the bouncing, and not too mention 5th wheels generally don't have the same sway potential as a bumper pull. ~CA
Thank you for your respectful response. All I'm going to response with is I wouldn't trust much coming from the NHTSA. Much like the FMCSA the government entity that oversees the trucking industry. They tend to be pencil pushers that have little or no real world experience. They read reports and issue guidance. That guidance can and is influenced by politics and money. I'm not going to speculate as to the exact number of times they get it wrong and go back and change the guidance. Or speculate to the exact number of people each year their guidance has unfortunately hurt or killed.

Your absolutely right in that 5thwheels are 100% a different beast then bumper pulls. I also didn't say that controlled use of the trailer brake controller would not produce a positive outcome in some situations. My personal opinion is its really rare. Your also right in a bounce situation the last thing to do is grab the brake controller.

In a high wind pushing your trailer around upto a 45 degree angle with your truck you really only have 2 options the brake controller or the gas pedal. I have used the gas pedal to pull out of a jack-knife situation multiple times. I have never used the brake controller to do it. In my situations I have always been going slow enough I could safely speed up to get it straight. Then slow down with more control using all my brakes. I have also seen truck and rvs on there sides because they used too much pressure on the brake controller. In thay situations there really isn't a right or wrong way to fix this issue as long as your not flipped over when your done. If you were able to get just the right amount of force on the brake controller they your a bit of the exception to the rules. Most inexperienced drivers would not get the right force and end up in a trailer brakes locked situations that is worse then the jack-kinfe itself.

I personally wish that the rv industry would come out with some driver training programs to help RVers do it safer. But then again you would have thousands of people that say oh I've pulled a 12 foot utility trailer hundreds of times I know what I'm doing with that 40 foot 5thwheel. Or 2 to 3 year truck drivers that think an rv is going to drive like a big rig. FyI they don't not even close. 5thwheels are not even close to the same driving experience. In many ways rvs can be more difficult to control then a 80k lb truck and trailer. Keep in mind that your pickup truck is at a way higher percentage of its max capacity with an rv then a semi is with 80k lb load. Most semis are capped out on weight by the government not by the trucks capacities. My normal truck and trailers capacities would put me at 165000lbs but my government permits max me out at 90k. Just some food for thought.
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Old 06-30-2022, 12:46 PM   #42
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Wallowing pigs? My RAM 1500 W/tow package has done a admirable job towing thus far over 14K miles!
Relative to Ford and Chevy, yes. They are known for their cushy ride, while the other two have more brittle rides. Obviously, this didn't stop me from buying a RAM, but it is what it is.

I had a 2000# popup...so light it didn't have brakes. The tongue was light enough that I could pick it up...not much, but I could. Perhaps 200# or so. I got the airbags because when the PUP was on the hitch the headlights pointed at the sky and the truck wallowed through the whoop-de-doos common on rural roads. Oncoming drivers were blinded.

With the bags, it's a stalwart truck...so much so that when I bought my current 5500# GVWR rig, the dealer salesman told me to hold off on a WDH because he was confident my truck would not need the weight and hassle of a WDH. He was right, and he walked away from a sure sale of a WDH. I run 45 to 50 PSI in the bags, 45 PSI in the rear tires (door tag calls for 35 PSI), and the rig tows like a dream.

But the stock suspension was most definitely NOT up to this task. The airbags and Bilsteins make the truck handle extremely well loaded and unloaded. It was a wallowing pig without these mods.
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Old 06-30-2022, 12:50 PM   #43
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Originally Posted by rkymntsno View Post
I was thinking Bilstein's also. If I were to go with the shocks, would I replace all four or could I get away with just the rear shocks?
Always replace all four, or you'll have an imbalance in wheel damping movement that may cause other handling problem. Flacid shocks up front with nicely snubbed shocks at the rear is a recipe for an evil handling truck.
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Old 06-30-2022, 01:55 PM   #44
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Originally Posted by jimmoore13 View Post
Relative to Ford and Chevy, yes. They are known for their cushy ride, while the other two have more brittle rides. Obviously, this didn't stop me from buying a RAM, but it is what it is.

I had a 2000# popup...so light it didn't have brakes. The tongue was light enough that I could pick it up...not much, but I could. Perhaps 200# or so. I got the airbags because when the PUP was on the hitch the headlights pointed at the sky and the truck wallowed through the whoop-de-doos common on rural roads. Oncoming drivers were blinded.

With the bags, it's a stalwart truck...so much so that when I bought my current 5500# GVWR rig, the dealer salesman told me to hold off on a WDH because he was confident my truck would not need the weight and hassle of a WDH. He was right, and he walked away from a sure sale of a WDH. I run 45 to 50 PSI in the bags, 45 PSI in the rear tires (door tag calls for 35 PSI), and the rig tows like a dream.

But the stock suspension was most definitely NOT up to this task. The airbags and Bilsteins make the truck handle extremely well loaded and unloaded. It was a wallowing pig without these mods.
I'm not gonna bag on your salesman but here's flat out dead wrong. If you look up the towing numbers on your truck you will find with a 5500# trailer your overloaded on your truck without a WD hitch. Most half tons (with or without mods) are no more then 2500 lbs without a WD hitch. I would put money on the fact your trailer requires the use of a WD hitch also. Most rv manufacturers require them because the frames are designed to have them in use. So I would definitely look into that on your truck and trailer. If your overloading your truck only because your not using a WD hitch I wouldn't advertise that. It's a major liability issue if something happens. I have a 2nd rv a 30 footer that's 6500 lbs and I use my 3500 gmc to pull it and I use a WD hitch even though it rides better without it. I use it because the rv manufacturer requires the us of the WD hitch. And this rv is well within the weight capacities of my truck to haul it without a WD. I hope I'm wrong about your truck but I would bet I'm not.
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Old 06-30-2022, 02:19 PM   #45
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I'm not gonna bag on your salesman but here's flat out dead wrong. If you look up the towing numbers on your truck you will find with a 5500# trailer your overloaded on your truck without a WD hitch. Most half tons (with or without mods) are no more then 2500 lbs without a WD hitch. I would put money on the fact your trailer requires the use of a WD hitch also. Most rv manufacturers require them because the frames are designed to have them in use. So I would definitely look into that on your truck and trailer. If your overloading your truck only because your not using a WD hitch I wouldn't advertise that. It's a major liability issue if something happens. I have a 2nd rv a 30 footer that's 6500 lbs and I use my 3500 gmc to pull it and I use a WD hitch even though it rides better without it. I use it because the rv manufacturer requires the us of the WD hitch. And this rv is well within the weight capacities of my truck to haul it without a WD. I hope I'm wrong about your truck but I would bet I'm not.
I'll consider myself and my salesperson bagged on. WDH is all a matter of tongue weight and other payload...and the leverage the tongue exerts to lift the front tires off the ground. I travel the Rockies, over 11,500 foot passes and 20+ mile long downhill runs with great front truck brakes and steering.

You're entitled to your opinion, but that's all it is.
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Old 06-30-2022, 03:08 PM   #46
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I'll consider myself and my salesperson bagged on. WDH is all a matter of tongue weight and other payload...and the leverage the tongue exerts to lift the front tires off the ground. I travel the Rockies, over 11,500 foot passes and 20+ mile long downhill runs with great front truck brakes and steering.

You're entitled to your opinion, but that's all it is.
Hey its all good here. I was just pointing out that rv sales guys are not who I'd take advice from on anything related to towing or driving rv's most don't own and have never driven them. If it worka for you great. I hope it continues to and you have safe travels.
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Old 06-30-2022, 03:20 PM   #47
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I'm just gonna put this right here for anyone interested

"When are these weight distributing hitches required by law? The best rule of thumb is to compare your trailer and vehicle weights. You will need a weight distribution hitch if what you are towing starts to outweigh your vehicle's weight by one-half. For a 5,000-pound truck, that would be around 2,501 pounds. May28,2021" earnhardford.com

"When towing large trailers, air bags should not be used instead of a weight distribution system. A hitch and vehicle will have a Weight Carrying Capacity and a Weight Distribution Capacity."
Etrailer.com.

Assuming your 1500 ram Is in the range of 5000 to 6000 lbs your rv is about 1-1 with truck weight. Every publication out there has a 50% to 1-1 recommended for WDH. And most states state at 50% or greater the wdh is needed.

But hey do your own thing it's worked so far.
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Old 06-30-2022, 03:43 PM   #48
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I'm just gonna put this right here for anyone interested

"When are these weight distributing hitches required by law? The best rule of thumb is to compare your trailer and vehicle weights. You will need a weight distribution hitch if what you are towing starts to outweigh your vehicle's weight by one-half. For a 5,000-pound truck, that would be around 2,501 pounds. May28,2021" earnhardford.com
"When towing large trailers, air bags should not be used instead of a weight distribution system. A hitch and vehicle will have a Weight Carrying Capacity and a Weight Distribution Capacity."
Etrailer.com.
Assuming your 1500 ram Is in the range of 5000 to 6000 lbs your rv is about 1-1 with truck weight. Every publication out there has a 50% to 1-1 recommended for WDH. And most states state at 50% or greater the wdh is needed.
But hey do your own thing it's worked so far.
My first tt/tv combo was a 2007 Ford F-150 reg cab 6.5ft bed and a 2012 Jayco Jayflight 185RB. I towed to Cimarron Canyon NM from Tulsa, experience was harrowing first because the 4.2 V6 5 speed was overloaded (2540 lbs tow capacity) and add to that 600 lbs in the bed. Headlights pointed to the heavens. I was at least 1,400 over weight between trailer and cargo.

Bought an UltraFab 10,000 lb WD hitch and it helped with everything but having to run in 3rd gear to maintain 60mph. I vowed to never tow again without WD hitch AND never to tow anything over 3,500 lbs without trailer brakes in spite of the law. https://texas.public.law/statutes/te...ection_547.401. And this: https://traveltips.usatoday.com/trai...as-100019.html
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Old 06-30-2022, 04:45 PM   #49
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***UPDATE****
Thanks for everyone's responses. Just to update, I opted for now, to replace the firmer Timbrens with a pair of "softer" ones they sent me when I purchased but never kept the softer ones on. Today, our three hour trip to the coast, I have to say, things seem smoother. It could be my imagination but there was less bouncing at the bridges. Nothing like that one episode I had that caused me to post about it. I will stay with this for now. My next step is gonna be four new shocks if I have to do anything further. But for now, happy with the softer Timbrens. Thanks again.
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Old 09-24-2022, 06:32 PM   #50
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Air bags stopped that on my first and before I towed with the new truck I put Bags on it.
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Old 09-25-2022, 10:27 PM   #51
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Air bags do nothing to control bounce, if anything to add to bounce. Shocks control springs, both mechanical and air springs. A larger piston shock or a new pair of shocks should make a world of difference. No need to spend the money on Fox or the other 4-wheel drive shocks. A good Gabriel or Monroe truck shuck will do. Save yourself the money.

Exactly!!
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