Shocks on 5th wheel?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 193
From: Cambs, England
Shocks on 5th wheel?
My trailer doesn't have any shocks, it rides well but in the UK we have some pretty bumpy roads including speed humps in some places. I think it would benefit from some dampers, has anyone done this? Is there any kind of universal kit available?
I've tried searching but all I can find is air ride hitches!
I've tried searching but all I can find is air ride hitches!
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 13,834
Likes: 25
From: Middle Tn.
Joy Rider Trailer Suspension Kit (3 inch axle)
try this url or google joyrider trailer suspensions. App $250 per axle for the complete kit.
try this url or google joyrider trailer suspensions. App $250 per axle for the complete kit.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
I installed the kit from Lippert on our fifth wheel and have posted about it a couple of times. If you already have the brackets, you just need shocks. Otherwise the kit/s. What do you want to put them on? 
Steve
Steve
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 193
From: Cambs, England
Joy Rider Trailer Suspension Kit (3 inch axle)
try this url or google joyrider trailer suspensions. App $250 per axle for the complete kit.
try this url or google joyrider trailer suspensions. App $250 per axle for the complete kit.
Steve, my trailer is a 2006 Crossroads Cruiser with 11700lb GW, no brackets on there, having looked at the Joyrider kit I think that I could make something similar but better engineered. What sort of difference did you find with shocks?
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
I am not sure how to answer your question as suspension control in towables does not concern most folks until you get to chucking at the pin and then the air suspensions do a much better job, in my opinion.
I did shocks as I did not want to invest heavily in an air pin box that was not commonly used, which was the case with our fifth wheel. If we had the most common Lippert pin box, I would have gone air, but we change RVs frequently and there was little chance of using it on our next fifth wheel or selling it. The common ones do turn up occasionally on our market here and bring a pretty limited return.
The addition of shock reduced chucking, I would estimate, between 50% and 75%, but I don't know how to quantify that with hard data unless I resorted to some sort of transducer (overkill as far as I am concerned.
If chucking is a real bother to you, I would suggest going air. Otherwise shocks give a reasonable return for the money.
I don't see single sheer as a problem, but maybe I am missing something.
Steve
I did shocks as I did not want to invest heavily in an air pin box that was not commonly used, which was the case with our fifth wheel. If we had the most common Lippert pin box, I would have gone air, but we change RVs frequently and there was little chance of using it on our next fifth wheel or selling it. The common ones do turn up occasionally on our market here and bring a pretty limited return.
The addition of shock reduced chucking, I would estimate, between 50% and 75%, but I don't know how to quantify that with hard data unless I resorted to some sort of transducer (overkill as far as I am concerned.
If chucking is a real bother to you, I would suggest going air. Otherwise shocks give a reasonable return for the money.
I don't see single sheer as a problem, but maybe I am missing something.
Steve
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,381
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From: Cambs, England
Thanks for your comments on the ride Steve, I reckon shocks will smooth things out for me. The single sheer thing is probably me being overly concerned as I have spent over half my life around race cars where any possible deflection is unacceptable.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
Suspension fascinates me, though not so much with towables.
Steve
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Moderator
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From: Home Base Nebraska
Before you buy a kit look at your spring plates and see if there is holes besides the ones for the U bolts or if you can add holes. Mine came with shocks with studs on both ends, the bottom end used a hole in the spring plate. I didn't like the way they were mounted because of the travel so I had new upper mounts made at a 4x4 shop. I replaced mine with a Monroe Gas Magmuns, the pictures are from my disk brake conversion. I had to bend the bottom stud to get the right angle for the new upper mount.
Denny
Denny
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Las Cruces, NM
This is what I have learned from asking the RV manufacturers at Forest River reps from Lippert about why they don't put shocks on newer fifth wheels (post 2009): They started using rubberized equalizers between the axles. Trailair is Equa-Flex, Dexter is Flexeze. They say that these shock absorbing equalizers take the place of the shock absorbers. Another reason is that with the new trailers and the slide configuration, there is no place to install the upper bracket. On mine, the left rear upper bracket had to be replaced three times before we could get the shock to stand at an angle where it would actually work. The original bracket had the shock bending instead of going in and out. The second was such that when weight was on the axle, the shock was completely compressed. So...the rubberized, shock absorbing equalizer. Some people don't balance their trailer tires either--they don't think it is important because they aren't riding back there where they can feel it. But I think that if it rotates it needs to be balanced, and if it goes up and down, it needs to be damped. That's just me.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
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From: Bristol, TN.
Knowing the manufacturers, I think they left shocks off because of the time involved doing it right. They will cut every possible corner to add a few cents to their bottom line.
My opinion,
Steve
My opinion,
Steve
Moderator
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From: Home Base Nebraska
Shocks make a big difference
Denny
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,381
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From: Cambs, England
This will be my over winter project then, I've just finished fitting a parking brake (EU law thing!) that will probably never be used so it will be nice to do something that will benefit us.
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