kingpin air suspension

MNawman · 09-12-2012, 07:43 AM

Hey guys, I would like to hear from some of you with an air suspension pin box. I am looking at getting one and trying to decide between the 5th Airborne and the Trail air. I had a TrailSaver hitch in my other truck and really liked it except the airbags kept leaking and were a pain to change out. I have a new truck with a new hitch, so I dont want to replace my hitch. Those of you with a pin box system let me know what you have and how you like it. Thanks guys.

christopherglenn · 09-12-2012, 09:00 AM

I have a trailair pinbox up front, and centerpoint out back. Cats water dish doesn't spill anymore.

Jim W · 09-12-2012, 09:03 AM

I have towed my 318SAB Cougar both ways with and without the TrailAir Pin box. To me there is a considerable improvement with the TrailAir Pin Box in ride comfort. I installed the TrailAir Pin Box in July of 2010 after a trip to Asheville NC in June of 2010. The interstate in West Virginia was so bad that I thought the camper would be shook apart. Both my DW and I had headaches from the ride quality of the truck and camper attached to each other. The consist jerking and chucking really bother us this was the first time that I have ever notices that this would be a real issue in towing the 5er. This is our second 5er by the way.

After installing the TrailAir Pin Box we took another trip and my DW comment that she did not even notice the 5er was attached. Since then we have taken several long trips of 2,000 miles or more with the 5er and never seem to notice an issues with the ride quality now.

I do have to re-inflate the Air bag about once a month when we use the 5er during the camping season. We take the 5er out every month for a week or so and the bag will hold the air pressure during the week or two that I have it out. This is not an issue with me since I carry an air tank that I can use to inflate the air bag or trailer tires if needed.
Jim w.

webslave · 09-12-2012, 10:02 AM

I use the TrailAir with the Tri Glide base plate.

The air bags and shock control the up/down movement and the Tri Glide base plate takes care of fore/aft jolts. Cost a fair penny, but, I won't tow without it. The trailer just floats along behind the truck...I know I've got a ton sitting in the bed of the truck (you can't hide that), but, I can't feel the 35' 318SAB behind me...

An added benefit... The box is longer than stock. With the stock unit and the sculpted nose of the 318SAB, I could get almost 90 degrees. With the Tri Glide TrailAir, I can get (but don't go) more than 90 degrees with a short box TV.

MNawman · 09-13-2012, 08:13 AM

Thanks for the input guys. If Im not mistaken the Trailair has the exposed air bag in the front. Do you guys notice much uv damage? Im in New Mexico and the sun is brutal here. Would you have to cover the kingpin or treat the bag with a uv protectant? Thanks again

webslave · 09-13-2012, 03:00 PM

Don't treat or cover mine...when I'm traveling. If in "storage" (sitting next to the house) I cover mine. Not for the air bag, but, overall protection of the whole assembly from the elements. I don't need a bunch of dust, twigs, birds building nests inside of it, etc. fouling up the system. Had my wife make a custom fit cover out of the material we had left over from a defunct trailer cover. When I'm on the road (we're retired and on the road alot); nada. It is actually only exposed from the front for the most part and whenever I look at it, it is "in the shade" from the overhead plate and the side plates; not, IMHO, a lot of "exposure" and they are made tough...just like the air bags used in suspension components.

RedOne · 09-13-2012, 04:57 PM

We have a 5th Airborne Sidewinder on our 29RES. It makes the whole setup so much more enjoyable. So smooth you really don't know it is back there, unbelievable. My brother drove it and couldn't even believe it as he has a 3500 CTD with 38' Raptor toyhauler.

christopherglenn · 09-14-2012, 08:33 AM

The trailair box is hinged at the back, this makes the front drop when unhitched, which makes rehooking harder then needed. The 5th airborne is hinged at the front, which should make rehitching as easy as a fixed pinbox.

AnolaBob · 09-19-2012, 01:08 PM

What a great idea, got to get one. Without making this a personal question what is the relative cost for one of these units? We have a 28" Sidney if that matters.
Bob

tileman · 09-19-2012, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christopherglenn

The trailair box is hinged at the back, this makes the front drop when unhitched, which makes rehooking harder then needed. The 5th airborne is hinged at the front, which should make rehitching as easy as a fixed pinbox.

So how hard is it to hitch up the trailair to the 5th wheel ?
Move the trailer up or down or is there some thing diff to hitching up?

Was saving up for a trailair but do not want a mess with it.

Ron.

christopherglenn · 09-19-2012, 02:45 PM

I would *guess* the front edge drops about an inch from loaded to unloaded. As you come in to rehitch you have to push the truck under the front of the 5th wheel plate (which moves up due to the airbag), and it must sit flat on the top of the hitch to lock the kingpin correctly. Getting the front of the trailer to the correct height to do both at the same time is fairly easy with a soft suspension, (the truck moves down and the front of the pinbox moves up - then they both recover enough to have the plate and hitch parallel). On my dually I couldn't get it right for my life, it was either to high or to low. I was either to low and hit the edge of the pinbox ramp on the vertical part of the hitch below its ramp, or started hitching, then before the kingpin was all the way in had to lower the trailer down till everything was parellel.
Now with the air-ride I cheat - dump air, back under pinbox, fill air, back an inch or two, click, done.

webslave · 09-19-2012, 03:57 PM

My TrailAir with Tri Glide is no more difficult, in fact a little easier, to hitch than my old stock pin box. The odds that you are going to be "dead level" at every campground when you unhitch and pull away is almost nil. That being the case you have to raise and/or lower your rig to get it hitched back up. With a "rigid" pin box, that "window" is smaller than that with a moveable (air supported king pin) as that moveable king pin can move up several inches on its own. If it hits anywhere on the ramp you are good to go and it doesn't lift or jerk the trailer around when hitching...it just rides up the ramp, into the holder and latches. I find I don't have to be anywhere as "dead on" as I did with the stock pin box and coupled with the B&W Companion hitch head (moves in both axi), hitching is as easy as it gets. The plate is pretty level with the ground, it doesn't "hang" that much...what it does do is "compress" an inch or two when the weight of the trailer is lowered onto the hitch...my trailer used to tow slightly nose high, now with the TrailAir it is dead level due to the compression letting it "settle" on the air cushion.

RedOne · 09-19-2012, 04:49 PM

With my 5th Airborne I hit the same everytime. Don't have to worry about bladder up or down...air it up if needed after it's on the truck. Usually not needed as it stays where I put it.

tileman · 09-19-2012, 04:59 PM

Thanks for the info christopherglenn.

webslave thanks for the post good reading.

I know ours is a stock pinbox and it takes me maybe two trips in/out of the truck for me to get the trailer the at the right height.

And to me its no big deal but on our last trip there where a few times I got it right the first try.

Now if I could just back up into a spot on the 1st try

webslave · 09-20-2012, 01:02 PM

CW, and probably a lot of other RV supply houses, sells a little level that allows you to place a "slide" over the bubble just before you unhitch. You leave the "slide" in place and when unhitched, you use the bubble to raise or lower the nose to level the fore/aft positioning. When you are ready to leave, raise or lower the nose to put the bubble back under the "slide" and you are at the exact position you unhitched at. It is called "Hookup Memory Level":

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...p-memory/15718

Makes life a lot easier

I've got mine stuck right on the side of the pinbox. Pull the latch lever, set the "slide" over the bubble, pull away. No more "is it too high" or "is it too low" when hooking back up...wish I'd thought of it...

mhs4771 · 09-20-2012, 01:18 PM

One issue I've found with the Tri-Glide: If you're using the typical Nylon plate (to avoid the metal to metal contact) you need to have the pin box a little higher because of the downward angle of the king pin plate. If you don't the nylon lube plate can catch on the front opening in the hitch and loose a chunk of it or worse lodge a piece of it into the jaws preventing a complete hook-up (don't ask how I know). With the MorRyde pin on our previous Montana you could be an inch or so low and it would just ride up into the hitch jaws. But for the improved ride I can adjust my hook-up style.

tileman · 09-20-2012, 02:09 PM

Found this in my service manual for my automatic leveling.

It says
3. Push “LEFT” and “RIGHT” buttons at the same time.

4. Unit will raise up to the point where the AUTO LEVEL was started, (normal starting point from where it was disconnected from the tow vehicle.

5. Connect tow vehicle and make sure 5th wheel and pin are connected and locked

Have to try it out see how it works

mhs4771 · 09-21-2012, 08:25 AM

It does work, use it when I don't forget. But if you hit any other buttons after Auto Leveling, it will disable that feature. So don't try a tweak anything after Auto Level is complete.

tileman · 09-21-2012, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhs4771

It does work, use it when I don't forget. But if you hit any other buttons after Auto Leveling, it will disable that feature. So don't try a tweak anything after Auto Level is complete.

Thanks for the info

Drew Waller · 02-26-2013, 01:51 PM

I purchased a Cedar Creek with a Trail Air in 2004. It was the biggest 5th wheel I had ever had. We went to a dually and diesel. Then we traded for a bigger Raptor (tri-axle)3612 with no Trail Air. Let me tell you there is a big difference. I didn't know what chucking was untill I hooked that rig up! I'm getting a new Raptor 332 TS and it's having a new Trail Air Tri Glide put on as we speak. I'll let you know in a month what it will be like. From all the reports here on this forum I think it will be a welcome addition to a long drive.

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