Chucking solutions?

BauerAP · 05-11-2019, 07:51 AM

So I’m sure this has been hammered into the ground and I tried to do my due diligence and search but couldn’t find what I was looking for. I have a 2011 F-250 6.7 CCSB SRW with B&W goose neck with a Curt X-5 adapter and Reese pro series 16k slider pulling a Sprinter 32FWBHS. I’ve only towed it once so far for about 200 miles. I’m convinced the chucking is coming from the hitch itself. I made u-shaped wedges to mind the play between the curt and the hitch. One time on the last trailer I used a set of composite shins in the rollers with the wedges and it worked great. Almost 0 chucking. The only issue with those is it takes the slide option out of the equation. It’s not the brake controller as it does it when the brakes aren’t applied. Mainly bridges and dips in the road. I was curious if anyone has a similar setup or a relatively inexpensive solution. I would love to go with a mor ryde or the like but not looking to spend a grand at the moment. Any ideas?

GHen · 05-11-2019, 08:31 AM

Yes, this has been discussed just recently again.
Try moving the weight around on your RV. Check it at a scale, each axel separately. Try with water and with only a little.

**JRTJH** · 05-11-2019, 09:41 AM

I think what GHen is saying is "make sure you have enough pin weight." A light pin will "bounce in the hitch" during towing. Adding weight to the trailer, forward of the axles, will increase the pin weight and help stop the bouncing.

As for "bumping" (my name for it) that occurs when starting and stopping. That's an "inherent problem" with slide bar hitches. The newer "clamp style" hitches have pretty much eliminated that problem. If you've got a slide bar hitch, you'll get a "bump" when you stop and a "bang" when you start, if you accelerate too rapidly.....

GHen · 05-11-2019, 10:09 AM

Thanks JRHT, I got a phone call in the middle of that response.

When you go to the scales have your normal travel load in your truck, DW and kids, full fuel , check each axle, TV front, TV rear, RV and total. Then compare to your specifications and make you’re not over loaded, but you don’t want it light.
I’m at 5820 on my truck rear axle and my max is 6200. I’m trying to get mine closer to 6000. I only have chucking on bad bumps or bridges. I think most everyone does. You just don’t want it happening all the time.

RV Water can make a big difference depending if is in front, middle or behind the axles.

BauerAP · 05-11-2019, 12:06 PM

Haven’t had this trailer long enough to experiment much with it. I’m not concerned with the bumping. I guess my question is more in regards to taking the slack out of the hitch itself. When empty, hitch sitting in my truck, I can grab the head and see it move at the adapter and at the rollers. Probably 1/16-1/8” at each. I understand moving weight forward would change this some but I can’t move but so much unless making it miserable to unload the bed initially at a site. I would rather leave the fresh tank empty for weight purposes and majority of the time we have no need to use it but if some would even out the ride I would give it a shot.

tech740 · 05-11-2019, 05:34 PM

Does your X5 mount tight. I had one and had to shim the X5 to make it tight. In the end I got rid of it by going to an Andersen.

BauerAP · 05-11-2019, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tech740

Does your X5 mount tight. I had one and had to shim the X5 to make it tight. In the end I got rid of it by going to an Andersen.

That’s where one of my problems is. I used flat steel and ground it to a wedge and cut out the center to straddle the pin hole. What did you use to shim?

gearhead · 05-12-2019, 08:25 AM

I had a Curt Q20 with a fair amount of bumping. I went to a 5th Airborne pinbox that helped on the up and down bumping. When I got the Bigfoot cabover I needed an easy to remove lightweight hitch and went to the PullRite Superlight, similar to Anderson. Problems solved.
I think these hitches have what we in the turbo machinery world called "clearance stack-up". You add up all the clearances and they quickly become overwhelming.

BauerAP · 05-12-2019, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearhead

I had a Curt Q20 with a fair amount of bumping. I went to a 5th Airborne pinbox that helped on the up and down bumping. When I got the Bigfoot cabover I needed an easy to remove lightweight hitch and went to the PullRite Superlight, similar to Anderson. Problems solved.
I think these hitches have what we in the turbo machinery world called "clearance stack-up". You add up all the clearances and they quickly become overwhelming.

Exactly... I understand there will be a bounce in the ride. What I was hoping to find suggestions to eliminate or reduce these clearances. Someone else surely has had a similar experience.

tech740 · 05-12-2019, 06:58 PM

I used a couple pieces of 300psi rubber fire hose. That seemed to work well. Just too many moving parts for my liking.

BauerAP · 05-13-2019, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tech740

I used a couple pieces of 300psi rubber fire hose. That seemed to work well. Just too many moving parts for my liking.

Hadn’t thought about that. My mind was on something solid. We just took some out of service after hose testing. I’ll grab a couple feet of LDH and give that a shot. It won’t rust either.

tech740 · 05-13-2019, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BauerAP

Hadn’t thought about that. My mind was on something solid. We just took some out of service after hose testing. I’ll grab a couple feet of LDH and give that a shot. It won’t rust either.

I had to use the pin weight of the camper to set the pin in the B&W. Then I just had the rocking of the slider.

You may also like: