Trailer suspension upgrades

[atatistcheff]

Just got a 2007 Everest 293P from a relative and we are towing it home across the country. We're getting a little chucking on the freeway. Sometimes it's kind of annoying and other times it's not even noticeable. After talking with my hitch guy and making sure the hitch/truck side is solid I'm thinking of some trailer suspension upgrades. My first thought is an equalizer upgrade like the MORryde CRE3000 or equivalent. This seems to be a relatively inexpensive and easy way to smooth out the ride a bit.

Looking for any advice folks have based on your experiences.

Thanks!

 

[sourdough]

Your profile says you have an Andersen hitch. If set up right it shouldn't chuck...at least mine doesn't. Is the trailer riding rough or is it actually banging the hitch?

 

[atatistcheff]

So there is no play at all in the Anderson hitch. The "chucking" is just the truck oscillating back and forth on some parts of the freeway. It seems to be worse on concrete paved sections and pretty much non-existent on asphalt. Seems like it's transferring the oscillation from the trailer to the truck, that's why I thought some suspension improvements might help.

 

[fjr vfr]

Don’t know your tv but adding Sumo or Timbrin foam springs would help. Also air bags with the right pressure would do the same
I installed Sumo springs on my truck a few years ago and it eliminated nearly all chucking and porpoising effects…not that it was excessive but it made a difference

 

[sourdough]

So there is no play at all in the Anderson hitch. The "chucking" is just the truck oscillating back and forth on some parts of the freeway. It seems to be worse on concrete paved sections and pretty much non-existent on asphalt. Seems like it's transferring the oscillation from the trailer to the truck, that's why I thought some suspension improvements might help.

Truck "oscillating" back and forth? The trailer is pushing the truck left to right? A 5th wheel isn't prone to doing that like a bumper pull unless you have some sort of suspension/axle/spring problem. Those should be pretty apparent. Any broken springs, shackles, u bolts etc.?

 

[flybouy]

How old are the tires on that trailer? Trailer tires age out so if they are original they are 7 to 8 yes old. ST tires should be replaced around 5 years or sooner depending upon the brand.

 

[JRTJH]

Without doing any "real world numbers" it looks like you're towing with a 2017 Diesel F250??? That trailer has a GVWR of 12700 and an empty pin weight of 2375. You may be at/above your truck payload. Also, that trailer, if it's still in the OEM configuration, came standard with 235 80R16 tires and shocks on each wheel position. If the shocks are still working correctly, adding a CRE3000 would not do much, if anything that the shocks aren't already doing to "smooth the ride".

It sounds more like your truck is being "pushed laterally by the trailer" rather than actual "chucking". I'd first check the shocks and tire balance, then run across a scale and get some real world numbers. If you're under your truck GVWR and payload, then I'd look at truck rear suspension upgrades with either an air bag kit or, as posted, SUMO springs or a competitive type product.

But, after checking the trailer shocks and tires for being "round, not egg shaped" and balance, I'd look seriously at what your weights are. That's not a "long or big" trailer, but it is a "heavy trailer" at the very top of what a diesel F250 can carry. Not what an F250 can pull, but what the payload will allow it to carry.

 

[atatistcheff]

Ok to answer a few questions. The truck is a 2019 F-250 which should handle at least 14,100 5th wheel/gooseneck. My aunt and uncle pulled this with a 2005 F-250 which is not rated that high. The truck seems to be handling this 10,000 lb dry 12,700 lb max trailer just fine.

When I say oscillation I mean forward and back, not side to side. AFAIK this is what is normally called chucking.

Tires on truck and trailer are brand new. Had the trailer tires replaced two days ago before we took off.

There are no shocks on this trailer, never were. It just has the typical leaf springs and old equalizers.

We will be hitting the road again on the second leg of our trip tomorrow. We'll see how it goes. The ride got better as the day wore on the first day so maybe it just needed to break in or something. I still plan to look into an equalizer/wet bolt upgrade when we get home.

 

[sourdough]

Just to clarify; the 14,100lb tow rating means absolutely nothing in the real world. Your truck will exceed its payload with a 5th wheel literally every time due to the way the weight is distributed to the pin. At 12,700lb. gvwr and a 23% load on the pin you are looking at 2921 lbs. I suspect that number is higher than the payload/carrying capacity of your truck listed on the yellow/white placard inside the driver door. In that case you may have a case of the tail wagging the dog due to being overloaded.

I'm not sure how you are getting "chucking" (jerking back/forth) if your hitch is tight. Realizing the trailer (or truck) has to somehow be pulling/pushing the other while at a constant speed would require some other intervening force or equipment failure. My Andersen has never given the slightest hint of "chucking" no matter the road surface. I did however have a buddy that had a conventional 5th wheel hitch that had enough slop in it (and the truck was overloaded) to REALLY make "chucking" an issue and extremely irritating.

If the weight and hitch issues are in line then for the inertia of the truck or trailer to shove/pull the other would have to be caused by something letting that inertia continue out of sync with the other vehicle - loose/broken springs, shackles etc. (suspension). The truck is new enough that those probably aren't a problem with it but if it's overloaded the components could be stressed beyond the operating parameters. Another issue might be the "newness" of pulling a 5th wheel. You don't say if this is your first 5th wheel but it might just be unfamiliarity (you said the sensation got better as the day wore on) although hitching and pulling a 5th wheel is usually uneventful.

 

[JRTJH]

The 2005 and 2007 Everest brochures show shocks as standard build items. I could not find a link to the 2006 Everest brochure, but suspect it would also show shocks as "standard build equipment" since they are listed on the previous and subsequent model year trailers. That would mean a "basic steel equalizer" was on the 2005, 2006 and 2007 trailer years. The 2008 Everest brochure gives the standard build as upgrade to Dexter EX Flex (rubberized) equalizers and no shocks.

BUT the 2008 brochure does not show a 293P floorplan or specs, so who knows. It's possible there was a production line change in mid 2007 to delete the shocks, but I'd suspect if that were the case, then the upgraded "rubber equalizer" would have been part of that.

Here's a link to the 2005 2007 and 2008 Everest brochures that show the progressive changes.

2005: https://www.jerrystrailers.com/siteart/pdfs/brochures/2005/2005_Everest.pdf

2007: https://library.rvusa.com/brochure/07_Everest_FW.pdf

2008: https://www.jerrystrailers.com/siteart/pdfs/brochures/2008/2008_Everest.pdf

Note that the 2008 brochure shows the deletion of the shock package and the addition of the DEXTER EZ FLEX system (rubber equalizer).

If your trailer has "steel equizers" and no shocks, is it possible that someone along the way may have changed out the worn rubber equalizers for a cheaper steel equalizer when one failed ???

As for "max towing capacity" just keep in mind that all the Ford towing specs are for the "best possible/max capacity" so those specs are for a specifically equipped XL model, set up for max towing with no regard to desired optional equipment. So those "max numbers" do not reflect any optional upgrades such as XLT, Lariat or higher trims. Those specs also do not include any additional cargo or passengers other than the driver. In other words, that 14,100 pound max trailer capacity is not "real world towing".

Essentially there are four ratings you need to consider: GVWR, FAWR, RAWR and PAYLOAD. The Ford Owner's Manual states that all four must remain below the maximum rating... ONLY after those ratings are met does the "max trailer rating" come into play, and then, it typically goes "out the window" when GCVWR is considered, which is the maximum the truck/trailer combined can weight. With the truck at GVWR, the max trailer weight goes down, usually 1500-3000 pounds below the max trailer rating. So do ALL the numbers, not just that "max trailer rating" from the brochure or from the Ford Towing Guide.

There's enough threads about how the specs in the towing guides from ALL manufacturers "sway the true capacity" that reading them all would take you weeks of evening research just to read them all.

So, find a CAT scale and get some actual "real world weights" so you're not surprised after spending lots of money on truck/trailer upgrades, only to find out that after all that expense, your truck is "overweight and you start looking for a replacement"... It might not happen to you but well worth "knowing for sure how much your rig really weighs".....

 

[Mikebikeman]

I upgraded to a MORryde rubber pin box and it reduced the longitudinal chucking tremendously. Our 2016 Montana HC 353RL came standard with the MORryde CRE3000 suspension but the chucking was very annoying at times. DW is much happier now with the new pin box! We also pull with a 2019 6.7L SuperDuty.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

"chucking" is in-line movement of the truck and trailer caused by play between the king pin of the trailer and the 5th wheel hitch/latching mechanism. The OP has an Andersen hitch which uses a ball mount (zero play) and has stated that it is tight. So the OP is not experiencing "chucking" as the rest of us know it. Rather, I suspect that the weight of the trailer (twice the weight of the truck) is tugging/pulling on the truck, which to me indicates that the truck is not up to the task of hauling that camper.

My Cougar came from the factory with a cushioned pinbox and cushioned equalizers (mine are all Curt Road Armor). In addition, my hitch is also cushioned so I get a nice smooth ride and no "chucking". However, on some roads (particularly concrete highways), there is a bit of porpoising, but that is expected and manageable.

My suggestion to the OP is to ditch the Andersen hitch since it is transferring too much trailer to the truck and go with a cushioned hitch and pinbox as well as a cushioned equalizer setup.

 

[tallen129]

"chucking" is in-line movement of the truck and trailer caused by play between the king pin of the trailer and the 5th wheel hitch/latching mechanism. The OP has an Andersen hitch which uses a ball mount (zero play) and has stated that it is tight. So the OP is not experiencing "chucking" as the rest of us know it. Rather, I suspect that the weight of the trailer (twice the weight of the truck) is tugging/pulling on the truck, which to me indicates that the truck is not up to the task of hauling that camper.

My Cougar came from the factory with a cushioned pinbox and cushioned equalizers (mine are all Curt Road Armor). In addition, my hitch is also cushioned so I get a nice smooth ride and no "chucking". However, on some roads (particularly concrete highways), there is a bit of porpoising, but that is expected and manageable.

My suggestion to the OP is to ditch the Andersen hitch since it is transferring too much trailer to the truck and go with a cushioned hitch and pinbox as well as a cushioned equalizer setup.

I agree with Rob, but if you not about to change out the pin box right away, due to any issues, try moving the weight around in the trailer. I had the Andersen hitch when I started out for my 29' 24RDS 5ther, and I also have a 2005 F250. I felt the same thing you did on interstates like I-75 (concrete). I shifted some weight around and it helped a lot. Now saying all this, I did turn around and get the GooseBox pin box as soon as I could. My 5ther was new and all that stuff about hitches and warranty. Again this is just my thoughts and what happen to me. I can also say that I have CAT scaled 3 different times, and I normally only have 100lbs to spare before I reach my trucks payload. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[jaredjohn4]

I upgraded my camper to the MORryde CRE3000, not because of chucking, but because of the poor shackles put on at the factory. After a few years, before a trip I noticed two of the thin shackles had split open on the bottom. I quickly ordered the upgrade with wet bolts and thicker shackles. It improved the ride a little, but I can't imagine the problem if the shackles would have let go 1000 miles from home.