here’s nothing very exotic about a basic suspension under a trailer or fifth wheel. As a matter of fact, it still carries some similarity to the suspensions used on covered wagons and stagecoaches of a century or more ago: leaf springs hooked to axles and connected by an equalizer. Why? Because it’s simple, effective and works — at least, to a certain extent. But while these Spartan suspensions still offer some relief from less-than-perfect roadways, there’s really not much cushioning and bounce control going on.
On the other hand, shock absorbers — the most common device to damp unwanted impulses created by interaction of the vehicle body and springs — have been around for nearly as long as automobiles, but they are not commonly found on trailers and fifth wheels as standard equipment, especially on entry-level units. One reason for the omission is the belief that since people don’t ride in them while on the road, they have no idea how harsh the ride is and how abusive all that jostling and flexing can be on the structure and contents. That, however, completely ignores the fact that constant pounding on the road can lead to premature damage and costly repairs to installed components and the RV itself.
Where Are the Shocks?
Simply stated, all vehicles need shocks to improve handling. Jolts to the trailer are telegraphed to the truck, which exacerbates poor handling. Take out the jolting forces and the truck will handle better while towing — and even help “the tail from wagging the dog,” properly referred to as sway.
Even though common wisdom suggests that the use of shocks is best practice, trailer manufacturers — even those who understand the advantage of damping the ride — still mostly refrain from using them because there is usually not enough room to mount them properly. Fortunately, Roadmaster has introduced a patented mounting system for its Comfort Ride Shock Absorber system that allows them to be positioned at an optimum 30-degree angle. This provides the necessary leverage to control unwanted movements during compression and rebound (shocks that are mounted on a horizonal plane are virtually useless).
Lateral rocking and suspension travel are also controlled to a certain degree by angling the shocks to the outside of the frame, something that is also achieved by the design of the Custom Ride brackets. This mounting position, according to the company, centers the trailer weight over the tires and helps with sway.
Kits are available for 2 3/8-, 3- and 3 ½-inch diameter axles and include the aforementioned brackets and all the mounting hardware for tandem axles. The nitrogen-charged shocks are not unique, but they do utilize heavy-duty components and fasteners — and are sized for trailers and fifth wheels. Kits sell for $650 for all size axles; owners of triple-axle RVs will need the additional shocks and hardware for triple axles (which sells for $325, also in kit form).
Drilling and Bolting
The installation is not difficult, but plan on spending at least four hours under the trailer. Before you start, take the time to read the clearly described and illustrated installation instructions carefully. The first step, obviously, is to lift the wheels and tires off the ground and place jack stands on the frame and axles to provide more room to install the new tie plates; you’ll have re-mount the wheels and tires and lower the trailer to the ground to determine the positioning of the frame brackets later in the process. Just make sure you don’t lift the frame using a jack on the axle. When the wheels and tires are on the ground, use chocks to prevent rolling; also, the trailer must be level.
For this project, the wheels were lifted off the ground using the onboard leveling system and jack stands were placed in strategic locations. The old tie plates on the right side were removed from the springs and axles and set aside for the moment. Next, the new tie plates were placed on the respective locating pins and the original tie plates were set on top of the new ones, requiring the use of the provided longer U-bolts. The U-bolt nuts were torqued using the specification from the axle manufacturer that’s provided, by brand, in the instructions.
Once the wheel and tires were back on and the trailer was situated firmly on the ground, loading the suspension, an extension plate was bolted to each new tie plate. Since the axles were mounted below the leaf springs in the test trailer, the extension plates were bolted to the two holes in the end of the plate (the two middle holes are used if the axles are on top of the leaf springs). These bolts were torqued to 57 ft.-lb.
Drilling the holes required the use of a 12-inch long, 5/16-inch bit and enough energy to push upwards. Make sure the bit is sharp or you’ll be fighting a hopeless situation. The bracket was then attached to the frame using the self-tapping bolts, making sure there were no obstructions on the other side of the frame. With the first bracket installed, it was possible to measure from the end of the equalizer to determine the locations for the other brackets. This will allow you to lift the trailer again, stabilize it with jack stands and remove the wheels and tires to allow better access for drilling the holes and driving the bolts for the other three brackets. In this installation, the LP-gas pipe was in the way on the left side and had to be relocated.
From here it’s a drill-and-bolt proposition and once the shocks are torqued to specification (provided in instructions), it was just a matter of cutting the bands, remounting the wheels and tires and torquing the lug nuts.
Smoothing Out the Bumps
It’s hard to quantify the results of adding the shocks because no one went for a ride inside the fifth wheel before and after the installation — but the shock absorber industry is huge and auto manufacturers don’t integrate damping provisions just to make suspensions look pretty. Shocks work, and in this test the results were positive, eliminating much of the bouncing while improving towability.
The owner reported much less rear-end movement and better control of interior contents (meaning, he wasn’t greeted with a mess inside when he opened the entry door). Previously, when towed on roads with potholes and uneven surfaces, the fifth wheel did a road dance. After the shocks were installed, the trailer settled down — and there’s no denying a smoother ride will improve longevity and minimize subsequent repairs.
