ulling a fifth wheel or travel trailer down the road is one of those “out of sight, out of mind” propositions. You’re riding in the tow vehicle, surrounded by luxury and quiet — but inside the trailer, the highway “wrecking ball” is having its way, overcoming a suspension that’s reminiscent of covered wagons. The overwhelming number of towables today are suspended by equipment that does little to control the bouncing and hammering shelled out by roads that have seen better days.
Leaf springs alone cannot prevent stored items from being disheveled or, worse, ejected from their cabinets. Frame damage over time is a constant fear, and the entire floor, wall and roof structure can be compromised by undulating pavement, potholes and damaged sections of the roadways.
Fortunately, the aftermarket (and some OEM components) can change the paradigm when it comes to suspension support and provide a smoother ride for trailers. You can opt for simple add-on springs and shocks or work your way up to a full-blown independent suspension. In just about all cases, any added component to control ride quality and/or handling will improve the ride and longevity of the structure, appliances and systems. Following are the various products that can be opted for in the aftermarket.
oadmaster, a company specializing in tow bar kits and suspension improvers for tow vehicles and motorhomes, also offers the Comfort Ride Slipper Springs (roadmasterinc.com) that makes short work out of rough roads. The concept has been around the trucking industry for a long time and Roadmaster’s refined components for travel trailers and fifth wheels are relatively easy to install and transform leaf springs into real suspension support. I’ve been running the Comfort Ride Slipper Springs on my fifth wheel for more than 62,000 miles and can attest to the ride improvement. Simply put, rarely will anything eject itself from compartments after a hard day on broken-down roads. With stock springs, the bumps and vibrations are transmitted to the frame and body as the tires respond to rough roads. Movement of the springs is confined to that of the equalizer as the energy is telegraphed between the front and rear axles. The Comfort Ride system allows the springs to move back and forth in response to road conditions without transferring the energy to the trailer, resulting in a much smoother ride.
While the slipper springs provide a significant reduction in road vibrations, the addition of the company’s gas shocks ($750) will reduce the destructive forces that lead to premature damage even more dramatically. The shock mounts directly to the slipper spring box and axles, making the operation fast and easy. Kits for installation without the slipper springs are also available. Plus, these shocks are mounted in a more vertical position to provide better suspension rebound for maximum road absorption.
he grandaddy in this arena is the MORryde IS independent suspension (morryde.com). This system completely replaces the standard solid-axle and leaf-spring configuration with independently mounted rubber springs in shear. The rubber springs are attached to the metal axles at each wheel and control the ride independently, which means that each wheel will move in response to road conditions, smoothing out the ride dramatically.
Normally, solid axles tied to leaf springs provide maybe 2 inches of movement in concert to road conditions. If the road surface requires more movement, the shock is transmitted to the frame and trailer structure. Over time this hammering effect can damage components and, at the very least, toss around stuff inside the trailer with impunity. The MORryde IS system has up to 5 1/2 inches of travel, which is more than enough to control bad bumps in the highway, speeds bumps and other uneven surfaces such as when traveling off-grid to a primitive campsite.
The CRE3000 is commonly used by trailer- and fifth-wheel manufacturers as a benefit to improve ride and control, and can easily be retrofitted by owners or repair shops. Like the stock equalizer, which distributes the movement between the wheels and axles, the CRE3000 has a travel slot that allows for 3 inches of suspension travel and will smooth out the bumps/road shock via the rubber cushion versus the metal-to-metal movement of the stock equalizers. Owners will benefit from a smoother ride and a more stout equalizer that will outlast the stock version dramatically. The company’s Heavy-Duty Shackle Kit ($131.99-$195.99, depending on number axles) is designed to eliminate elongated holes from the bolt friction — which can lead to suspension failure.
A newer product from MORryde, the X-Factor Crossmember provides lateral support between the equalizer frame hangers, which is said to reduce suspension stress up to 94%. It’s a simple bolt-on job requiring no drilling and when installed the additional support helps with travel over rough roads and tight cornering. The steel crossmember is steel and is adjustable; it sells for $164.99.
ippert (lippert.com), a primary supplier of chassis to the towable segment of the industry, offers an air-ride suspension system under the Center Point banner that can be installed by the do-it-yourselfer. The kit is designed for tandem or triple axles rated up to 8,000 pounds and includes all the necessary components and installation hardware.
Rubber is used to absorb road shock, minimizing fore-and-aft movement that can lead to chucking. Both products have bronze bushings and the Road Armor version has Zerk fittings for adding grease. The Road Armor kit is more robust, offering additional travel while transferring shock and vibrations to the rubber shock absorbers.
exter (dexteraxle.com) is also a household name in the trailer axle, brake and suspension arena and it offers its version of a more stout, rubberized equalizer, the E-Z Flex. The Dexter equalizer is easy to install in place of the standard parts and uses a rubber insert to damp road shock. While on the road, the E-Z Flex equalizer pivots and compresses to isolate the frame and trailer body.
These Heavy-Duty Shackle Kits are stout, durable and protect the shackles from elongating, which will lead to complete failure. They are light years stronger than stock and feature ½-inch links and bronze bushings. Greaseable bolts extend life dramatically. Figure on spending around $400 for the tandem E-Z Flex kit and $100 for each Heavy-Duty Shackle Kit for each side.
f you’re looking for a simple way to decrease G-force and help with sway, highway hop while isolating vibrations, SuperSprings (superspringsinternational.com) has a solution with its Trailer SumoSprings. The company has devised a system that’s super simple to install, using brackets and micro-cellular polyurethane springs that is said to reduce G-forces an average of 68%.
lesser-known product from Timbren (www.timbren.com), a company that markets unique rubber springs for vehicles, the Silent-Ride Trailer Suspension replaces the leaf springs and equalizer with a walking beam system. The axles ride on a single pivot point as the system fully equalizes the load between the wheels/axles at all times.
Although the entire package looks ominous (since it requires removing all the factory suspension components), it can actually be installed by DIYers, according to the company. The Silent-Ride is available for single axles rated to 3,500 pounds and tandem trailers with up to 7,000-pound axle ratings. The company is based in Canada; retail price for the SR14K tandem kit, for example, is $2,164 (U.S. funds).