Troubleshooting A Bouncy Ride On A Vanleigh RV Vilano 325RL Fifth Wheel Trailer

Updated 05/19/2023 | Published 05/18/2023

Question:

I currently have a Vilano 325RL with MorRyde IS and MorRyde 1621HD Pinbox. The hitch is BandW Companion Fifth Wheel. The truck is a Silverado Crew Cab 3500 dually, with 8 foot bed. Since the installation of the IS, I am getting a lot of bounce within the camper and MorRyde engineers feel I need to change the pinbox to one that absorbs vertical travel between the truck and camper. I am looking at the Gen-Y 8050 since pin weight is 3,400 lbs. My concern is the Gen-Y would cause the camper to be nose high over the MorRyde hitch. Would the Gen-Y 8050 hitch work?

asked by: Dean B

Helpful Expert Reply:

If you're getting that much bounce out of your trailer that would lead me to believe that maybe the MORryde IS suspension system is the actual issue. Typically if the suspension is too stiff you'll start to bounce. We see this issue a lot when people install Timbrens on their vehicles. You'll hit a bump in the road and the rubber is so stiff that when the frame hits the spring it ends up absorbing the shock instead of the spring giving you a rough ride. We haven't seen much of the IS yet so I could be totally wrong, but suspension is typically a better spot to make adjustments rather than at the pin box.

That being said, the Gen-Y Hitch Shock Absorbing 5th Wheel Pin Box # 325-GH-8040 wouldn't be that far off from your current pin box. From the top mounting bolt to the king pin plate is 13.76" and for the MORryde 1621HD it's roughly 10.3" so you'd have about a 3" difference when unloaded. As you hook up and the pin weight of the trailer starts to press on the pin box that number would shrink. You'd probably need to adjust your Companion's height down an inch to possibly two inches, but overall would be fine.

expert reply by: Kevin C