Air Bag vs Shock Pin Box for a Keystone Montana Fifth Wheel  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Hi Sylvain, great question.

It really comes down to what you're trying to improve. If your biggest complaint is the harsh bumps you feel over bridge joints and rough roads, an air ride pin box, like the Curt Flex Air or Lippert Trailair, is typically the better choice because it does an excellent job absorbing vertical impacts. If what bothers you most is the constant back-and-forth tugging, also known as chucking, during acceleration, braking, or uneven pavement, then a rubber or shock-style pin box, such as a MORryde Cushioned 5th Wheel Pin Box you were looking at part # MR84VR or Gen-Y, is usually the better fit. Neither is necessarily better than the other, they just solve different towing issues.

Since you are towing a larger fifth wheel, it's also fairly common to experience some rear sag because of the trailer's substantial pin weight. If that's one of the issues you're trying to address, truck-mounted air bags are often the best solution for restoring ride height and leveling the truck. They pair really well with an upgraded pin box, but they won't reduce chucking or soften road impacts on their own.

Before I recommend a specific pin box, I'll need to know which pin box is currently on your trailer, since replacements are selected based on the existing pin box model. If you're experiencing rear sag, I would need to know the year make and model of the truck.

What is the biggest issue you're experiencing while towing? Is the truck sagging under the pin weight, are you getting a lot of front-to-back chucking, harsh up-and-down bouncing, or does the truck feel like it leans and sways in corners or crosswinds?

expert reply by: Heather A

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