Anyone added shock absorbers to 189FBS or similar sized TT?

[Adirondick-FUN]

Has anyone added shock absorbers to the suspension of a small TT? We are thinking about that for our 189 FBS in order to cut down on the extent of tossing around that obviously goes on as we tow.

 

[jb_dd]

Your trailer is moving that much? How exactly is it moving? Is it swaying or is it bouncing from side to side? When is it doing it (getting passed by semis, all the time)?

What is your setup (tow vehicle, sway bars, equalizer)? Is your trailer dual axle? Is your trailer level when towing?

My first instinct is that something is wrong with your setup. Have you checked your weights? tire pressures? how about weight distribution? If your hitch weight is too light (as in too much weight over the rear of the trailer). It can cause a weird bouncing effect. But that is a forward\backward kind of bouncing.

There's nothing wrong with adding shocks, but I'd be sure everything is setup correctly before hand. As adding shocks may not fix the problem.

http://www.modmyrv.com/2009/01/31/rv-shock-absorbers

 

[keyser soze]

^^^I would agree with jb_bb on this. If I remember correctly the 189 has a shock absorber of sorts already installed, the Equa-Flex suspension by trail air. It has a rubber cushioned pivot point that absorbs sharp impacts to the suspension.

Check the weights and loading of your trailer first, if that is at spec, you can upgrade the suspension with air bellows, or shock absorbers, but it should not bounce.

 

[Adirondick-FUN]

The trailer is not bouncing, but the dishes and food are

Thanks for the comments, which are useful. Sorry to be unclear about what is going on with our FF 189 FBS. The trailer is not swaying or bouncing around back there, just the stuff inside, mainly dishes, which we keep in the cabinet next to the microwave/convection oven, and the food, which we keep in the cabinets next to the access door. Our TV is an 08 Frontier with 6' bed. We are conservative about the weight we add to truck and trailer, and never travel with wastewater in the tanks, but we carry a few gallons of fresh (maybe a third of a tank at most). We use a weight-distributing hitch and a friction sway bar. The truck and trailer are even and level from bumper to bumper. The load bars are parallel with the street. There is no sway in the trailer, and the whole rig moves slightly toward the passing large vehicles just before they go by, nothing that alarms us. I've watched the trailer during enough passes to know that it does not move to the side except as the truck is drawn into the wave of air built by the passing vehicle. We feel that the rig is safely set up, but we would still like to give the trailer a smoother ride. Yes, I'll admit it: we have not weighed the rig, but we did almost 8,000 miles of towing this past winter on our way south and back again and during a side excursion from south Texas to southern Arizona. Adding shock absorbers is just an idea to achieve a smoother ride, and is certainly overkill.

 

[keyser soze]

Check out this setup...

http://www.trailair.com/products/centerpoint/

 

[jb_dd]

Adding shock absorbers is just an idea to achieve a smoother ride, and is certainly overkill.

Yeah, sorry for the barrage of questions, everyone has their different terminology.

Thanks for the information, it definitely sounds like everything is set up correctly, it may be worth adding some shocks, which I don't know too many people that have.

OTOH, have you tried using that rubber/vinyl stuff that you place in the cabinets and between the plates/stuff. It works pretty good for us.

I don't know if this is ok but you may want to search RV.net (if you haven't already). It is a massive RV forum (too big for my liking), but there's lots of info/experience there)

 

[Adirondick-FUN]

Set for now on shock absorber info

Well, now I'm going to need a sticker shock absorber, having followed up on Keyser's URL reference. Sheesh, over a thousand dollars to keep my dishes from getting tossed around! I do appreciate the feedback, though. With that thousand plus, I can buy lots of dishes and a couple of sets of tires ;>).

Thanks, both of you for the quick and useful responses.

 

[keyser soze]

^^Yeah, they really think highly of their products!!

I would look into a more cost effective solution, using a cushion for the dishes sounds like a good idea. Good luck!!

 

[jb_dd]

I would definitely check out the vinyl non skid stuff. Walmart carries it in the kitchen department. It would probably cost $20 total.

 

[flugelboneman-FUN]

Shocks for 189 FBS

We tow same trailer with a 2008 Chev Trail Blazer. Have not had any problem with dishes and pantry items flying around. We do have the vinyl sheeting liner in our cupboards. One thing the dealer bragged about regards the FF was the special hunky dory suspension innovated by Double Tree which apparently is identical to their mega 40' plus fifth wheels. I am impressed the way our FF trails and tows, with minimal sway and reaction to large commercial vehicles passing. I don't think these trailers should ride rough.

Ian Parsons
Van Isle BC Can