Air Ride 5th Wheel Hitches

[RickNau]

Before any of you get snarky and tell me to search the forums; I already did for the past 45 minutes on three different browsers. All returned the identical results. There may be an issue with the search feature.

I am looking at getting a 5th wheel. I am disabled with severe back injuries from my military service. I am looking in to getting either the Air Safe hitch or the Trailer Saver.

Do you have any experience with either of these and if so how was your experience?
Did it hold up over time?
Would you recommend it to others?

Thank you for your input!

[TXiceman]

We have been using a Trailer Saver TS air ride hitch for the past 8 years and love it. It helps on the jarring between the truck and the trailer.

Ken

[rollondown]

My truck, a converted semi for rv hauler use, has had a Trailersaver on it since 2002. When I bought it in 2014, I replaced the airbags and swing arm pins. In 2018 I replaced the Binkley head because they are a non-serviceable item. So the hitch head was 16 years old, We had over 30k towing miles on it ourselves, and from records, the previous owners had close to 200k on this hitch.
If you go the big truck -semi- route there is a better hitch available, but for a F350 the Trailersaver is a great air ride hitch.

[bolljl]

In 2011 we decided to go fulltime RV, purchased our AirSafe Hitch 25K with (Binkley Style head).
After traveling 48 states and 87,000 miles we've had no issues.
When comparing Trailer Saver and AirSafe 11 years ago. I like the 4 air bags.
Would I recommend AirSafe only if I could still get Binkley Head

[JDT]

We used a Trailer Saver BD3 for 5 years. It is well built and gave us a greatly improved ride over the solid hitch it replaced. Never had an issue with it. It did come out in 2 pieces which helped with lifting it.

I have a pretty good back but lifting something heavy may cause me grief for a week or so. When we got our current fifth wheel we opted for a Reese Goose Box, which has an air bag and 2 shock absorbers. We changed trucks and the trailer at the same time so it may be a result of the truck/trailer dynamics being different but it is the best riding combo we have ever owned. The Box replaces the king pin so all I have to lift out of the bed is the 5 or so pound hitch ball. You don't say how heavy your rig is or will be as weight may be a limiting factor. Just offering something else to consider.

[CecilD]

I bought my first fifth wheel six seasons ago. I installed a new good quality solid hitch and the tow was terrible. Installed the Trailer Saver TS3 and tow is comfortable in the truck as 5er floats behind. I won't go back. Some comments:

Hitch is heavy, make sure you have enough payload for the extra weight. Plan on using mechanical means for remove/install. Hitch is expensive, but worth every penny. The jaws are thick, you may have to use a different thickness lube plate. Because of the air, the learning curve for hookup is longer. TS3 will dissipate both bouncing and chucking forces.

I remove my hitch in the fall and install in the spring after storing covered in garage. Still looks new after a wash job and will hold air pressure all season. I hear the customer service is good, but I have never had to call them. I understand resale value is better than average.

I recommend the hitch to anyone who will listen. You will get many differing opinions. Many are extremely loyal to their hitch brand.

[jacknife]

I have owned aTrailer saver Hitch with a Moryde king pin . Got over 50k towing only replaced the shocks and the two small airlines and quick release fittings . I had a solid hitch before and the towing is like day and nite . They make 3 sizes l think . BD3 up 18 k then the BD 5 Ts models are for the heaviest . They are expensive and heavy but well worth it .

[xc-mark]

I have had the same trailer and a Morryde pin box with two different hitches.
the older truck was a short bed with an auto sliding Demco .Both trucks are crew cab 4x4 diesel.
The newer truck has a Hensley BD5 air ride hitch that use the factory puck system.

Here is the take away comparison of the two hitches , the Morryde pin box with the Demco auto slide you need to install a side to side lock out so the hitch cant let the pin box float the way you would want it to. The single wheel truck short bed and auto slide hitch always felt the trailer moving the back of the truck around and required constant correction in the steering. Up and down movements would some times upset the truck on the highways when crossing bridge seams. one ton SRW truck.

Fast forward and DRW truck, same pin box same trailer same loaded weight just adding a Hensley BD5 and removing the morryde lock out blocks for the Demco hitch. The truck no longer get unstable over the worst bridges and you can drive it without constant steering correction. The side to side is no longer noticeable , my guess is two more tire and the rubber in the pin box is finally able to shift side to side . So that is a win for Morryde in my opinion.

The Hitch is able to slow down the up and down motion the trailer can put on the back of the truck so the ride in the truck is much smoother and stable. The Hensley has about 5" of vertical travel and mine is set to go down 3" and up 2" , it has 4 shocks on the beam for dampening the up and down motion.
In my opinion it was worth the extra money just for the in truck ride improvement . The trailer has Morryde IS 8000 LB axles , it rides so smooth we leave the glass coffee maker on the counter. It never moves regardless of the roads.

[freestyle_freddy]

I had a Trailer Saver TS3 for 10 years & 175K miles on an F450. It's a great hitch, but it is heavy (275 lbs), if you plan to remove it often. When I upgraded to a 2017 F350 dually, I added the adapter plate for the Ford puck holes, & it then weighed 380 lbs. We then semi-permanently parked our 5er & added a truck camper for travelling. So, to make things simpler, I switched to an AirRide king pin air bag assembly, & a much lighter Reese hitch (150 lbs) that I can remove & install easier.
If removal, weight, or cost were not issues, I would go with the Trailer Saver. The dual air bags make for a great ride. My current AirRide hitch is good, but a slightly rougher ride.
If you go with the Trailer Saver TS3, plan to pull the big hinge shaft bar every couple of years & clean out the dried grease & re-assemble it. It's a pretty simple job. The air bags will develop surface cracks that look like the bags may fail, but Hensley assured me the bags last many years. I started carrying a spare bag, but never needed it, & my king pin weight was right at the maximum 4500 lbs., with a total 5th wheel weight of 18.5K lbs..

[BirchyBoy]

I’ve been considering the TrailerSavee BDS5. Do you have to adjust the air every time or just the first time you connect and occasionally after non-use for a while?

[CecilD]

Originally Posted by BirchyBoy

I’ve been considering the TrailerSavee BDS5. Do you have to adjust the air every time or just the first time you connect and occasionally after non-use for a while?

With three large air bags, it doesn't take much air pressure to bring your hitch to the desired tow height (unless you have a really heavy pin). The bag pressure in my TS3 is about 35# which maybe explains why I don't have air bleed during the season. I do have to add minimal air before my first tow in the Spring. Some people choose to bleed the air from the hitch to lower it to the stops for ease of hooking and unhooking. I find it easier to leave the air in.

I don't have auto-level with memory which may create issues with a moving hitch. Others can probably answer this. I have a tonneau cover so my hitch is only exposed to UV when towing. This might be why my bags look fresh after 5 seasons.

[xc-mark]

Originally Posted by BirchyBoy

I’ve been considering the TrailerSavee BDS5. Do you have to adjust the air every time or just the first time you connect and occasionally after non-use for a while?

I run 45 psi in my BD5 , I may have to add air once every 3 months. They have a on board air compressor and a Shrader valve if you need it. If your willing to talk to the sales dept at Hensley I would be will to bet you can get them to throw the base model air compressor in at the same price..... I may have experience this once, wink wink. The current ford and current GM BD5 is the same frame work just the outside legs are bolt on inside or outside .

[jdpm]

I have had a Trailer Saver BD3 for going on 8 years. Robust hitch and I personally believe its one of the best things for your trailer. The ride in in the truck will be better, too.
I sold my hitch with the truck and went to a class a. I hated the class a and went back to a fifth wheel. I bought another TS BD3 hitch.
I love it when people start talking about their hitches. You always hear, "I love my B&W, Anderson, etc. You can't compare any brand of rigid hitch to an air ride hitch. Sorry.
I just insulted my best friend who has an Anderson hitch who just completed a 6k mile trip with his new truck and fiver. He bragged how well the Anderson did. I told him I'm sure it did. But why wouldn't it perform just as any other dead weight carrying hitch would. I continued my telling him if he wanted to see how well a hitch does, get a Hensley. Robust in every way. Thick jaws and positive locking.
I never had any trouble with my BD3. Keep the guide rods greased. I keep the air bags sprayed with 303 Protectant. I have never had an air leak. I also have a bed cover. Otherwise its maintenance is the same as any other hitch. Good luck.

[Madwinger]

Love my BD3. Will never pull a 5er without one. Period. Nuff said.