Air bags, will they help?

[Jccjr50]

Have a 2018 F350 pulling a 43 ft, 23000 lb DRV 5th wheel. When I hit bad road dips while traveling, I have a major bobing up and down problem. Will air bags help with this issue or is their a better solution?

[LJowdy]

If you're rig is acting like a porpoise more than likely air bags won't help, they're designed to just keep the back of your truck level once it's loaded. Although it is possible that if you can keep the rear springs from compressing to the secondaries (via air bags) it ''may"" help but probably NO.

I'd suggest different shocks for the rear of the coach, ones that limit the rebound. I had a similar problem with a coach I had years ago however it was the front that would start the porpoise motion. I replaced the shocks with Bilsteins and that helped.

Try calling www.shox.com and speak to them about the problem, they may be able to recommend a new shock absorber that will cure the problem.

[Cumminsfan]

Whats the RAWR on the F350 and whats your loaded pin weight. If you're near the pin weight then add some bags to stiffen up the rear. That will keep it from bottoming out.
I don't tow that heavy but did add some bags to my 18 Ram 2500. It has coils for the rear suspension and even with just 1900 lbs for my loaded pin it was too soft and floaty for me. I just returned from a 250 mile RT trip and with the bags aired up to 30 psi the ride was much nicer. My next improvement will be some Bilstein 4600 shocks.
Another option is Timbrens. Unloaded ride will be the same. When you hitch up the rear will drop down and hit the Timbrens and give you a more solid ride.

[Cypressloser]

It's hard to give solid advice unless you post all your weights.
I'm assuming your F350 is a dual rear wheel and you are still within all the weight limits of the truck then absolutely 'yes' go for air bags.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by Cypressloser

It's hard to give solid advice unless you post all your weights.
I'm assuming your F350 is a dual rear wheel and you are still within all the weight limits of the truck then absolutely 'yes' go for air bags.

2X , without you weights and ratings , we're guessing as to the problem / solution . With a similar issue, with my last 5er , I was light on pin weight

JMHO: I'm thinking that trailer & weight, puts you into F-450 territory .

[Jccjr50]

My F350 DWR is well with in specs. Curoisly my 2014 Ram 3500 DWR did not seem to have same issue pulling this trailer. Looked for different shocks, but none seem to be available at this time for 2018.
Appreciate all the responses.

[tuffr2]

Ram uses air bags on the rear as an option on their 2500/3500 trucks. So maybe air bags will help.

I towed with a 2012 Ford Dually. Not the weight you are towing but depending on the highway joints and the and how they matched with the wheels on the truck and/ or the trailer it would do the same.

I also towed with a 2011 Ram Dually and it did the same thing. 99.5% of the time smooth, but once in awhile would buck with the highway joints.

[CecilD]

I have an air hitch which dissipates bumps wonderfully. However, the trailer still moves the truck on dips and rises like railroad crossings. You have over two tons of weight on your hitch trying to lift the truck up and down. It's going to be hard to offset that much energy. I tow far less than half of what you do. My solution to dips is to try to anticipate them and slow way down. You could harden your suspension with highly inflated air bags and it would probably help but then the ride suffers and other things start breaking.

[khuffmanjr]

Originally Posted by Jccjr50

My F350 DWR is well with in specs. Curoisly my 2014 Ram 3500 DWR did not seem to have same issue pulling this trailer. Looked for different shocks, but none seem to be available at this time for 2018.
Appreciate all the responses.

The RAM was probably better suited to the task. By some accounts, the RAM 3500 DRW is roughly equivalent to the Ford F450 pickup, when properly equipped. I agree with this assessment. I've even watched one prominent YouTuber talk about him considering to "upgrade" his Ford F450 to a new RAM 3500.

I'll admit that I'm a RAM/Cummins fan through and through, so you've been warned.

As for the bags, I can't speak on fifth wheels yet, but with my bigass travel trailer, it helps. I went from a RAM 2500 short bed without air to a RAM 3500 long bed DRW with air and I experience less porpoising. Of course, there are a few other changes between the two trucks that helped as well, but I feel the bags help. The bags are factory equipment that activate automatically to level the rear end. My headlights go back to where they belong and I have a stiffer rear end when I'm loaded - exactly when I need it.

For reference, in the moments before the bags activate after dropping the trailer onto the hitch, the truck's rear end dips considerably, as it did on the 2500, so I feel the bags lifting the truck back to level, which stiffens the rear end, has the biggest impact to the porpoise effect.

Shocks on the truck would obviously also help. Air would make it stiffer and keep it from traveling as far up/down in the first place, but shocks would help stop the up/down travel sooner.

I'd say go for it. At the very least you can get the truck riding level again. And at best you'll have a much more stable setup.

Good luck!
Ken

[Duoglide1]

I run a ‘16 F350 and pull a 17.5K trailer with 4125# pin weight plus fuel tank etc. I don’t get the bobbing and still have stock shocks. The trailer however does have shocks installed and that may be the difference. Somethings not right.

[mtofell]

Same issue (but on a smaller scale) was solved with air bags on my 2500 and 5th wheel. Air bags do a lot more than just level the truck as someone mentions. They stiffen the hinge between truck and 5th and reduce or eliminate the rythmic bounce that develops over certain types of bumps or uneven sections of pavement.

[jacknife]

Get some decent shocks . Your factory shocks are not controlling the rebound on the the rear. I use Bilstiens but there are others just as good.