What hitch to buy - Page 2 - Montana Owners Club

richfaa · 10-14-2005, 03:29 AM

Lots of good info here..Firetrucker what you describe with the trail-air and Morryde may be peculiar to your truck.as you said your TV is designed to Carry 19K and has a suspension to match.The suspension would sort of negate anything that trail-air or Morryde would do. Agree with the "chucking" as being the primary effect..however..in observing the action of the trail-air on a 3670 RL being pulled by a long bed dually, CC (Me looking out the rear window someone else driving) I sure looked like there was a lot of up and down dampening going on???

firetrucker · 10-14-2005, 06:14 AM

Orv, the tire is a spring, and the spring rate (stiffness) is determined by the air pressure. A light load and lower air pressure will give the same amount of motion (flex) as a heavy load and higher pressure. The pressure on the tire is for the maximum load and might not be appropriate for your conditions.

Although I don't have the sites handy, there are several, including tire manufacturers', that give tire pressure based on load; a good reason to know what the loaded weights of your axles. I don't mean to suggest you should be changing the pressure every time you change the load, but you should at least match the pressure to the maximum load.

Rich, several other posts I've read commented about how much motion was seen with the TrailAir. When I was trying to see if it would fit on my hitch, I tried to imagine how it was isolating that motion. What bothered me was the fact that the truck and trailer are coupled directly together at the pivot...the truck goes up and the trailer goes up. The air bag cushions it and the shock dampens it. Thinking about the spring/shock suspension on the axle, there's no such direct connection, unless you bottom out. Since the trailer doesn't push my truck around nearly as much, I'm looking for more isolation I think I'll get from softening the suspension.

Bob

ols1932 · 10-14-2005, 06:26 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by firetrucker

Orv, the tire is a spring, and the spring rate (stiffness) is determined by the air pressure. A light load and lower air pressure will give the same amount of motion (flex) as a heavy load and higher pressure. The pressure on the tire is for the maximum load and might not be appropriate for your conditions.
Bob

Bob, you're right. However for our application, according to everything I can find, and this is what Firestone was saying, is that you should, for maximum tire life, use the cold pressure rating as displayed on the tire.

Now, for your application, maybe it's different. But I've seen a lot of badly worn tires with only a few thousand miles on them and they were underinflated. My truck tires are Michelins and I've got 40,000 miles on two of them and the tread has worn down even across the tires, and there is still a lot of tread left. I'm going to replace them in another couple thousand miles anyway. I don't like to have to change a tire on the interstates. I attribute this long wear to proper inflation.

I would think that anyone traveling full time, pulling any of the larger 5th wheels would also want to get maximum wear out of their tires.

I've been to several seminars on tires on RVs (motorhomes, trailers, and 5th wheels). That's where I learned to keep my tires up to the cold pressure.

Dave e Victoria · 10-14-2005, 07:17 AM

Rich,
You are right. The trailair does a lot of up down motion. Unfortunately, what you are seeing is the fore aft motion (some call it chucking) translated into the vertical axis due to the geometry of the hitch. The mor ryde has none of these translational effects. Moreover, the hard suspension effects discussed above will cause the trailair to compress and actually induce chucking. This does not happen with the mor ryde hitch pin. Having had both systems, I heartily endorse the Mor ryde. We also have airbags and will add them to my next truck.

richfaa · 10-14-2005, 07:24 AM

We had already determined to go with the mor ryde over the trail air after touring the Montana plant and inquiring as to why they are used on the Cambridge over Trail-air. However Firetrucker's comments are well taken..We thought the pin box first then after evaluation the suspension system..We are going to be travelling a lot with this Rv and need the best ride with min wear and tear on TV/Rv and us...

Bob Pasternak · 10-14-2005, 07:37 AM

Ols1932: The pressure on the sides is maximum pressure at maximum loading. I do not inflate my tires that high except when putting the 2460 pound hitch on the 5th wheel, then only the rear tires. I have Michelin LT265/70R17E LTX A/S tires on my truck. The tag on the door says 50 in front and 70 rear. When I'm not pulling the trailer, I run 55 all around. I can't see abusing the truck or myself the way 80 all around would do. Michelin says at 55lb I can haul 5190 lbs per axle and empty my axles are 4240 front & 2840 rear. At the end of this message I've put a site you can go to that will give you all sizes of tire and how much you can put on at a given pressure. It is in PDF format so you'll have to scroll through it to find yours. When you get there, go to "truck tire/lt. truck data book."

http://www.michelintruck.com/micheli.../Reference.jsp

richfaa · 10-14-2005, 08:06 AM

Bob..great site..bookmarked it...so much to learn.

ols1932 · 10-14-2005, 09:18 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Bob Pasternak

Ols1932: The pressure on the sides is maximum pressure at maximum loading. I do not inflate my tires that high except when putting the 2460 pound hitch on the 5th wheel, then only the rear tires. I have Michelin LT265/70R17E LTX A/S tires on my truck. The tag on the door says 50 in front and 70 rear. When I'm not pulling the trailer, I run 55 all around. I can't see abusing the truck or myself the way 80 all around would do. Michelin says at 55lb I can haul 5190 lbs per axle and empty my axles are 4240 front & 2840 rear. At the end of this message I've put a site you can go to that will give you all sizes of tire and how much you can put on at a given pressure. It is in PDF format so you'll have to scroll through it to find yours. When you get there, go to "truck tire/lt. truck data book."

http://www.michelintruck.com/micheli.../Reference.jsp

I seldom run empty. Towing all the time. I would never go to all the trouble to drop my pressures when I'm parked for a couple days and then have to reinflate before I leave. That's why I say that there are different applications. This works for me.

Bob Pasternak · 10-15-2005, 04:17 AM

OLS1932: I don't let my pressure down unless we're going to be parked a month or more, like in Ft. Myers in Jan & Feb. Then I'll put the bed cover on also. We may take a trip to Key West, but we'll just throw a suitcase in the truck and stay in a motel there. Happy trails.

ols1932 · 10-15-2005, 04:38 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Bob Pasternak

OLS1932: I don't let my pressure down unless we're going to be parked a month or more, like in Ft. Myers in Jan & Feb. Then I'll put the bed cover on also. We may take a trip to Key West, but we'll just throw a suitcase in the truck and stay in a motel there. Happy trails.

Bob:
Have you ever had your rig and truck weighed by RVSEF? Will really tell you how much weight you have on each wheel on the truck and 5th wheel. I think you might be amazed.

Bob Pasternak · 10-15-2005, 07:07 AM

OLS1932: I weigh mine at a CAT scales about 2 miles from the house. My TV weighs 7080 with Jeanne & I in it, full of fuel, maps, pillows, snacks and what ever else we may need for the day's travels. Then I hook the trailer, ready for the road with 2/3 tank of fresh water and empty black and gray tanks to it and weigh again. My steer axle weighs 4220, drive 5100, and trailer axles 9000. Total 18320.

sschupf · 10-17-2005, 05:14 AM

[quote]Originally posted by sschupf

Bought a new Montana model 2955 and now I need a 5th wheel hitch. Any suggestions on what I should buy will be greatly appreciated. My tow vehicle is a 2005 Chevy extended cab 2500 HD durimax with a 61/2 foot bed.
[/Thanks for the advise everyone. I've decided to go with 16K slider hitch by Valley installed by U-haul.quote]

RKassl · 10-18-2005, 12:57 AM

I have the same tow vehicle as you and have the super glide, just love it. Once you connect you just forget it. I have been in some very tight turning situations and the hitch has never failed me. On a complete intentional 90 degree jack knife the Monty cleared the cab by 4-6 inches. A miss is always a miss!

Hope this helps.

Bill Hill · 10-18-2005, 04:27 PM

sschupf,
I know you've made your decision, but I gotta go with what Glenn said, the PullRite SuperGlide is a MOST TERRRIC hitch. We just got back from 10 days in the Southwest, and the SuperGlide performed beautifully! Never a worry!

dsprik · 10-18-2005, 05:08 PM

Bill, is that with a standard pin box?

Bill Hill · 10-19-2005, 04:49 AM

I'm a little confused as to what is the "standard" pin box. I think what I have is called an extended pin box, but the factory says it's what they use as standard. It comes out to the front edge of the nose of the trailer.

dsprik · 10-19-2005, 09:16 AM

Does the Super Glide handle this "chucking" problem we've been talking about here? Or do you still need a Mor/Ryde?

Wordsmith · 10-20-2005, 11:30 AM

I just want to second what Glenn stated so eloquently early in this thread about the SuperGlide. There is NO way to put a price on the peace of mind that the hitch offers. Remember the commercials on television that put a price on certain things, but others are priceless? Not having to worry about the nose of the Montana kissing the truck's cab is, indeed, the latter!

Dave e Victoria · 10-20-2005, 11:50 AM

dsprik,
There is nothing in the pull rite that addresses the "chucking problem". It is rigid mounting system.
Dave

dsprik · 10-20-2005, 01:12 PM

Thanks, Dave! I believe you said earlier that you did have a Mor/Ryde, though? And Airbags?

You may also like: