air ride towing - Montana Owners Club

leonard · 06-01-2006, 11:19 AM

While we were camping this past weekend I was talking to a fellow Montana owner. He showed me his "trailair" 5th wheel hitch pin that he said made towing much smoother. Before investing in one, I was wondering if others had tried one and what their impressions were. It looks like a good unit and I am tempted to spend more money.

Thanks,

Leonard in Iowa

CountryGuy · 06-01-2006, 01:34 PM

Al and I have said this a few times on the forum, we will never pull a 5er down the road again without some kind of air pin or air hitch.

This has been discussed here a number of times, and the discussions have been very interesting, a search for the last year will help (be sure to change that time frame when you start the search engine) and maybe a visit to the archives as well (front page,look down right side to yellow boxes)

Enjoy your Montana.

bigmurf · 06-01-2006, 03:40 PM

Had my Trailair pinbox for about 9 months now. Would do it again. Also have the Trailair Center Pivot airride on the axles.

hazmic · 06-02-2006, 10:58 AM

I have a TRAILER SAVER that I just installed and a air hitch is the only way to go. The ride is smoother for the truck and trailer. If you read other post here and TRAILER LIFE forms you will see how many people are have problems with the frame wields breaking from our smooth roads. The air hitch or pin box really helps take care of this problems. COUNTRYGUY is so right. When driving down the road and watching the trailer and truck movement is something else. They are not cheap, but worth the money. More trailer company's are installing them, must be a reason?????

snfexpress · 06-02-2006, 02:34 PM

We have the GlideRide and absolutely love it! Wouldn't be without it. That with the Mor-Ryde suspension has kept things on shelves when we were going down I-80 in the #2 lane that had been rutted by big rigs. The bouncing and swaying was so bad, I decided to stay in the #1 lane and to heck with the CHP!

Jerzy54 · 06-02-2006, 02:54 PM

Hi Everybody,
Before I buy air ride pin box I would like to know did any of you used king pin stabilizer with these pin boxes.

CountryGuy · 06-02-2006, 03:16 PM

Jerzy,

Do you mean the king pin stablizer that is set up when we are in camp?? Yep, we use one, no problem with our Isolator. Love em both.

If you mean otherwise, excuse my dull brain

DO note, however, (on edit) that we have the Isolator whis is NOT a glide type pin.

Jerzy54 · 06-02-2006, 03:20 PM

Thanks, I think I will order mine next week.

ols1932 · 06-02-2006, 05:27 PM

I'm wondering if there is some confusion between the Trail Air hitch pin and the Trailer Saver hitch. I don't have the Trail Air hitch pin simply because I was a little reluctant to add any length to the rig's pin. With my hitch, I can't see where the Trail Air would help me. My ride is so smooth now I don't know how I can improve it.

Orv

CountryGuy · 06-03-2006, 02:59 AM

Orv,

We wish we had the HITCH, had we known what we do now, we would have purchased one. So, we had to go to the PIN.

When Al and I discuss this, we mean have ONE or the OTHER. But have ONE!

From my post above, "we will never pull a 5er down the road again without some kind of air pin or air hitch".

Maybe next time I post that I will cap the word "OR"! HAHA. small word, easy to skip by it!

And, I'll bet that hitch of yours reduces porposing too, the pin reduces it considerably, but we can still feel it on the nortorious and worst roads (I 10, etc)

CanDo · 06-03-2006, 03:44 AM

Have been following this thread with great interest. We have been discussing getting some type of air ride pin. However, it sounds as though getting the air ride hitch gives a better, smoother ride?

ols1932 · 06-03-2006, 04:02 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by CanDo

Have been following this thread with great interest. We have been discussing getting some type of air ride pin. However, it sounds as though getting the air ride hitch gives a better, smoother ride?

Everyone who makes some type of improvement in their towing capability will tell you theirs is the best. Every improvement seems to do what it is supposed to do. Sometimes it seems that RVers want something that is better. I believe "better" is in the eyes of the beholder.

We purchased the Trailer Save hitch simply because I was being beat up after a days travel. I went that way rather than the hitch pin setup (which is a good one) because I felt that I was giving the rig a little better ride structurally. That's also the reason I went to Elkhart and had the Mor/Ryde axles installed. It all costs money but it's part of our lifestyle, just like paying those high fuel prices.

Again, don't let anyone tell you that what they have is better.

Orv

richfaa · 06-03-2006, 04:15 AM

The air ride hitch is a super unit, expensive but worth the bucks if you are doing a lot of over the road towing. We went with the Mor-Ryde hitch pin to complement the now standard Mor-ryde suspension. I think if you do your homework on the different type hitch and pin boxes and examine your travel and towing habits the advantages of having some sort of air hitch or pin box will become evident in terms of ease of handleing and towing and , #1 to us, to relive the stress on both the camper and the truck. When we towed this thing home @ 90 miles , the way we came, we deliberatly left some" things" laying about..A glass on the counter, cup on the table, glass on the PC desk something on a shelf. We had a couple of railroad crossings and some road construction... everything was in its place when we arrived home...very impressive..

hazmic · 06-03-2006, 06:45 AM

I bought the TRAILER SAVER HITCH because after thinking all the possiblys over ,you buy a air pin box and trade trailers the pin box might not fit the new trailer where as the TRAILER SAVER hitch is mounted in the truck box and can be moved from truck to truck. Not so with the pin box. Look at the web sights on TRAIL AIR [fine product] and look at TRAILER SAVER. There are other products out there also that are just as good as others, air borne, air box, demco, mor ride. Look them over and decide for your self. I have TRAILER SAVER and I also will say that once you have what you decide you won't go back to just a pin box or hitch.

leonard · 06-03-2006, 08:05 AM

I was talking about the air ride pin box because I wasn't sure if there was a air ride hitch with a slider. I have a regular slider now so I am assuming it would cost me big bucks to change if there was one available. Keep up the replys, I am becoming much better informed. I had a travel trailer before so this is my first experience with a fifth wheel. Have only pulled it 50 miles so I am not sure on the ride.

Leonard in Iowa

richfaa · 06-03-2006, 08:58 AM

Ok then you may want to start, if you already haven't at www.trailaire.com and www.morryde.com They are both good hitch pins but handle the problem in a little different manner.. Do your homework, take your time. I have the Mor-Ryde and since I never had any other kind cannot compare.

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