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CrazyCooter

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One other failure on the trip was the Gearmaster....... It had been intermittently been not turning on, but touching one of the buttons on top would turn it on so I figured it was a software glitch or something.

 

Well it must have a cold solder joint of a cracked board cause it's temperature sensitive, now shuts off when touching a button, and requires a minor beating to turn on now.

 

Hoping that will be easy to get handled since it's only a couple months old!

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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You shouldnt be seeing any chunking from the Trailair (provided you dont have a air ride 5th wheel hitch like the ET or similiar.)...

 

i got a solid mounted 4 way hitch on my volvo and the Trail-Air (came from the factory that way, granted my trail-air was made

before they got bought up in 2007ish) on my 5er and it rides beautiful. got a camera that looks right at it so i can see it whats going on going

down the road.

 

i got over 30k miles with my setup and ive left things in my bedroom on the counter (by accident) in the 5er that might have broke with the roads

in Utah, Wyoming on I-80 and they never moved a inch.

Fulltimer Class of 2007

1998 Volvo VNL64T610 Detroit Series 60 12.7 470HP/1650TQ Eaton 18spd 228"WB Tandem
2006 40' ToyHauler 3 slides and a 14' Toybox

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I have the new Trailair Flexair pinbox with a rigid hitch on the truck. The trailer ride seems fine as it always had other than when shifting gears or turning off the jake it feels like the trailer hits me from behind. Didn't have that with the Morryde box. I'm envisioning the lower jaw pivot flopping front/back like it's too loose.

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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I have the new Trailair Flexair pinbox with a rigid hitch on the truck. The trailer ride seems fine as it always had other than when shifting gears or turning off the jake it feels like the trailer hits me from behind. Didn't have that with the Morryde box. I'm envisioning the lower jaw pivot flopping front/back like it's too loose.

thats really ODD. and you have the airbag inflated according to the directions?

 

my 5er i run the airbag a bit lower on air than the manual says because that i was a hair Nose up and the next bolt holes made the 5er nose down.. but i never

have gotten pushed by the 5er like your describing.

 

sounds like its time for a camera back there to see whats going on but since Trailair is now owed by Lippert (around 2007ish) ,id be checking all the bolts and

everything for any kind of play or a missing bushing or something. you SHOULDNT be getting "pushed" or "chunking" from that pinbox.

Fulltimer Class of 2007

1998 Volvo VNL64T610 Detroit Series 60 12.7 470HP/1650TQ Eaton 18spd 228"WB Tandem
2006 40' ToyHauler 3 slides and a 14' Toybox

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One other failure on the trip was the Gearmaster....... It had been intermittently been not turning on, but touching one of the buttons on top would turn it on so I figured it was a software glitch or something.

 

Well it must have a cold solder joint of a cracked board cause it's temperature sensitive, now shuts off when touching a button, and requires a minor beating to turn on now.

 

Hoping that will be easy to get handled since it's only a couple months old!

OI had a problem with my Gearmaster(can't remember was now) but called and they exchanged immediately no problem. Hopefully the same for you.

2019 Thor Chateau 28E on a Ford E450 chassis. Maybe awhile but will get a new picture forgive one up there it is my old rig.

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thats really ODD. and you have the airbag inflated according to the directions?

 

my 5er i run the airbag a bit lower on air than the manual says because that i was a hair Nose up and the next bolt holes made the 5er nose down.. but i never

have gotten pushed by the 5er like your describing.

 

sounds like its time for a camera back there to see whats going on but since Trailair is now owed by Lippert (around 2007ish) ,id be checking all the bolts and

everything for any kind of play or a missing bushing or something. you SHOULDNT be getting "pushed" or "chunking" from that pinbox.

Yep,it's set to the arrow ride height on the shock. It ran a little low the first day and I added a little air to get it perfect for the rest of the ride there. We then loaded the garage for the ride home, so I had to drop the pressure a bit.

 

I agree there "shouldn't" be any play, but I can move the lower jaw by hand before the rubber pad cushions it. Thinking that will only get more when the forces of towing come into play.....could be litterally inches! Mechanically everything is tight. Ill get the camera on it and a call to Lippert depending on what is seen. I pulled it a little bit with the pickup and wasn't impressed in the few miles home from the shop, but wrote it off to the trailer always chucking a bit unloaded.

 

Have a look at the design of this box. They have added another feature to the lower jaw that I'm assuming yours doesn't have. https://www.etrailer.com/Fifth-Wheel-King-Pin/Lippert-Components/LC328492.html

Edited by CrazyCooter

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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OI had a problem with my Gearmaster(can't remember was now) but called and they exchanged immediately no problem. Hopefully the same for you.

 

Well that's a bummer! Sometimes these things happen though......

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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Nice shakedown trip report. The rig looks great in the sunshine...

 

An option to get your ATV unloaded to run for parts would be to dolly off the trailer, cage your parking brakes, start up in gear declutched (manual trans benefit) and idle the truck ahead till you have room to offload, shut off in gear (manual trans benefit). Have your "swamper" walk beside and throw the chocks under the wheels where you shut down. Not recommended on 8% grades :huh: .

 

Spare filters, spare air governer, spare alternator, spare belt(s), kit of air fitting furls and o rings and stuff. If you have it along you never seem to need it... :blink:

"Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. 

 

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Especially important as spares are TWO sets of fuel filters. Because if you ever get bad fuel you will need them. Ask me how I know....

 

I went 13 years hauling with an HDT (as a fulltimer) without getting bad fuel. But when you get it....you get it.... :(

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Nice shakedown trip report. The rig looks great in the sunshine...

 

An option to get your ATV unloaded to run for parts would be to dolly off the trailer, cage your parking brakes, start up in gear declutched (manual trans benefit) and idle the truck ahead till you have room to offload, shut off in gear (manual trans benefit). Have your "swamper" walk beside and throw the chocks under the wheels where you shut down. Not recommended on 8% grades :huh: .

 

Spare filters, spare air governer, spare alternator, spare belt(s), kit of air fitting furls and o rings and stuff. If you have it along you never seem to need it... :blink:

Yep, it looks pretty good from 20' away! Moving down the list to paint and what to do with it....... Repaint like it is for more character or just paint it all white for better looks with any color RV we might end up with in the future. The clear is peeling off at an alarming rate now that is it being stored outside and getting washed.

 

I would not have tried that method to disconnect and move in this particular place with the scary grade we were parked on, but on a more flat surface sure! The thought crossed my mind to charge the tanks with the 120v compressor that usually lives in the front cabinet of the 5er, but I left home thinking I wouldn't need it since the trick has air.........

 

 

 

Especially important as spares are TWO sets of fuel filters. Because if you ever get bad fuel you will need them. Ask me how I know....

 

I went 13 years hauling with an HDT (as a fulltimer) without getting bad fuel. But when you get it....you get it.... :(

I will be adding to the roadside "Kit" for sure! I have belts, hose clamps, fluids, etc. A governor and fuel filters will be added to the box for sure. Not sure why I didn't have filters for this truck anyway.....I always carried them for the pickup.

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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Check this video out:

http://vid293.photobucket.com/albums/mm58/crzyctr/20150928_184901_zpsz7ev4xir.mp4

 

Care to guess what it looks like traveling down the road with 18K of trailer hooked to 20k+ of truck?

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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CC; not doing this any more but when we were, it was with an IH 4400 530E full air, ten spd, a Gearmaster, 3:08 rearset with a GeneMcCall AirGlyder hitch with a Trailaire Pin box and if memory serves about 3400 lbs pin weight from a 38' Mobile Suites.

 

Running both the Trailaire and the Airglyder never once caused me any cyclical bouncing or dampening conflict. I had a Voyager two camera system with one camera mounted on a tall light tiara built behind the Harley barn on our truck looking down at the hitch area and it was a marvel to watch the trailer floating along sedately while the truck was giving our kidneys a beating,

 

You have a triple axle set up which should help mitigate "chucking" but that new design air pin-box looks like the arc of travel of that floating underplate would be about 6" from the pin to the center of the cross pivot bolt. I'm thinking that braking events would cause the trailer to forge ahead with that plate pivoting rearward along with your pivoting head of your truck hitch tilting forward making for some extra fore and aft movement until trailer brakes take charge. Not desirable with front cap so close to Jeep.

 

My other concern would be to keep a very jaundiced eye on your goose neck framework. Long-snout pin-boxes put enormous leverage on framing of heavier pin weight frames.

 

A Go-Pro Camera is going to give you very useful info indeed for future decisions. Mounting a flexible fiberglass stanchion screwed to a good plate magnet at the point duplicating your jeeps furthest rear point and mounting your Go-Pro to the side so it can see the interplay between the trailer and that stanchion while you put your rig through it's paces with curb, parking lot, driveway, transtions etc., might avert a later disaster.

 

PS. mounting the Go-Pro so it can view the gap between the top of your pin-box to underside of trailer cap might just cause you to assess the amount of frame flex going on under there as well. Just to be careful and pre-emptive.

 

Nice build-up and very enjoyable to read about. Good luck.

Edited by bstark

Today is just the tomorrow you worried about yesterday!

 

Bruce, Sandra & Scampi cat SKP#86370

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CC; not doing this any more but when we were, it was with an IH 4400 530E full air, ten spd, a Gearmaster, 3:08 rearset with a GeneMcCall AirGlyder hitch with a Trailaire Pin box and if memory serves about 3400 lbs pin weight from a 38' Mobile Suites.

 

Running both the Trailaire and the Airglyder never once caused me any cyclical bouncing or dampening conflict. I had a Voyager two camera system with one camera mounted on a tall light tiara built behind the Harley barn on our truck looking down at the hitch area and it was a marvel to watch the trailer floating along sedately while the truck was giving our kidneys a beating,

 

You have a triple axle set up which should help mitigate "chucking" but that new design air pin-box looks like the arc of travel of that floating underplate would be about 6" from the pin to the center of the cross pivot bolt. I'm thinking that braking events would cause the trailer to forge ahead with that plate pivoting rearward along with your pivoting head of your truck hitch tilting forward making for some extra fore and aft movement until trailer brakes take charge. Not desirable with front cap so close to Jeep.

 

My other concern would be to keep a very jaundiced eye on your goose neck framework. Long-snout pin-boxes put enormous leverage on framing of heavier pin weight frames.

 

A Go-Pro Camera is going to give you very useful info indeed for future decisions. Mounting a flexible fiberglass stanchion screwed to a good plate magnet at the point duplicating your jeeps furthest rear point and mounting your Go-Pro to the side so it can see the interplay between the trailer and that stanchion while you put your rig through it's paces with curb, parking lot, driveway, transtions etc., might avert a later disaster.

 

PS. mounting the Go-Pro so it can view the gap between the top of your pin-box to underside of trailer cap might just cause you to assess the amount of frame flex going on under there as well. Just to be careful and pre-emptive.

 

Nice build-up and very enjoyable to read about. Good luck.

 

Those are some really good ideas

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Those are some really good ideas

 

CC; not doing this any more but when we were, it was with an IH 4400 530E full air, ten spd, a Gearmaster, 3:08 rearset with a GeneMcCall AirGlyder hitch with a Trailaire Pin box and if memory serves about 3400 lbs pin weight from a 38' Mobile Suites.

 

Running both the Trailaire and the Airglyder never once caused me any cyclical bouncing or dampening conflict. I had a Voyager two camera system with one camera mounted on a tall light tiara built behind the Harley barn on our truck looking down at the hitch area and it was a marvel to watch the trailer floating along sedately while the truck was giving our kidneys a beating,

 

You have a triple axle set up which should help mitigate "chucking" but that new design air pin-box looks like the arc of travel of that floating underplate would be about 6" from the pin to the center of the cross pivot bolt. I'm thinking that braking events would cause the trailer to forge ahead with that plate pivoting rearward along with your pivoting head of your truck hitch tilting forward making for some extra fore and aft movement until trailer brakes take charge. Not desirable with front cap so close to Jeep.

 

My other concern would be to keep a very jaundiced eye on your goose neck framework. Long-snout pin-boxes put enormous leverage on framing of heavier pin weight frames.

 

A Go-Pro Camera is going to give you very useful info indeed for future decisions. Mounting a flexible fiberglass stanchion screwed to a good plate magnet at the point duplicating your jeeps furthest rear point and mounting your Go-Pro to the side so it can see the interplay between the trailer and that stanchion while you put your rig through it's paces with curb, parking lot, driveway, transtions etc., might avert a later disaster.

 

PS. mounting the Go-Pro so it can view the gap between the top of your pin-box to underside of trailer cap might just cause you to assess the amount of frame flex going on under there as well. Just to be careful and pre-emptive.

 

Nice build-up and very enjoyable to read about. Good luck.

 

 

Those are some really good ideas

Indeed! With every bump I have been expecting the whole front end to snap off for the past 4 years!

 

2500 miles last week and the box didn't move at all. Depending on how this whole Trailair thing goes, I may end up with the shorter unit again and give up on the Jeep until we decide what the next trailer will be.

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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I had to move the 5er in the backyard and move some stuff this morning, so I had the wife shoot a video since the issue was obvious. There is no need to set up a video on the road.......and here is the money shot: http://vid293.photobucket.com/albums/mm58/crzyctr/20151003_110058_zpst3g5rwfv.mp4

 

This POS needs to go strait to the garbage can! I hope it's defective cause there's no way an engineer would design it this way!? WOnder how long my new B&W would last with all that monkey motion going on back there? No wonder the rubber pads were spit out of the base mount when I got home......

Edited by CrazyCooter

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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I knew something was not right when I can feel an unloaded 14K 5er bump the 21k truck on the way out. The fun was when we loaded the garage with 2-3K of stuff on the ride home. This video was taken after I unloaded the 5er this morning and it felt much worse than it did when I left. I moved the 5er from home to the shop and back a couple of times before leaving for Wyoming so I had a feel for it.

 

Thank you Atlas oscillating air seats! Despite the extreme chucking, we still walked to the trailer without assistance at the rest stop after 850 miles!

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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I had to move the 5er in the backyard and move some stuff this morning, so I had the wife shoot a video since the issue was obvious. There is no need to set up a video on the road.......and here is the money shot: http://vid293.photobucket.com/albums/mm58/crzyctr/20151003_110058_zpst3g5rwfv.mp4

 

This POS needs to go strait to the garbage can! I hope it's defective cause there's no way an engineer would design it this way!? WOnder how long my new B&W would last with all that monkey motion going on back there? No wonder the rubber pads were spit out of the base mount when I got home......

thats horrid. take it back to where you bought it and demand you money back.

 

looked at mine when i was home today (currently transisting to a brick and mortar home as my father recently had a stroke and cant be left alone anymore in addition to his alzheimers) and mine is a solid bottom plate.

 

no wonder your feeling it....

 

mines not the same model... mine is http://store.lci1.com/air-ride-pin-box-trailair

Fulltimer Class of 2007

1998 Volvo VNL64T610 Detroit Series 60 12.7 470HP/1650TQ Eaton 18spd 228"WB Tandem
2006 40' ToyHauler 3 slides and a 14' Toybox

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thats horrid. take it back to where you bought it and demand you money back.

 

looked at mine when i was home today (currently transisting to a brick and mortar home as my father recently had a stroke and cant be left alone anymore in addition to his alzheimers) and mine is a solid bottom plate.

 

no wonder your feeling it....

 

mines not the same model... mine is http://store.lci1.com/air-ride-pin-box-trailair

Yes this is the "new improved updated" version from the triglide that most hated. If I can get a refund on this one, I'll just get the standard air ride pin like yours. I thought I was doing a good thing be getting the 5er more isolated from the HDT......

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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Yes this is the "new improved updated" version from the triglide that most hated. If I can get a refund on this one, I'll just get the standard air ride pin like yours. I thought I was doing a good thing be getting the 5er more isolated from the HDT......

Lol... thats NOT improved... that reverse progress. hopefully you bought it on a credit card.

 

mines rated for 24k and when poking thru the manufacturers website i didnt see the exact model mine is. but again mine is pre lippert owning Trail-Air.

Fulltimer Class of 2007

1998 Volvo VNL64T610 Detroit Series 60 12.7 470HP/1650TQ Eaton 18spd 228"WB Tandem
2006 40' ToyHauler 3 slides and a 14' Toybox

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Lol... thats NOT improved... that reverse progress. hopefully you bought it on a credit card.

 

mines rated for 24k and when poking thru the manufacturers website i didnt see the exact model mine is. but again mine is pre lippert owning Trail-Air.

No kidding! I think it would work fine if the distance from the pivot bolt was tightened up or the rubber pad was a tad thicker.

 

Bought it from ETrailer which was a saga in itself from the beginning. They gave me bad measurements of the unit first. They couldn't find the hitch they sold me, then more delays in shipping........ Then remember it didn't just bolt on? Now this!

 

Paid with Paypal, but hoping this will be an easy deal to work out. I think the biggest issue is the freight costs involved in returning it.

 

I'd like to graft my Morryde rubber pin onto the air upper!

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

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Sounds love you will take a hit to swap it out. You could always weld 4 small legs on the hitch to keel it from tilting. Seen it done on Comercial rigs that haul dump trailers.

Ron C.

2013 Dynamax Trilogy 3850 D3

2000 Kenworth T2000 Optimus Prime

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