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Setting up my Volvo 610 for a 5th wheel hitch


BlueLghtning

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On 4/1/2017 at 0:06 AM, lockmup68 said:

I might be interested in selling as I've been thinking of upgrading to one of Henry's ET hitches. I'm in Nashville area.

Shannon

Shannon, 

I also have a 2L truck.  I upgraded to the ET Jr. when I upgraded to the SpaceCraft (which is running around 30,000 lbs at present.  The ET Jr is a great hitch and the swap is pretty straight forward, especially if you get on the list for the ECR.  A mag drill is a must....

2007 2L Freightliner Century Condo, 14.0L Detroit, QD 6000
2013 Space Craft

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2 hours ago, BlueLghtning said:

From my understanding, the 25k Omni Directional Airsafe is about 28" wide by 24" deep from corner to corner, but it still has those shocks that sit further out on it's width and that would seem to totally stop it from being set down in between the rails as far as I can tell..
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With that hitch mounted down between the frame rails. Should let it work out? Mount a 1/2" or bette steel plate to the bottom of the frame rails. Then set that hitch on rails. Those shocks should be able to be removed. I know some have them while others don't. 

Same as my TS hitch most did not have the shocks. They were an add-on deal.

Pete

 

 


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Binkley heads has been around since Jesus walked on water. They've been stickering those with the 32K and 7K max limits as an article "of faith" for just as long. Those same numbers have been plastered over all kinds of hitches.

The question is how many of these hitches, or Binkley heads have seen 32 GVW trailer and 7K pinweight, or both together.

And if they did what shape they were in 2-3 years of pulling?

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2 hours ago, 4Girls&aMan said:

Shannon, 

I also have a 2L truck.  I upgraded to the ET Jr. when I upgraded to the SpaceCraft (which is running around 30,000 lbs at present.  The ET Jr is a great hitch and the swap is pretty straight forward, especially if you get on the list for the ECR.  A mag drill is a must....

 

Thanks. Good to know.

Shannon

2003 International Eagle 9200i, Cummins ISX, Freedomline

2007 Teton Scottsdale XT4

 

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So found a used air hitch only 30 mins away from me. Guy used it on another HDT truck, but had to go back to a commercial hitch. He doesn't know the brand? Anyone ever seen one like this before?

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Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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15 minutes ago, rickeieio said:

I don't see any side to side articulation, but my eyes ain't what they used to be.

Hmm, good point. He's close enough I can check it out in person and see for sure. His pics aren't the greatest. He's been sitting on this thing for months trying to sell it on FB groups, so the price is right, but yeah it may only articulate up and down.  

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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I went and checked out the hitch today. It sure did look like a homemade hitch and it definitely didn't have any side to side articulation. He was trying really hard to tell me I didn't want that, but I had to remind he we were dealing with two totally different types of trailers. It had one double pancake type airbag under it and just rode on that. I decided to pass on it. Thanks for the info. 

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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I found a trailer saver TS3 hitch that I picked up this evening. It was 2hrs away and the price was right so I drove SW to AL to get it.  I was really trying hard to find a TSLB2H and actually found a smoking deal on one it TX, but it sold the day I found it. This TS3 is actually monunted in the optional sliding hitch frame Trailer Saver sells, but it looks like I can easily take it out of there as I definitely don't need a sliding hitch on my truck and all that extra frame space.

Being that it's the TS3 model, it appears it sits a little higher than the TSLB or at least it does with the extra tabs for the rail attached to it. I need to spend some time with the truck/trailer and some measurements to see if I have to get it mounted down inside my frame rails or if it will fit on top since I have toy hauler with a taller pin, but at least it easily fits down inside the frame rails if needed. 

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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I have the TS2LB on my Topkick.  It appears the only difference on the TS3 relates to the brackets to go in a standard rail.  Can you just cut those tabs off and either weld the hitch to a flat plate and make a TS2 out of it, or even just weld a heavy angle to each side so you can bolt straight down to a plate on the truck?

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56 minutes ago, Hot Rod said:

I have the TS2LB on my Topkick.  It appears the only difference on the TS3 relates to the brackets to go in a standard rail.  Can you just cut those tabs off and either weld the hitch to a flat plate and make a TS2 out of it, or even just weld a heavy angle to each side so you can bolt straight down to a plate on the truck?

You are right, they appear to be pretty close and that does seem to be one of the major differences. I looked at that as far as cutting those tabs off and I might go that route. Maybe I'll go visit my local welder and see what he thinks. From reading I've done, it appears the hitch height on the TSLB is about 11" and the TS3 is 14". Maybe between the tabs and the rails it's supposed to ride in accounts for that height difference. 

One more question. Does your TSLB2H use air from the truck or does it have it's own motor that generates air with power? Since the TS3 is designed for pickup trucks, it hooks to the trailer wiring and it seems it has it's own built in motor that generates it's own air? That's what the seller told me. 

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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If you have it, go measure.... 

Ours is a TS2LB.  It sits on a 5/8 plate on TOP of the frame rails.  When properly aired, swing arm plate at the white line, the top of the hitch head is 51" from the ground.  For us to be level I need to drop it 1.5 inches because my pin box won't retract any higher without cutting and grinding on it.  

 

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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I did measure my toy hauler a week or two back, although it's still sitting at the seller's house and not sitting in the best place to measure. The top of my rails on my truck are just under 41". My best estimate right now on the pin height of my toy hauler is around 51-52", so a 11" head height on the hitch would be perfect, but if it's higher that's probably going to be too high. They gave me a pin height of 53-54", but I'm not sure it's that high. 

I'm hoping this weekend or next weekend, I can get the toy hauler and move it to a friend's house where I'll take my truck too and then we'll get things mocked up for the hitch and go from there. 

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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The air pump in a option on any trailersaver and not included with the hitch.  Most guys use the truck air supply, that way you don't have a whole new system to break down.  Plus it will air up way faster on truck air vs. waiting on a demand pump.  My truck has hydraulic brakes so I added a 5 gallon air tank, electric compressor on a pressure switch, and a pressure gauge and air valve in the cab.  No matter which source you use for the air supply, you will want a cab mounted valve and pressure gauge, both so you can adjust on the fly for road conditions, and so you can fill/dump the air for hooking up. 

I used a simple AirLift air paddle switch available here:

http://store.gaugemagazine.com/air-management-parts/manual-valves/

they are simple and bulletproof.  All you need to do is run a 1/4" airline from any source on the truck to the valve, then back to the hitch.  No wiring unless you want to hook up the light in the guage.  I cut a square hole in the lower dash for the paddle valve where I could reach it from the seat or the ground in case I needed to adjust the hitch height when hooking up I would not have to climb back into the cab.  I put the gauge in an existing round hole in the dash.

 

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7 hours ago, Hot Rod said:

.  No matter which source you use for the air supply, you will want a cab mounted valve and pressure gauge, both so you can adjust on the fly for road conditions, and so you can fill/dump the air for hooking up. 

Unless you also install a height valve on the hitch.  Then the cab gauge is unnecessary.

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KW T-680, POPEMOBILE
Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN
Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row
Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer.
contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net

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I have a pump, and the factory gauge kit for the cab. Never used them, the pump is still mounted in my hitch. But my truck has a air pump on the cummins.

Not sure what there both worth. But can try to get pics of them next week. As were leaving early in the am. And will not be back until Sunday night. Both were used I think the guy told me 7 trips.

 

Also he added shocks to mine. Not sure how much they help out. Because I have never used it without them.

Pete

 

 


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22 hours ago, wild wolf products said:

I have a pump, and the factory gauge kit for the cab. Never used them, the pump is still mounted in my hitch. But my truck has a air pump on the cummins.

Not sure what there both worth. But can try to get pics of them next week. As were leaving early in the am. And will not be back until Sunday night. Both were used I think the guy told me 7 trips.

 

Also he added shocks to mine. Not sure how much they help out. Because I have never used it without them.

Pete

Sure, if you can get pics next week, that would be great. I might be interested in that factory gauge kit. I'm still working on getting my hitch mounted. 

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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With the basic function of the TS hitch, you manually add air through a Schrader valve on the hitch, when hooked up to the trailer.  You inflate the bag enough to bring the load beam up to the index mark.

I am curious as to what benefit having a gauge and switch inside the cab would do for you?  

Now, adding a leveling valve would seem to be a very nice upgrade, as then you would automate the process described above.  But again, I can not think of any situation, such as road conditions, where you would want to adjust the air in the hitch, on the fly, from inside the cab.  IMHO.

John

Southern Nevada

2008 Volvo 780, D13, I-Shift

2017 Keystone Fuzion 420 Toyhauler 

2017 Can-Am Maverick X3-RS

 

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First of all, manually inflating the hitch with the schrader valve is a pain in the ass.  Dragging out hoses, etc, and so on.

Beyond that, being able to easily dump the air when unhooking, and raise or lower the hitch from the cab to match the trailer when hooking makes your like easier.  And once you have hooked up a few times you really don't need to keep checking the little white line, you will know to set it at 50psi or what ever for your ride height.

As to road conditions, my old trailer had a stout 5k pin weight and at the line height it got a decent amount of up and down travel, enough that on a rough stretch of road it could bottom out.  So if I got on a rough patch I'd just pump an extra 10 or 20psi in to keep it from bottoming out, then go back to my normal pressure when the road smoothed out.

Plus manually inflating the schrader valve every time you hook up is a pain in the ass.  Or did I already mention that?

 

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I was not in any way advocating that you would love filling through the Schrader valve.  That was just addressing how the manufacturer sets the majority of thier units up.

My point is that the design calls for the beam to be at one physical static point, when loaded, the same as an air ride truck suspension.  Wouldn't a mechanical feature, such as a load leveling valve be the best way to achieve that?

Having the ability to dump the air bag could be accomplished through a dump valve just like the rear suspension on the truck.

Now, if you prefer to run the hitch manually, based on a psi reading, as mentioned above, Party on Garth.......

John

Southern Nevada

2008 Volvo 780, D13, I-Shift

2017 Keystone Fuzion 420 Toyhauler 

2017 Can-Am Maverick X3-RS

 

ALAKAZARCACODEFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMAMNMS
event.png

 

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When you unhitch from a trailersaver hitch, if you don't lower the air pressure before pulling out from under the pin, the hitch head and swing arm plate moves upward very rapidly.... air pressure on the bags pushing up, and smacks the kingpin plate or the front of the camper.  Having the air control in cab, means you hit the switch and dump the air, pull out from the rv,  put 5lbs back in so the bags aren't completely deflated, and step out of the truck.

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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