2inAlabama
Huntsville, AL
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I am considering putting shock absorbers on our TT to try make the ride better for us and the TT. We have recently traveled a number of bad roads, both state and interstate highways. They beat us up pretty badly at 55-60 mph, so I am concerned for us and the TT during our long western trip in July and August. When the road is bad, the rough ride is transmitted from the TT into the rear of the TV. Of course, with the tires of the TV aired up to maximum pressure of 40 psi, the rough ride is worse. Will shock absorbers on the TT help with a rough ride? It seems that they would smooth the ride - that what shocks do. Right? Any opinions?
* This post was
edited 05/24/10 02:52pm by 2inAlabama *
Just DH & DW
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southernsky
Ponchatoula La.
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You have to check in some states you can't ride in the trailer
2007 Dodge 3500 DRW Mega Cab 5.9 CTD 4X4 (Fat Betty)
2012 Primetime Crusader 320RLT
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pete42
Ohio
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Yes they help, a lot of people who own light weight campers,
scamps, casitas, ect have good results with adding shock absorbers.
shocks keep the wheels in contact with the road after hitting a bump.
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fla-gypsy
North Florida
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Having owned TT's both ways I can unequivocally state that shocks will greatly improve the ride and handling of a TT.
09 SuperDuty Crew Cab 6.8L/4.10(The Black Pearl)
06 Keystone Hornet 29 RLS/(The Cracker Cabana)
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~DJ~
Boise, Idaho
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OK, I guess I was wrong on this one. I would think that a trailer sprung hard enough not to come with shocks that adding shocks would only stiffen the ride.
I'm getting my thinking from say, a small utility trailer with leaf springs. They bounce like crazy empty as there is not enough weight to compress the springs. Adding shocks would do nothing in that scenario.
My TT came with shocks as my springs are very limber to articulate over rough terrain. Shocks are needed to slow the spring rate to avoid bounce.
But if the rough ride is coming from stiff suspension then shocks will only make it stiffer.
Kind of like airing down the tires for a smoother ride on washboard. 
2011 F250 Super Cab Lariat 6.2 373 FX4 Short Box 4" BDS, 35" Toyos, TorkLift, 16.5K Warn, Locked & Loaded
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JJBIRISH
Butler, PA, USA
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yes they will improve the trailers ride and yours in the TV to...
for a long trip I might consider something other than a extra load tire though... maybe the tires loaded make you TV ride worse.
Love my mass produced, entry level, built by Lazy American Workers, Hornet
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Chuck&Gail
In the Colorado Mountains
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With hesitation I ask if you have ever weighed your FULLY LOADED trailer and tow vehicle. If not, why not do it. Then if you are no where near the GVWR on either vehicle, or have put on a higher load range tire, you can go to the tire manufacturers website and find the tire pressure recommended for that loading.
I actually run 5 psi over the manufacturers recommendation, just for luck, but that is still a lot less pressure than the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall.
I know many folks recommend always using the maximum pressure, and they are entitled to their opinion. Tbey are right IF IF IF you are running at the maximum weight.
I prefer to use the pressure recommended by the tire design engineers. I get a much better ride, have better traction than overinflated tires, and my tires last a long time. Also, in over 180,000 miles, we've never had a blowout. Only tire issues were a few repairable nail punctures.
Works for us, although the fact that we refuse to use Chinese tires might also help our lack of tire problems.
Chuck
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2inAlabama
Huntsville, AL
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Yes, I weighed my rig loaded on our last trip. My weights are TV-f:3300, TV-r:3750, TT:6460. I have recently adjusted my Equalizer to distribute more weight forward to the TV and have not weighed since doing that. I run my TV tires at 38 psi in front, 40 psi in rear, and TT tires at 65 psi. These pressures are the recommendations of the tire manufacturers or very close. The TV tires (Michelins) actually have 44 psi stamped on the sidewall. If I run any higher pressures, the ride is even harder.
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Chuck&Gail
In the Colorado Mountains
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The manufacturers recommended pressure varies by WEIGHT, so you need to use their tables. The sidewall number is the MAXIMUM pressure assuming MAXIMUM weight.
For a real corner case example our cargo trailer has load range C tires in ST205/75R15's. They can carry 3,640 pounds max weight at 50 psi (it has two tires, single axle). Now the maximum load we ever have is 1,600#, less than HALF the maximum. So what pressure should we run in the tires? Actually 15 psi can handle 1,810# per the manufacturer. So we run 20 psi and it rides very nicely.
Note I don't think ANY RV TT's are that lite, so DO NOT try running your tires that low. Assuming you have a dual axle with 225/75R15's that are load range D the tables show, ASSUMING all your tires carry the same load, and you really have 1615# per tire, a recommended pressure between 30 (1600#) and 35 psi (1760#). Running the tires at 65 psi in that case would make the ride terrible.
Hope that helps with understanding.
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JJBIRISH
Butler, PA, USA
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One caveat here not all tire mfg’s have and recommend using loading charts and just recommend running full pressure (Good Year & Michelin do)… I am in the full pressure camp for RV’s… but I am aware of the load charts and realize if a tire has a very high in load capability adjusting pressures would work fine otherwise…
Mt utility trailer runs 50 PSI all the time even empty it rides unbelievably good throughout it entire weight range although its length may have something to do with that…
Here it sits with near 2 ½ ton of pea gravel on it…
Most RV’s are close enough to maximum weights and loaded all the time and is the reason why most RV mfg’s recommend using side wall pressures…
Depending on where and why I am going somewhere and how long I am going for, my trailer weights can vary quite a bit before returning home… (shades of it’s a long long trailer)
Aside from shocks on your trailer the Roadmaster active X suspension might just help you TV ride when loaded…
Several members on here use them and can help with them and crappie fisherman had a great write up about them including a lot of pricures of the instalation…
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