Whether taking your overland trailer for a weekend excursion or completely off the grid for an extended amount of time, make sure your truck and trailer are equally equipped for the job. We’ll consider the products needed to make your trip pleasant and trouble-free.
We’ve answered a few questions to help you find The Perfect Pairing:
- What is sway, roll, and sag?
- How do I prevent it?
- Is the Timbren SES system easy to install?
- What can I do to make my trailer more stable or suitable for off-road towing?
- How does an independent suspension help an off-road trailer?
- How does the Timbren Axle-Less trailer suspension compare to other independent trailer suspensions?
- How do you install an axle-less suspension on a trailer?
- What’s the advantage of combining the Timbren SES and Axle-less Trailer suspension for my trip?
What is sway, roll, and sag?
If your truck is troubled with rear-end sag while towing a trailer, it’s important to find an effective solution that keeps the vehicle level. Truck sag – also known as truck squat – causes the rear end to sit too low and the front end to sit too high.
With rear end sag, you’ll experience these side effects:
- Increased braking distance & inability to stop quickly.
- Loose steering compromises your vehicle’s maneuverability.
- Misaligned steering leads to increased tire wear and decreased gas mileage.
Sway and roll are often used interchangeably, usually caused by rear-end squat and a top-heavy load. If you are towing a heavy trailer that causes your truck to squat, you will notice that the back end fishtails (sway) and leans dangerously on corners (roll).
How do I prevent it?
- Installing a helper spring is the quickest and easiest way to prevent suspension squat, roll, and sway. But not all helper springs are created equal.
- Airbags are expensive and take a long time to install. Add-a-leaf helpers are easy to install but are limited to lighter loads.
- Timbren SES helper springs give you the biggest bang for your buck.
Why is the Timbren SES system easy to install?
If you know how to remove a bump stop, you can install a Timbren SES kit. Almost all SES kits replace the existing bump stop on the vehicle (except for a few universal kits designed for larger trucks).
Once the bump stops are removed, the SES kit gets bolted into the same place on the frame or axle. Some kits are so quick and easy that the installer doesn’t need any tools. None! Here is an example of just how easy it is to install one of these kits...
It doesn’t get any easier than that! Why it’s almost laughable...
What can I do to make my trailer more stable or suitable for off-road towing?
There are Timbren SES kits designed for trailers. These universal-style kits fall into three categories: 1) Light duty, 2) Medium duty, and 3) Highway trailers.
Light duty kits are best suited for camper and utility trailers. Medium duty kits work well with Low-Boy and 5th Wheel trailers. Highway trailer kits are designed for semi-trailers (aka tractor-trailers).
The best suspension designed for off-road towing is the Axle-Less trailer suspension because of its unique design that offers 3 advantages when out on the trail:
- Maximum ground clearance
- Maximum smoothness
- Maximum control
How does an independent suspension help an off-road trailer?
An independent suspension allows each tire to move independently of the others while navigating rough, off-road terrain. This promotes a smoother ride compared to a dependent suspension that ties both tires to each other making the ride rough and hard to control.
Independent suspensions like the Axle-Less trailer suspension promote safety and control. The extra ground clearance prevents accidents with rocks and stumps. It rides so smooth and quiet that you’ll forget you have a trailer!
How does the Timbren Axle-Less trailer suspension compare to other independent trailer suspensions?
We looked at 3 other independent trailer suspensions:
-
Curt Independent Trailer Suspension
- Used on camper trailers. Not meant for off-road use.
- Curt uses coil springs (instead of rubber springs)
- Axle-free.
-
MORryde
- Made for 5th wheel campers
- MORryde uses rubber shear springs & shocks
-
X-Cruise – made by Cruisemaster
- Made for all-terrain and off-road trailers
- System uses coil or airbag as well as
The only product that resembles Axle-Less is the X-Cruise by Cruisemaster. X-Cruise uses conventional parts. Not nearly as innovative as the Axle-Less. Not only that, the Axle-Less costs a lot less.
How do you install an axle-less suspension on a trailer?
Here is a relatively short video that illustrates how to install an Axle-Less trailer suspension on a new trailer...
What is the advantage of combining the Timbren SES and Axle-less Trailer suspension for my trip?
Your tow vehicle will need SES helper springs to keep the vehicle level under load. Additionally, SES kits help to smooth the ride and reduce roll and sway. When the tow vehicle is level and stable, the trailer will track much better.
Your off-road trailer will need the Axle-Less trailer suspension to keep it out of harm's way. Combining SES and Axle-Less will ensure that you have a trip that’s free of worry and anxiety. It’s a small price to pay for a trouble-free vacation.
