Improve How Your Trailer Handles On and Off the Highway
Everyone wants their vacation to be safe and stress-free. Pulling an RV trailer can be wonderful. But if you’re not careful, your RV trailer can very quickly become a nightmare.
In this short article, we’ll talk about how to maintain safety and stability, avoid any potential problems, and discuss why and when you should upgrade your RV trailer suspension. To do that, we’ll answer the following questions:
- Why does my RV trailer ride rough?
- Why does my RV trailer lean?
- How can I make my RV trailer ride smoother?
- What can I do to fix my leaning RV trailer?
- Who makes the best suspension upgrades for RV trailers?
Why does my RV trailer ride rough?
There’s nothing worse than embarking on another holiday road trip and discovering that your RV trailer is riding rough. Is your RV trailer...
- Bouncing too much?
- Porpoising?
- Shaking?
There are several reasons for the rough ride. Three of the most common are:
- Worn-out shocks cause too much bouncing
- Lack of tongue weight will cause porpoising
- Suspension bottoming out causes shaking
It’s always a good idea to check your OE (original equipment) to see if everything is in good working order. If not, then broken and damaged parts will need to be replaced. If the suspension is in good working order, then you should consider installing a suspension helper like Timbren SES suspension upgrades.
Why does my RV trailer lean?
If your RV trailer leans while you are towing it, there are only two reasons that this could be happening: 1) Something is broken; 2) The weight is not evenly distributed.
If something is broken, it’s likely that one or more of the suspension leaves are damaged. Anything broken will need to be replaced. If the weight inside the trailer isn’t evenly distributed, a design flaw such as this can only be addressed with a suspension upgrade such as a Timbren SES suspension kit for trailers.
How can I make my RV trailer ride smoother?
Your vacation is supposed to be stress-free. So, who wants to tow an RV trailer that rides rough? Let’s talk about how you can make your RV trailer ride a little smoother.
- If you’re getting too much bounce you might need to:
- Distribute the load properly: Generally, 60% of the load weight should be toward the front of the trailer. However, you must make sure that the tongue weight does not exceed 10-15% of your gross trailer weight.
- Reduce or increase tire pressure: A general rule of thumb is to reduce your pressure by half to tow an empty trailer. Full tire inflation is usually required for a full load.
- Check the suspension rating: Every trailer has a suspension rating. For a smooth ride, make sure that your gross trailer weight exceeds that number.
- If you’re experiencing porpoising or bucking (oscillating front & rear bounce), this will impact your ability to control both tow vehicle steering and trailer maneuverability. In order to reduce trailer bucking, make sure you maintain adequate tongue weight and a good set of shock absorbers.
- If your RV trailer is shaking or vibrating, you may also have issues with your tow vehicle. The most common cause for vibration is:
Out-of-balance tires: Generally speaking, with out-of-balance tires, the faster you go, the worse it shakes. The solution? Get your tires balanced.
Out-of-round tires: Generally speaking, with out-of-round tires, it will usually shake worse at a certain speed. The solution? Buy new tires.
Suspension is bottoming out: If the trailer is overloaded or has a weak suspension, that can cause bottoming out. The solution? Lighten the load and install a set of Timbren SES suspension upgrades over each axle.
What can I do to fix my leaning RV trailer?
If your RV trailer is leaning, something on the suspension is likely broken or severely compromised. If a leaf spring is broken it will need to be replaced. And if the entire spring stack has taken a set, i.e., its resilience and structure have been affected, it will also need to be replaced. There’s no point in installing a suspension upgrade until the suspension is in good working order. Suspension upgrades are meant to assist, not replace, the original suspension.
If your RV trailer leans because the weight is unevenly distributed due to a manufacturing design flaw, installing a Timbren SES suspension upgrade for RVs is probably the best thing you can do to correct the problem.
Who makes the best suspension upgrades for RV trailers?
A suspension upgrade can make a world of difference to your towing experience. Obviously, you want the smoothest and most stable ride possible. There are several aftermarket products to choose from that will help with your trailer’s suspension. But which one will give you the biggest bang for your buck?
Timbren Industries makes the best suspension upgrades for RV trailers. Here are several reasons why Timbren SES suspension upgrades are your best choice:
- Affordable
- Easy to install
- Absorbs road shock
- Levels out the trailer
- Stabilizes the trailer
- Stronger than steel
- More reliable than air
- Very low maintenance
- Prevents roll and sway
- Help maintain control
- No BS Lifetime Warranty
- 100-day Satisfaction Guarantee
Remember that when buying your Timbren SES RV suspension upgrades, your towing experience is only as good as the weakest link. So after fixing your RV suspension, take a good look at your truck’s rear suspension and ask yourself “Is my truck’s suspension up for the task?” If the answer is no, no worries. You can also get rear truck suspension upgrades from Timbren SES. In fact, the price of your Timbren SES kits for both the RV and your truck combined will cost less than an airbag system on one or the other. And it will still be more reliable.
For more info on Timbren SES suspension upgrades visit www.timbren.com
