What the "Chuck"?

CabinetmakerII

Active Member
:confused:
My wife and I tried to take to delivery of our new 3800 over the weekend. We managed to take it to a nearby campground to "shake it down" and had a couple of things that need attention.
Having never pulled a fifth wheel before we encountered a "tugging" sensation that was quite unexpected. We returned to the dealership and took a technician for a short ride. He said it felt pretty normal. We connected to another 3800 and found the same issue. This tugging sensation has a name. "Chucking" Never heard of it until now.
Does anybody have any experience in this area? Does a person get use to this "chucking"? There are several products on the market to reduce chucking. From Air Ride pin boxes to Air Ride hitches. Any help here would be greatly appreciated
 

Rrloren

Well-known member
Had the same problem when I picked up my unit 1 1/2 yrs. ago. Never felt it when I was towing a 10m lb. Travel Trailer over 10 yrs. Turns out it can occur towing a 5th wheel. Solved my problem by installing a set of Firestone airbags and putting about 25 psi in them. No more chucking.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
A lot also has to do with the type of roads traveled. Concrete is usually worse than blacktop and bridge crossings can be hard as well. It's an expansion joint thing. A Mor-ryde pin box cushion helps as does the Trail Air Pin with the Tri-Glide Jaw. I know, just what you want to hear. More Money??
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
Air pin and air hitch if you want to get rid of 99% of the chucking. Air bags will help the bounce but not the chucking.
 

campers2

Active Member
I installed a MorRyde pin box that took care of most of it. It is pretty common on large fifth wheels and certain type roads can make it worse. Try varying your speed a little to see if it will lessen it.
 
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boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
If you have an integrated brake controller, the amount of gain can influence the chucking encountered when braking. Try a few different settings to see what works best to balance the braking effect with the chucking.
 

CabinetmakerII

Active Member
WOW! What a great response. The truck is a Ford F-450 long box, Dually with 4:33 rear end and 6 speed auto trans with integrated brake controller, 6.7L Diesel. Road surface was asphalt that was pretty smooth. I adjusted the brake gain from zero to 10 with no effect. Braking was very smooth with no chucking or other issues. The chucking occured in most all other driving situations. Uphill under power, costing downhill, level towing. Speed variations were between 50-65 MPH which didn't seem to make any differance. Unfortunately I did not make not at what speed the chucking would start... I am leaning toward the Mor-ryde system. More research required however.
Thanks to all for your input.
 

mdhill

Active Member
I got rid of the "chucking" on my last trailer with a 5th Airborne pin box. This trailer rarely does it. It must have a lot to do with length of the trailer. Maybe distance from trailer axles and truck rear axle ??
 

caissiel

Senior Member
I have a F250 and the previous owner had added 2 extra ply of spring for his everyday load in the boxe. I pulled my previous trailer with the setup and realy got tired of the chucking created while towing. Empty it drove great. I had to much carrying capacity for the RV hitch weight.
I removed the long additional ply and towed the present trailer with that set up and found the truck was unstable while towing, and the ride was smooth, both with the trailer and empty. I reinstalled the long ply and removed the short one and that solved the stability problem and the truck rides great with the trailer. Its a bit rougher when empty, but my truck is usualy carrying a load when I use it anyway.
 
WOW, I am so thrilled to see this post. I picked up my 3612 cyclone three weeks ago, no "chucking" on the 2 hour empty ride home or the 2 hour there and back (jacksonville fl)initial shakedown trip. HOWEVER, Last Friday on the start of my 5 month journey( north on 95 to Va) I start getting the worst bucking bronco ride of my life! Made it to Virgina and Been doing all kinds of reseach trying to figure this out. Thought it was because I have a gooseneck adapter, have ruled that out.
Other factor that are different:
Load in truck: minus 3 people ( 550 lbs)
Load in Trailer: Bikes are sitting about 6 inches farther back
Rear of Smaller 200 enduro bike not tied down (definitely moved as did my softtail)
heavier on passenger side by 150 -200 lbs
more weight in garage 200 lbs
waste in grey/black tanks vs empty ( not sure how much)
less water in fresh tanks ( 1/4?)
More weight in Loft (100 lbs)
Other factors:
Found out half way through trip Electric Brake Box was not working and still may not be working properly (currently getting fixed)
No Air Bags on Truck (waiting on delivery and installation )
Original Shocks on Truck ( seriously thinking about Blienstiens)

Truck is 2003 F350 6.0 dually longbed.

I hate to say the but it makes me feel a little better to hear someone with at 450 is having the same problem. I thought I was going to have to go to bigger truck to fix it. Any thoughts/help on this is appreciated. I can't take 5 months of whiplash!
 

caissiel

Senior Member
A goose neck>>>>>>
It scares me when I see people using a Goose neck setup on an RV. The unit adds a lot of stress to the 5th wheel pin frame, and judging from my set up I can only think that the pin frame is moving. On mine I can see the springing of the front frame all the time when I drive on the road and I have a regular 5th wheel setup.
 

gpshemi

Well-known member
I've read way too many horror stories on gooseneck adapters. Would never use one.

As for the OP, I have air bags in my truck. It helps with bucking, but doesn't do a thing for chucking. Chucking is the result of load placement / balance, trailer angle, and suspension combinations. Mine is riding low in the back since my truck sits higher then most. I'm sure that teetering back and forth on the axles is what causes mine. It's not bad, but I'm adding a Trail Air suspension to the trailer, leveling the relationship between the two, and maybe a new cushioned pin box.

Good luck.
 

Wmnmy

Well-known member
I had the same sensation my first trip but installed firestone air bags and it's gone sometimes I have to look back to see if I'm still hooked up .
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
A cushioned pinbox will help. Mor/Ryde makes a good one. I thought a "goose neck adapter" would void the frame warranty. Always heard they were a NO-NO on a 5er.
 

truknutt

Committed Member
WOW, I am so thrilled to see this post. I picked up my 3612 cyclone three weeks ago, no "chucking" on the 2 hour empty ride home or the 2 hour there and back (jacksonville fl)initial shakedown trip. HOWEVER, Last Friday on the start of my 5 month journey( north on 95 to Va) I start getting the worst bucking bronco ride of my life! Made it to Virgina and Been doing all kinds of reseach trying to figure this out. Thought it was because I have a gooseneck adapter, have ruled that out.
Other factor that are different:
Load in truck: minus 3 people ( 550 lbs)
Load in Trailer: Bikes are sitting about 6 inches farther back
Rear of Smaller 200 enduro bike not tied down (definitely moved as did my softtail)
heavier on passenger side by 150 -200 lbs
more weight in garage 200 lbs
waste in grey/black tanks vs empty ( not sure how much)
less water in fresh tanks ( 1/4?)
More weight in Loft (100 lbs)
Other factors:
Found out half way through trip Electric Brake Box was not working and still may not be working properly (currently getting fixed)
No Air Bags on Truck (waiting on delivery and installation )
Original Shocks on Truck ( seriously thinking about Blienstiens)

Truck is 2003 F350 6.0 dually longbed.

I hate to say the but it makes me feel a little better to hear someone with at 450 is having the same problem. I thought I was going to have to go to bigger truck to fix it. Any thoughts/help on this is appreciated. I can't take 5 months of whiplash!

When you say "bucking bronco", do you mean back end up & down or whole truck fore & aft?

In addition to the possible causes mentioned in the previous posts, driving style plays into the equation. I know numerous folks who mash the accelerator to spool up the turbo to get the rig up to speed and then as soon as it does they lift their foot! This goes on the entire trip! The problem is that the TV instantly slows down but that moving weight behind, especially an 18,000 lbs toyhauler, comes banging forward and as soon as it does we mash the accelerator to repeat the cycle.

Lone Wolvin, I'm not the weight police but I will say that I also had a 2003 6.0L F-350 dually longbed as my TV until I read the posted GVW sticker of 20,400 lbs on my 3210!! These trucks are rated at 12,800 for fiver towing (4x2) so maybe your chucking is intensified.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
GN adapters do make the warranty on the frame go away as well as just touching it. We have and the neighbors all have as well, used the adapters since Fifth wheel campers have been built. Granted some of them (maybe all) were built heavier than the current frames. The last camper before the Augusta was a Yellowstone with a GN hitch for it entire life and still has it on. Save for the Travel Villa before that and the Excel before that one. The extension of the hitch point can put a little more torque on the frame if you drop the coach in a hole or hit a big speed pump. Normal towing really wont affect it at all. Most all of us either have air pins and air on the TV's to help soften the ride. At the lake here there are 12 campers here now with GN adapters, 3 Heartlands. Granted they do need to add some gussets when they build the frames based on the amount of frame flexing I hear about with HL products. Many of the Excels built South of here are fitted with GN adapters as we all tend to use the TV for other chores. I believe they have Lippert frames as well. So far the Augusta has held up three years OK and hopefully the next several as well. The GN adapter is staying on it. Back to the topic of the thread, we have very little chucking or bouncing with the 5Th Airborne and CP on the coach. We do have some tough highways here and where we travel.
 

caissiel

Senior Member
My Glendale trailer pin box beams failed a few years ago and it was just after I was towed by an oufit set up with a GN, and I had told them that I did not want it towed that way and they did. In addition they also used a Jake brake instead of the trailer brakes that added much more pressure on the trailer frame at the Pin box area I sat in the tow truck for 5 miles and I was realy scared all the way seeing my pinbox moving.
I have done lots of engineering and I just get scared for the owners that drive down the road with those on, I surely will not be in the truck pulling one. After I saw the design of my trailer I had to fix. It has 1/2 the structural regular GN trailers have because there is very little stress pulling a 5th wheel, only have to wearry about the weight. The pulling is not so bad but the braking surely can add lots of stresses to the tin box area Its almost 3 to 1 factor with a GN attachement.
 

traveler44

Well-known member
Sounds like half of these guys are talking about porpoising instead of chucking which I understand to mean the jerking on the hitch caused by creating and taking up the slack at the hitch. Right after we bought our bighorn and were traveling just west of Lansing Mi. there is a stretch of highway that causes REAL PORPOISING. A rocking motion set up by dips in the road that cause the 5th whl. to rock up and down on the hitch. I know that some pin boxes help to soften both chucking and porpoising by a shock absorbing effect. Usually we drive out of the annoying sections of the highway pretty quickly. Tom M.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
My Glendale trailer pin box beams failed a few years ago and it was just after I was towed by an oufit set up with a GN, and I had told them that I did not want it towed that way and they did. In addition they also used a Jake brake instead of the trailer brakes that added much more pressure on the trailer frame at the Pin box area I sat in the tow truck for 5 miles and I was realy scared all the way seeing my pinbox moving.
I have done lots of engineering and I just get scared for the owners that drive down the road with those on, I surely will not be in the truck pulling one. After I saw the design of my trailer I had to fix. It has 1/2 the structural regular GN trailers have because there is very little stress pulling a 5th wheel, only have to wearry about the weight. The pulling is not so bad but the braking surely can add lots of stresses to the tin box area Its almost 3 to 1 factor with a GN attachement.

Laurent, you make a really good case for maintaining your brakes, haveing the coach stop itself as it should, and upgrading the pin box and hitch. I certainly agree that some of the new coaches have weaker frames that we used to have as the size has increased while keeping the weight down. The brake controller becomes an integral part of this mix. Improperly set and you have just what you described, additonal stress on the frame GN or not.
 
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