Trail-Air Equa-Flex and/or Shocks

I ordered my 09 Sundance 2900MK in Sept. I finally got it in Dec. and it turned out to be a 2010 model to my surprise. I ordered it with the shock absorber option. It did not arrive with shocks but had the Equi-Flex installed. According to HL Customer Service the 2010 is not available with shocks due to the upgrade to the Equa-Flex. They claim that shocks are not needed. My dealer is willing to weld brackets to the frame and install shocks.

Does anybody think it is worth having the shocks installed? or will the Trail-air Equa-Flex perform well enough? Will the welding of brackets to the frame void the warranty?

Appreciate your opinions.......

I had to have my axles replaced last year do to a spring breaking. When Lippert came out to replace the springs they did not replace the shocks. Due to the angle that they are mounted they said they did not help a lot.

However one thing I would do is have your tires balanced. Otherwise you should be fine.

BC

I added shocks to my last TT and saw no improvement (it always pulled great).

The first thing i did on my new Sundance was take the wheels off and had them static balanced.

Shocking

We also ordered a 2009 Sundance and got a 2010. we ordered it with shocks and when it came in it did not have them. The dealer contacted HL and they sent the brackets and shocks to be installed by our dealer. Yes the angle of the shocks is more then I would like to see, but the purpose of shocks is to dampen the oscillation of the springs thereby keeping the tires on the road. so far we are resonably happy with the unit but have some issues to be taken care of.
Have you used yours yet ? We are looking forward to our first outing in another 6 weeks.
Good luck
David & Diana

My Opinion? I've never owned a trailer that had shocks. I've seen some with them and at the angle they are mounted at I can't see them being much use. I've also heard stories of shock mounts and the shocks themselves bending due to the axle twist that normally occurs when backing and cornering in tight situations. The equi flex will help the suspension quite a bit.

TXBobcat said:

I had to have my axles replaced last year do to a spring breaking. When Lippert came out to replace the springs they did not replace the shocks. Due to the angle that they are mounted they said they did not help a lot.

However one thing I would do is have your tires balanced. Otherwise you should be fine.

BC

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If they are Lippert axles and Lippert removed Lippert shocks and said that they didn't help a lot...why did they install them in the first place?

The Landmarks have trail-air equa-flex and shocks. Isn't it all from Lippert? I don't understand why they would leave it on some units and stop it on others. could be a cost issue.

leftyf said:

If they are Lippert axles and Lippert removed Lippert shocks and said that they didn't help a lot...why did they install them in the first place?

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Hay Lefty
I didn't design the frame and suspension. Not smart enough.. I have trouble just jacking the trailer up to change a tire. Which side of the jack goes up?? .. Uh Huh..

So I guess the only contact I can give you is Dave @ Lippet 866-524-7821 X-6068.

Now he can most likely give you an answer.
FWIW
BC

I agree with other comments posted in that with a new rig, always get your tires balanced. If not, a thousand miles down the road you are going to see uneven tire wear which then will cause you to worry about the suspension system. So start with balanced tires even if you have to get it done yourself when the dealer wont.

Shock Obeservation

TXBobcat said:

I had to have my axles replaced last year do to a spring breaking. When Lippert came out to replace the springs they did not replace the shocks. Due to the angle that they are mounted they said they did not help a lot.

However one thing I would do is have your tires balanced. Otherwise you should be fine.

BC

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I just replaced the Mission 235/80/16 tires that came with the BC with Michelin 265/75/16. It is a LR E tire with over 3400lbs capacity.
One mod that had to be made was remove the shocks to clear the tires.

I never quite understood the shocks on this trailer. I took a protracter and measured the angle of all four. 2 were at 33 degrees from Horizontal (not Vertical), 1 at 32and fourth at 35. The most efective way from a pure dampening aspect to mount a shock is vertical. The longer the piston or shaft stroke and speed of the stroke enables the shock to control the unsprung weight (tire and wheels, hubs, brakes etc.). At 45 degrees, the effectiveness of the shock is negated. The stroke is greatly deminished both in travel and speed. Beyond 45 degrees I doubt the shock is doing anything other going for a ride.

This is probably not news to anybody, BUT, why would Lippert put shocks on some coaches and call it an upgrade when they do little good? (Their techs apparentley know this) And why would Heartland buy into it-unless it sounds good and sells trailers.

Oh well, finally get to take some weight off the trailer instead of adding to it.

SouthernNights said:

BUT, why would Lippert put shocks on some coaches and call it an upgrade when they do little good? (Their techs apparentley know this) And why would Heartland buy into it-unless it sounds good and sells trailers.

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Remember you are referring to Lippert & Heartland.... from what I'm reading here lately & have experienced, their credibility as quality organizations leaves a lot to be be desired.

Eh!

Shocks on a Lippert built frame are nothing but sales hype. One more way for Lippert to make big money on overseas junk. Take a shock off, if you can with all the rust on the threads, and feel it's weight. I'll bet there's 25 cents of material there. Mine are now part of someone's car as I scraped them when I changed over to the wet bolt system. It appears it didn't make diff when pulling either.

I had one end of a shock break off at the weld,don't know how long it was that way.
Shock was made in China (where else) and it was $45.00 to replace. Next time they go in the can...

All,

I do not know the mechanical reasons why we utilize shock absorbers mounted at an acute angle. I do know the shocks can be removed if desired.

geeksrus,

I take exception to your unsavory comment about Heartland's quality and credibility. And here's why.

Over the course of building >20,000 RVs, we have had issues. Across that large a pool, there will be a distribution of errors/defects in these man made items. It is our goal to "build quality in", not to "warranty quality in". That said, if your Heartland RV is not perfect, how we stand up within your warranty period is an important factor when considering a Heartland RV.

Your comment bringing into question, our quality and credibility certainly should not be construed as a reflection of our company as a whole and all 20,000 RVs we have produced. Dealers and prospective customers tell us what they want in an RV and they vote with their purchase orders and their wallets. When we no longer make a product they want, at a price point they want, with a level of amenities and features they want at a level of quality they want, at a service level they want, we will feel that impact.

We're doing our best in the level of the field that we're in and we continue to win customers. Are we perfect? Sorry - we are not. Do we do our best to right our wrongs? I feel that we try very hard. And through "constructive feedback, not sarcastic/caustic comments", we learn from dealers and customers on how we can do better.

Only you know if continued ownership of a product from a manufacturer that you have lost confidence in, is an asset worth continuing to hold.

Jim

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