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CORRECTED COPY 27 November, 1999
TITLE: TOWING SOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW BREED OF TRUCKS, TOW VEHICLES AND
TRAILERS ON THE MARKET TODAY.
By: Thomas Ferstl, Macon, Georgia 26 November 1999
This report is about a hitch which I have reviewed design, specification
and promotional literature that appears to be very suitable for towing a
5th wheel safely not only when towing with a 1 ton dually (four rear
wheels) truck but especially when towing with a Medium Duty Truck (MDT).
Stability of the towed vehicle, lack of aggressive and harsh vibration
being transmitted from the truck to the tongue of the 5th wheel or Travel
Trailer and ease of installation for the TT make the Air Ride Hitch a very
worthy candidate for its use. Further, once the hitch is installed in the
truck bed, hitching the 5th wheel is simple and take very little additional
effort over the standard hitch.
Please note that the author neither endorses the Air Ride Hitch, or has any
vested interest in the manufacturer and sale of the Advanced Air Hitch
Company. While nothing in the promotional literature indicates the Air Ride
Hitch will not do what it advertises, readers are encouraged and advised to
do their own independent evaluation of the product.
This topic has been concerning me for some time and needs reporting. The
concern is twofold. One, is the recommendation of ‘only’ towing some of the
larger units with a MDT, and Two, towing with any 1 ton dually period!
Chassis flex, tongue weight, king pin damage, ala Fleetwood Avions, damaged
goods in the unit being towed should be of concern to the purchaser and the
interface selected for use between the truck and trailer, 5th wheel or tag
along, should be of a major safety consideration and receive as much
attention as the tow vehicle itself. Skimping on a hitch can result in
disaster later on, if one is to do a lot of towing. Of course if one
purchases a trailer and simply tows it to a spot and leaves it, the concern
is minimized.
While I understand and might concede that the weight of some of the 5th
wheels will certainly look more appealing when towing with a MDT, the fact
of the matter is that unless one desires to spend an additional $30,000 to
purchase one of the popular MDT’s, thereby reducing the number of 5th
wheels on the road, the 1999 Ford F350 PSD, Crew Cab, dually will
accomplish the very same thing.....But the potential for chassis flex
damage to the 5th wheel will be almost identical. In addition, based on my
observation and discussions with dealers throughout the southeast, the tow
truck of choice for delivery drivers from factory to dealer is the Ford 350
Power Stroke Crew Cab Diesel, Dually. That includes the heavy Teton,
Mountain and London Aires. Why, just add an additional $3.00/mile delivery
charge to the price of the unit and that will tell you why!
It must also be realized that the delivery drivers have years of experience
and most are CDL qualified drivers.
In light of the recent recall of the Fleetwood Avions for King Pin damage,
I felt some of it was due to a poor Fleetwood design and workmanship but I
also believe the hitch had contributed to the problem. This would be
especially true of those 5th wheels that has been towed with the more
popular 5th wheel hitches installed on the F350 Dually and the MDT. I
therefore set out to do a little research on my own and see if there were
any hitch manufacturers that had a hitch design that made use of the air
ride system similar to what is presently being used in the Trucking
Industry. Much to my surprise I found a little company in Beech Island,
South Carolina that has such a product and one that meets all of my
requirements for a hitch.
Air Ride Hitch Inc, in Beech Island, South Carolina has several hitch’s
that are designed and tested to meet the stringent requirements of 5th
wheel, horse trailer and tow behind travel trailers.
I have been in discussions with the companies president, and I found him to be very knowledgeable
about the RV industry and towing characteristics of overall 5th wheels,
horse trailers and tag along travel trailers. He provided me with a
compelling letter received from the National Alliance insurance company who
is the underwriter for MVP Camping World Insurance. In it, Mr, Arthur
Kentgen, states, "Recently we experienced a loss involving a 5th wheel
frame collapse that was being towed by this new breed of vehicles. Upon
professional inspection, it was determined that the frame was subjected to
an abnormal stress or pounding by the tow vehicle suspension, and
eventually, in this case over a 5 month period, it collapsed to the point
that the sidewalls were pushed out over 5 inches."
I am told that National Alliance also sent the letter to all the major RV
manufacturers of 5th wheel trailers to which these vehicles are directed
and to advise us "if they feel that these vehicles can safely tow
their trailers, taking into consideration the structure and stress that
will be put on the 5th wheels from the suspension of the tow vehicle. Also
advise us if even the older 55th wheel trailers will be affected more than
the newer ones." To date, not a single RV manufacturer has responded.
The advertisements for the Advanced Air Hitch Company and their products
features th eHeavy Duty Air Bags found on most 18 wheelers and are stated
to provide a 75% safer ride and 80% better ride.
Advanced Air Hitch Inc, introduced the first improvement in towing
technology in my opinion in over 50 years. The Air Ride Hitch integrates
air ride technology into the hitching process allowing both the tow vehicle
and the trailer to act as separate entities, thereby reducing tire bounce,
vibration and sway when towing. The Air Ride Hitch is much more effective
over the standard hitch and performs its function so well there is no
longer a need to put expensive air springs underneath the tow-vehicle or
trailer, which may become useless after the tow vehicle or trailer is sold
or a new one is employed.
The Air Ride trailer hitch is constructed with jig-welded steel and heavy-duty air bags. The Air Ride Hitch
technology gives the tow vehicle and trailers a significantly better ride
by the addition of air springs in the hitch. Also, with the removal of a
locked-down hitch, the constant banging and jerking that normally occurs
when towing, even with the addition mounted air bags under the tow-vehicle
and/or trailer, is drastically reduced.
Air Ride Hitches separates the trailer and tow vehicle making them ride as
independent vehicles. This in turn gives the trailer the ability to move on
its natural axis, making it safe to pull. This technology has been proven
through stress and finite analysis and modeling to put less stress on the
trailer frame, which in-turn will reduce the amount of wear and tear on the
trailer, its furnishings and its contents, whether object or animal such as
horses, cows, pigs, etc.
Air Ride Hitch systems are available for virtually all RV and Animal towing
situations. The product line includes a Receiver hitch for standard ball
hitch, pintle hitch or Weight Distribution hitch in the "Class 4"
weight class. For instance, the air ride Hitch Gooseneck version is built
to withstand 6,000 pounds tongue weight and 20,000 pounds gross trailer
weight while the Air Ride Hitch 5th wheel version is built to handle 4,500
pounds tongue weight and 22,000 pounds gross trailer weight.
The Air Ride Hitch will not only help the trailer, but give considerable
improvement to the smoothness of the ride for the driver and passengers in
the tow-vehicle as well. This is accomplished by the same principle that
gives the trailer a better ride. The tow-vehicle does not get the bounce
from the trailer that occurs without the Air Ride. This gives the
tow-vehicle virtually the same ride that would occur without the trailer.
It’s really amazing how riding in a Freightliner with air ride that the
driver and passenger never feels the stress of the road but look at the 5th
wheel. Anyone who has been on I70 recently or some of the other interstate highways
recently towing a trailer will know exactly what I mean!
Air Ride Hitches are available direct from the manufacturer or from their
many dealers and distributors located throughout the United States and
Canada.
The Air Ride comes with a one year warranty against defects in material and
workmanship under normal use and service, ordinary wear excepted, to the
original owner for a period of 1 year from date of purchase by the original
purchaser.
The First product in their line is the Tow Behind Receiver
Construction and Specification Features are:
Very simple and easy to install! If you can install any ball into a
receiver you can install this hitch, without tools.
The frame is made of 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick steel that is flame cut and jig
welded.
All openings are precision drilled by our machinists for proper tolerances
and snug fits.
Standard 2 inch tubing with a 1/4-inch wall thickness is used for the part
of the hitch that slides into the standard receiver mounting on the tow
vehicle.
Heavy-duty air bags are the "secret to the system." The same load
adjustable air bags that have been tested and used on the big 18 wheel rigs
for years are used to support the weight of whatever you are towing.
Our Bumper/Receiver hitches have been tested and approved by SAE (Society
of Automotive Engineers) American Standards 1648 and VESC Regulations v-5
as well as Canadian Standard D264 for a Class 4 rating (1,000 pounds tongue
weight & 10,000 pounds MGTW).
The next product is the 5th Wheel Air Ride Hitch
It’s construction and specification features are:
The frame is made of 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick steel that is flame cut and jig
welded.
All openings are precision drilled by our machinists for proper tolerances
and snug fits.
The Hitch includes a 22K Anvil and Heavy Duty Mounting Bars to insure
proper fit of each unit.
Heavy duty air bags are the
"secret to the system." The same load adjustable air bags that
have been tested and used on the big 18 wheel rigs for years are used to
support the weight of whatever you are towing.
Our 5th Wheel Hitches have been through rigorous testing to insure strength
and stability.
The 5th Wheel Hitch is rated at 4,500 lbs. Pin Weight or Tongue Weight and
22,000 lbs. Gross Trailer Weight.
Their next product is the GOOSENECK.
It’s construction and specification features are:
The frame is made of 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick steel that is flame cut and jig
welded. All openings are precision by our machinists for proper tolerances
and snug fits.
The Gooseneck Hitch has 4 inch O. D. Tubing that installs into round 4 1/8
inch I. D. Receivers which are standard on most gooseneck trailers.
Heavy-duty air bags are the "secret to the system." The same load
adjustable air bags that have been tested and used on the big 18 wheel rigs
for years are used to support the weight of whatever you are towing.
The Gooseneck style hitch is engineered to handle 6,000-pound tongue
weights and 20,000 pound trailer weights. This is the maximum manufacturers
load ratings and must never be exceeded. They also have an Extended Air
Ride Hitch, which is AR60-EX.
Finally Ball and Pintle
It’s construction and specification features are:
The frame is made of 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick steel that is flame cut and jig
welded.
All openings are precision drilled by our machinists for proper tolerances
and snug fits.
Standard 2 inch tubing with a 1/4-inch wall thickness is used for the part
of the hitch that slides into the standard receiver mounting on the tow
vehicle.
Hheavy-duty air bags are the "secret to the system." The same
load adjustable air bags that have been tested and used on the big 18 wheel
rigs for years are used to support the weight of whatever you are towing.
Our Bumper/Receiver hitches have been tested and approved by SAE (Society
of Automotive Engineers) American Standards 1648 and VESC Regulations v-5
as well as Canadian Standard D264 for a Class 4 rating (1,000 pounds tongue
weight & 10,000 pounds MGTW).
If anyone would like more information on the Air Ride Hitches they visit
their website at http://www.airridehitch.com or by calling 1-803-827-1631.
If you visit the website you will see a graphical presentation of the hitch
in motion and if you call, you can ask for a VCR Tape to play.
Thomas Ferstl
Macon, Georgia
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