5th Airborne Pin box.... A review

[EMD_Driver]

We got back last night, from a camping trip to Pigeon Forge, TN. It was the first "Real" tow with our new 5th Airborne pin box. Having towed with the factory pin box several times, I was very curious to see how this thing would do.

We have a Reese 16,000lb slider hitch in our truck and the "Chucking" was a problem for me. There was quite a bit of chucking with the hitch and the factory pin box combination. With the 5th Airborne, there is almost none. What little there is, is easily absorbed by the air spring and the shock absorber.

As far as the ride goes, it was 100% better than before. For me, there was a big learning curve for towing. I found out that most of what I was trying to deal with, was due to the harshness of the old pin box. This new pin box makes towing our 5'er a dream!

[JohnB]

Gary

Glad to hear the new pin box helped and to that much of an extent! Thanks for reporting in. Do not know if we will take the 5er leap some day or not. But always learning in case the situation presents itself....

Thanks

John

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by JohnB

Do not know if we will take the 5er leap some day or not. But always learning in case the situation presents itself....

You got me thinking...

As long as the 310SR is around and operational, I don't see a conversion to a FW any time soon...but...

I could see a pretty mean frame extension to turn it into a gooseneck. Heck, you've already got the gooseneck hitch installed and ready to go! Just think of the storage potential...you could build a large but aerodynamic box up on top of the framework there to store everything you normally have to put in the back of the truck for a trip, probably even have room to spare. Then it could all stay in there permanently without taking it in and out. It could give you the opportunity for dual front landing legs for more interior stability.

You could have like small side steps and a walking platform between the front of the coach and the back of the box system, so you'd have room to get stuff out as well as open the front rock guard to clean it, reseal it, etc.

It certainly would make the coach quite long overall, but I think it would be just like pulling one of those really long gooseneck horse trailers. No more DC, no more sway potential... You might even pick up a few MPGs if you can keep the height the same and make it more aerodynamic than the brick going down the road now, even though the added weight may counteract any gains. Only downside is you'd have to lose your fiberglass topper at least temporarily.

I suppose if you really wanted, you could fabricate some sort of tongue while you were at it, and if it were possible to only bolt the system on with a series of large bolts, you could theoretically swap out the whole thing for a traditional tongue if you wanted.

Jon

[EMD_Driver]

Jon,

You may have just opened a can of worms!



Seriously though, I love the idea. If the T-299SR frame and axles were stronger, I'd love to make it a gooseneck.

[Trailblazer]

Gary, thanks for the review. It sounds great. Over the next year I have to get serious about buying one

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Sunline Fan

You got me thinking...

As long as the 310SR is around and operational, I don't see a conversion to a FW any time soon...but...

I could see a pretty mean frame extension to turn it into a gooseneck. Heck, you've already got the gooseneck hitch installed and ready to go!

Jon

Jon, your right. The T310 is a FW floor plan (just no step up to the bed room) and I do not see anytime soon doing the upgrade. Heck I have way to many mods planed I have not made it too yet.... But I like learning new tech'y stuff that Gary is up to further my towing/hitch knowledge base.

The gooseneck idea, yes I do have a gooseneck hitch in the truck bed now. However I have thought, investigated and I am armed.... if sway ever starts to rise in this rig (TT & TV) setup how to combat that. My TV and TT are now optimized the best it can (that I know how to) be for the hitch technology the DC can give. The next step is to change the hitch technology. Right now it is a toss up between a Pull rite hitch or a Propride hitch. I would go that route before the Gooseneck. I had thought about the gooseneck before but wrote it back out of my thinking process as the work to do it I could fix the problem with the Pull rite. But for sure that would be a fun mod....

Thanks for thinking on this. Never know where it may land some day.

John

[ihsolutions]

Jon, I've seen a mid 1990's Dutchmen here in Michigan that had a gooseneck conversion exactly as you've described. I have to say, it kind of looked ridiculous, which is to be expected. This was Memorial Day weekend 2010 up at South Higgins Lake SP. The guy was pulling it with an OLD stake truck. An odd looking combination, to be sure.