Pulling a fifth wheel with a bucking bull

1tonduramax

1tonduramax

New member
Oct 21, 2011
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Louisiana
I have a 2013 CCLB dually and tow a 15,000lb camper around the U. S.
I am experiencing what a believe to be axle wrap when braking harder than normal (those no signal lane changers and sudden turn people), I get a violent jerking back and fourth that will just about throw you out the seat. The truck is completely stock. This is my fourth dually and I have never experienced this before, although this is my heaviest camper. I believe ladder bars would stop the jerking, but I have contacted Tuff Country, Pro Comp, Rough Country and Fab Tech, and none offer a bolt on ladder bar for long bed duallys. Cognito offers a weld on, and I could fab a set, but most RV parks frown on the sound of a Lincoln welder or grinder running in the evenings. So I said all that to say this, does anyone know of a bolt on ladder bar set for a long bed dually?
 
clrussell

clrussell

pro-procrastinator
Sep 23, 2013
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If your all over the country why not find a vendor on here who can put a set on for you while your in their area?


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N

new york lly

I really do care!!
Feb 8, 2014
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Buffalo NY
Axle wrap

1tonduramax said:
I have a 2013 CCLB dually and tow a 15,000lb camper around the U. S.
I am experiencing what a believe to be axle wrap when braking harder than normal (those no signal lane changers and sudden turn people), I get a violent jerking back and fourth that will just about throw you out the seat. The truck is completely stock. This is my fourth dually and I have never experienced this before, although this is my heaviest camper. I believe ladder bars would stop the jerking, but I have contacted Tuff Country, Pro Comp, Rough Country and Fab Tech, and none offer a bolt on ladder bar for long bed duallys. Cognito offers a weld on, and I could fab a set, but most RV parks frown on the sound of a Lincoln welder or grinder running in the evenings. So I said all that to say this, does anyone know of a bolt on ladder bar set for a long bed dually?
Click to expand...

Not sure your experiencing axle wrap w/a stock dually @ that weight....
 
H

Hot COCOAL

May the farce be with you
Jun 9, 2012
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Have you checked the hitch? 5th wheel, right? Is it mounted solidly and if the trailer is equipped with the air ride neck, is the bag properly inflated???
Just curious cuz the symptoms you describe seem pretty strange
 
TheBac

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
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Apr 19, 2008
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Have you gone through and checked everything (and I mean everything) in the rear suspension to see if anything is broken? There was a recent thread on DP where the guy was complaining about something similar, had checked springs, spring eyes, ubolts, driveshaft, ujoints and all, and it turned out one of the axle tubes had broken its welds to the diff and was shifting around.
 
malibu795

malibu795

misspeelleerr
Apr 28, 2007
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in the buckeye state
Braking won't cause axle hop like you state. Loose couplers will and if strong enough whill effect the IBC.
Which will compound the problem
1/8" slop is all it needs at that weight. To cause it... Been there done that.. No traction bars needed

Chock the trailer tires.. Then idle or little throttle forward/reverse. Have someone watch the coupler. That's how I found mine..

What type of 5th hitch do you have?
 
Last edited:
Ne-max

Ne-max

I like turtles
Nov 15, 2011
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Lincoln, Ne
Seems like the trailer brakes are pulsing to me. Any way of unplugging camper and testing it on a open stretch away from traffic?
 
1tonduramax

1tonduramax

New member
Oct 21, 2011
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Louisiana
Hot COCOAL said:
Have you checked the hitch? 5th wheel, right? Is it mounted solidly and if the trailer is equipped with the air ride neck, is the bag properly inflated???
Just curious cuz the symptoms you describe seem pretty strange
Click to expand...

Checked all bolts on fifthwheel rails and the pin box on the camper is ridged mount.
 
1tonduramax

1tonduramax

New member
Oct 21, 2011
10
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0
Louisiana
TheBac said:
Have you gone through and checked everything (and I mean everything) in the rear suspension to see if anything is broken? There was a recent thread on DP where the guy was complaining about something similar, had checked springs, spring eyes, ubolts, driveshaft, ujoints and all, and it turned out one of the axle tubes had broken its welds to the diff and was shifting around.
Click to expand...

I haven't checked any suspension parts on the truck, but now that you mention it, it didn't start doing this till I had to fully lock up the brakes when a semi veered into my lane nearly sending me into the center divider wall. That's the first time it started the jerking back and fourth.
 
Chevy1925

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
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1tonduramax said:
It will not do it unloaded
Click to expand...

slam the brakes hard when unloaded and see if it does it. you need much more brake pressure loaded than unloaded and if the rear rotors are warped, you wont feel them near as much unloaded as loaded.
 
N

new york lly

I really do care!!
Feb 8, 2014
87
0
0
Buffalo NY
1tonduramax said:
I have a 2013 CCLB dually and tow a 15,000lb camper around the U. S.
I am experiencing what a believe to be axle wrap when braking harder than normal (those no signal lane changers and sudden turn people), I get a violent jerking back and fourth that will just about throw you out the seat. The truck is completely stock. This is my fourth dually and I have never experienced this before, although this is my heaviest camper. I believe ladder bars would stop the jerking, but I have contacted Tuff Country, Pro Comp, Rough Country and Fab Tech, and none offer a bolt on ladder bar for long bed duallys. Cognito offers a weld on, and I could fab a set, but most RV parks frown on the sound of a Lincoln welder or grinder running in the evenings. So I said all that to say this, does anyone know of a bolt on ladder bar set for a long bed dually?
Click to expand...

Just a thought here,many newer,larger 5th wheels have multiple gray & black water holding tanks in addition to the fresh water tank...was just wondering how full the tanks were when this happened? You mentioned it doesn't happen unloaded,had a hydro seeder behind my truck before & w/ a 150 gallons of water sloshing around even w/ the baffles in the tank it would get the truck jerking around w/harder than normal braking & acceleration...like I said just a thought if you haven't found anything w/ your hitch or suspension
 
1tonduramax

1tonduramax

New member
Oct 21, 2011
10
0
0
Louisiana
new york lly said:
Just a thought here,many newer,larger 5th wheels have multiple gray & black water holding tanks in addition to the fresh water tank...was just wondering how full the tanks were when this happened? You mentioned it doesn't happen unloaded,had a hydro seeder behind my truck before & w/ a 150 gallons of water sloshing around even w/ the baffles in the tank it would get the truck jerking around w/harder than normal braking & acceleration...like I said just a thought if you haven't found anything w/ your hitch or suspension
Click to expand...

Thanks man, but I always empty the holding tanks and carry just a few gallons of fresh water for emergencies.
 
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