Question, can an independent suspension greatly reduce wear and tear on a TT

[Alikair]

I understand that things like to break in any RV. I am prepared to fix broken AC's, refers and pumps / piping.
What I would really like to avoid is repairs to walls, ceilings and floors caused by vibration.
I really dont care if there is an improvement in ride quality towing with a f-150.
My TT will most likely be a small 17MKE and I dont think its going to beat up my F-150 much.
What I really want to know, will the independent suspension upgrade that cost around 6k to reduce damage due to vibration enough to justify the price of the upgrade.

Has anyone installed a independent suspension for their TT noticed any major reduction in repairs thanks to a smooth ride?
I dont care if things are left on the table have not fallen or that kind of stuff, I want to know if your screws still fall out, your panels and seams break away etc...
for 6k, I would need to see a 50% reduction in vibration damage or its not really worth it to me.

[Wicked ace]

I understand that things like to break in any RV. I am prepared to fix broken AC's, refers and pumps / piping.
What I would really like to avoid is repairs to walls, ceilings and floors caused by vibration.
I really dont care if there is an improvement in ride quality towing with a f-150.
My TT will most likely be a small 17MKE and I dont think its going to beat up my F-150 much.
What I really want to know, will the independent suspension upgrade that cost around 6k to reduce damage due to vibration enough to justify the price of the upgrade.

Has anyone installed a independent suspension for their TT noticed any major reduction in repairs thanks to a smooth ride?
I dont care if things are left on the table have not fallen or that kind of stuff, I want to know if your screws still fall out, your panels and seams break away etc...
for 6k, I would need to see a 50% reduction in vibration damage or its not really worth it to me.

To begin your requirement would be a difficult, if not impossible thing to measure. Also feed back would probably be those who have higher end and larger, mostly fifth wheel type trailers. It's difficult to justify that kind of spending as it's a large percentage of the original cost.
I'll add this for you to think about. My previous TT was a Flagstaff 26WKFSS that had torsion suspension. Although I feel the axles and especially the wheels and tires were under rated for the weight, that trailer rode smooth. For the most part it took bumps and uneven roadway in stride.

[Alikair]

To begin your requirement would be a difficult, if not impossible thing to measure. Also feed back would probably be those who have higher end and larger, mostly fifth wheel type trailers. It's difficult to justify that kind of spending as it's a large percentage of the original cost.
I'll add this for you to think about. My previous TT was a Flagstaff 26WKFSS that had torsion suspension. Although I feel the axles and especially the wheels and tires were under rated for the weight, that trailer rode smooth. For the most part it took bumps and uneven roadway in stride.

Would you say that you had less problems with your flagstaff then other RV owners?
I understand that it is almost impossible to tell if the independent suspension prevented vibration damage in your case but maybe others who upgraded might see a difference.
Maybe you could think of it this way. If I had car tires that never got a flat and compared that to other cars, that might give me a clue that I had better tires.

[FT4NOW]

I've owned 2 TTs and 2 5th wheels, none of them had the Morryde IS. Also, none of them had walls or ceilings break due to the suspension on the trailer. Yes the suspension design is antiquated and could be greatly improved by the Morryde IS. I've heard great things about the Morryde IS on a 5th wheel, havent heard of anyone doing it on a TT. The cost will be at least $6k or so, and I dont know that you will get that 50% improvement of things breaking that you are looking for; not because it's a bad setup, but mainly because walls and ceilings dont just start breaking all a sudden unless there was an underlying defect in construction.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[jleonard]

I would tend to think tires out of balance would cause the constant vibration that would back screws out.

[Skiddy]

I would tend to think tires out of balance would cause the constant vibration that would back screws out.

Best place to spend the first $150 or so. Huge difference in the stuff we’ve seen being rearranged while in transit. Further, tire life will be improved.

[Second Chance]

A number of valid points have been made above and I think that the problems you experienced were related to other things much more than to the suspension system. I will just add that MORryde, the leading manufacturer of independent suspension systems for trailers, does not make anything small or light enough for a 17MKE. Their suspension units come in 7,000 lb. and 8,000 lb. "sizes" (two units per trailer). 14,000 lbs. of suspension capability is not reasonable for your trailer and would add over 400 lbs. to the weight of your trailer. (The cost would be about 18 - 20% of what you paid for your trailer if you bought it new, too).

Rob

[NB Canada]

Best place to spend the first $150 or so. Huge difference in the stuff we’ve seen being rearranged while in transit. Further, tire life will be improved.

My local trailer shop did a provincial inspection (40.00) removed and balanced all 4 tires and inspected each bearing for grease
Bill was 90 total
I will take it there every spring


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

[Wicked ace]

Would you say that you had less problems with your flagstaff then other RV owners?
I understand that it is almost impossible to tell if the independent suspension prevented vibration damage in your case but maybe others who upgraded might see a difference.
Maybe you could think of it this way. If I had car tires that never got a flat and compared that to other cars, that might give me a clue that I had better tires.

FWIW the Flagstaff was better quality and build than the 260RD. As mentioned the wheels and tires while maybe passing on paper were not up to the task. This however was a problem across the board with manufacturers. GD only in the last few years began using an undercarriage.

[Alikair]

Would a MORryde CRE3000 or SRE4000 be a better option for the 17mke?