How to Fix Chucking and Jarring With 5th Wheel Hitch

Question:

I just bought a 2007 Forest River Wildcat F28 5th wheel trailer, the Dry weight is 7900 lbs. My tow vehicle is a 2016 Chevy 3500HD SRW crew cab long bed. When bringing it home, we notice that when we go over bumps in the road, no matter the speed, the truck and trailer would buck forward and back for a few seconds, it would then settle down until the next bump. Is this a tongue weight balance issue or something else?

asked by: Raymond J

Expert Reply:

What you were experience is what is known as chucking. This is not something unusual and it can be caused by your 5th wheel jaw(s) not being very snug around the king pin, and/or the head of your 5th wheel does not move or pivot very much. When you hit a bump in the road, there is just enough wiggle room for the king pin to move since the trailer is moving differently than the truck for those few seconds. Another possibility that you will want to check is the Tongue Weight. The Tongue Weight of a 5th wheel trailer should be around 20 percent of the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

We do offer some 5th wheel hitches for your 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 that have a more secure connection around the king pin. This would help to limit the chucking since the king pin would not have as much room to move back and forth.

The Demco Hijacker # DM6076P-21K, rated for 21,000 lbs Gross Towing Weight and a 5,250 lbs Tongue Weight, is an excellent choice when it comes to this issue. It has a single-piece wraparound jaw that provides a more secure connection and limits chucking and jarring. It also has a locking bar that slides shut once the king pin is secured in jaw. The Hijacker also has a double pivot head that helps to limit the movement as well.

If you have the factory tow prep package with the pucks, then the B&W Companion # BWRVK3700, rated for 20,000 lbs Gross Towing Weight and a 5,000 lbs Tongue Weight, is what you will want to get. It is the best 5th wheel hitch that we offer that fits in the pucks on your Silverado. This 5th wheel hitch has a dual jaw design that secures the king pin to the 5th wheel, and it features a fully articulating head to help prevent the chucking and jarring.

I have attached some links to some demonstration videos for you to view as well.

expert reply by: Jon G