How to Eliminate Chucking with a 2013 Silverado 3500 and a Sierra 346RET using a Curt E16 Hitch

Question

Question:

I am trying to resolve an issue that hopefully you can help with. I currently have a 2013 Silverado 350 Dually 8foot bed. My RV is a Sierra 346RET model. My fifth wheel hitch is a curt E16 and the pin box is a Trailair Tri-Glide. I went to the Air Ride pin box from a Trailair RotoFlex because of the up/down motion I was getting and then had to add the Tri-Glide because of the chucking that developed. This pin box was a great improvement but there is still some HARD chucking mostly when braking hard or driving over uneven roads. Also, my current fifth wheel is 16.75inch above the bed. When hooked up for towing the front of the RV is 1.5inch - 2.0inch higher than the rear of the RV. I have looked into lowering the truck but no kit is available. I also looked into raising the RV but again there are no kits for this I have a friend that has the BandW Companion and he does not have this problem. The Curt fifth wheel basically has a square hole for a round pin. The square hole measures 2.5inch side-to-side and 2.25inch front-to-back. This seems like a lot of slop where the pin should be held in place and I wonder if this is causing the hard chucking I am feeling. The chucking may actually be more of a chunk since it only happens once and does not get into a rhythm of chucking. The picture I am including shows the leading edge of the fifth wheel to show how the pin has disfigured the edge from the chunking. Based on the Tri-Glide pin box I have, is the BandW Companion the hitch I need or is there another hitch that would eliminate/smooth the chunking I am experiencing? Thanks!

asked by: Mike W

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Expert Reply:

Since you already have the Trailair Tri-Glide pin box on your Sierra 346RET, I would definitely fault the Curt E16 hitch for any additional chucking your are experiencing. The E16 hitch uses a slide-bar jaw which provides a fairly loose grip around the king pin frequently creating chucking and a noisy ride. Upgrading your fifth wheel hitch will would be my recommendation for a smoother ride.

The B and W Companion, BWRVK3500-5W, is an excellent hitch, but you will have to remove your current fifth wheel base rails and frame brackets to install the B and W Gooseneck Hitch, # BWGNRK1012-5W. Also, the lowest height setting for the Companion is 16-1/4 inches, so it would not allow you to lower the nose of your fifth wheel very much.

Since you already have the base rails installed, I recommend using the Reese 22K Fifth Wheel Hitch, # RP30033, if you did not want to deal with the hassle of uninstalling and installing new parts. This hitch uses a premium dual jaw system that ensures a secure fit and 360 degree contact with the king pin. The height of the hitch can be adjusted down to 14 inches which would allow you to lower the nose of your trailer enough to make it level. Keep in mind, if you will be lowering the height of the hitch, you want to make sure you have no less than 6 inches between the top of your truck bed walls and the underside of your trailer. It is recommended to have at least 6 inches so the trailer does not hit the top of the truck bed when going over bumps or rough terrain.

I have attached video reviews and installation instructions for the Reese hitch and the B and W Companion fifth wheel hitch and gooseneck hitch for you to check out.

expert reply by: John H

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