Fifth Wheel Pinbox

My Trailair pinbox has corroded to the point where it has to be replaced. Trailair (now Lippert) doesn't make the pinbox for my RV anymore. There is a Reese Sidewinder available and also a Morryde. Morryde is way less $ than the Sidewinder but I have no experience with either. Any comments or experiences with them would be appreciated.
Thanks.

I have no experience with pin boxes, but it's my understanding that a Sidewinder is mostly used with short box trucks that could have an issue making tight turns. Personally, I couldn't see paying for a feature that I didn't need. Have you looked a 5thAirborne?

A Sidewinder is an entirely different level of function than a Trail-Air or MorRyde. Do you want or need that? If not, paying extra for it makes little swense.

etrailer.com has an excellent help article on pin box types and sizing, as well as a compendium of brands.  See https://www.etrailer.com/faq-measuring-a-fifth-wheel-pin-box.aspx

Near as I can tell, the Trailair and 5th Airborne are essentially the same using an airbag. Difference is in the location of the airbag. Price of each are very close. The Trailair did a great job for us for 13 years but the cost now is almost double what it was at that time. The Morryde uses a rubber "spring" but I haven't talked to anyone who has one and would like to get feedback from any users.

Have you considered going to a gooseneck adapter?

Most fiver manufacturer's will void a warranty if a gooseneck adapter is used. I understand there's no warranty involved here, but the point is gooseneck adapters are apparently very hard on the frame of a fifth wheel.

kdbgoat said:

Most fiver manufacturer's will void a warranty if a gooseneck adapter is used. I understand there's no warranty involved here, but the point is gooseneck adapters are apparently very hard on the frame of a fifth wheel.

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  There are a couple of gooseneck ( at least similar) adapters that apparently are OK. I?m not yet convinced on their compatibility with a 5th wheel pin/frame design.

  There is a huge difference in design ( geometry, construction materials,etc.) between a 5th wheel and a gooseneck trailer! Gooseneck trailers generally are of heavy I-beam construction with large gusset plates at the beam intersections (joints).  The conventional gooseneck adapter, magnifies the torque or leverage applied to the trailer pin box. ?By Design? a 5th wheel pin box and frame are not designed for this ?magnified? torque, substantially increasing the risk of frame failure .....which many people have experienced!

 

BruceinFL said:

My Trailair pinbox has corroded to the point where it has to be replaced. Trailair (now Lippert) doesn't make the pinbox for my RV anymore. There is a Reese Sidewinder available and also a Morryde. Morryde is way less $ than the Sidewinder but I have no experience with either. Any comments or experiences with them would be appreciated.
Thanks.

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Did you ever think cleaning it up and repainting it.

Denny

Let me make a clear distinction here  between a    GOOSENECK ADAPTER  which is essentially a pipe connecting the pin box to the gooseneck ball,  and a  FW HITCH WHICH ATTACHES TO the gooseneck ball.

The ADAPTER such as this    https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Andersen/AM3100.html

THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.  It is applying force to the pin box like putting a pipe on a wrench to increase leverage on a bolt.  Every start, stop and turn applies force to the pin box with a lever attached to the goose ball

A FW HITCH such as this      https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Demco-RV/DM8550045.html

There are other styles similar to this.  I chose this one because the differences are easy to see.  The hitch sits on the bed and is held firmly in place with the goose ball attachment.  It provides a STABLE connection platform 18" or so above the bed, just like a "conventional" FW hitch.  There is NO force applied to the pin box above the normal, design factors force.  The start, stop forces are applied directly to the pin box with no leverage.  These WILL NOT DAMAGE your pin box.

In addition to the Demco hitch, the B&W Companion hitch and the Andersen Ultimate hitch offer this type of hitch.  In fact, Andersen guarantees if your FW frame is damaged by their hitch and the manufacturer denies your claim, they will cover the repair up to $5,000,000.  See their web site for details.          https://andersenhitches.com/Catalog/ultimate-5th-wheel-connection.aspx      Bottom of page

seabreeze331 said:

Have you considered going to a gooseneck adapter?

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No.

rvpuller said:

Did you ever think cleaning it up and repainting it.

Denny

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Beyond repair.

Thanks everyone. Hard to believe no one on the forum has experience with a MorRyde pinbox. If I get one, I'll volunteer to be the one. 

While my camper is 8 years old, I have only pulled it on one trip - home.  It has a Mor Ride pin box.  To me, the pin box is "just another chunk of metal" as long as it continues to function properly.  I do not even think about what brand it is.  I would only replace it if it failed (like yours) or I needed a different size / height.  Mine appears to be in excellent condition.  No issues.

Thanks Preach. I opted for the MorRyde box since it was 33% less expensive than the 5th Airborne. It's on order and, once installed and after a trip or two, I'll post a report on its operation.

We have a Morryde, no complaints.

I've played with the idea of getting a Sidwinder. There are times when I'd like to kick the nose around like I did with our bumper pull but removing the locks on the Sidwinder isn't easy. 

Without the locks a Sidewinder moves the pivot point behind the rear axle. If it isn't properly maintained it will allow trailer sway.

If the pinbox is corroded beyond repair and the manufacturer can?t supply a replacement, I am not sure there is a warranty to be concerned with.....

If the pin box has corroded that badly, what does the rest of the frame look like?!

BruceinFL said:

Near as I can tell, the Trailair and 5th Airborne are essentially the same using an airbag. Difference is in the location of the airbag. Price of each are very close. The Trailair did a great job for us for 13 years but the cost now is almost double what it was at that time. The Morryde uses a rubber "spring" but I haven't talked to anyone who has one and would like to get feedback from any users.

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I have a Mor/ryde on my 2014 Montana (16K GVR) that keeps the trailer totally silent and smooth, but being fairly new, I can't say how long they last.  But I also have a Curt Q24 hitch that also has a rubber mount, so that probably helps the ride, too.  Happy with 'em both.

meternerd said:

I have a Mor/ryde on my 2014 Montana (16K GVR) that keeps the trailer totally silent and smooth, but being fairly new, I can't say how long they last.  But I also have a Curt Q24 hitch that also has a rubber mount, so that probably helps the ride, too.  Happy with 'em both.

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That combo is sweet ive looked at the Mor/ryde a couple times but im not having much luck getting a great deal on one so i keep using my LCI box, it moves up und down but not like the Mor maybe one of these days.

This is what I used on my 5th wheel. Lippert allows this to be installed, and it will not effect the warranty. Trailer is a 2015 so its out of warranty now, but I put it on after my 2nd tow when it was new. 
https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Reese/RP94622.html?msclkid=c486eec24c8712875994b44fef5ca6a9&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shop%20-%20Gooseneck%20and%20Fifth%20Wheel%20Adapters&utm_term=4577473065821922&utm_content=Gooseneck%20and%20Fifth%20Wheel%20Adapters