What's new
By:
Ram Heavy Duty Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Towing a Brinkley - offset required?

I have a 150 series Reflection and believe the only approved replacement for the factory installed Turning Point (junk IMO but it’s what we got) is the Gen Y. I like my Companion hitch too much to do all that swapping at this point. I run the TP locked out and do just fine without a slider.


Sent from me
 
Brinkley is one of the heavier trailer brands. So much so that i have seen a few reports of the trailer frame failing and heard unconfirmed rumors of more frames failing.

For the pin weight reason alone, i would not use an offset hitch. I know my 40' alliance 5'er had the rear axle weight at near max, suspect the brinkley brand would be worse, i would want the weight over my axle. But on the other hand, probably couldn't get my trailer into the storage unit slot without some type of sliding hitch. Pullrite for me.
 
BAT3500 said:
So much so that i have seen a few reports of the trailer frame failing and heard unconfirmed rumors of more frames failing.
Click to expand...

One reason I despise the Internet and social media...folks post stuff from unknown sources and it just keeps getting passed down. There have been Lippert frame failures, but so far, I've not been able to find one on a Brinkley, nor has Brinkley. A guy actually got kicked out of some FB groups for posting "frame failures" from several brands that never happened. It makes it hard as a consumer to know what is accurate, haters, sour apples.

One thing that is absolutely true, Brinkley (and other manufacturers) have been looking at the frame flex and failure issue. Heavier towables and worsening roads are contributors, but to me, the primary issue lies with the lack of appropriate suspension of towables both at the axles and at the pin (on 5th wheels). Lack of appropriate maintenance is also a contributor in many cases.

With an offest, the weight still is ON the axle. What it adds is a slight bending moment to the actual hitch in the extreme case (if you can even articulate that far), but that is also mitigated through the connection. Any additional force is on the actual offest itself, and they are beefy.
 
Not quite true. Assuming the center of gravity of trailer remains in the same position, an offset increases the distance from the trailer cg to the hitch point slightly increasing the reaction load on the truck.

As far as lippert frames they are known to be way too flexible and often poorly welded. But this is what the trailer manufacturers spec out and demand. The manufacturers control the the design specs, not the frame manufacturer. When the frame welds start cracking or the upper structure walls begin cracking or perhaps leaking, the finger pointing begins. The consumer is the true looser.
 
H3LZSN1P3R said:
A 5th wheel should be adding weight to the front axle not removing it. I can feel the difference towing with a GM with their ball 2” behind the axle vs the centred position of the Ram
Click to expand...
I have the cat scale slip to prove it.
 
AH64ID said:
The physics behind the weight says that it’s more than 20lbs. Something is off in the weight measurement, by at least 100 lbs. a CCSB will have a greater reduction in FAW for the same pin weight than a MC.

5” ahead of the axle makes more than 20# of difference in the front axle, and 5” behind will do the same.

Bottom line is a proper GN or 5th wheel setup won’t remove any weight from the front axle.
Click to expand...
I have the cat scale slip to prove it. But with the weights we are talking about, 20# is basically equivalent to 0#. Lots of arguments about stuff in theory that have already been weighed and proven out.
 
BAT3500 said:
Not quite true. Assuming the center of gravity of trailer remains in the same position, an offset increases the distance from the trailer cg to the hitch point slightly increasing the reaction load on the truck.

As far as lippert frames they are known to be way too flexible and often poorly welded. But this is what the trailer manufacturers spec out and demand. The manufacturers control the the design specs, not the frame manufacturer. When the frame welds start cracking or the upper structure walls begin cracking or perhaps leaking, the finger pointing begins. The consumer is the true looser.
Click to expand...
Flex is actually not a bad thing to a certain degree too rigid cracks start forming also. The biggest issue is trailer manufactures are NOT required to be AWS or CWB certified meaning any useless tool who can hold a mig gun gets hired for cheap with little to no quality control. so the welds are poor or missed completely. Also they also do majority down hand welds which lacks the penetration and strength compared to a horizontal, vertical up or flat weld
 
H3LZSN1P3R said:
You need 3 slips one before loading the trailer one after and one on centre of the axle before your scale slips have any bearing or proof.
Click to expand...
Why would I need 1 on center to prove anything? If I have only lightened the load on the steering axles by 20 pounds, it will not have any effect on steering. The front of the truck is barely any lighter than it is regularly. What physics do you have that says the front tires need to be significantly heavier to provide the same handling? You do know that some trucks come factory with the center puck behind the axle, right? Are they death traps?
 
darrellr said:
Why would I need 1 on center to prove anything? If I have only lightened the load on the steering axles by 20 pounds, it will not have any effect on steering. The front of the truck is barely any lighter than it is regularly. What physics do you have that says the front tires need to be significantly heavier to provide the same handling? You do know that some trucks come factory with the center puck behind the axle, right? Are they death traps?
Click to expand...
The point of the one loaded on centre would be to show how much you are actually taking off the front axle with the trailer loaded where it should be


I have already mentioned the GM with the GN puck 2” behind the centre line and with just the 2” you can feel the difference.
 
Here was the testing done by Brinkley and Gen Y:

rvbusiness.com

Gen-Y Hitch, Brinkley Perform Testing on Executive Pin Box - RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News

NEW CARLISLE, Ind. – Brinkley RV and Gen-Y Hitch joined forces to get 3rd party testing from Navistar at its New Carlisle proving grounds on a Model G 5th Wheel RV and Executive 5th Wheel Pin Box, according to a press release. The mission was to see how well the Torsion-Flex reduced damage to the
rvbusiness.com rvbusiness.com

—-

Thanks lonestar for the correction, they did put it on themselves:


However Brinkley does offer it as option on the G series:

www.brinkleyrv.com

Model G Fifth Wheel Toy Hauler Line By Brinkley RV

Brinkley RV's Luxury Fifth-Wheel Toy Hauler is here! Developed & Tested By RVers. It has it all, floorplan, function, storage, automotive exterior, residential interior, and so much more!
www.brinkleyrv.com www.brinkleyrv.com

Damn cheap factory option, I guess you are substituting the Gen Y 5th wheel so it offsets the cost:


30k Gen-Y® Executive Torsion Flex Hitch (Fifth Wheel)
SO-Hot-Feature-Icon-Round.png
—> 30k Gen-Y® Executive Torsion Flex Hitch Pin-Box (Gooseneck w/ SnapLatch) ($399)
SO-Hot-Feature-Icon-Round.png

​
 
Last edited:
H3LZSN1P3R said:
The point of the one loaded on centre would be to show how much you are actually taking off the front axle with the trailer loaded where it should be


I have already mentioned the GM with the GN puck 2” behind the centre line and with just the 2” you can feel the difference.
Click to expand...
We will have to agree to disagree on this. 20# of difference of weight on the front axle does not make a bit of difference in driving down the highway or any other condition I pull the trailer. I have pulled this trailer, and another RV, with this truck with a centered fifth wheel hitch. I could not tell any difference at all until I started backing the trailer because my previous hitch was a slider. Otherwise, I feel no difference. Either I am not noticing it, or you are experience some placebo effect of 2" of difference or think you can feel 20# difference at 5,600#.
 
darrellr said:
Looks pretty close to the existing Lippert/Curt Trail Air line - except with a metal spring instead of an airbag.
Click to expand...

I am assuming that is who is making it for them, but that info was not put out directly, so I refrained from saying it was from company X. There is also some rumoring that Brinkley is testing an independent suspension from Lippert.
 
BAT3500 said:
Brinkley is one of the heavier trailer brands. So much so that i have seen a few reports of the trailer frame failing and heard unconfirmed rumors of more frames failing.
Click to expand...
Look into Grand Design's recent frame issues lol. Hope anyone looking at those is paying attention,
 
darrellr said:
Look into Grand Design's recent frame issues lol. Hope anyone looking at those is paying attention,
Click to expand...

Is it Grand Design, or Lippert (who makes 90% of the frames), or suspension or combinations thereof. Workmanship AND design are things to look at, but there are certainly a lot of factors. (Rhetorical questions).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top