MorRyde IS Suspension

kenw7866 · 08-31-2019, 12:47 AM

I notice that several members list that they have MORYDE IS Suspension on their rig. Since Redwood does not offer this as an option, please tell me how you handled getting this installed. Thanks in advance. Ken Westbrooks

Jim & Mary · 08-31-2019, 01:42 AM

I knew we were going to the rally in 2017, so in late January I called them and scheduled an appointment the week before the rally. Don't know where you are normally located, but for us being in NW Oregon, it's about a 6K round trip so we tied it into attending the Redwood Rally. I already had disc brakes installed so we just got the 8K IS installed. If you don't have disc brakes, I would highly recommend getting them. The single most important safety improvement you can do.

XCMARK · 08-31-2019, 02:22 AM

there is only two places in the country that do installs Henderson's pass on the west coast and Morryde in Elkhart Indiana. I had mine done in Elkhart , If you go to the factory web site you can get the phone number or send a email to them , the sales DEPT will contact you and give you a price for the work your asking them for and then Brian the service MGR will contact you to set up a time that works for you. They are getting close to the end of season slow down so they may be setting up appointments 6-10 weeks out now. I takes about 2 full working days to complete a disk brake and suspension upgrade. I my case I had 7000 lb axels and the brakes are undersized in my opinion for the weight of these trailer. The 8K factory drums are much bigger and most owner feel they are just OK. Disk are nothing short of amazing , if you really need to stop it will no questions asked ! the suspension works much better then springs with a rubber trunnions , I am able to leave the coffee maker on the kitchen counter with out a concern . The amount of screws loosening up and thing that fall apart is greatly reduced . Doors stay closed , and it helps with the ride in the cab or the truck over bridges and bad roads. There is only two problems , the distance to get it done and $7XXX bill out the door for a full Monty. I would do it again as others will agree it is a must have if your going to put miles on the trailer. 100 mile week end trips 3 times a summer I think the disk brakes is a must but real towing miles on the trailer then get the IS also. If when you talk the sales DEPT you mention the show price they will give you the rally price that is a few$ less then off the street price.

you can stay in your trailer the time your at the factory but you must be out of the trailer by 6:00 am is and you can go back after 3pm . The factory does run 2 or 3 shifts and a train tracks so bring your ear plugs and sleeping pills. They isn't any AC in the shop and you need to have water before you park in the bay. Its no bad but its not a 5 star site.....

Jim & Mary · 08-31-2019, 02:40 AM

The bay they put us in for our conversion had a water spigot, so we even had water in our coach, but not all bays are so equipped.............

Jim & Mary · 08-31-2019, 02:42 AM

We've even have one of our members who had their IS installed during the build of their coach, I believe before paint. Now that was thinking ahead.....

mhs4771 · 08-31-2019, 03:27 AM

Hey that would be Me.....Took a little wheeling and dealing with Redwood Management, but they finally agreed to give it a try provided I made all payment arrangements directly with MORryde. Turned out to be a good thing, as we had ordered the Factory Disc Brakes, but when our unit was entered into the Redwood build cycle the Discs got dropped. MORryde called me to question it. So MORryde ended up also installing the Disc Brakes as well and RW took the cost off our price on the RW.
Note to the OP: This is our third Fifthwheel and the third with MORryde IS. Wouldn't have one of these heavy things without IS and Disc Brakes.

Ford truck guy · 09-01-2019, 02:50 AM

This is also our 3rd fifth wheel that we installed the IS on. We are at the point that my wife stated to me that she will not have a fifth heel without the IS . . .

kenw7866 · 09-01-2019, 04:03 AM

Thanks to all who replied to my earlier post. I am familiar with the IS as we have a 2006 Forest River 40' Cardinal that we installed in 2012 and I am extremely pleased with the disk brakes as well. I was interested in purchasing a Redwood and wanted to be able to have the IS system and was hoping to be able to get it installed before taking delivery of the rig. We live in Georgia and our local Redwood dealer is not much help in solving my problem. I really don't want to have to drive from Georgia to Elkhart. We did that on our present rig but I was fed up with the weak suspension on the Cardinal and was desperate. Any information on how to deal with Redwood to accomplish will be appreciated.

XCMARK · 09-01-2019, 02:09 PM

maybe look at ordering a redwood from Tiara in Elkhart , they sell Redwoods and that are about 8 miles from MorRyde.

mhs4771 · 09-01-2019, 05:55 PM

I would make numerous phone calls. When we had ours done it was under different management and while Redwood was sort of still on there own before getting more under Crossroads and now Keystone. If contacting them doesn't work I would take the above suggestion and maybe work with Tiara, but would probably result in making your deal with them, unless your local Dealer could work a deal with them.

Ford truck guy · 09-02-2019, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhs4771

I would make numerous phone calls. When we had ours done it was under different management and while Redwood was sort of still on there own before getting more under Crossroads and now Keystone. If contacting them doesn't work I would take the above suggestion and maybe work with Tiara, but would probably result in making your deal with them, unless your local Dealer could work a deal with them.

I tried the phone call idea with my 2020 and no luck..

The Redwood was delivered to my dealer in Eastern PA, I used it Memorial Day and a RV delivery service picked it up at my house to take it right back to Indiana that Tuesday.

This was ALL partially because Redwood would not/could not lend a hand, AND Morryde was also BOOKED as it was their busy season ( early May ) ..

I will say this, Gary Wheeler at Morryde said that if it happened, HE would pick it up from Redwood, and deliver it back to them once done with his truck... But we still could not make it happen.

mhs4771 · 09-02-2019, 09:07 PM

As I mentioned, our deal was done under several different Managements ago. We had made a deal with the Dealer, but no money or final papers were signed since it was a Factory Order. So when I talked to RW's Regional Sales Manager and RW Manager I told them I was looking at their competition that offered IS as an option and if we couldn't come to an agreement I would go with the competition.
They gave the "Canned Answer" at the Rally of why they wouldn't offer it as an option. Their canned answer was that it would raise the price point to the Dealers, but we all know that dealers won't order big ticket items on their stock units, so their answer is "BULL".

Shastakid · 09-03-2019, 07:59 PM

We had MorRyde install the IS system and disc brakes the week before the 2019 Redwood Rally this year. Made reservations late last year with Gary Wheeler and everything went great during install. What a difference, chucking is now almost gone, hardly feel the trailer move on rough roads, items inside hardly move now. We noticed the difference especially traveling in Illinois around Chicago which are some of the worst roads that we were on heading back to California.

Cliff & Julie Hammond · 09-03-2019, 11:43 PM

We are selling our 2015 36RL see RVT for 60k it’s loaded and very nice.
510 773 6119
Cliff

Shastakid · 09-04-2019, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff & Julie Hammond

We are selling our 2015 36RL see RVT for 60k it’s loaded and very nice.
510 773 6119
Cliff

A few weeks ago someone was looking for a used Redwood on this forum, try searching for their name.

woodman1 · 09-11-2019, 06:24 AM

Much like the other stories above, we went to have our IS installed at the MorRyde factory in Elkhart, Ind. Great company and people at all levels. Five things I will add.

1. They are pricey, especially when you add the disc brakes.
2. They are heavier that the standard axle and drum.
3. Disc brakes stop better than drum brakes, but there is a lag in the brake pedal recognition. In other words, your TV will react by the depression of the pedal seconds before the 5th will react.
4. MorRyde's IS system is impeccably built, everything is solid and heavy duty.
5. For those that gush that they've experienced such a great ride that they can keep coffee makers on the counter, there maybe a few other factors to entertain, e.g., as long box versus a short box, road conditions, pin box, tires, etc. As far as our 3 year experience, I would say the ride is better, but our coffee maker would be on the floor, every time. We travel cross-country on the interstates at 63 mph and come upon bad bridge approaches, swells, bumps and lg. potholes all the time and there's no suspension, regardless how sophisticated, that can handle some of those peacefully. IS is far superior than conventional axles and we'd do it again, but I'm also not delusional in believing it's a panacea for bad roads. At the end of a long trip on the road, we'll find things rearranged, unless it was strapped down and even that's not a guarantee. IS is a great improvement over any of the axles and it gives me confidence when we travel, that's why we installed it. In addition, disc brakes are an essential standard in today's vehicle, especially when you're hauling a big rig.

mhs4771 · 09-11-2019, 03:59 PM

Woodman, I concur 110%. Yes the ride is greatly improved, but we still put things away as you never know when some idiot cuts you off and you have to jam the brakes, no suspension will keep things in place when that happens.
But I truly believe that when you couple the IS with an Air Ride King Pin or Hitch (ours is the Comfort Ride Hitch) that it will help your RW survive our Great (not) Roads much better than the stock OEM suspension.

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