MORryde IS and Kodiak Disc Brakes -- 315RLTS (Post 1 of 3)

[howson]

15 Oct 22 Update: Don't miss the "lessons learned" after three years of ownership in post 33. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...7216#post97216

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Notes From my MORryde Independent Suspension and Kodiak Disc Brake Installation (In No Special Order):

1) The parking area for campers outside of the MORryde plant required the nose to rise 6" to be level. The train tracks are N-O-I-S-Y. Earplugs are practically mandatory. All of the spots were taken by 2pm in the afternoon. (Our appt was on a Tuesday due to the Labor Day Holiday.)



2) I got 12,631 miles from the OEM Dexter axles and brakes without any maintenance (other than greasing the wet bolts). I did not have any axle failures. (I'd already replaced the tires with Goodyear Endurances.)



3) One of the bushings showed evidence of a crack. In the picture below I drew a red line to show where it was cracked. None of the bushings had any significant wear evident. The guys even hammered one out so I could get a good look at it.

[howson]

MORryde IS and Kodiak Disc Brakes -- 315RLTS (Post 2 of 3)


4) The one shackle link I inspected had evidence of the hole where the wet bolt passes through wearing in an oblong fashion. (Don't know if I wrote that in the correct lingo--basically the hole wasn't round as it should be due to wear.)

5) The maintenance bays are not exactly clean. There is a heavy industrial smell inside and the large garage doors are closed at night. My DW is sensitive to chemical smells so we stayed at the Hampton Inn.



6) I attempted to open the dinette slide while up on jacks (I was told it was safe) but immediately knew by how the seals were unfolding that something was wrong. About 1/2 out I told the DW to stop. As the slide went back in it jumped (for lack of a better term) multiple times until it finally went back in. I suspect the issue was where the jacks were placed. The camper was supported at the very front and very rear, so it was probably bowing in the middle instead of arching over the suspension. This caused an issue with the slide. Thankfully once on the ground everything worked fine. Takeaway: consider spending the overnight at a hotel and get a good night's sleep. As a bonus you don't have to be up (and out) of your camper by 6am.



7) MORryde builds each IS to custom fit each trailer. This includes figuring out the "right" shock to use. Having a conversation with your sales representative about these component's ratings BEFORE they build up the IS would be helpful (if you're into the details like me).

8) Be prepared for the "Any thoughts on where you'd like the brake controller mounted?" question. I had mine mounted just behind the beam under the front cap (under the trailer). This means I have to crawl under there to check the fluid levels and (eventually) replace the fluid, but I'm OK with that. You may not be.

[howson]

MORryde IS and Kodiak Disc Brakes -- 315RLTS (Post 3 of 3)

9) There were many owners at MORryde who already has the IS but were there for an inspection. Many had their bearings repacked, etc. Not the most cost-effective place to have your bearing repacked IMHO.

10 The trailer height was measured by the Escapee's at 11' 8". After the IS system the front was 11' 5" and the rear was 11' 6". (We used the top of the air conditioners as the highest point.)

11) Weight--I know the system added weight to the trailer, but the exact amount is unknown. With the 7K axles and shocks matched appropriately (I don't know the exact model #) I'm actually not concerned about the trailer's weight any longer. I'll still travel without water but otherwise the days of worrying about the suspension due to my weight are over. (It's OK if you disagree, but at this point it is what it is.)

12) Tongue Weight -- unknown what effect, if any, there is on the tongue weight. More quality time at the CAT scale is in my future.

13) The Mayberry Cafe in Elkhart is excellent. Bring your appetite if you go for breakfast! (The burrito is HUGE.) https://www.mayberrycafe.com/



14) The RV Hall of Fame Museum is a good way to kill a few hours.



15) MORryde buys the free lunch from Panera Bread. Excellent!

16) The white flag with the blue "W" flying outside of the main building is not upside down. I thought it was, after all, the company is MORryde, right? The flag isn't upside down, it's
to celebrate the Cub's World Series win a few years ago. (Google "cubs white flag win" to read all about it.)

First Impressions
Right out of the MORryde factory there is a double set of railroad tracks. I'd traveled over these tracks with the trailer going to the factory, so I had an idea of what it felt like. Hard to describe, but it felt like the trailer gently stepped over the tracks instead of bouncing over them. I was immediately impressed.

For the rest of our (short) drive to the Holiday KOA in Elkhart (no way we were staying in that MORryde parking lot!) the towing experience was probably as good as it can possibly get. It towed perfectly straight. Actually, I can say it towed perfectly (and I'm not one for hyperbole).

The Kodiak disc brakes are very strong, but take some getting used to as they have a slight delay factor. But once they start assisting the truck there's no doubt about it. On my 2017 Ford F-350 DRW I had to change the brake type from "Default" to "Electric over Hydraulic". The initial gain was recommended at 8, but I quickly put it lower as the brakes grabbed too hard. The "effort" setting on my Ford controller is set to Medium.

Is The System Worth $6K+?
The wife and I plan on putting many more miles on our 315RLTS. (I'm now going to reference my rig as a 315RLTS+.) I've read too many stories of bent axles, broken springs, and even the suspension attachment points breaking off. (One anecdotal story I heard from a Montana owner resulted in a $2,300 repair bill due to repairs on the side of the road! That was 8 months ago. He's now spending the $6K to get the IS cause he's "done" with suspension problems like he experienced.)

So is it worth it? Hard to know for sure since we've never had a failure, but I'm now very confident in the robust system under my trailer. The extra safety factor of the disc brakes is (IMO) a no-brainer. Just do it. I've only had the system now for a few hours, but there's zero buyers remorse at this point.





I'll update this thread if there's more information to share in the future.

Any questions, fire away.

-Howard

P.S. I have no financial or interest in MORryde in any way, shape or form. I'm just a customer. I have not been compensated in any form for this review.

[vonzoog]

Great post. The independent suspension is on my wish list. I did my second Kodiak disc brake install myself on our current Momentum. That in itself should tell you how I feel about disc brakes. Can’t live without them. No pun intended.

[CloseToRetirement]

Great post! I love my IS and disc brakes too. Did you opt for the Timken bearings on your install? They gave me the option and I elected to have the better bearings (IMHO) put on during the installation.

Brian said I should consider an inspection in two years for the rubber springs plus bearing repack.

Lyle

[Canyonlight]

Excellent post, Howard ! Thank you, for sharing the narrative/pics./videos. Noisy trains and RV capital of the world must go together.

Dan

[OffToHavasu]

Is the only place to get this done at the MORyde factory or do they facilities out west?

[howson]

Is the only place to get this done at the MORyde factory or do they facilities out west?

I have no idea. Give Brian Hosinski a call at MORryde. (574) 293-1581 ext. 1673

[howson]

Something I forgot to mention...
MORryde threw away the OEM nuts for my wheels and replaced them with hardware that came with the "kit". The replacements are ugly, bare nuts. I scrounged around their shop and found 24 OEM-style nuts (that I'll install at some point). Takeaway--if you like the OEM wheel nuts, insist they are careful during their removal and have them reinstalled. (I found many that were cracked and the outside stripped badly during the removal process in various buckets around the shop.)

WEIGHT (Follow up)

I stopped at a CAT scale in Ohio today 'cause the rig sure "felt" heavy. Sure enough there's about a 250lb gain per wheel position. Yep, 4 wheels at 250lbs per means the trailer's about 1,000lbs heavier than I've ever recorded on a CAT scale. (There was only 5 gallons of water in the trailer--the hot water heater was drained.) Tongue weight is exactly as expected based on previous weighs in the same configuration (Goldwing in the truck's bed, etc). I don't pretend to be an engineer or singularly knowledgeable on the topic, but I'm not concerned about the weight gain because all of the added weight is below the frame not being carried by the frame.

The truck is not an issue because I'm still well within the capabilities of my '17 F-350 DRW. The weight gain is something to consider if you're marginal on your towing capacity. The weight gain has little to no effect on tongue weight so no impact on the TV's payload. (Note this is true with the IS installed on my '19 315RLTS--it is unknown if the IS will effect other trailers differently.)

So am I still happy with my purchase? The trailer towed amazingly well going from Elkhart to just outside of Dayton, Ohio. Spectacularly smooth and stable. Not even a hint of "truck suck" going down I-75. I haven't quite figured out the best setting for the brakes, because at a gain of 7 the brakes stop me so fast it's almost too fast (if that makes any sense). 6.5 gain seems to be about right. BL--still no buyer's remorse. Very glad I had it done.

Here's one more video related to the wet bolts (from the old Dexter axles) that may of interest. Even has another train blast in case you're missing the noise.

[howson]

Did you opt for the Timken bearings on your install?

I sure did. One of the few options during the install is the upgraded bearings. I should have mentioned that in my original post--thanks for reminding me!

[Txfivver]

Very nice Howard, congrats it looks great!! That pic of your leaf springs sure likes like they were going flat so probably good timing. I am having my Solitude done next April to avoid any snow or salt issues. I can't wait to get it done and will be sure to post a write up and pics.

[lobsters]

Is the only place to get this done at the MORyde factory or do they facilities out west?

I know this is an old post; I'm just getting back to the forum after a long absence. You are probably past the point of needing an answer, but posting in case someone else finds the thread.

Received email from MORryde today (Jan 20,2020). The only other place is Henderson's Alignment (I think actually it is Henderson's Lineup, from web searches), in Grant's Pass, Henderson.

-Al

[Marlinda]

I have no idea. Give Brian Hosinski a call at MORryde. (574) 293-1581 ext. 1673

I don't know if you found the answer to your question or not but the only other facility is in the west and it is Henderson's Line Up in Grants Pass, Ore. We are scheduled for the complete install March 30, 2020. I can't wait as we have had 3 different occasions with broken leaf springs on our 375res. Talk to Elijah, he's a great guy.

[howson]

I don't know if you found the answer to your question or not but the only other facility is in the west and it is Henderson's Line Up in Grants Pass, Ore. We are scheduled for the complete install March 30, 2020. I can't wait as we have had 3 different occasions with broken leaf springs on our 375res. Talk to Elijah, he's a great guy.

I love it when the first post from a new member is helpful information! Welcome to the forum, Marlinda. I look forward to reading your future contributions.

-Howard

P.S. lobsters did find Henderson's.

[RCooper]

Great post on the MORryde IS...did the upgrade effect your selection of tires? What tire are you running now ? Getting ready to buy new tires before we head up to MORryde for the upgrade. Any input will be appreciated.