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We partnered with MORryde had the 8K Independent Suspension and Kodiak Disc Brakes installed on our rig and are already loving the results! We’ve had our eye on this upgrade for over a year and so pleased to be able to work with MORryde to share the results. The whole process was extremely interesting to watch and every person we encountered on the MORryde team was amazing. If you’re considering this upgrade or simply want to know what the process looks like then read on.
What to Expect
Arrival
You can only get the Independent Suspension installed at two locations, one in Oregon and the other at their headquarters in Elkhart, Indiana. We had our work done in Elkhart. The MORryde plant is in an industrial area but you do have to drive through a town to get there; our GPS decided to take us through the residential area so we figured we’d give you the best way to get there. You’ll take exit 92 off of I-80 (it doesn’t matter if you’re coming from east or west because it will loop you through the same toll plaza). Once you exit the toll plaza, turn left onto IN-19 S/Cassopolis St, turn left onto Bristol St, turn right onto Johnson St, continue straight and the road turns into Prairie St, turn left onto Main, turn left onto E Lusher Ave, turn left onto Sterling Ave, turn right onto Bar St, then turn right onto Moyer Ave. RV parking is on Moyer Avenue and it is easy to spot.
Depending on if you have two our three axles expect the process to take two to three days to complete. Thankfully, you are allowed to sleep in your RV at night when the work is done so you don’t have to find a hotel. However, if you are a light sleeper you might want to consider sleeping offsite as their manufacturing facility next door is a 24 hour shop. The work starts at 6 am and MORryde allows you to sleep in their RV parking the night before (they have 30 and 50 amp electrical for you too) so you don’t have to tow in the wee hours of the morning to get there.
Day 1 Process
On the morning of your appointment you will need to have your slides pulled in, your RV hooked up to your truck, and be ready to go by 6 am. They first take a few measurements of your wheels, truck, and height before backing your RV into their service bay (you can move it yourself or they will do if for you if you’re not comfortable). Once our RV was in the shop, our tech had our old leaf springs and shackles off in less than 20 minutes! It was fun to witness but also a little scary they were so easily destroyed.
MORryde has coffee and snacks in the morning for you and provides lunch each day you are there. They also have a Customer Lounge with WiFi where you can spend your day. We got know the three other couples there that were also getting Independent Suspension and had a nice time chatting the day away. The work is done by 2:30 pm everyday (remember, they start at 6 am!) so it does go by quickly. If you would rather not hang around onsite during the day, the MORryde staff would be more than happy to recommend some sightseeing in the area.
At the end of Day 1 we were able to head back into the shop and take a peek at what was done. We saw our old leaf springs/shackles as well as the new Independent Suspension that was built that day. Seeing them side by side really showed the difference in quality.
We learned that Day 1’s work consisted of removing the old leaf springs/shackles, grinding the surface area down smooth, welding on the frame for the Independent Suspension, and installing the new Hydrastar Trailer Brake Actuators. After we were done checking out the work, we headed out for dinner and a little exploring. We weren’t sure how well we would sleep once we got back (with the manufacturing side still working) but we both knocked out. We both only woke up once for a lunch bell at 1 am but were successful in crashing right back out.
Day 2 Process
Day 2 started out similar with a 6 am wake up call. We were out of our RV by 5:57 am and our tech, Brenten was ready to go! We headed to the Customer Lounge for some much-needed coffee and started our workday as well. After we finished lunch, around 1 pm we were notified our RV was done and to come take a look! We were so excited to check out this new system.
We went into the workshop to take a look and chatted with Brenten for a bit about what was done. We learned that Day 2’s work consisted of welding on the Independent Suspension, connecting the brakes, and doing the alignment. I want to point out that I feel I’m oversimplifying the work that goes into this upgrade, trust me when I say Brenten (and all the techs) are well trained and extremely knowledgeable and I don’t want to diminish the skill needed to complete this work.
After chatting we hitched up and took it for a test drive around the block. It was shocking the difference we immediately noticed in the brakes! The stopping power from the Kodiak Disc Brakes blew us away. We intentionally went over a few potholes just to see how it felt and the Independent Suspension glided over them with no issues.
We drove back to the MORryde facility and they remeasured our RV. Before the install we were 13’4″ in the front (including our A/C) and 13’1″ in the back (also including our A/C). After the install we were 13’5″ in the back and front, meaning we were towing completely level! Yes, this upgrade did add an inch to our total height but if you’re not comfortable with that, you can talk to the MORryde team and they can figure out what’s right for you. Our height increased for two reasons 1) Because we had the 8K Independent Suspension added it required a beefier frame to be built 2) we just upgraded the suspension in the truck so we don’t have as much “sag” when we put the full weight of the kingpin on the trailer bed.
Benefits of Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes
Alright, now that we’ve walked you through the process of what the install looks like, we wanted to go over some of the benefits of the Independent Suspension and Disc Brake upgrade. We wanted this upgrade for over a year and had a hard time finding much information (outside of MORryde) on the topic. Anything we did find on blogs and forums was positive so that was reassuring! Now that we have it, we can confirm all the benefits are well worth it. Those include:
- A much smoother ride! The Independent Suspension glides over potholes and rough roads. The independent wheel action allows the tires to “walk” over bumps.
- Better protection of your trailer, components, and contents from damage. Road shock is no joke and a smoother ride increases the longevity of your RV.
- We now have 5″ of suspension compared to the 2″ provided in typical leaf springs.
- No more worrying about broken leaf springs or shackles on driving days!
- MORryde provides a 5 year warranty.
- We’ve noticed our Kodiak Disc Brakes stop much faster, meaning we have a shorter stopping distance.
- Our brakes are quieter and smoother.
- Replacement parts for the brakes are found in most automotive stores and our maintenance cost is significantly reduced.
Cost
MORryde offers four different packages for Independent Suspension depending on which weight you want and how many axles you need. At the time of posting this blog, the prices are:
- Tandem 7K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $6,499
- Tandem 8K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $6,900
- Triple 7K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $8,850
- Triple 8K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $9,550
Final Thoughts on Independent Suspension
Overall, we are so pleased we received this upgrade! We immediately felt the difference in our ride and have noticed that things inside the trailer don’t seem jostled at all. We both have said how we feel much safer on moving days because we know we can stop faster (if needed) and the constant worry of a leaf spring breaking has disappeared.
If your full time in your RV or are a frequent traveler, we highly recommend you consider this upgrade. MORryde is more than happy to help with any questions you might have. Feel free to shoot them an email at sales@morryde.com or give them a call at (574) 293-1581.
I enjoyed your post on MORryde IS, particularly having just had a leaf spring pin shear off. This caused the axle to shift back, losing leaf springs and a G rated tire $$$. Tire pressed into the level-up jack bending the jack foot. Roughly a $1k failure. Anyway after watching your video I immediately called MORryde only to be disappointed with the +5 month scheduling lead time. How has your experience been with the IS now that you have had it for a little while?
We love it. Aside from the smoother ride and less stress on the frame our favorite part is that stuff doesn’t shift in our cabinets anymore. We don’t have to be prepared when opening a cupboard after moving day anymore. We booked our appointment in August last year so we knew they booked up quickly in the summer. We should have mentioned that in the video.
Any idea of how much shorter you can stop as comparing before and comparing to the truck by itself? We have a new GD2930RL and thinking about his mod.
Hey Jerry, not sure of the stopping distance difference but it feels substantial to me. You feel the brakes immediately.
Thanks for the video. This upgrade is on my radar. One question, you have a late model Ram. Does the factory brake controller work with the new electric over hydraulic system?
Thanks again.
Jim
Does your factory brake controller work with the new electric over hydraulic system?
Yep! There is even an option for electric over hydraulic in the factory settings.
Now that you have had the IS for a couple of months do you still think the upgrade was worth the price? We are going FT next year and this seems like something I would be interested in having done to our rig.
We love it! It is definitely worth the upgrade if you are going to be traveling a lot as we do (weekly/biweekly). We have enjoyed the noticeable less stuff falling on you when you open a cupboard on moving days.
I just booked my appointment for 7K IS with disc brakes for our 2017 Keystone Avalanche. The wait time is much shorter at this time of the year, just 4 weeks. Looking forward to December 8th, and hoping the Arctic blast stays away that week!
We got our upgrade done last week. It’s awesome! The ride is so smooth I don’t feel the RV going over bumps in the road any more, and the disc brakes are great in areas of heavy traffic. We have a 2″ lift at the wheels and 1″ at the hitch to run level, this give us better clearance at both the hydraulic jacks and the truck bed and will help when we are boondocking in AZ. We got a nice surprise too, a 10% winter discount:) They have difficulty getting customers to go to Elkhart in the winter as it is so cold!! I think the winter discount runs through to the end of February
I see Grand Design is now offering 8k axles as an option direct from Grand Design. “8K Axles with Disc Brakes and H-Rated Cooper Tires”. Do you know if that option increases the GVWR of the Solitudes? I know you work directly with Grand Design don’t really trust a dealer to know that answer. Might be an interesting article or video if you get the information. We enjoy your videos and hope to full time rv at some point but for now enjoy learning as much as we can in the mean time.
The GD 8K axle option is definitely NOT the IS. If ordering a new coach from a dealer, ask them about coordinating with Morryde before delivery (most will do that)
Your video was very informative and helpful in that it cleared up some concerns that I have regarding the stay at the facility. As you mentioned it is a big decision to make considering the price which by the way has increased by $500. Question regarding 7 or 8k tandem. Does MORryde take measurements with your RV hooked up to your truck to determine which would be best or does it even matter?
Thank you for your video.
Did you not have a suspension or brake failure on one side .Anymore info
I imagine adding the MORryde IS increases the weight of the rig substantially (especially if the frame has to be reinforced). What does this do to the cargo carrying capacity of the rig? In my case after adding a washer and dryer, as well as a generator and solar there’s not much CCC left…
Said another way, how much did adding the 3 axles of IS plus frame reinforcement add to the weight of your rig?
Hi Jason, I hope Christmas was great for your family and you. Due to your review and others, we are heading to Morryde for the IS and a few other upgrades. One question, are you guys aware of an RV park located near Morryde? From watching your video and the information provided by Morryde, we understand a day prior to our appointment we can park on location but we would like to arrive a few days before. Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.
Elkhart Campground is where we usually stay in the area.