Should I upgrade the suspension with aftermarket shocks for my Ram 3500 tow rig?

[Camila.J]

I’m trying to decide if I should upgrade the suspension on my 2019 Ram 3500 dually, which I use for towing a 16k lb fifth wheel. The truck handles the weight fine, but the ride feels pretty unsettled and bouncy when the trailer is hooked up, especially on uneven highways. I’m wondering if aftermarket springs and shocks would make a meaningful difference, or if that’s just the nature of a one-ton truck with a heavy load.

[Madison_M]

I swapped to heavier rear springs and gas shocks last year and it did cut down some squat and a bit of bounce. On rough highways the trailer still makes the rear end feel unsettled at highway speeds, so it helped but didn’t fix the wobble completely. I figure that’s the nature of a big one ton with a heavy fifth wheel.

[KevinT]

From my side the hitch setup mattered more. Pin weight and weight transfer in turns changed how it rode. I fiddled with pin weight and even tried a touch lower tire pressure; ride quieted a notch but the big sway behind the wheel is still there.

[Hannah_T]

I chased the problem for a while and finally tried airbags to tame the chassis flex. It helped a little, but I wouldn’t call it solved. Do you think the real issue is the suspension itself or could the hitch geometry be the bigger culprit?

[Dennis.J]

Another thing I noticed is road surface and speed. Washboard and seam lines feel worse; sometimes easing off the gas and slowing a bit makes the jolt less harsh than any spring swap. If you can, run a quick test with the same trailer on a known rough section at different speeds and see what changes.