Today was my first opportunity to try out the new air bags I had installed a couple of weeks ago. I bought the Air Lift Load Lifter 5000 Ultimate system {$270 for the bags and $269 for the install}. In 5 years and 50K+ miles I never felt the need for bags but I recently added a nice 6 X 10' {14'overall} cargo trailer to haul my Indian Springfiled - 862#.Being a single axle trailer I have more tongue weight than a tandem coming in at 485# with the trailer loaded with the bike and misc gear that I moved out of the coach {BBQ, Compressor, firepit, LP Cylinder etc.}. Bike and trailer weigh 2,220 fully loaded on a GVWR of 2,990. My E-350 is rated to tow 5,000# with a hitch weight of 500 but given the way Nexus overbuilt the hitch I'm sure it would handle far more.When I hook up the empty trailer my rear bumper at the hitch drops an inch from 24" to 23". Load the bike and it drops another inch to 22 but... pump the air bags to a mere 50# {max pressure is 100 so I have plenty of room to work with} and lo and behold the bumper is right back to its original, unloaded height of 24".We leave in the morning headed up to the Pinegrove CG about 20 miles south of Flagstaff at 8,400'. Five days of goregous camping and motorcycle riding {South Rim, Route 66, Sedona, Jerome, Cottonwood etc} should make for a fine trip. This will give me a great opportuinity to test the performance of the air bags as we will be doing the interstate {I-17} going up and the back country 2 lane highways coming home.I'll report back next week when we return but am expecting a good result.:C

It is a slow day here so I am going to play with some numbers:The question is, how much caster change at the front wheels with dropping the height of the hitch by 2 inches?Estimated wheel base = 158 inchesEstimated distance from rear axel to hitch = 48 inchesThere for 2 inches in (158 + 48) = about 0.58 degree +caster increase w/o the bags. The front end will be about 150# lighter when the 485# is bearing down on the hitch.

With the bags inflated to just half of their capacity the hitch does not drop 2"., it does not drop at all maintaining the 24' unloaded height. Hence the air bags. I will continue to monitor and adjust {if/as necessary}. I did notice the front was definitely lighter before the air bag install which is why I went that route. After two trips it was obvious an adjustment was needed. I also adjusted some of the interior loading in the coach to bring more weight forward. As I said I'll know more next week and will report back on what I learn.:C

I was thinking of adding bags too. My rear overhang (hitch brackets) does drag at times while entering and exiting certain driveways and that's without towing a trailer. I had to cut and raise my rear hydraulic jacks to gain 4" of clearance on the low hanging jacks. AB's with an onboard compressor would be a nice addition. When I talk to my DW, I will try some subliminal messages..."airbags......compressor...…" Maybe someday she will offer to buy me air bags and a compressor. I'll just act surprised.

Back in the 70's I had a 1973 Buick Rivera that I did a lot of towing with.I put air shocks on it and it made a world of difference!Play with the pressure until you find a sweet spot and don't think more is better.I had a 1989 Southwind with bags on the front that I had to change. They worked great at 35 psi.

The only suggestion I will make is...install a compressor with controls mounted to the dash. Makes such a difference. Mine is under the dinette seat that also has the water pump and all the electrical bits n pieces.Gary Haupt

Added air bags... | Good Sam Community

Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Aug 27, 2018
Thanks for all of the input...

We are just south of Flagstaff at the Pinegrove CG, drove up yesterday from Tucson. WOW do those bags make a difference! It was so smooth coming up, I am back to not even feeling passing trucks, two finger steering is awesome.

Looks like 50# is going to be the sweet spot as the rig is dead level. My installer routed both air lines to a single Schrader valve as they will always be aired up equally. Yep you have to periodically top them up just like tires but by using 78 percent Nitrogen they seem to hold their psi pretty well... :W

Rode the Torque Monster Indian to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon this morning. By leaving early (0730) we enjoyed perfect weather and a light crowd arriving at 0930.
The ride home was a bit more exciting as we had 35, gusting to 50 out of the southwest but once we got back up into the mountains the trees provided some relief.

Tomorrow we will do the big loop down through Sedona (for breakfast) and on to and through Cottonwood, Jerome, the Prescott Valley and old Route 66 to I-40 and back to camp. Wednesday will probably be a ride up to Snow Bowl for a ride on the chairlift to the summit.

The air bags are a huge success initially and I think they will just keep getting better as I continue to fine tune and dial them in.

:B
klutchdust
Explorer II
Aug 27, 2018
OFDPOS wrote:
Not to mention they are NOT a put air in them and forget about them after you find the sweet spot, they will bleed down over time. ;)

And the sweet spot changes depending on the load in the rear. Sometimes I have my scooter, or maybe small trailer or even 16ft. trailer. All different. Also keep some air in them all the time to prevent wrinkling. 5psi or so.

Using a level it helps to find a starting point. Air bags don't seem to help with the big butt overhanging. Keeping an eye on driveways and entering at an angle is my method, go slow, traffic will wait.....
OFDPOS
Explorer
Aug 26, 2018
Not to mention they are NOT a put air in them and forget about them after you find the sweet spot, they will bleed down over time. ;)
garyhaupt
Explorer
Aug 26, 2018
The only suggestion I will make is...install a compressor with controls mounted to the dash. Makes such a difference. Mine is under the dinette seat that also has the water pump and all the electrical bits n pieces.

Gary Haupt
Stim
Explorer
Aug 26, 2018
Back in the 70's I had a 1973 Buick Rivera that I did a lot of towing with.
I put air shocks on it and it made a world of difference!
Play with the pressure until you find a sweet spot and don't think more is better.
I had a 1989 Southwind with bags on the front that I had to change.
They worked great at 35 psi.
bobndot
Explorer II
Aug 26, 2018
I was thinking of adding bags too. My rear overhang
(hitch brackets) does drag at times while entering and exiting certain driveways and that's without towing a trailer.
I had to cut and raise my rear hydraulic jacks to gain 4" of clearance on the low hanging jacks.
AB's with an onboard compressor would be a nice addition.
When I talk to my DW, I will try some subliminal messages..."airbags......compressor...…"
Maybe someday she will offer to buy me air bags and a compressor. I'll just act surprised.
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Aug 25, 2018
With the bags inflated to just half of their capacity the hitch does not drop 2"., it does not drop at all maintaining the 24' unloaded height. Hence the air bags. I will continue to monitor and adjust {if/as necessary}.

I did notice the front was definitely lighter before the air bag install which is why I went that route. After two trips it was obvious an adjustment was needed. I also adjusted some of the interior loading in the coach to bring more weight forward. As I said I'll know more next week and will report back on what I learn.

:C
Harvard
Explorer
Aug 25, 2018
It is a slow day here so I am going to play with some numbers:

The question is, how much caster change at the front wheels with dropping the height of the hitch by 2 inches?

Estimated wheel base = 158 inches
Estimated distance from rear axel to hitch = 48 inches

There for 2 inches in (158 + 48) = about 0.58 degree +caster increase w/o the bags.

The front end will be about 150# lighter when the 485# is bearing down on the hitch.

Forum Discussion

Added air bags...

About Motorhome Group

Related Content

Suspension Air Bags

Air bag life span

Considering adding air bags to my truck

Air bags and Equalizer????

Leveling with air bags correctly