Air Bag Helper Suspension

Sorry it got posted twice.....if an admin wants to delete on, that's fine! :-)

10forty2 wrote:
Those that have installed air bags as helper springs.....

Do you have an on-board compressor that controls them or do you add air to the individual air bags with an external compressor?

I'm thinking of installing the Ride Rite system on front and rear, and also am considering purchasing/installing the compressor system to be able to inflate them on the fly. Best I can tell, to be able to inflate/deflate each corner individually, I'll have to buy 2 compressors with the dual control gauges. Each gauge/compressor appears to only control one "set" of airbags, and my installation will be 2 sets of bags....one front and one rear.

Is it worth the extra money to have that kind of inflation control (around $1,500.00, (from SD Truck Springs), for 2 compressors and 2 sets of bags for front and rear)? About half of that without the compressors. If you have the on-board compressor, then how often do you use it to adjust the air bags?

Thanks!!

Answering if it is worth the money is tough because to some folks $1500 is a lot more than it is to others. Also it depends on physical limitations that you have to add or subtract PSI out of the airbags. For an elderly wealthy man in bad health, absolutely the $1500 is worth it. For a young man in good health that is budgeting, $1500 would not be worth it.

Either way though, the ride is always better with airbags :)

I had air helper bags in several trucks in the past and I found plumbing compressor permanently unnecessary. Well build system will hold the air for weeks and if you need to add air you usually do it before start of the drive.
I did love the dual control gauge/valves and having tire valve installed on the supply hose, I just connected portable compressor to it and adjusted with valves.
For your set up you will need 2 of those gauges, but single compressor.
Check craigslist and ebay as I bought set of 2 bags, compressor and gauges for less than $200.
Your front will need custom bags, so you might have to buy those new, but rear bags I've seen were all the same, only with different brackets for different vehicles.
That said I had front air bags on older Bounder. They went inside the coils and were always pain on the behind.

Ride-rite springs need very little air. Mine just have hoses individually that go to Schrader valves mounted on the side of the motorhome, and that's not at all difficult to work with. A dinky 12V inflator is plenty to pump them up in reasonable time, or a few strokes with a standard bicycle tire pump. With a full-sized compressor, it's sometimes difficult not to overshoot one's desired pressure.

I personally would not spend $1500 for a built-in compressor system dedicated to the air helper springs.

I have the Air Lift air bags on all four corners of my coach. I also have the Air Lift compressor and dash control that I can use to adjust the air pressure on the front or rear as needed as conditions change.
If it is a windy day, I pump them up to 80psi or so and this stabilizes the coach so that I am comfortable in high winds. When the winds subside, all I need to do is push a button to lower the pressure for a smoother ride. There are times when in the Great Plains when I will start off early in the morning with the pressure at 30 psi and as the winds increase I gradually increase the air pressure to keep my ride stable.
I also do the same thing if I am going from a smooth road to a very rough road.
For the past 90,000 miles I have been very happy with the air bags and also with having the ability to increase or decrease the air pressure as I drive as conditions change during a day of driving.

I had a 2004, 34' Fleetwood Terra for about a year. I park my coaches on the side of my house that is about 5' higher than the street. I had rear end drag issues trying to back up the ramp into my yard. I added the Ride Rites bags to the rear of the Terra. Since I needed to add air to lift the rear every time I came home, I added the compressor. Having the ability to level or balance the coach from a button on the dash was very handy, especially in my situation. As an unexpected bonus, the coach really handled better with the air bags.

As a suggestion, you might want to just add the compressor to the rear bags. I think once you set the front bags, they will need very little adjustment. By having the compressor on the rears, you can adjust for loads by both side to side weight and trailer weight.

You can always add the compressor at a later time to the front if necessary.

You only need ONE compressor and a two zone dash control to allow it to pump up either the front or the rear air bags.

One compressor to air tires and system and one 4 corner control valve. Google 4 corner air control valves.

I've have bags on my coach with a compressor and tank. Each bag I can adjust with paddle valves. Also have two dual needle gauges for bag pressure and a single needle gauge for tank pressure. You don't want to tie left and right bags together if at all possible. On turns as the coach leans the outside bag will compress and push air to the inside bag. The end effect is more or less the bags will force a greater lean or sway of the coach. I don't adjust on the fly as you might think. Maybe if there's a steady wind to one side or the road crown is a bit excessive. If I over inflate the bags the ride gets a bit bouncy.

Built a left arm rest with the gauges, paddle valves and such.





The original configuration, as pictured, was switches and 12VDC solenoids. The solenoids were a pain. Leaks when closed or sticking open. Needed eight solenoids (4 inflate, 4 deflate) and the good ones were $$. The paddle valves were a direct fit replacement for the switches. One airline in with four branches one branch to each valve. From the valve to the bag. Also ran a line to the front and back with for tire inflation. Haven't decided if I want to add ride height valves for pressures control. Maybe next winter.

Found everything at Amazon. $275 for the compressor/tank kit, $225 for the 3 gauges and paddle valves and maybe another $50 or so for air line and fittings.

Gauges and Paddle Valves
Compressor
Air Tubing

I use an external compressor to inflate each bag individually before a trip. They hold air well so they don't need to be checked until the next trip.