Campin LI wrote:
Although not specifically relative to the question, let me explain my real world experience. I tow a trailer with 1200 lb tongue weight with my Ford Excursion. With the kids in the truck, it is weighed down pretty good. When on rough road or bumpy road, the back of the truck could feel a little floaty so I decided to add airbags. The WDH has always been adjusted with the front slightly high because when I set the hitch up, I felt it drove better this way. (It is only a coincidence that the new way was recommending this and was published later). When I put air in the airbags, I raised it until the truck was more level when hitched up, I'm guessing about an inch or 2. I did not notice much front end rise but in the end it did rise a little (I posted a question here a while back and I just looked it up and it turns out you are the one that assured me that it did rise). Anyway, it drove terrible. I adjusted the hitch many different ways and in the end I dropped the air pressure down to a point where I just saw the rear of the truck rise and my ride has become quite comfortable. The back of the truck is real stable and that floaty feeling is gone. My WDH adjustment is exactly what I used before the airbags were added. To me, the addition of the airbags was a success in that I achieved what I wanted, but the OP wants a level stance so I suggested a different approach which you somewhat agreed would be appropriate.
Not that my setup problem was the same as the OP's but I'm glad I posted. Even though I got ripped for what I wrote and came back for more of a beating, overall, my interest in the thread was also self serving. All this thinking has made me realize that I made 2 errors due to over thinking what I wanted to do when I added airbags to my truck. My biggest problem was taking measurements from the bumper because when they didn't make sense I started rationalizing why and made my second mistake by concluding that the front of my truck should rise to maintain the rake. I was too stuck trying to relate the problem with the rise in rear height and it never dawned on me that the point of support changed the rake. God only knows what I was doing to my weight distribution which made my ride so bad. Frustrated over nothing. But I feel relieved.
I hope after all this the OP knows what he needs to do.
