I recently purchased a used 2000 Ford 250 7.3L Diesel to tow my 5th wheel. It is equipped with airbags in the rear but as I'm driving down the road pulling my 5th wheel and encounter any dip when traveling above 50 mph or so, the back of my truck begins bobbing up and down. It's to the point where it's becoming a safety issue as it makes the truck unstable. Since this is the first time I've had airbags on a vehicle, I'm not sure they can be inflated or even how. Before I take it to a mechanic (and spend a lot of money I'm sure), I'd love to get the advice from the RV community as to whether the airbags are salvageable. How would I even know how to inflate them (if possible)?I look forward to any advice the community has on this one.

I have seen airbags sit deflated and crshed for 5 or more years at a time without any damage.Those bags look fine. Just follow the red lines that come off of them until you find the schrader valve (like a tire valve) and air them up.

ScottG wrote:I have seen airbags sit deflated and crshed for 5 or more years at a time without any damage.Those bags look fine. Just follow the red lines that come off of them until you find the schrader valve (like a tire valve) and air them up.Thanks for the response. I figured those red lines would probably be the ones feeding in.So regarding air them up, how do I know how much to air them up?I've got a 2004 keystone outback sydney 29fbhs. It weighs roughly 10K loaded. Not sure how much weight of that is directly coming down on the rear suspension.Again, thanks for your response on this one.

Inflate to 30 psi to check them out, do not go beyond 90 psi under any circumstances, have some soapy water adn check for air bubles on the bags, fittings, lines and schraeder valves, any leaks will be seen instantlly.navegator

One typical guide for how much to inflate supplemental air bag helper springs, which is what I think these are, is to inflate them to the point where the ride height with the load is the same as that when unloaded or lightly loaded. In other words, measure the distance from the wheel to the fender (or some similar convenient reference), attach the trailer, and then inflate to get back to the same spot. If they're Ride-Rite air bags, they probably have an inflation range specified as 10-90 psi.These sorts of air bags do not take much air volume. It's not hard to inflate more than you wish using a normal large compressor if you aren't paying close enough attention, and checking the pressure with a tire gauge will extract enough air to affect the reading somewhat. The ones on my class C tend to go down by about 1 psi for each pressure check, which can be handy for fine-tuning the pressure (such as when getting it equal between the two sides).

navegator wrote:Inflate to 30 psi to check them out, do not go beyond 90 psi under any circumstances, have some soapy water adn check for air bubles on the bags, fittings, lines and schraeder valves, any leaks will be seen instantlly.navegatorGreat idea. I just inflated them to 60 psi and definitely can see that the rear of the truck came up. I'll probably study the manufacturer's website and call their support to get the exact PSI dialed in to avoid damaging them.Really excited to see these working now. Driving without the proper suspension has been a nightmare.

Air Bags deflated...are they salvageable? | Good Sam Community

Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Sep 28, 2016
Some good suggestions on getting the right pressure for your rig.

Me, I just hooked up and aired the bags to get the right height.

I usually air up before hook up so checked that pressure also.

Now I put 20psi in the bags and hook up.
mpierce
Explorer
Sep 28, 2016
rhagfo wrote:
I think unless you squat excessively I think 60 psi will be too much.
As stated just inflate enough to remove the squat.

Agreed. Try 30 first. Realize too, if you put 30# in when truck empty, the pressure will be higher as you add weight to the pickup. As the pickup lowers, it compresses the air bags, and pressure goes up.
filrupmark
Explorer
Sep 27, 2016
Bilstein 4600 on our truck and they perform great
.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Sep 27, 2016
I think unless you squat excessively I think 60 psi will be too much.
As stated just inflate enough to remove the squat.
Flinx777
Explorer
Sep 27, 2016
Thanks all for your feedback. I just replaced the rear shocks a moment ago and will work on getting the right pressure for the air bags. Probably will start them at around 60 PSI and go from there.

Again thanks to everyone for their insight...helped me quite a lot to get this resolved.
Chopperbob
Explorer
Sep 27, 2016
I used 5100's plus Super Springs. Problem solved.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Sep 27, 2016
THose bags look to be in good shape, appear way newer than the truck.
Most all light truck add on bags like that have a 90-100psi max reccomended working pressure.
The mfg of the truck, camper or bags isn't going to tell you how much air to put in them. You have to figure that out.
How bad does the truck squat loaded, no air?
You still want some sag in the springs when loaded. As said above, load the bed, pump up back to level ( not original ride ht or it will bounce more).
Airbags will not control bouncing. They're bouncy! Need to get the right amount of air to keep your overload springs engaged or close to it or you just made a bouncy house out of the truck bed.
Shocks may be toast too.
starcraft69
Explorer
Sep 27, 2016
As others have stated shocks
rhagfo
Explorer III
Sep 27, 2016
MrWizard wrote:
bobbing up down
sounds like you need new shocks
air bags allow for leveling and balance, and a certain amount of softening
but bouncing/bobbing after going through a dip
me thinks is a shock problem

X2, get a good set of Bilstein's either 4600's or 5100's your choice replace all four. If your 5er is at 10,000# shouldn't need more than 10 or 15 psi in the bags.
mpierce
Explorer
Sep 27, 2016
I first had a set up like this. But, if one unhooks the pickup, for more than a few miles, one should let air out of the bags. I run about 5 pounds when pickup unloaded. Otherwise, you have a VERY hard ride.

But, then you need to refill the bags if hooking back up! So, I added a compressor and a gauge to the pickup, sure nice to adjust the pressure on the go! Easy Peasey!

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Air Bags deflated...are they salvageable?

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