Wow....I feel like I have been the prodigal son.....first post on RV.NET since 2006. We have had 10 years of sabbatical from RV'ing. But we pick up our new camper in two weeks....and I am stoked!!!!Question.....I have the anemically, payload rated Ram 1500 with the EcoDiesel. The tongue weight of our new Wolf Pup, along with gear and two dirt bikes in the bed will be right at the limit of payload rating. I have an Equalizer that I will use for highway work and that should be fine, but my question is.....what about off-road, back country camping and those rough roads???? Once I hit the county dirt roads....and then the Forest Service roads with dips and water turn-outs, I need to "de-stress" the Equalizer. (bend the arms back to the truck)Could I install some air bags that will keep the rear end of the truck lifted?Has anyone done a combo of weight distribution and air bags?????Please don't reply....telling me to buy a new truck.....NOT an option. LOVE my EcoDiesel.John

I wouldn't. The bars are made to do some serious work. If you set up a WDH and then pump up air bags, it just negates what the WDH is supposed to be doing. It transfers weight right back to the hitch and the rear of the truck. If it were me, I'd get an Equalizer, set it up like its supposed to be, and then just drive easy through all those rough roads.

I disconnect my bars for the rough stuff (Equalizer 4-Way). Dont worry about the rear sagging for the off-road section; you aren't going that fast.

lawnspecialties wrote:I wouldn't. The bars are made to do some serious work. If you set up a WDH and then pump up air bags, it just negates what the WDH is supposed to be doing. It transfers weight right back to the hitch and the rear of the truck. If it were me, I'd get an Equalizer, set it up like its supposed to be, and then just drive easy through all those rough roads.Nope....not a good idea to really bend over these big "water turn-out bumps" with equalizer bars in place. Way too much stress.boogie_4wheel wrote:I disconnect my bars for the rough stuff (Equalizer 4-Way). Dont worry about the rear sagging for the off-road section; you aren't going that fast.yeah.....you are commenting on exactly my question. so off-road....you're saying just disconnect and drive slow and I'm fine...right.of course, I see that you have a 2500.....hmmmm

Without question, you can use air bags and a WDH combined. I do, and have for many years and various TV's.The WDH should be doing all the work/leveling while the air bags are at their min PSI. If not, the WDH is not set up correctly OR the WDH bars are under rated for your actual tongue weight.Once the WDH is set right, add PSI to the bags at 5-10 psi increments. They might raise the rear slightly, but so what? The bags DO NOT transfer weight, the lift is only VISUAL. The benefit of bags with the WDH is realized most with 1/2 tons and SUV's with soft sprung rear ends, as the bags add spring rate primary, not lift. Again, rear end lift via the bags is visual. Leveling must be done via the WDH. But the bags do in fact add spring rate to the rear end, which I find more comfortable.

Air bags and Equalizer???? | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

jnoflane2
Explorer
May 13, 2017
lawnspecialties wrote:
I wouldn't. The bars are made to do some serious work. If you set up a WDH and then pump up air bags, it just negates what the WDH is supposed to be doing. It transfers weight right back to the hitch and the rear of the truck.

If it were me, I'd get an Equalizer, set it up like its supposed to be, and then just drive easy through all those rough roads.

Nope....not a good idea to really bend over these big "water turn-out bumps" with equalizer bars in place. Way too much stress.

boogie_4wheel wrote:
I disconnect my bars for the rough stuff (Equalizer 4-Way).
Dont worry about the rear sagging for the off-road section; you aren't going that fast.

yeah.....you are commenting on exactly my question.

so off-road....you're saying just disconnect and drive slow and I'm fine...right.

of course, I see that you have a 2500.....hmmmm
jnoflane2
Explorer
May 13, 2017
....................
boogie_4wheel
Explorer
May 13, 2017
I disconnect my bars for the rough stuff (Equalizer 4-Way).
Dont worry about the rear sagging for the off-road section; you aren't going that fast.
lawnspecialties
Explorer
May 12, 2017
I wouldn't. The bars are made to do some serious work. If you set up a WDH and then pump up air bags, it just negates what the WDH is supposed to be doing. It transfers weight right back to the hitch and the rear of the truck.

If it were me, I'd get an Equalizer, set it up like its supposed to be, and then just drive easy through all those rough roads.

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Air bags and Equalizer????

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