Air Shocks or Air Bags on TT
Thinking about adding airbags or air shocks on my travel trailer to improve the ride and to allow very easy side to side leveling. Thoughts?
Forum Discussion
38 Replies
Rbertalotto wrote:
I am VERY interested in what you do. I have been considering bags myself. Mainly for the ability to raise the trailer for ground clearance when needed getting into a boondocking site. I cannot raise it permanently as it is already at 13'6", and bridges could be an issue.
A few additional comments to my original post....
The trailer I have is a Forest River 19RR TOY HAULER.....The load varies immensely...with water and motorcycle, upwards of 1000# +/-....The triler has a payload rating of somewhere around 3000#...
I've already replaced the equalizer with Dexter EZ-Flex equalizers and all wet bolts with bronze bushings ....HUGE IMPROVEMENT!
This trailer has already broken two leaf springs. And both times with no motorcycle aboard. I'm convinced the factory springs were not rated properly. Three weeks ago I replaced all the springs, brakes, bearings and races....and welded on new spring perches and flipped the axle to below the springs, giving me more room for my airbags/air shocks. With both devices I can simply run them at 10psi and they will have no effect on the original suspension. And using them to quickly level the trailer at a rest stop for an overnight would be a tremendous benefit. This trailer already has a heavy duty Vair compressor and 5 gallon air tank so the issue of "air" is no issue.
Still need to decide on air shocks or air bags......I'm absolutely going to do one or the other.Rbertalotto wrote:
I would expect they would be commonly in use but they aren't.
I'm sure it has to do with cost more than anything else. Most trailers (caravans they are called down under) from Australia have this feature and there are three or four aftermarket companies that will convert your leaf springs to air. YouTube is full of videos on it. But at $4K to $6K it is too expensive for a simple $30K travel trailer...
Wow, airbags for pickups in the states are a few hundred bucks...but again what else are they adding to make it viable as a stationary leveling system.
Of course, hydraulic leveling systems are a few thousand and quite common, so I doubt it's a cost issue.I would expect they would be commonly in use but they aren't.
I'm sure it has to do with cost more than anything else. Most trailers (caravans they are called down under) from Australia have this feature and there are three or four aftermarket companies that will convert your leaf springs to air. YouTube is full of videos on it. But at $4K to $6K it is too expensive for a simple $30K travel trailer...Rbertalotto wrote:
but I don't see them helping with side to side leveling like you initially asked.
Really, Having the ability to raise one side or the other with a device between the chassis and the axles is difficult to comprehend? It's EXACTLY the same thing as driving up on some boards to level the RV side to side.....
Assuming you mean leveling when parked, that's greatly different from air bags for running down the road. I had presumed based on your original post, that you had issues while towing that you were trying to fix.
If it's towing fine and you are breaking springs...again, go down to the CAT and get the full weights. Yes, hitch weight is better than nothing but better to get the full picture...particularly the axle weights if you are breaking springs.
In theory if you put in air bags with separate air systems on each side, you could do a bit of leveling with it...I'm guessing that there may be other issues. If it was that simple, I would expect they would be commonly in use but they aren't.- My experience is loaded heavy, even over rated capacity is less likely to break springs than light load. Worn pins/hangers make things worse.
As for side to side leveling? Most bags I have been around are designed to carry the load with a limited travel.
BTW, have you checked the TW since you lifted the trailer? Or did you lift the ball as much? - This last post sounded a bit rude....I didn't mean it to sound like that. Just trying to explain a bit better at what I'm trying to accomplish....Sorry... :-(
- Holy heck, that’s some gnarly tongue weight though!
Not your question, but have you weighed the whole trailer? 2 sets of broken springs and a real world tongue weight that is almost 3x greater than the published dry tongue weight?
I’m pretty new to toy haulers, but my trailer is basically twice the (dry) weight as yours and the tongue weight is similar.
Just food for thought. - ^ I think it may be, as this is not at all a common modification. I’m sure it’s been done by someone, somewhere, maybe. In theory it sounds plausible.
but I don't see them helping with side to side leveling like you initially asked.
Really, Having the ability to raise one side or the other with a device between the chassis and the axles is difficult to comprehend? It's EXACTLY the same thing as driving up on some boards to level the RV side to side.....- I read your update. I guess air bags could help with your toyhauler weight variations, but I don't see them helping with side to side leveling like you initially asked.
I recently broke a leaf spring and replaced all 4 springs and added wet bolts while I was under there. I wasn't overloaded, just hit a coupe of nasty potholes at a campground and snapped one.
I agree, the wet bolts are a HUGE improvement just in the lack of creaking/groaning/popping while towing and turning. I already have a MorRyde3000 equalizer factory, which gives a much better ride than a standard metal equalizer. Every camper I ever own will have these. $90 from Amazon is money well spent.
