Helper springs or air bags?
Hi all - I have a 2019 F150 3.5l EB w/6.5' box, and a 24' Coachmen Apex BH. The rig tows fine and I have good WD, but am considering helper springs or air bags to help with the slight sag I have. I ...
Forum Discussion
Not sure about 1500’s but when my 3500 is level with with a load I have reached maximum payload.
I doubt that many people have tested this. That’s about a 3 inch drop on my Ram 3500, 4200 lb payload. The trucks are made to squat.
Also a WD hitch for a bumper does few things is gets the rig back to level if you are not level, it takes weight off the rear, again if you are not level, and puts some of that weight on the front axle, and it helps suspensions that are near max weight act more normally under load.
So all that is under static load and it you add air bags it complicates the setup. I’m not sure the sequence that you hook up your camper in with air bags. Is it hookup the camper to the ball. Then air up the bags to level the load, then put in the wd hitch, or is it hookup the equilizer all up and if it’s still not level pump up the air bags, or there probably other ways?
For that reason I’d probably go with sumo springs or the like, if you have a good hitch like an equalizer.
Just out loud thinking if you air up the bags before hooking up the wd hitch and you don’t load the equalized properly, do you negate the effect of sway control that the equalizer offers?
The other thing that was apparent with me when I owned a Class C motorhome w Firestone ride rites. I would put 75 psi in those bags when flat towing our jeep. That raised the back about 2 inches over level placing more of the loaded weight on the front axle, which made that class c handle ohhh so much better. Also my fancy bike pump works much better and quicker than a compressor for the ride rites.
My Ram is planted towing my fiver. So airbags aren’t needed.
I doubt that many people have tested this. That’s about a 3 inch drop on my Ram 3500, 4200 lb payload. The trucks are made to squat.
Also a WD hitch for a bumper does few things is gets the rig back to level if you are not level, it takes weight off the rear, again if you are not level, and puts some of that weight on the front axle, and it helps suspensions that are near max weight act more normally under load.
So all that is under static load and it you add air bags it complicates the setup. I’m not sure the sequence that you hook up your camper in with air bags. Is it hookup the camper to the ball. Then air up the bags to level the load, then put in the wd hitch, or is it hookup the equilizer all up and if it’s still not level pump up the air bags, or there probably other ways?
For that reason I’d probably go with sumo springs or the like, if you have a good hitch like an equalizer.
Just out loud thinking if you air up the bags before hooking up the wd hitch and you don’t load the equalized properly, do you negate the effect of sway control that the equalizer offers?
The other thing that was apparent with me when I owned a Class C motorhome w Firestone ride rites. I would put 75 psi in those bags when flat towing our jeep. That raised the back about 2 inches over level placing more of the loaded weight on the front axle, which made that class c handle ohhh so much better. Also my fancy bike pump works much better and quicker than a compressor for the ride rites.
My Ram is planted towing my fiver. So airbags aren’t needed.
