MORE...Leveling Travel Trailer with air bags

Thanks for the encouragement, Richard.

The trailer already has an onboard compressor with a storage tank. There would be no issues keeping the bags inflated.

The bags on my truck lose very little air over the course of a month. And now even Dodge is using airbags as a suspension on their pickup trucks. It's a very proven technology.

In this case, I'd have a stop so should a bag suffer a leak, the tires would not hit the wheel wells. And since I'm keeping the leaf springs, the suspension would simply revert to OEM. In fact, we've thought about having the suspension center link "lock down" in some fashion for travel. When you get to a camp site, pull a pin to release the center link and pump up the bags as needed. No need for a panhard rod in this case. And no worries about a bag leaking while underway.......

One problem I'm going to have is on the drivers side of the trailer....simply no room to do much with the center link, unless I mount the bag between the wheels and shield it with some type of steel cylinder



The water tank is in the way.

Might have to use four airbags , one over each axle point...



The more I look at this, it is becoming clear that air-shocks might win out in the end. A simple adapter plate to the buttom of the "U" bolts and attached to a bracket bolted to the frame.



There is a source on Ebay that will sell you any length and attachment configuration you could dream of...he specializes in the hotrod / lowrider market

Adding shocks couldn't hurt how the trailer rides either....

Shocks would certainly help the ride. Most of the shock setups I've seen put the shocks at a significant angle - not sure how much rise you could get out of them.

You are tempting me to go with an onboard air compressor on my truck. Been considering it for quite a while.

I also like the "pull a pin" method, as that would fix any issues should a bag fail.

I just climbed under the trailer and did a bit of eye balling.....AirShocks it is!

The price is right at around $80 a pair and I can easily weld up a couple brackets to locate them between the frame and the bottom of a axle u-bolts.

Interestingly, I jacked up the trailer to see how much suspension drop I had from static. Only 3/4"...Then I used a ratchet strap to see how much compression and I could only realize 4.5" before the axle impacted the frame. Not much suspension travel in these TT is there....

I need to figure out a way to push down on the axles when the tires are off the ground to see how much actual vertical movement I have. If only a few inches this whole project will be for not as usually, experience has shown, I need about 4-5" of lift on the low side in many camping situations.

Granted these measurements were taken with an empty water tank that sits right over the axles. That will be another nearly 400# pushing down on the axles. Now add an 800 pound motorcycle and that suspension travel is only a couple inches......Interesting.

The suspension,static, without water, there is only 4.5" of space between the frame and the top of the axles. A 2500 pound airbag, deflated is about 3"....That would only leave 1.5" before bottoming out....not good!

That was my concern as well - not very much travel in these setups. Some more than others, but most pretty much about what your described.

I don't see the ability to get enough suspension travel to make up for 4-5" difference like you are talking about.

Most I've had was just over 4". I used my Anderson Levelers, and they worked like a champ. I use them just about all the time now.

A small jack might work to see how much "push down" you can get on your axles. Wedge jack between axle and frame rail and see if it will give any.

Thanks Cobra, I'm going to try that. As I'm sure you understand, I only need to "push down" on the axle on the low side to get things level. I hope I have at least 4" in the static mode, which will give ne over 5" when loaded.

True

You might want to spray those red rusty springs with Fluid Film.

That ain't rust...that be anodizing! :-0 I love living in New England!

Here's one for you. I spoke to a "suspension engineer" and he suggested that I remove all the leafs but the main one and then add air bags between frame and axle. Let the airbag carry the trailer weight and not the spring. The single leaf spring would now be just to locate the axle.
It was suggested if the trailer doesn't lower down enough, to heat the spring to remove temper. He offered that to level a trailer you can raise the low side AND lower the high side to give you much more range of level.....

Interesting!