Forum Discussion

modern_family's avatar
Apr 21, 2017

Air bags with a WD hitch

Would you air up the bags before or after you connect the bars?

My initial thoughts would be before I attach the WD bars. I have not purchased the bags yet so I can not test it out, just thinking things through ahead of time.
  • modern family wrote:
    Our new TT is heavier than the old and she sags a bit in the rear with the cart.


    Why does the new trailer sag in the rear with the golf cart in the truck bed?
  • It's funny how people start telling a guy whether they think he needs airbags rather than discussing the question he asked.

    The airbags and the tension setting on the hitch bars both affect each other.
    The first time, you'll need to do some dialing in.
    If you set the weight distributing bars first then air up the bags, the bars will loosen as the truck comes up. You'll have to play around with it until you have the right combination of air pressure and bar tightness.

    After that, the easiest is to hitch up, air up, then connect the bars last. If you try to connect the bars before airing up and the truck is squatting, you'll have to pull a lot harder on them to get them on.

    Once you have found the happy setting where your bars are properly tensioned when the truck sits level with a little airbag help, you should be able to always use that same bar adjustment setting and adjust the airbag pressure to maintain level depending on how much extra stuff you've got in the back of the truck.
  • Unless you plan on hauling heavy in the pickup bed with out the trailer, I would save my money and not buy the air bags.
  • Assuming you are going to tow with the F350, I don't think you'll need the air bags. I wouldn't want to tow the 32 ft heavy trailer with the Expedition. Even if I tried, I'd avoid the air bags.
  • I have Firestone airbags with a wireless controller on my F250 and a Reese 15K Lb Weight Distribution hitch. With the truck's hitch ball under the trailer receiver I air up a little putting the hitch ball into the receiver, lock the receiver, then I raise the airbag pressure up to 60 or 70 psi and raising the rear of the truck up about 4 or 5 inches to easy with the hooking up of the weight distribution bars, after those bars are locked into their friction pad holders I lower the air pressure back down to about 20 psi to where the truck and trailer are level. I found that's a lot easier and faster than using the electric trailer jack to raise the back of the truck and the trailer for hooking up and unhooking the weight distribution bars. Traveling down the roads I use the wireless controller to fine adjust the ride height to find the "sweet spot" where the trailer tows easiest.
  • On some travels, we bring our golf cart in the truck. Our new TT is heavier than the old and she sags a bit in the rear with the cart.

    Yes, I have adjusted the bars and she will still sag in the rear.

    Without the cart, There is no issue.
  • I use the air bags to level my truck after loading the ATV, I use the WDH to level after hitching up. If I'm just towing the trailer and not hauling much I leave my air bags around 10 PSI and still use the WDH for the trailer.
  • 9,029 UVW, 11,400 GVWR, maybe 1,300 TW.

    With a properly adjusted WDH, why would a F350 need air bags?

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