Opinions on air bag suspension

[TCI]

Hi all, just got a new 2015 Keystone Montana 3100RL Fifth Wheel. Its 1200 pounds heavier than our 2002 29TS Cardinal Fifth Wheel. The front stabilizers seem to sit to close to the ground when were pulling. I am just concerned that they could bottom out. We did adjust our hitch up 2 inches and could go one more. Someone suggested to install air bag suspension on our 2001 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Crew Cab Long Bed Diesel truck. We verified the weights and our truck should handle this rig no problem. Just concerned about the front levelers being too low during travel. Thanks for your opinions.

[christopherglen]

Very few 12k fifth wheels can be carried by a 2500 - within ALL the ratings, I have yet to see one (there is always a first) at the 15k mark within ALL of them. My 18.5k toyhauler is near the ratings of my dually.

Scale with a full tank of fuel, and whatever carry on luggage in the truck you normally carry. Remember, trailers tend to gain weight with age so leave headroom before deciding you are good.

[kzspree320]

TCI - Like don0128, I am concerned that you are focusing on what your truck can pull rather than what it can carry. Much like your truck, I have a 2008 Ram 2500 diesel truck. My fiver is about 12,000 lbs. I am over GVWR a few percent, but about 500-600 lbs under both the FAWR and the RAWR. I know my RAWR is based on the weakest link, which in my case is tire rating. The 2 rear tires are rated at a combined 6,400 lbs. In no case do you want to exceed your wheel/tire ratings IMO.

Your fiver is about 3,000 lbs heavier than mine. Based on 20% pin weight, you are probably a little over both your GVWR and, IMO more importantly your RAWR and tire capacity. I suggest you weigh ready to camp at a CAT scale and make sure you are not over rear axle and tire capacity. Unless you have upgraded wheels and tires, you may be over both RAWR and tire capacity.

In addition to air bags, you can always upgrade wheels/tires with 19.5 inch wheels and tires like the truck camper folks often do. It's not cheap ($2,500-$3,500), but the commercial 19.5 inch wheels and tires are often rated at over 4,500 lbs per tire.

Hope this helps. Keith

[goducks10]

2wd or 4wd? 2wd generally sit lower. If you're already low on the rear then dropping 2" more would certainly drop the landing gear more. Did Keystone messed up and install the landing gear installed too low?

OP, is the 5er sitting level thru all this? If the 5er is level and the landing gear are too low then it could be a mess up on Keystones part. Your truck being an 01 is 14 years old. How worn are the rear springs? Have you done any upgrades to the truck?
Question is if the 5er is level when hitched and the rear of the truck is not below the front then it seems that the landing gear is wrong. I just don't see how the landing gear could hang down too far if the 5er is sitting level when hitched unless it was installed wrong.
I would start looking at the 5er and then re-access your truck.

[tplife]

I agree with the use of Air Bag suspension to level your vehicle. We use a Firestone Coil Rite product on our PRIUS (Torklift 2" receiver, Curt lighting harness) and it's outstanding at preventing bottoming-out in places like curbs or campgrounds.

[donn0128]

Not in this lifetime. We originally had a 2004 D/A, scaled ready to travel 7500 pounds. Leaving a whopping 1700 pounds of payload. Our 35 foot fiver scales 13,500 pounds with a real pin weight of 3000+ pounds. 1200 pounds overloaded. Tires were the first change, followed by air bags. Still 1200 pounds overloaded. Nothing I could do increased that! With a 15K pound fiver your pin weight will exceed 3000 and likely closer to 4000 pounds. Can your truck pull it? Yes it can, but once loaded you will benso far over the trucks GVWR it will not be funny. First time you start down a long mountain grade you will understand what Im telling you is true! Until then believe what you want.

[TCI]

Hi Donn0128 - I checked the specs on our 2001 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 6.6L Duramax Turbo-Diesel. This is what is shows:

Both the Vortec 8100 and Duramax 6600 Diesel V8 permit towing trailers up to 12,000 pounds; they provide a maximum 22,000-pound gross combined weight rating (GCWR).

With a fifth wheel or gooseneck hitch, trailering capability increases to an astounding 15,800-pound maximum. The Vortec 8100 provides its maximum ratings with either a 4.10:1 or 3.73:1 axle ratio; the Duramax 6600 offers a 3.73 axle ratio.

So we should be good up to 15,800.

[path1]

(This probably only applies if your installing them yourself or maybe just Dodge, I'm not sure)

I'm putting air bags on mine right now, a 2001 Dodge.

There's lots of posts about what people think of them and how much they like and what brand etc.

But there is one thing that I didn't see in any of the posts before I bought some. Matter of fact, I didn't even think about it.

I have a B&W turn over ball hitch. Hitch was installed when vehicle was new way back when. As it turns out, the side plates of my hitch interfere with the upper bracket of the air bag. Turns out after I called the air bag place my choices are to get updated B&W side plates or fabricate another upper bracket. Either way it is going to cost more money.

If I was starting this project all over again. I would of downloaded the directions and read them first before buying.

Right in the directions it mentions the interference problem with 5th wheels hitches of that era. Maybe newer ones have a different design.

Again, I don't know this is a Dodge problem or all vehicles of that era.

(Edited part) I went out and got directions and I'm quoting them from directions...

"Important"

This air suspension kit will not increase the GVWR, as the GVWR is determined by the axle rating. Do not exceed the maximum listed by the vehicle manufacture.

Under paragraph "Before starting"

"Check the vehicle to see if it is equipped with a 5th wheel hitch, Some 5th wheel hitches require brackets to be mounted in the same locations as the air spring brackets (if this is the case, modifications of the 5th wheel hitch brackets may be required to mount this kit)"

Hope this helps

[donn0128]

So, your attempting to tow a 15,000+ pound fifth wheel with a 2500 series GM truck with a 9200 GVWR? You are so far over loaded it is not even funny. I think you really need to sit down after you have towed across a set of scales and think the whole situation over very very carefully.

[ljr]

I have plenty of truck for what I'm towing but I added airbags just to keep things level. I'm very glad I did.