2014 Ram with air ride

[gomikego]

Has anyone considered, looked at or have, the 2014 Ram with air ride, that is rated at 14,000 GVW, for the heavy slide in campers? I haven't seen anything about the 3500 Ram DRW truck.
Does anyone have any information on this, that would help make the chose between a new air ride or the standard suspension truck?
Thanks

[billtex]

Widows Son wrote:
I just bought a new 2014 Ram DRW 3500. No air bags. It is rated @ 14k without air bags. We are looking to buy a new Northern Lite 10-2 in December when we retire. The truck wet with both of us on board is 8800. And the 10-2 will be about 3200 so we are in good shape I suspect. At this point I am not yet considering aftermarket air bags.

So this is the "standard" (spring) suspension not air ride?

[Marshfly]

Widows Son wrote:
I just bought a new 2014 Ram DRW 3500. No air bags. It is rated @ 14k without air bags. We are looking to buy a new Northern Lite 10-2 in December when we retire. The truck wet with both of us on board is 8800. And the 10-2 will be about 3200 so we are in good shape I suspect. At this point I am not yet considering aftermarket air bags.

I wouldn't even think of doing anything to the suspension with that setup. You'll be almost 2000# under GVW loaded. That's awesome.

[Widows_Son]

I just bought a new 2014 Ram DRW 3500. No air bags. It is rated @ 14k without air bags. We are looking to buy a new Northern Lite 10-2 in December when we retire. The truck wet with both of us on board is 8800. And the 10-2 will be about 3200 so we are in good shape I suspect. At this point I am not yet considering aftermarket air bags.

[billtex]

Marshfly wrote:

billtex wrote:

Marshfly wrote:
There are plenty of guys that have popped airbags hauling much lighter campers than most of us here by taking them on rough dirt roads. Think, ATC or Four Wheel Campers. Plenty of stories over on the Wander the West Forum and Expedition Portal. A lot of guys with truck campers buy them to take off the beaten path. I don't know where you go, but I don't see to many 18 wheelers where I camp on National Forest Roads. That's the issue. Not running around at 70mph on the interstate.

Not sure the OP is hoping to take a heavy camper with slide (s) and a 3500 DRW truck off road...maybe...but I don't think that was his concern...

These threads aren't only useful to the OP. That's the beauty of a forum. 😉

And with the current availability of air ride on the Ram 2500 and probably availability on Ram 3500 SRW, that info might be useful to someone in the future.

Airbags are not to be used in fully articulating suspensions...as used off-road.
(Some Folks find this out the hard way...and end up posting stories on WTW and Expo, etc.)
Using the wrong tool for the job does not mean the tool is designed wrong...
It will be interesting to hear from the early adopters of the new Dodge trucks with air suspension.
Who will be first?

[Jaxom]

I wonder how many of those blown airbags were having undiagnosed mechanical problems? i.e. bags rubbing against frame or parking brake cable.

[Marshfly]

billtex wrote:

Marshfly wrote:
There are plenty of guys that have popped airbags hauling much lighter campers than most of us here by taking them on rough dirt roads. Think, ATC or Four Wheel Campers. Plenty of stories over on the Wander the West Forum and Expedition Portal. A lot of guys with truck campers buy them to take off the beaten path. I don't know where you go, but I don't see to many 18 wheelers where I camp on National Forest Roads. That's the issue. Not running around at 70mph on the interstate.

Not sure the OP is hoping to take a heavy camper with slide (s) and a 3500 DRW truck off road...maybe...but I don't think that was his concern...

These threads aren't only useful to the OP. That's the beauty of a forum. 😉

And with the current availability of air ride on the Ram 2500 and probably availability on Ram 3500 SRW, that info might be useful to someone in the future.

[billtex]

Marshfly wrote:
There are plenty of guys that have popped airbags hauling much lighter campers than most of us here by taking them on rough dirt roads. Think, ATC or Four Wheel Campers. Plenty of stories over on the Wander the West Forum and Expedition Portal. A lot of guys with truck campers buy them to take off the beaten path. I don't know where you go, but I don't see to many 18 wheelers where I camp on National Forest Roads. That's the issue. Not running around at 70mph on the interstate.

Not sure the OP is hoping to take a heavy camper with slide (s) and a 3500 DRW truck off road...maybe...but I don't think that was his concern...

[Marshfly]

There are plenty of guys that have popped airbags hauling much lighter campers than most of us here by taking them on rough dirt roads. Think, ATC or Four Wheel Campers. Plenty of stories over on the Wander the West Forum and Expedition Portal. A lot of guys with truck campers buy them to take off the beaten path. I don't know where you go, but I don't see to many 18 wheelers where I camp on National Forest Roads. That's the issue. Not running around at 70mph on the interstate.

[billtex]

mkirsch wrote:

Marshfly wrote:
I'm not sure that any of those have actually been delivered. People that have ordered them keep getting pushed back.

In any sense, the air system isn't a helper system. The truck has a very light leaf spring and the air bags come into play with any kind of load. So, pop a bag, blow something on the system, or whatever, and your truck will be sitting on the bumpstops. Something to think about. The truck has a 14k GVW regardless of the suspension setup and is rated for somewhere around 6000# payload however it's configured.

We've been driving around on donut shaped airbags for well over 100 years. Nobody gives them a second thought.

I think the issue is this is a first (AFAIK) for pick up trucks. Quite different than over the road trucks with air suspension or even using air bags on your pickup to fine tune springs.
Having air bags as the primary suspension to support a high COG load like a TC???
Who will be the first to try?

Who knows...maybe this truck will be the cats pj's for hauling a TC...but it is an expensive expirement.

This should be iteresting...

Bill

[mkirsch]

Marshfly wrote:
I'm not sure that any of those have actually been delivered. People that have ordered them keep getting pushed back.

In any sense, the air system isn't a helper system. The truck has a very light leaf spring and the air bags come into play with any kind of load. So, pop a bag, blow something on the system, or whatever, and your truck will be sitting on the bumpstops. Something to think about. The truck has a 14k GVW regardless of the suspension setup and is rated for somewhere around 6000# payload however it's configured.

We've been driving around on donut shaped airbags for well over 100 years. Nobody gives them a second thought.

[billyray50]

Wow big increase from the 2006 model that were 9900 GVW.

[Marshfly]

billyray50 wrote:

Marshfly wrote:

ib516 wrote:

gomikego wrote:
Has anyone considered, looked at or have, the 2014 Ram with air ride, that is rated at 14,000 GVW, for the heavy slide in campers? I haven't seen anything about the 3500 Ram DRW truck.
Does anyone have any information on this, that would help make the chose between a new air ride or the standard suspension truck?
Thanks

I tried to order my 2500 with the rear air set up, but it was "unavailable" at the time so I have the coil springs. They have proven to be just as stout as my 3500 SRW leafs with Torklift Stable Loads. The truck sags the same amount with the 5er hitched up in the new truck as it did with the 07 3500.

That's because your 07 3500 was simply a 2500 with factory overloads. The new 3500 SRW Rams use a different suspension setup entirely that will carry much more load than the 2500 will.

Really...What did Dodge do that increased its payload capacity with the 2500/3500 series?

The 2013 3500 and 2014 2500 use an entirely new frame, entirely new front suspension and the 3500 has a new rear spring pack compared to the 2500 coil springs. My 3500 srw has an 11700 GVW with over 3700# payload.

[RamTC]

Really...What did Dodge do that increased its payload capacity with the 2500/3500 series?

Some info here:

http://articles.sae.org/11410/

http://articles.sae.org/12353/

[billyray50]

Marshfly wrote:

ib516 wrote:

gomikego wrote:
Has anyone considered, looked at or have, the 2014 Ram with air ride, that is rated at 14,000 GVW, for the heavy slide in campers? I haven't seen anything about the 3500 Ram DRW truck.
Does anyone have any information on this, that would help make the chose between a new air ride or the standard suspension truck?
Thanks

I tried to order my 2500 with the rear air set up, but it was "unavailable" at the time so I have the coil springs. They have proven to be just as stout as my 3500 SRW leafs with Torklift Stable Loads. The truck sags the same amount with the 5er hitched up in the new truck as it did with the 07 3500.

That's because your 07 3500 was simply a 2500 with factory overloads. The new 3500 SRW Rams use a different suspension setup entirely that will carry much more load than the 2500 will.

Really...What did Dodge do that increased its payload capacity with the 2500/3500 series?