Air Bags

[SRichards]

We just got back from a 5,000+ mile trip out west/north west. This is our first long trip with our new to us Dodge 2010 3500 DRW crew long bed. We got bet to death on the rough highways out there and I was wandering if air bags will help with the trucks rough ride. Here are my weights:

gross trailer weight-13,500

Pin-3,000

The truck is sitting on the overloads when my fifth wheel is hooked up,but I don't know if we are getting spring back from bounce off and back onto the overloads or what. The truck is just a SLT so it doesn't have the most comfortable seats. I was thinking that air bags might help cushion the ride some or would it make it worse. (I think we need air ride seats) Thanks Steve

 

[Newt]

We put a Fifth Airborne pin box on our 5th wheel and Biltstein shocks on the truck. Both helped a lot.

Newt

 

[Jim W]

Last year I towed my 5er down to Virginia thru West Virginia on interstate route 77. My wife had a headache from the chucking and jolting this caused us in the truck with the 5er attached.



I researched this on several sites and asked for advice from several members here and on other forums.



I ended up buying the "Trailair" pin box for my camper. This when properly sized works will. This provides two planes of motion with the design of the Trailair pin box. This will eliminate the fore-aft motion and the chucking. I towed with this installed after our trip down east last year and it help a lot. I would say it eliminated about 90 % of the chucking and jolting that can occur when towing.



This year I installed air bags on my truck and have towed on IL roads this spring with them. This has help also.



You will still get some chucking and jolting from the camper and trailer. There is just a physical relationship with the road there and it will occur. But the ride has improved 95% with these two devices when installed.



Just my humble opinion.

Jim W.

 

[BGlidewell]

airbags on the truck axles in my experience serve mostly a leveling function. Since I have a 4x4 which sits higher, they can also raise the bed too high and cause the bed rails to interfere with the FW hitch.

 

[Simplysmn]

firestone ride rite's work great for towing it will be the best thing you do to the truck

 

[steved]

I had bags installed for the slide-in camper we had... they will sometimes cause a little "pogo" effect. If you can lift the overload springs from their bumpers, you will probably have a better ride... I noted this in my old 99 2500, it would beat you to death with anything between empty or completely loaded. One thought would be to add the bags and lose the overloads.

I bought a used (older) Trail-air for my very small 5vr when we first got it (wopping 450# pin weight) and it completely cured my jarring ride.

 

[lebar]

Air-Bags

I just upgraded from Tembren helpers to Pak Brake air-bags with an Air-Lift Wireless Control and air compressor kit.

The difference is night and day, the Tembren's did a nice job when fully loaded but with a light load you would get bounced from one side to the other especially on corners.

The Pak Brake air bags worked well with out the on board air. The wireless control from Air-Lift is great. The controller is about the size of a door opener and you can adjust the air-bags while running down the road or grab the controller and adjust your ride height from outside the truck! This works out well with the horse trailers being much higher off the ground then they used to be. I pumped up the air bags to max thus lowering the back of the trailer for making a much lower "step up" for the young horses we haul. Let the pressure down to where you want it and down the road you go!

I was able to tuck the compressor and valve manifold above the spare tire so it is all tucked up out of the way and bad weather.

 

[khalsey]

About 11 years ago I removed the overloads and installed air bags which gives a better ride then with overloads only. My fifth wheel has a 4200 lb. pin weight which is more than most trailers.

 

[BIGNASTY]

That much pin on a 1 ton and your wondering why it rides ruff :-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf The scale on 89/200 is going after RV's if you look heavy they light you up and scale you. There has been alot of RV"s parked in the scale house

 

[khalsey]

Big Nasty, we don't live in a perfect world. The pin weight was supposed to be about 2900 lbs. but when I had it weighed I found out different. I had the truck weighed on each wheel with and without the trailer and the axle weren't overloaded but was very close and I wasn't the one who said it rides rough.

 

[tempforce]

the seats can be improved with 2" of medium foam padding inserted under the oem foam.

i installed the keldeman air ride system, it keeps the springs, just lengthens the rear pivot and uses a air bag for leveling. huge difference in ride. if i did the swap again, i would go to a four link system and be done with it, for a really good ride. .

 

[BIGNASTY]

Big Nasty, we don't live in a perfect world. The pin weight was supposed to be about 2900 lbs. but when I had it weighed I found out different. I had the truck weighed on each wheel with and without the trailer and the axle weren't overloaded but was very close and I wasn't the one who said it rides rough.

Your correct it's NOT a perfect world and about 2900 lbs is still over on a 1ton. The sad thing is that in this not so perfect world they have perfect A HOLES at scales that like to prove it to as many as they can. And again there's some that will look the other way at RV"s hope it all works out. On my 2500 I didnt find that the air bags did much to improve the ride in fact when pumped up I think it's worse. The reason I put them on is when I pull my stock trailer It's not over weight but when the Mules and Horse start pushing and shoving it does make it more stable for some reason. Could be that it's not a 5th wheel trailer

 

[LandShark]

Last year I towed my 5er down to Virginia thru West Virginia on interstate route 77. My wife had a headache from the chucking and jolting this caused us in the truck with the 5er attached.

I researched this on several sites and asked for advice from several members here and on other forums.

I ended up buying the "Trailair" pin box for my camper. This when properly sized works will. This provides two planes of motion with the design of the Trailair pin box. This will eliminate the fore-aft motion and the chucking. I towed with this installed after our trip down east last year and it help a lot. I would say it eliminated about 90 % of the chucking and jolting that can occur when towing.

This year I installed air bags on my truck and have towed on IL roads this spring with them. This has help also.

You will still get some chucking and jolting from the camper and trailer. There is just a physical relationship with the road there and it will occur. But the ride has improved 95% with these two devices when installed.

Just my humble opinion.
Jim W.

JimW: Sounds like you are a bit light light at the hitch pin. Have you weighed the truck and trailer?

 

[mpaulson]

Every truck is different. In some cases, air bags get you off the overload leafs just enough that they don't hit on every little bump. You didn't mention if you are a 4x4.

3000# on the pin wouldn't overload a dually in my opinion. I'm at 8900# on the rear axle when loaded and the tires are good for 12,000# on a dually. I know on my dually, even at 8900# on the rear, the overloads are still 3" for the perches. I would assume on a two wheel drive, the perches would be closer. I made 3" spacers that slip onto the tips of the overload leafs that make it ride good while loaded and give it some lift also.

 

[BIGNASTY]

I use to have a gaser and it had Hellwig helpers I dont know if they are still made but it made a big diff. when loaded and when unloaded they didnt even make a diff in the ride from stock.

 

[BIGNASTY]

If you dont already have these you mite want to look into them they take a lot of shock out of the the trailer suspension Dexter Axle - Trailer Axles and Running Gear Components - E-Z Flex Suspension

 

[VZarich]

Firestone Airbags

I have Firestone airbags with the air-rite air system compressor with remote controls. I have a 2006 Megacab dually and towing my 34ft fifth wheel they make a huge difference in overall ride quality when towing. This along with Hellwig rear anti-sway bars makes for a safe overall trailering experience. I have had them both on since the truck was virtually new and have had no problems with the bags or the sway bars. I highly recommend them.

 

[ALSAN]

here is what I did to my 02 Qc Dully 4x4 I am pulling a 38ft Keystone Raptor, I had a 5th wheel to goose neck hitch It also was giving me alot of jarring so I installed Firestone ride rite bags. I put the compressor under the seat in the cab and gauge with switches so I could fill each bag independently ,I found this did help some what but not as good as I hoped (I also found that 10 pounds worked the best) to get a better ride I installed a set of rails in the bed and bought a Hensley air ride hitch with an air compressor and auto fill option (the compresser is mounted on the hitch and has an auto leveling arm built in )this with the air bags has got rid of most of the jarring and jerking I know this is not a cheap fix but I think it was worth the money to keep from doing any damage to the trailer or Myself

 

[Jim W]

JimW: Sounds like you are a bit light light at the hitch pin. Have you weighed the truck and trailer?

Yes, I have weighted the truck and trailer. I had the truck fully loaded with driver, fuel, DW and the trailer loaded. I do not carry water nor waste in the tanks. I run empty and use full hook-up sites, DW request.

My Scaled weights are: front axle 4940, rear axle 5160, trailer axle 8140 and GCVW 18,240 LBS. The truck with a full load of fuel, driver and DW, no camper attached weights in at 8K.

Jim W.

P. S. I will never own another 5er without either a Demco Glide or a Trailair pin box on it.

 

[Applegator]

SRichards: What tire pressure are you running in the front and back?