Does your rear end sag? If so, you might need a lift. An airbag suspension lift that is. Airbag suspension for RV trailers and fifth-wheels will give you a smoother, safer ride and a better looking rear end on your tow truck.
Airbags, also called air “springs.”
Towable RVs are bigger and roomier than ever. You can take just about anything you need on the road and all your toys, but you’ll pay the price. Hitching an extremely heavy load to your tow truck changes the driving experience. The expensive, dangerous results include:
- A misaligned front end
- Excessive, uneven tire wear
- Reduced steering and breaking control
Don’t wait to encounter a hazardous driving condition when you’re towing. If you notice odd wear patterns on your tire and the rear end on your tow truck appears saggy when the RV is hitched up, it’s probably time for a tow truck suspension upgrade. The most popular is an airbag (or “air spring”) suspension mod.
Truckers have known about the benefits of “riding on air” for over 40 years, but the RV industry is just now catching on. In the past, people would add steel springs to the tow truck’s suspension to better distribute load weight. But this resulted in a rough ride when the truck wasn’t towing. Today’s air bag suspension mods are the best way that truckers, RVers, and anyone towing a trailer can enjoy superior leveling capacity and improved ride comfort. Installing air bags is a simple job you can do with few tools and just a few hours of your time.
How to choose and install an air bags kit for your truck and hitch
A kit costs less than $300
Before choosing an airbags kit you’ll need to find out which one works with your tow truck and trailer hitch. For fifth-wheels and gooseneck hitches, you want an under-frame mounted kit. Before buying anything it’s best to talk to your hitch manufacturer and truck dealer to find out which ones work with your particular set-up.
Many airbag kits like the AIR LIFT 57295 LoadLifter 5000 Series Rear Air Spring Kit don’t require tools or special expertise to get the job done. For most kits like this, you’ll only need about $300 and these tools:
- Socket wrenches
- Allen wrench set
- Screwdriver (or nutdriver)
- Drill (optional, depending on location of air fill valve)
- Air compressor
Airbag suspension mods for RV trailers and fifth-wheels require just six simple steps:
- Remove jounce bumpers
- Assemble airbags
- Mount frame brackets
- Attach bags to frame & axle
- Attach heat shield to muffler
- Install air lines & test for leaks
Automatic-leveling systems run about $500.
If your truck doesn’t have high clearance, be sure to put it on jacks. When doing so, be sure to set the jack stands as wide as possible on the axle or use lift points to avoid impeding upon the mounting bracket locations.
Sometimes airbag suspension mods for RV need fine-tuning. For example, if your ride is too rough when your trailer is detached, you might consider adding an automatic self-leveling system to your air brake system.
A kit like the SmartAir Automatic Leveling System by Air Lift uses a magnetic sensor to sense the weight of the trailer on the truck. It automatically inflates and deflates the air bags according to load weight.
Air bag suspension for RV trailers and fifth-wheels are worth the extra investment. You’ll immediately notice a difference in how your truck looks, drives and feels when braking. As a bonus, your passengers will thank you for a smoother ride.
Rene Agredano and her husband, Jim Nelson, became full-time RVers in 2007 and have been touring the country ever since. In her blog, Rene chronicles the ins and outs of the full-timing life and brings readers along to meet the fascinating people and amazing places they visit on the road. Her road trip adventures are chronicled in her blog at LiveWorkDream.com.
Rene, I enjoyed reading this article, but there is something you left out that I feel is very important-adding suspension aides like additional leaf springs, rubber “springs,” or airbags doesn’t change the load bearing capacities of the axle, axle bearings, and tires. Some people do not realize that just because the back end of the truck no longer sags it doesn’t mean that a potentially dangerous overloading of rear-end suspension hasn’t taken place.
Thanks Lee! That is a GREAT point. We recommend having an expert weigh your RV so you can know your limitations.
True… but you don’t need to find some sort of expert. Just go to any truck scale. And read the placard at the driver’s door which shows the load limit for each axle and for the total vehicle weight.
Keep in mind if you go over a government run scale and your axles are over weight, you will get fined and you will have to park whatever you are towing and get someone to recover your towed item with a legal two vehicle. Weigh Scales will not let you carry on if you are overweight!
There seems to be some confusion about terminology. All of the illustrated devices are air springs – not just bags – as given in the manufacturer’s product information. The same companies (such as Air Lift and Firestone) also make air bags which go inside coil springs, for vehicles which have coil springs.
“A kit like the AIR LIFT 25415 SmartAir Automatic Leveling System by Air Lift uses a magnetic sensor to sense the weight of the trailer on the truck. It automatically inflates and deflates the air bags according to load weight.”
Close… the sensor senses whether the height of the suspension is at the desired position (not the weight), and the system adjusts the air in the springs to maintain the set level. Yes, the suspension moves due to weight, but the system isn’t directly measuring or responding to weight.
I have a question. How many psi should I fill my airbags to? Is there an upper limit, or is it a matter of eyeballing / measuring the truck’s front end and rear for consistency? Thanks for any adice I can get.
Doug
I have a pleasure-way excel-ts with the Firestone ride rite system. The manual says 100 psi max but PW
SUGGESTS NOT MORE THAN 50-60 PSI
Thanks Mike. That is the information I was looking for!
Doug
I run 80-90 lbs in my Airbags on my F250 when pulling my 9000lb 5W. I have been using Firestone Airbags since 2007
I have an AIR LIFT LOAD LIFTER 5000 kit on my RAM 1500. I have found it helpful to keep between 15 to 20 PSI in the air springs under normal conditions W/O Load. Before I hook up my 5,000 lb. Toy Hauler, I measure the clearance from the top of my rear tires to the lip if my wheel well, I then hook up the Hauler (including it’s leveler kit) before I add additional air to the AIR LIFT KIT on my truck. I adjust the AIR LIFT PSI so that the lifted (tire to wheel well) clearance is close to the trucks normal unloaded stance. The RAM’s ride feels more stable, and the Toy Hauler tracks perfectly. (even though I use an anti-sway bar on the hitch, the AIR LIFT KIT has improved the entire anti-sway characteristics).
Thanks for your comments and advice Lou. Much appreciated! I follow pretty much the same approach so it is good to get validation.
Doug
I have had air bags on 2 trucks now bothe were Chevrolet . They replace the bump stock s an none of the suspension. They worked awesome !
I put a set of air springs on my 2500 Silverado Duramax a few years ago and from the very start one leaked about 5 pounds of air a day. I and others have hunted for the leak but can’t locate it. Pumping it back up every 3 or 4 days is a pain in the rump. Don’t know if they were worth the super-inflated price.
I had the same issue….my installation has the built-in compressor. It turned out that the leak was in the under dash gauge assembly. It took the installer a couple of attempts to isolate it.
I was hoping someone would mention that when towing a bumper pull it is very important to have a properly adjusted weight distributing hitch to balance and distribute the weight across the trailer and truck. It is my opinion that air bags should not be used to take the place of a WDH or make up for improper adjustment of a WDH when towing a heavy bumper pull trailer.
It is important to not exceed the tow vehicle’s rated hitch weight, to not exceed the vehicle’s rear axle capacity. That doesn’t mean that a WD system is necessarily required.
Air springs do not change load distribution between axles, but if there is no problem with axle loads there’s no need to change those loads, and so no need for WD.
Air springs can improve the ability of the suspension to handle high loads, within the vehicle’s rated limits, so it can be very appropriate for towing.
Does an air bag help with bouncing while trailering a fifth wheel? I’m new to RVing and have a properly sized F-150 pulling a fifth wheel trailer and while towing it home i was on a major interstate and noticed some bouncing whenever the road transitioned from highway to a bridge or overpass as well as a couple of sections where the road was just “wavy”. I could still control the vehicle but it was a bit un-nerving…
If your trailer is bouncing and not bottoming out, what it needs is better damping. The way to get better damping is to replace the shock absorbers with newer or better ones, or to add shock absorbers if it doesn’t have them.
i put a pair of air rid air bags on my 1990 allegro class A
the hole point of installing them was
1 it didn’t come with them
2 they stabilized the A from rocking from side to side ..
they worked totally ausom….
but they dont increase the payload capacity …
PSI ….. i ran mine at about 40 psi… inever ran them any higher
it made the A ride like a lumber truck….
i must of miss read the heading i thought it read …
to in areas the T.T trailer or 5 wheel handling ..the the tow vehicle …
I WOULD NEVER TOW A 5TH WHEEL WITh A F150
i know what the payload capacity says BUT!!!!!!!!!!!
unless that truck came with 8 lug nut AXEL WITH AT LEAST A 3/4 TON FRAME OR A 1 TON FRAME I WOULD NOT TOW A 5TH WHEEL WITH A 1/2 TON….
Im sorry i have towed livestock horses an cattle we would never use a 1/2 ton truck to pull live stock to the slather house ….
the dealers will tell you any thing to make a sale ….
every car & truck dealer i have ever been in i have asked what will this truck pulll or tow half of them KNOW NOTHING ABOUT TOW VEHICILE YOU NEED TO DO YOUR OWN HOME WORK …
there are some really smalll 5th wheels you might get away with it but
a half ton is no match
i have a 2000 3500 dodge ram 4X4 dana 80 rear axl and 60 front with extra suspension up grades and i tow a 259 rb puma 25′ it ways ruff 7,780 loaded ….
we camp alll over and i know my family is coming home safe & alive …
thats my take on 5 th & TT’s iv towed a ton of trailers an my trucks have all been over kill just to be safe
camping is about relaxing having a good time & being safe then going home alive ….
it’s your responsibility for every one’s safety on the road & with you ….
sorry for the double reply i miss spelt of screed up some things
i put a pair of air rid air bags on my 1990 allegro class A
My hole point of installing them was
1 it didn’t come with them
2 they stabilized the A from rocking from side to side ..
they worked totally ausom….
but they dont increase the payload capacity …
PSI ….. i ran mine at about 40 psi… i never ran them any higher
it made the “A” ride like a lumber truck….
i must of miss read the heading i thought it read …
to increas the T.T trailer or 5 wheel handling .Not the tow vehicle …
I have a 2002 F250 Superduty, pulling a 40 FT Toy Hauler, lets not get into over loads and all that, What I did notice is that the ride with the airbags at 50 PSI made a super difference. The ride on the truck with the loaded trailer made for a much smoother ride. Really love using air bags. Keeps the truck level but it makes a much better ride.
I agree completely with gunsmoke . My so called 1/2 ton towable fifth wheels hitch pin weight 1640 lbs. And is at the proper percentage the 9300lbs. (10,000) max. Show me a 1/2 ton that can safely do that plus the weight of a hitch. Plus anything else in the bed or cab. Looked at a new 2500 ram that only had 1750 lbs. cargo capacity. Go to a truck stop weigh your truck with anything and anyone that will be in the truck, subtract that weight from what gross single vehicle weight number. That’s your true cargo capacity. Towing capacity alone doesn’t mean crap. Again weigh your truck. Gross combination on door, won’t match up with real life.
I love my 2000 Dodge Ram 3500
I’m looking at the new errr dodge 3500
Or a F350 ford with 7.3
We camp a lot we are not full timers but we are retired so we go all summer
Some weekend warriors there just getting by an they think that’s just the way the truck handles BUT
MY DULLY DOSE NOT SWAY WIGGLE WOBBLE NOTHING
I’m not in competition with any one
BUT BIGER IS BETTER
I HAVE LOST THE brakes on my trailer on hills
And still was able to control my trailer
Again camping is about exploring places you have never been an having a RELAXING TIME
thank you
Tom
You’re welcome, gunsmoke. Most dealerships wether it be rv or auto just want a sale. Waiting for new 7.3 gas engine to show up myself, have to wait for 2020’s. My deisel is great, but preventive maintenance is expensive, to take care of right. Wish new 4×4’s weren’t so tall though. Creates a problem with level towing.
You’re welcome gunsmoke. Most dealerships whether it be an RV or an auto only care about the sale. the right truck for the trailer or trailor for the truck doesn’t matter to them. Waiting on Ford new 73 gas engine myself but I have to wait for the 2020s to show up. My diesel is great but cost of preventive maintenance is very high. wish new four by fours weren’t so tall though, creates quite a problem with towing trailer level.