The stiffer springs are one and done, but while unloaded you will shake your fillings out. Guys that haul continuously like the springs. You could even be able to swap in a set of used 350 springs and that would help out but not totally smooth it out.

Timbrins are nice and maintenance free, these are popular with the truck bed camper guys.

Air bags are totally adjustable, I have them and they are great. A little more fussy and you risk popping one, but one day I'm towing the 5th, next day empty, next day loaded bed and boat, next day full bed of gravel or mulch or such. I would think Airlift or Firestone would have a bolt on kit with no drilling? The wireless air system is easy peasy. This is the smoothest ride you will get.

The other options are overload springs or torque load stabilizers, a little sleazy in my book.

 

The stiffer springs are one and done, but while unloaded you will shake your fillings out. Guys that haul continuously like the springs. You could even be able to swap in a set of used 350 springs and that would help out but not totally smooth it out.



Timbrins are nice and maintenance free, these are popular with the truck bed camper guys.



Air bags are totally adjustable, I have them and they are great. A little more fussy and you risk popping one, but one day I'm towing the 5th, next day empty, next day loaded bed and boat, next day full bed of gravel or mulch or such. I would think Airlift or Firestone would have a bolt on kit with no drilling? The wireless air system is easy peasy. This is the smoothest ride you will get.



The other options are overload springs or torque load stabilizers, a little sleazy in my book.

Will the airbags help stop the longbed "hop"?


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didn't use to put much thought into Timbrens
but now I run "engageable " Timbrens at all 4 corners and airbags in the back

they each have their purpose or my needs but I did not want stiff springs

another thing you can look at is the TorkLift Stable load options

 

Once at the campground, we would be driving around in the truck for up to two hour drives, so the springs that can rattle your teeth out probably aren't an option for my wife and kids, so starting to look like air bags with a built in compressor. The Timbrens look easy to install and their website rates them better than AirBags. Something I have to think about. Looks too good to be true.

A couple of the airbag kits I looked at had you need to drill on them, but most had nothing listed. I've got the time to do the install myself, but I don't have a way to drill through the frame. I've also never done any suspension work.

I did stop by a local firestone today, but they do not install the airbag suspension in the tire shops. Plenty of RV shops in the Phoenix Valley that must be able to install the stuff.

 

the torklift lower stable loads get a lot of good reviews and can be disengaged

i have solid billet blocks instead of the torklift lowers since they don't make a set for my application

thats also why i didn't really get the bang for the buck results with them my springs are 8 inch lift so they dont ride the lower overload the same


as far as Bags i think they can even soften a stock ride on some trucks if you adjust them when there is no load

 

wow those look super easy!! So Zmann you are running those right now with your camper?

sorry just realized you are running aluminum.

 

I am on some forums where folks swear by the lower torklift units

 

Would the torklift prevent the sag? Certianly look s like it'd make a smoother ride.

They look like they're mounted on the camper part of the fifth wheel. I was looking at that site earlier today.

 

what the lower units do is engage the factory flat overload much sooner so yes it can reduce sag and
thats why most people like them you can flip them to off

the uppers do the same but are not adjustable and not everyone has upper overloads and apparently, the bottom is really the most noticeable

of the two

 

I am now kicking around installing the airbags myself. May not be as hard to drill through the frame myself. How hard is it to Drill through an F-250 Frame? - Diesel Forum - TheDieselStop.com

Whatever I do, the next RV trip is two driving days, so I'd like to have something installed by then. The Stableloads look nice and easy to install. I just have to wrap my head around how those work. I see on the picture and video how they operate, but I don't understand how flipping a little piece of metal in there keeps a truck stable with 2500 LBS in the bed. My kid is the engineer, not me.

 

You can drill through the frame like a hot knife through butter.
I used a dewalt 1/4" 20v impact driver and one of those hex shanked step drill bits that ended up at 1/2" diameter. I promise you it took less than 15 seconds to rip that hole open. The best part was I didn't even have to deburr the hole. The worst part of the whole deal was the shards of blazing hot razor sharp shavings flying towards my face. I recommend a full face shield and long sleeved welding jacket.

 

I too run the torklift lowers on my setup, 99 350 4x4 CCLB dually. I pack a 11.5' Lance and pull a car trailer with my Jeep. Absolutely love the torklifts! But I'm also in a bit of a quandary over what else I want to level it out just a bit more. I have the single leaf upper overload and trying to decide which way to go, 3 leaf uppers or bags. The torklifts really took a lot of the top heavy-ness out the curvy road manners. I didn't think the upper torklifts would do much with a single and maybe I'm wrong. It just seems the airbags would make it more top heavy feeling. Sorry to hi-jack, but ZMANN, how does your feel with the bags? Also, the Torklift install wasn't to bad. Drilling through that thick bottom overload is a chore!! And I had to loosen the u-bolts to get enough separation to install the bolt that holds them on.

 

I'm looking at air compressors. I don't think I'll need a tank just to fill up the air bags and top the tires.

My impression is I would need a tank if I was going to deflate all my tires down to 15 PSI, and then fill them up again to go on the highway.

Any thoughts on that?

 

For the compressor i really like the dedicated airlift wireless


As far as camper and airbags. They create sway
Imo

Even if they are aired up on seperate lines

It is like sticking basketballs in there

Thats why a good shock is key to tame them
And also why a lot of camper owners dont like bags. I just use mine to take some of the load off the timbrens when driving down rough

roads It makes a huge impact

 

I'm still wrapping my head around the timbrens. I've sent off for a quote to one of the local shops, but they haven't gotten back yet. I looked at my leaf springs, and they do not look like the picture you posted earlier. I attached a pic of the Right rear Rear leaf springs, front and back, and to me they look so different from the timberen pic, I don't see how the Timberen's would engage.

The Timbren site's videos also rated the TIimbren's better than airbags. I was surprised how much better. What you say about the sway with the airbags, I saw that in some other locations also besides just the Timberen site.

With the Timbren's and rough roads, I don't think I will get my family to go to the primitive sites in the national forests, the sites that have no hookups. So, I won't be going on any rough roads with the TImbrens engaged if I go that route. The roughest road this RV will see is the stretch of I-40 West of Flagstaff.

I'm all over the board on what to get, and I thank everyone that's had input helping me decide.

 

The Timbrens are one bolt, yes? They replace the bump stop. I don't have them, but I've heard more good than bad about them.

As far as drilling the frame an automatic center punch and a strep bit dipped in motor oil is the way to go. The center punch is spring loaded, put it on the center of where the hole goes and push till it clicks a couple of times. The step bit looks like a Christmas tree and will make short work of your hole. Both available at harbor freight.

You have the same spring setup as pictured in the torklift pic. Bottom overload and top overload. I actually just put a piece of 3/8 steel plate in between my lower overload and main pack, but mine already have a hole and a rubber pad on a plastic post between the bottom overload and the main leaf stack. In order to get more room between the bottom overload and the main springs jack up the rear of the truck by the hitch and let the axel drop.

Lastly the Airlift systems have a 60 day money back guarantee. Love it or leave it. I have the airlift ultimate with wireless air, both bags separate, it's fantastic. No sag, no porpoise, no sway. I just drove on one of the roughest roads in the eastern time zone and the truck handled better with than without imho. On smooth payment it's night and day.

 

I started off with Timbren's and liked them, but my buddy upgraded too a F350 DRW so I took advantage and got his air bags with compressor, and let me say it's a NIGHT and DAY difference. The air bags are amazing, I can change the pressure based on road conditions, and the ride is so nice now.

Get air bags with compressor, trust me you will love them.:wink::grin:

 

Starting to get quotes back. What surprised me about the quotes is that parts alone are about 30% more than online. I don't mind so much the shop fees for installation, but with the parts prices being higher, if I do this myself, the price will be half what it is if I get it from the dealer.

 

Bags if part time towing or loaded.

The bag options for trucks with 5th wheels or gooseneck hitches are no-drill installations as they replace the jounce bumper on the frame. You can easily install in the inflation valves in a convenient location and fill with a tire chuck.

Eventually I'll be installing Firestone Riderite bags and use Daystar cradles to allow full down travel of the suspension. I'll also get One Up Offroad 2 way valves to run with zero air pressure when the bags aren't needed.

 

I'm going with the airlift ultimat 5000 bags and installing them myself. Because I have a fifth wheel hitch bracket mounted to the frame, I will need to drill a 1/2" hole on the steel fifth wheel side mount bracket for the bolt that goes through the frame, but I don't need to drill through the frame. Seems like if you have a frame mount fifth wheel bracket, which I guess nearly all are, you will need to drill through the fifth wheel bracket even for the non-drill kits. I guess they're non drill unless you have a fifth wheel, then you just need to drill one hole on each side.

The kit comes with two bolts, and you use the 2" bolt or 3" bolt depending on your needs. The first one is 2" if you do not have the side mount fifth wheel bracket. No drilling required for that one. The second bolt is 3" long and you drill a 1/2" hole in the steel bracket which allows the bolt to go through both the fifth wheel bracket and the factory drilled hole in the frame for the air bags.

Still deciding on a compressor. I've narrowed it down to a wireless that inflates both airbags independently, or an analog that inflates the air bags independently, a two gallon air tank, and comes with an accessory port. Until I decide on a compressor, I'll fill the air chucks at my house, and maybe get a small portable compressor to fill on the road.

 

i have had the wireless one for 5 years i looked at it once when i dropped my spare to install it

i have not seen it since but it works everytime i use it
i don't even have shrader valves (air chuck) on mine

it took no time to wire an plumb either since it runs off the trailer power supply and has no ugly in cab guages

if i want on board air it won't be a crappy little tool / airbag combo unit

 

The Wireless one is one of three kits I'm looking at, but I really like the idea of accessory air, and it doesn't have that. I don't know if I could put a T- in the wireless to add accessory air, but with the way the wireless gauge works, I don't think so. The little air compressor would be for the RV tires or the truck tires, not the air bags.

I can't figure out how to put pictures in, the posts, but the other two kits I'm interested in is the

1) Airlift 25572. This is not wireless, but has a two gallon tank and an accessory port.

2) Firestone 2541. This is wireless, and has an accessory port.

I start installing the airbags tomorrow, and will decide in a few days which compressor kit to get. The air chucks with me inflating at the house will just be in until I decide and install the compressor.

 

i need to shift my bags on the fly

when i go from pavement to fire roads or even smooth to bumpy freeways I change the air level

i also use the bags at camp to level my truck camper integrating a good hi PSI on board air sysyem to also work with air bags using solenoids/dumps valves and guages just seemed like a pain

the wire less one was not a pain ( and your correct it won't work for an onboard air )

if i do a tank and compressor some day it wont have the gauge in the truck
it will be where i can see it while using the air line and tool of choice ( inner rear fender area like mhatlen did

 

I have the wirelssAir too works great same as @ZMANN. Add a 1/2 cup or CRC air brake antifreeze in each bag and put a little in each year.

I don't think the onboard air and airbags should go together either. The airbag compressor is too week for onboard air and onboard air would be too much for the airbags.

As far as filling tires viair is the way to go.

 

Ended up going with the Airlift Ultimate 5000 Airbags and Airlift Wireless 72000 G3 Compressor. I have just completed the install on the compressor, and I completed the install of the airbags last week.

I ended up deciding on an airbag setup instead of springs to adjust the suspension based on the load. To do this at the campground and on the fly, I decided on the Wireless system. I drew power through fuse 23, the climate control fuse. I also went with installing the compressor on top of the spare tire, and I ended up with an extra foot of line. I have a shortbed and caution anyone with a long bed, that the included wiring harness may just barely fit or fall short of reaching the battery and fuses.

I feel really strong about the airbags I installed, but have mixed feelings on the Wireless air compressor. I read a few reviews of the wireless compressors giving out, so I did keep the manual airchucks installed so I can use those and also eliminate the airlines. The airline quick releases make it easy to move the stuff.

Installation went fairly smooth and is mostly the same as the instructions and as the airlift videos. I was not familiar with a lot of the stuff and I spent A LOT more than the claim of 3 hours total for both systems Airlifts says it takes to install with simple tools. One of the airlines was leaking on installation so much it would not hold air, but I could not feel the leak and I could not hear the leak over the compressor, so the leak detaction soap came in handy and showed right where the leak was from.

 

Most of the time the wireless air manifold is what fails. Add 4oz of CRC air brake antifreeze into each bag via your fill schrader.

I took the schrader out, pulled a vacuum on the line, picked the line and stuck it into a half a cup of crc. Unpinch the line and it will suck it all up.

Do this every season and you should be golden.

 

just to reiterate i have had my wireless installed over my spare with all wires terminated at the trailer connector ( nothing run to the battery)

the unit has been flawless for years the remote i had to replace the batteries a few times lol

you made a good choice IMO

 

good point
my arms thank me evertime i take the ten seconds to slip these on before
welding/grinding/drilling/killing bee's LOL

 

Ok thanks!


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