Floating on air

[Erik S]

We just finished installing the stable-air kit on my 2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master on a 2004 W22 with 22.5" tires.

I am very impressed with the kit. We replaced all the leaf springs and shocks and then installed firestone air-springs and the computerized controller.

The installation took nearly 20 hours to do, but the results were worth it. The Coach handles 100% better, it cut the "top sway" down by nearly 80%. The coach hardly leans durning turns, and doesn't do a nose dive when braking.

The motorhome handles bumps in the road much "smoother". For example there were some empty shoe boxes sitting on the bed in the rear of the motorhome, as we drove over some pretty large bumps in the road during the test drive and they didn't move! Normally they would have wound up on the floor.

Some of the additional features of this system is it's ability to level the coach to the horizion using the air springs. This can only be done when parked. It is a nice feature for when you are making a quick stop and don't want to use your jacks. The one nice feature it has over my jacks is that every 40 minutes it checks to insure that the coach is still level, and if it isn't will correct it. It will level the coach out even at some pretty extream angles.

Another nice feature of the system is the ability to dump the air bags to lower the coach upto several inches (the lowered hight depends on the coach and clearances), the coach seems more stable when leveled than with the stock springs and shocks.

An additional feature of the system is that it allows you to raise the coach several inches from normal ride hight so that you have additional clearance for going over railroad tracks or steep drive ways. This only works at slow speeds. Once your speed exceeds 25mph for several seconds the coach will return to normal ride height.

With the computer controlled air springs, the motorhome will remain at the "designed" ride height no matter how it is loaded. If you are slightly heavier in the rear vs the front, or the left vs the right the system will adjust the air springs to level the coach out. I was even warned that as you are unloading the motorhome after a trip, you may hear the system venting air from the air springs to make up for the removed weight!

Several of the design engineers came to our location to assist and train us on the installation process. These engineers knew their product and seemed to take a personal interest in it. While they were here I saw something that I had never thought I would see in my lifetime.... the lead product engineer from Detroit Steel got just as dirty, if not more dirty than our tech who was performing the installation!!!! I had always thought that there was some kind of unspoken oath among engineers that banned such practices, but I was wrong!!

Anyway, I am extreamly impressed with the system and the ride so far. My family and I are planning a trip in the motorhome over Memeorial Day weekend which will be the true test (the wife test!).

I will see if I can't get some pictures to post for everyone...

Erik

[Erik S]

We just finished installing the stable-air kit on my 2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master on a 2004 W22 with 22.5" tires.

I am very impressed with the kit. We replaced all the leaf springs and shocks and then installed firestone air-springs and the computerized controller.

The installation took nearly 20 hours to do, but the results were worth it. The Coach handles 100% better, it cut the "top sway" down by nearly 80%. The coach hardly leans durning turns, and doesn't do a nose dive when braking.

The motorhome handles bumps in the road much "smoother". For example there were some empty shoe boxes sitting on the bed in the rear of the motorhome, as we drove over some pretty large bumps in the road during the test drive and they didn't move! Normally they would have wound up on the floor.

Some of the additional features of this system is it's ability to level the coach to the horizion using the air springs. This can only be done when parked. It is a nice feature for when you are making a quick stop and don't want to use your jacks. The one nice feature it has over my jacks is that every 40 minutes it checks to insure that the coach is still level, and if it isn't will correct it. It will level the coach out even at some pretty extream angles.

Another nice feature of the system is the ability to dump the air bags to lower the coach upto several inches (the lowered hight depends on the coach and clearances), the coach seems more stable when leveled than with the stock springs and shocks.

An additional feature of the system is that it allows you to raise the coach several inches from normal ride hight so that you have additional clearance for going over railroad tracks or steep drive ways. This only works at slow speeds. Once your speed exceeds 25mph for several seconds the coach will return to normal ride height.

With the computer controlled air springs, the motorhome will remain at the "designed" ride height no matter how it is loaded. If you are slightly heavier in the rear vs the front, or the left vs the right the system will adjust the air springs to level the coach out. I was even warned that as you are unloading the motorhome after a trip, you may hear the system venting air from the air springs to make up for the removed weight!

Several of the design engineers came to our location to assist and train us on the installation process. These engineers knew their product and seemed to take a personal interest in it. While they were here I saw something that I had never thought I would see in my lifetime.... the lead product engineer from Detroit Steel got just as dirty, if not more dirty than our tech who was performing the installation!!!! I had always thought that there was some kind of unspoken oath among engineers that banned such practices, but I was wrong!!

Anyway, I am extreamly impressed with the system and the ride so far. My family and I are planning a trip in the motorhome over Memeorial Day weekend which will be the true test (the wife test!).

I will see if I can't get some pictures to post for everyone...

Erik

[edgray]

ERIKS : Congrats on the major upgrade

Some time back in April, I think, another member "bbarry" was asking for info on this system due to medical issues. Please keep us all up to date from an OWNER'S Prospective, and we look forward to your pictures. THANKS, ED

[ISLAPP]

What kind of a price tag does this setup carry? Are you limited to where it can be installed or are there dealers thruout the country?
Mike

[Erik S]

Mike,

The price for the setup is roughly $7,000.00, which would include labor. The kit is around $5,400 and then 20 hours labor. I know it isn't cheap, but for what it does, and what it comes with it is worth it (if you going to keep your motorhome).

As far as who can install it, I believe that Workhorse isn't going to have every service dealer setup. They are trying to setup several "regional" centers that install it. Currently there is one service center, and then the factory location which can install. If you call the 800 number listed on www.workhorse.com they can tell you where the nearest installation center is.

Due to the fact that it takes roughly 20 hours to install, you are looking at basically 3 days of your motorhome being in the shop!

Erik

[Razorback]

ERIC, NOW AFTER A FEW WEEKS, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE STABIL AIR?? Is it all you wanted it to be??

[Erik S]

Razorback,

I am very impressed with the Stabil Air system. When we drove down to Kansas City I was having a harder than normal time keeping the motorhome steady. My wife actually thought I had gotten into the beer cooler earlier than I was supposed too. After making a pit stop, we found out that the winds were much stronger than I had thought, and that it was the wind pushing the motorhome. With the Stabil Air system, the motorhome didn't "SWAY" when pushed by a strong burst of wind, so it kind of felt like the motorhome was just "drifting" around. As funny as it sounds, it took me an hour or so to get used to driving it with the new suspension. I was used to feeling the motorhome begining to sway when a strong cross wind would begin to blow, can't do that anymore!!

Even over bumps, un-even roads, or cornering, the motorhome wouldn't lean or sway. Feels very firm!! It doesn't feel like a 21,00lbs plus monster when driving it. I never really noticed it before, but when comming to a stop, or just firmly applying the brakes the front end of the motorhome would dip down. Not anymore!! The front end doesn't go down at all!!!

While driving, other than the sway, I couldn't tell that much differance in the driver's seat with the new suspension, but my wife was uttery amazed at how it felt further back. She and the kids sat at the kitchen table and played one of my daughter's games (she is 4 years old) and they didn't have to worry about pieces flying around. Nor did they have to go chasing after milk cups! In the rear of the motorhome they could tell that it didn't bounce nearly as much. Stuff that they put on the bed stayed on the bed the entire way.

The air springs have four settings. the first is normal ride height. That is were the computer will put the proper amount of air in the bags to make sure it rides at "design" height no matter how it is loaded. The second setting is "Off Road" this is where the system will raise the height of the motorhome to clear driveways, railroad tracks, ect. I didn't have any reason to use this setting.

The third seeting is "kneel". The system will dump as much air as possible to lower the motorhome. This was nice for when we setup camp. I dumped the air springs, and did my normal leving jacks. This kept the motorhome closer to the ground when camped and seemed more steady.

The fourth setting is horizon leveling. This feature is used when you want to use the air springs to level out the motorhome and not your jacks. This works really well at Wal-Mart (you can be level and people won't get mad that your jacks are down) or at rest stops. A nice feature about the horizon leveling is that it chekcs to make sure the motorhome is level every 30 minutes or so. If it isn't it will make the needed adjustments!

All in all I think it is a great system, and well worth the investment (if your planning on keeping your motorhome for any significant amount of time). It is hard to explain the improvement over the stock suspension system, but it is much, much better!!!!

Erik

[edgray]

Originally posted by ERIK S :
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">All in all I think it is a great system, and well worth the investment (if your planning on keeping your motorhome for any significant amount of time). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Great post, Erik. I'm glad to hear you like the new suspension. Since I'm planning on keeping mine a while longer, do you have another $7K you can spare?? ED

[Razorback]

Erik, did you install the 'trac bar' and 'front stabilizer' or did the workhorse/detroit people do it as part of the 'stabil air'? If WH didnt do it, is it necessary? Glad you are happy with what they did with your coach. Thanks for the input. Razorback

[DonavonP]

Great post Erik. Any chance we could get more detail on how the beer cooler handled the ride?

[Erik S]

Razorback,

Regarding the Rear-Trac bar and Front stabilizer, I had those on the motorhome before the Stabil-Air. The head engieer for the suspension and I talked about removeing the rear-trac bar to see if it was even needed anymore.. but I have been kinda lazy about it. I am curious to see how it handles not without it, so I probably will unhook it for a test drive soon.

The front Stabilizer I don't really think would be needed, but it doesn't hurt anything and I kinda like the peace of mind knowing it is there should I have a blow-out.

As far as extra $7,000 to help edgray, you would have to get in line behind my wife!!! She seems to know when I have money even before I do!!! I had to promise her that she could "paint her toe nails" while going down the road to get her to OK putting the Stabil-Air on the motorhome.

The nice thing about the Stabil-Air is that I no longer have to duct tape the beer cooler to the dog house when going down the road (has to be within arms reach ya know!!!). The only bad thing is that a little "angle" has been switching my beer with diet coke when I am doing the last walk-around before we go somewhere. Then when I am done un-hooking at the camp site, the beer magically re-appears!!! I told my daughter that as soon as I find the little "angle" thats been making the switch, I am going to use the duct tape on her!!!!!

Erik

[edgray]

Originally posted by ERIK S
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The only bad thing is that a little "angle" has been switching my beer with diet coke when I am doing the last walk-around before we go somewhere. Then when I am done un-hooking at the camp site, the beer magically re-appears!!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sounds like you've got quite a "Support Group" travelling with you. And I love the line about the painting, too

[Erik S]

Ya know after re-reading my post it have a question... where did I learn to spell???? I don't know that we have a little "Angle" in the house, but I a pretty sure I have one, if not more "angels" in the house!!!!

Erik

[Razorback]

Thanks Erik, as you can tell I am very interested and will probably follow your footsteps. Reminds me of 'do you know how to tell the pioneers from the settlers?' the pioneers are the ones with the arrows stuck in um". so you lead. this is a communication forum, spelling does not count and evidently typing either. aptness of thought only. save a cold one or three for me, when i come up to Sioux City for the conversion. thanks again. John