Air Lift Springs

[John Hilley]

What are the pros and cons of Air Lift springs on the F53 chassis? I am planning on putting them on the rear of my Winnebago Brave 35C to compensate for all the weight of a full propane and water tank which makes it lean to the passenger side. Should I put them rear & front?

[Retird2Golf]

Hello John, regarding "Air Lift" Springs ...
I just installed (had installed) Firestone
Air Ride ... Pros ...
Best ride I have had, stopped the rockin, and rollin !!
Cons ... Haven't found any yet, For me a very good investment.
Another good thing to do is have your coach weighed ... all 4 corners, this will give you the answers on loading and distributing weight.

Good Luck and safe motoring!!

"Ride it like a Ford"

[ronboc]

Hi -

I'd put 'em on the back of a F53 I had too. As mentioned, it made the ride a lot smoother and helped with the 'rear-end sag'. I was a bit off on one side weight-wise, so it helped to level-out the coach with a slight differential in bag-pressure.

After getting used to its new stance while I had it, I was very surprised to see how much higher it rode as I took everything out of the rv when it came time to sell it(ahem... guess I might have gotten a little bit 'close' to the GVW weight).

Thanks!
Ron

[Retird2Golf]

Ron, I think we all have "stuff" that we cannot live without !!

My "rule of thumb" is ... If I can't remember the last time I used it (when i see it looking for something else) < OUT IT GOES !!

Best regards, Clyde

"Ride it like a Ford"

[John Hilley]

Had rear Air Lift springs installed at Camping World in Rogers, MN. At first technician said they couldn't be installed because I had levelers. After placing them in place and measuring he said they would be ok. Had the fill points installed in rear basement compartment. After driving several blocks, I noticed a strange sound on passenger side. Went back and technician noticed that air spring on passenger side had contacted frame. Most models have lateral adjustment, but not the F53. He ground some of the bracket and got it the proper distance from frame. In first two turns I noticed a significant improvement. Will be careful not to lift rear end too high with the levelers, but use them more as stabilizers.

["007"]

John it costs a little more money but you can put in a compressor with check valves and auto adjust that will control any added weight of holding tanks and fuel and will give you peace of mind. But like I say will cost more, CW does have sales on these items during the year.
I installed them on all four corners myself on a Newmar MA F-53 made a big difference in handeling.

[John Hilley]

I had planned on putting in the air compressor system, but after thinking about it, I didn't need dynamic balancing as the tanks wouldn't change much during the day. I want an air compressor that I can also use for the tires. I picked up a Campbell Hausfeld Model FP240000AV cordless compressor that seems to work fine up to the 70psi I need for my tires. It fits nicely in the same compartment I had the fillers put in.

[BillB007]

I need 4-6 inches of additional ground clearance on the rear axle to enter and exit my driveway. Will I be able to get this from the Firestone or Camping World Air Ride lift springs.

["007"]

Bill, when I installed Air-Lifts on my Ford you could lift the rear of coach up with bags but could not say it was in your lift range. You can only put in 100 psi max of air or you will blow bags.
I checked both sites Air and Firestone and they mention no lift heights just bag psi limits max an min. You would only add air to keep the coach level to maintain a controlled ride. Maybe if you called the companies they could give you an answer to what your seeking.
I did add air to rear bags when I pulled the pop-up behind coach for driveway clearence never did measure the hight of lift.

[BillB007]

Thanks - I could find no info on the mfr web sites either. I will call around in the next couple of days to see what I can find - I am making a Camping World run on Thursday and will see if I can find anything out from the installation gang.

[John Hilley]

Maximum lift appears to be about 1 1/2"

[Retird2Golf]

Hey Bill, sorry for the delay, but, i'm on the road (Kentucky right now) and just got a WI_FI site. Ionly get obout 2" at 70#s, Specs say DO NOT EXCEED 100#. Would assume it depends on the weight you are lifting and the "Throw" of the air lifts.

Best regards, Clyde

"Ride it like a Ford"

[BillB007]

Thanks for the info. This agrees with what I found from the Camping World installation crew. They said I might get 2 - 2 1/2 inches max.

[abn]

Bill - If you need the extra lift to keep the tail from dragging, another solution might be skid wheels.



Skid Wheels at Camping World

I put them on mine as a precaution and they have come into play a couple of times.



Food for Thought