airbags on your 96-99 F53 Chassis?

RUNDLC · 03-09-2010, 05:40 PM

Hey all

Is there anyone near Sacramento Ca, with airbags on your 94-99 F53 chassis. If so can you please post or pm me, I would like to meet up with you to get the feel of how your coach rides and handles.

TIA

RUNDLC · 03-09-2010, 10:34 PM

I am correcting this from the 94-96 F53 years

**"007"** · 03-09-2010, 11:19 PM

If your having trouble with your coach riding level or wheels duels are rubbing on wheel well roof when coach leans to either side you may correct it by installing air-bags.
Another way would be to go to a good leaf spring company and they can add leaf springs to all four corners.
Had two Fords that could not carry the Newmar coach's placed on them. First coach the box was uneven on the chassis and adding leaf springs different sizes front and back, leveled coach so it ran level down the road and made driving a completely new experience.

The second coach was heavier and the passenger side, which is the heavier side, rear duels would chafe the wheel well roof. Had a lean to that side also.
I installed AIR-LIFT air bags over the four corners with a compressor and air control valves with a gage for rear wheels up at the dash area. The control gage for front bags was installed in same compartment with compressor and control valves.
Air would have to be added manually to add or release air from bags. They now have automatic level controls to keep air you desire in bags or keep coach box level.

Cost back in 98-2000 was about the same for both upgrades $1200. The shop did the springs and I installed the bags because dealer said they couldn't install bags because the brackets could not be installed at rear wheels. They were wrong.
This may give you some idea what you will be running into. Drilling through chassis frames is work and I didn't take wheels off made a pattern to drill holes from other sides of mounted wheels.

I liked having more control of chassis with air because the change in weight as fuel decreased and holding tanks weights changing could be corrected. The ride was somewhat quieter and smoother.
You still had a truck chassis back than but its all we really had until the Workhorse came out.

If I was younger and had some money I would look into the NEW F-53 chassis by Ford. Saw it at the Tampa RV show and was impressed. Its beefier and has Bilsteins, heavier springs and the Ford V-10 engine with a much improved transmission and Ford now calls it a designed MOTOR HOME chassis with a booklet that says it. They also said they will keep the gas engine and give Workhorse a run for their money.
Think they have been looking in on the Workhorse forum here on irv2 because they have corrected everything that WH missed when they first came out shocks, toque bars,air intake and such.

RUNDLC · 03-10-2010, 07:53 AM

007 Thanks,, naw the mistake I made was driving a DP, I realize I won't be able to completely re-create that ride. In the last few months I have had the front leafs re-worked, added rear sway bushing and a few other tidbits.

I "thought" I was going to be able to get a DP but a few things didn't work. So we decided that since we would keep our current coach for awhile I wanted a better ride.
Since I have only driven these two rigs that's all I have to compare. I am sure when I first bought my rig that she was not in the best shape.

So my hope is that I can get 70% of the "feel" of that nice DP ride. I am gonna be about 25K into my rig when all is said and done, now that's the rig, remodeled interior, new exterior paint, tranny, suspension and exhaust stuff we are doing to make her more road worthy and easy on the eyes.

I plan on taking her to my local shop for the bags as I am not sure I want to mess with it right now. I would like to take a ride in one with bags to get the feel for myself though.

I'll keep ya posted

**"007"** · 03-10-2010, 09:51 AM

RUNDLC, some of us just have the feel of a gas chassis under us so don't feel alone.
A good running gas coach can get better mileage and more guts than a DP.
We have added upgrades improved the chassis and we will still have a truck chassis or the improved versions from Ford or Workhorse.
The WH to me after the Fords I owned was a great improvement both in ride and handling. I will say the new Ford may change all that with their new transmission and chassis ride may top that of WH. We will have to wait and see as people move up to new Ford chassis.
The bags will give you a different feel on a gas chassis and more control of it if you have them installed. I used the AIR-LIFT system because they had more to offer at the time.
The brackets may need help to mount in rear, I had to cut a piece of angle iron that reinforced the wheel well housing to box of coach. Just had to cut out where bracket mounted than reinstall remaining cut pieces to keep box portion reinforced.
Good luck in your upgrades you will have something you can say you did most of them yourself.