Having air baggage for towing your Fifth Wheel RV will certainly make the experience extra snug, however do you really want them? We have performed over 20,000 miles this 12 months with and with out air baggage and have a number of actual life knowledge for you.
Is it a requirement to have air baggage for towing a fifth wheel? No, however there are a number of causes chances are you’ll wish to critically contemplate getting them.
That is our Truck earlier than any upgrades with our RV on it. As you possibly can see, our Fifth Wheel isn’t by any means small. We knew it was large earlier than we went to choose it up, however didn’t totally grasp simply how giant it was.
We are actually the identical dimension because the tractor trailers we park subsequent to on the relaxation stops on the Interstates.
When we first picked up our Montana 381TH my truck squatted like an influence lifter. She’s fairly, She’s sturdy, and seeing her drop that booty to the bottom wasn’t horny.
There is nothing I can do about it now, my Wife and I and considered one of our greatest mates are already in Indiana to choose it up. We must be again in Jersey by tomorrow night time as a result of all of us have work the next morning.
How Do I Know If I Need Air Bags For Towing?
All of the maths labored. Our truck was rated to tow the RV. Our hitch was rated for the pin weight. The tires have been rated excessive sufficient too. Everything I’ve to go by says we’re good to go.
When I first backed beneath the pin and attached the whole lot appeared nice. Then I began to boost the entrance jacks. The truck bought decrease and decrease, till it began to cross the purpose the place it was sitting stage, and the headlights really began to level skyward.
This proper right here is an indication that your suspension wants some assist. When your truck is pointing nostril up, you might be really taking weight off of your entrance tires. The entire goal of the Fifth Wheel type of hooking up, is to evenly distribute the load of your trailer to all 4 tires.
If your truck goes nostril up within the parking zone, simply wait till you place your foot into the throttle.
On our experience again east I appeared like I used to be driving in a 1930’s film. My 10 and a couple of was extra like 12 going backwards and forwards like I used to be utilizing a shake weight.
One factor to remember, we haven’t even put a single factor in our new RV so that is the lightest it should ever be. There’s no garments within the dresser, no meals within the fridge, and no water within the tanks.
Towing Without Air Bags
After we had moved in to the RV, we took it on a number of journeys with out air baggage. Now in hind sight towing the RV with that squatted stance most likely wasn’t the brightest factor I’ve performed.
The truck pulled it with out a downside, not one which I seen anyway. We have been in a position to cruise at freeway speeds and begin and cease at site visitors lights with out subject. We have been even in a position to navigate the mountains of Vermont wonderful, or so I believed.
The extra journeys we went on, the extra I turned in tune with the truck and what it was doing taking place the street. Yes we have been in a position to take off from a lightweight at a good fee, however once I did, that squat bought extra pronounced.
There was an extreme quantity of chucking (the bounce and bang noise from the trailer weight on the truck). If you hit a pothole, you don’t even wish to know the way a lot of a shudder rolled by means of the body of the truck.
We may even cease the rig in what I believed was a suitable distance for its dimension. Until our brake pads disappeared on our method to Lake George that’s. Then my buddy Sean and I needed to do a full brake job at a campground. That was enjoyable.
Towing With Air Bags
After putting in the air baggage, towing our RV was an entire new expertise. Honestly even when we downsize to a smaller rig, I’m nonetheless going to make use of them. The benefits of getting them far outweighed the price of shopping for them!
Right off the bat our truck appeared higher with the fifth wheel attached. Now I do know that appears isn’t what this text is about, however if you happen to’ve seen my truck, you already know I spent a couple of bucks on how she seems. Draggin ass is NOT the look I used to be going for!
When the truck sits stage with the RV on it, the entire setup simply seems higher! Beyond the way it seems, the way in which it tows is a dream. Rather than all the weight being on the rear axle, it was unfold evenly throughout all 4 tires.
Guess what? Now my tires are sporting down evenly! No extra baldies within the again!
Our brakes are actually sporting extra evenly as effectively. I can inform by how all 4 rims have brake mud on them now as a substitute of simply the entrance two! Not thrilled in regards to the additional cleansing on the automobile wash, however hey we are able to cease in much less time now!
Ride consolation? Night and day. With the RV attached, and the air baggage inflated, it’s SO a lot softer of a experience. When we’re snaking by means of mountain roads, it stays way more stage now too. When the RV isn’t on the truck, simply deflate them and it’s again to inventory.
Having Air Bags For Towing Saved Our Ass
Have you ever had a leaf spring snap on you? We did, and didn’t even realize it! That may have ended catastrophically, however phoning a good friend and having air baggage, saved our cross nation journey.
I’ve included a YouTube video from our second season on the street. If you are attempting to resolve if you happen to ought to get them, I might recommend you watch the video.
It’s actual life. No Hollywood BS, No paid promotion, No lets make it look good for YouTube. This is simply actual life what occurred to us, and we occur to be YouTubers.
The Air Bag System We Have
There are a number of methods you possibly can set your air baggage up. I knew have been have been going to be inflating and deflating them a number of occasions per week, so I wished straightforward. The set up took a bit longer, however my every single day was simpler.
We went with the Load Lifter 5000 air baggage for our F350. The air baggage put in in about an hour with none busted knuckles or inventing new curse phrases. Two thumbs up!
For inflating the air baggage, I wished to have the ability to simply hit a change and air up or down relying on what we have been doing. You can simply run an air line to your again bumper and air up and down whenever you hook up, numerous folks do. I didn’t wish to pull out an air compressor 3 occasions per week.
I went with the Firestone Ride-Rite on board compressor system so I can simply hop within the truck and hit some switches. Installation was fairly straight ahead. The hardest components have been discovering a spot to mount the compressor, and a spot to run the air traces into the cab for the switches.
Overall, I’m not in any means upset with the way in which this method functioned. It carried out precisely as I anticipated it too, and if you happen to watch the above video, you possibly can see how helpful it got here in.
The Air Bag System I Wish I Got
If I have been to do it yet again, the one factor I remorse not doing, is getting a system with a tank. The system we bought works wonderful, and we nonetheless use it at present, however there are issues that I wish to try this I want I considered sooner.
If I had gotten a compressor system with a tank I might be capable of put a fast join beneath the bumper to connect an air line. Then I might be capable of fill truck tires once they have been low, even in the course of nowhere. We may air up bike tires, blow up tubes to drift within the lake, all types of issues.
The different factor we may do is use that very same system for an air horn setup. I do know the air horn isn’t mandatory however we’ve all been cruising at freeway pace and had a wise automobile merge in entrance of you at 30 mph. The air horn positively turns out to be useful for getting their consideration.
So no. You don’t NEED airbags for towing your fifth wheel, however they do come in useful. If you’re going to get an airbag system, I might say to buy round and get a system with an air tank that matches your truck. Hopefully you by no means must do the Mark and Doug airbag patch job, however if you happen to do, hopefully you run into your personal Mark and Celia on the street.