Having air baggage for towing your Fifth Wheel RV will certainly make the trip extra comfy, however do you actually need them? We have now carried out over 20,000 miles this yr with and with out air baggage and have quite a lot of actual life information 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 severely take into account getting them.
That’s our Truck earlier than any upgrades with our RV on it. As you may 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 absolutely 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.
After 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’s nothing I can do about it now, my Spouse and I and considered one of our greatest pals are already in Indiana to choose it up. We have now to be again in Jersey by tomorrow evening as a result of all of us have work the next morning.
How Do I Know If I Want Air Baggage For Towing?
All the math 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. Every part I’ve to go by says we’re good to go.
Once I first backed beneath the pin and connected the whole lot appeared nice. Then I began to lift the entrance jacks. The truck obtained decrease and decrease, till it began to move the purpose the place it was sitting degree, 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’re really taking weight off of your entrance tires. The entire goal of the Fifth Wheel fashion of hooking up, is to evenly distribute the load of your trailer to all 4 tires.
In case your truck goes nostril up within the parking zone, simply wait till you place your foot into the throttle.
On our trip 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 would ever be. There’s no garments within the dresser, no meals within the fridge, and no water within the tanks.
Towing With out Air Baggage
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 in all probability wasn’t the brightest factor I’ve carried out.
The truck pulled it and not using a downside, not one which I observed anyway. We have been capable of cruise at freeway speeds and begin and cease at site visitors lights with out difficulty. We have been even capable of navigate the mountains of Vermont positive, or so I believed.
The extra journeys we went on, the extra I grew to become in tune with the truck and what it was doing taking place the highway. Sure we have been capable of take off from a light-weight at a good charge, however once I did, that squat obtained extra pronounced.
There was an extreme quantity of chucking (the bounce and bang noise from the trailer weight on the truck). Should you hit a pothole, you don’t even wish to know the way a lot of a shudder rolled by the body of the truck.
We might even cease the rig in what I believed was an appropriate distance for its dimension. Till our brake pads disappeared on our strategy 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 Baggage
After putting in the air baggage, towing our RV was an entire new expertise. Truthfully even when we downsize to a smaller rig, I’m nonetheless going to make use of them. The benefits of having them far outweighed the price of shopping for them!
Proper off the bat our truck appeared higher with the fifth wheel connected. Now I do know that appears isn’t what this text is about, however in case you’ve seen my truck, you realize I spent a couple of dollars on how she seems. Draggin ass is NOT the look I used to be going for!
When the truck sits degree with the RV on it, the entire setup simply seems higher! Past the way it seems, the way in which it tows is a dream. Moderately than the entire weight being on the rear axle, it was unfold evenly throughout all 4 tires.
Guess what? Now my tires are carrying down evenly! No extra baldies within the again!
Our brakes at the moment are carrying extra evenly as nicely. 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!
Journey consolation? Night time and day. With the RV connected, and the air baggage inflated, it’s SO a lot softer of a trip. After we are snaking by mountain roads, it stays rather more degree now too. When the RV isn’t on the truck, simply deflate them and it’s again to inventory.
Having Air Baggage For Towing Saved Our Ass
Have you ever had a leaf spring snap on you? We did, and didn’t even understand it! That would 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 highway. If you’re attempting to resolve in case you ought to get them, I’d counsel you watch the video.
It’s actual life. No Hollywood BS, No paid promotion, No lets make it look good for YouTube. That 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 may set your air baggage up. I knew have been have been going to be inflating and deflating them a number of instances per week, so I needed straightforward. The set up took a little bit longer, however my on daily basis 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 needed to have the ability to simply hit a change and air up or down relying on what we have been doing. You’ll be able to simply run an air line to your again bumper and air up and down if you hook up, numerous individuals do. I didn’t wish to pull out an air compressor 3 instances per week.
I went with the Firestone Journey-Ceremony on board compressor system so I can simply hop within the truck and hit some switches. Set up was fairly straight ahead. The toughest elements have been discovering a spot to mount the compressor, and a spot to run the air strains into the cab for the switches.
Total, I’m not in any means upset with the way in which this technique functioned. It carried out precisely as I anticipated it too, and in case you watch the above video, you may see how helpful it got here in.
The Air Bag System I Want I Acquired
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 obtained works positive, and we nonetheless use it at the moment, however there are issues that I wish to do this I want I considered sooner.
If I had gotten a compressor system with a tank I’d be capable of put a fast join beneath the bumper to connect an air line. Then I’d be capable of fill truck tires once they have been low, even in the course of nowhere. We might air up bike tires, blow up tubes to drift within the lake, all types of issues.
The opposite factor we might do is use that very same system for an air horn setup. I do know the air horn isn’t crucial however we’ve all been cruising at freeway velocity 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’ll get an airbag system, I’d say to buy round and get a system with an air tank that matches your truck. Hopefully you by no means should do the Mark and Doug airbag patch job, however in case you do, hopefully you run into your personal Mark and Celia on the highway.
