Having air baggage for towing a Fifth Wheel RV will certainly make the journey extra snug, however do you actually need them? We’ve finished over 20,000 miles this 12 months with and with out air baggage and have numerous actual life information for you.
Do you want air baggage for towing a fifth wheel? No, however there are a number of causes it’s possible you’ll wish to critically contemplate getting them.
That’s 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 massive earlier than we went to choose it up, however didn’t totally grasp simply how massive it was.
We are actually the identical dimension because the tractor trailers we park subsequent to on the relaxation stops on the Interstates.
Once 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 attractive.
There’s nothing I can do about it now, my Spouse and I and one among our greatest associates are already in Indiana to choose it up. We’ve to 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 Want Air Baggage For Towing?
The entire 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. All the things I’ve to go by says we’re good to go.
Once I first backed underneath the pin and attached all the pieces seemed nice. Then I began to lift the entrance jacks. The truck acquired decrease and decrease, till it began to move the purpose the place it was sitting stage, and the headlights truly 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 truly taking weight off of your entrance tires. The entire goal of the Fifth Wheel type of hooking up, is to evenly distribute the burden 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 journey again east I seemed like I used to be driving in a 1930’s film. My 10 and a pair of was extra like 12 going forwards and backwards like I used to be utilizing a shake weight.
One factor to bear in mind, we haven’t even put a single factor in our new RV so that is the lightest it’ll 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 most likely wasn’t the brightest factor I’ve finished.
The truck pulled it with out a drawback, not one which I observed 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 tremendous, 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. Sure we have been in a position to take off from a lightweight at an honest price, however after I did, that squat acquired extra pronounced.
22 Should Have’s For Full Time RV Dwelling
There was an extreme quantity of chucking (the bounce and bang noise from the trailer weight on the truck). In the event you hit a pothole, you don’t even wish to know the way a lot of a shudder rolled via the body of the truck.
We may even cease the rig in what I believed was a suitable 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 a complete 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 seemed higher with the fifth wheel attached. Now I do know that appears isn’t what this text is about, however for those who’ve seen my truck, you already know I spent a couple of dollars on how she seems to be. 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 to be higher! Past the way it seems to be, the best way it tows is a dream. Quite 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 concerning the additional cleansing on the automotive wash, however hey we are able to cease in much less time now!
Journey consolation? Night time and day. With the RV attached, and the air baggage inflated, it’s SO a lot softer of a journey. Once we are snaking via 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 Baggage For Towing Saved Our Ass
Have you ever had a leaf spring snap on you? We did, and didn’t even comprehend it! That would have ended catastrophically, however phoning a pal and having air baggage, saved our cross nation journey.
I’ve included a YouTube video from our second season on the street. If you’re attempting to determine for those who ought to get them, I’d recommend 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 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 simple. The set up took a little bit longer, however my day by 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 swap and air up or down relying on what we have been doing. You may simply run an air line to your again bumper and air up and down whenever you hook up, plenty of individuals do. I didn’t wish to pull out an air compressor 3 occasions every 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 traces into the cab for the switches.
Total, I’m not in any method disillusioned with the best way this method functioned. It carried out precisely as I anticipated it too, and for those who watch the above video, you possibly can see how helpful it got here in.
The Air Bag System I Want I Bought
If I have been to do it once more, the one factor I remorse not doing, is getting a system with a tank. The system we acquired works tremendous, and we nonetheless use it in the present day, 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’d have the ability to put a fast join underneath the bumper to connect an air line. Then I’d have the ability to fill truck tires after they have been low, even in the course of nowhere. We may air up bike tires, blow up tubes to drift within the lake, every kind of issues.
The opposite factor we may do is use that very same system for an air horn setup. I do know the air horn isn’t obligatory however we’ve all been cruising at freeway velocity and had a sensible automotive merge in entrance of you at 30 mph. The air horn undoubtedly is 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 for those who do, hopefully you run into your personal Mark and Celia on the street.