Having air luggage for towing a Fifth Wheel RV will certainly make the trip extra comfy, however do you really want them? We’ve completed over 20,000 miles this 12 months with and with out air luggage and have lots of actual life knowledge for you.
Do you want air luggage for towing a fifth wheel? No, however there are a number of causes chances are you’ll wish to significantly 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 huge 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 robust, 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 one among our greatest mates are already in Indiana to choose it up. We’ve 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. All the things I’ve to go by says we’re good to go.
Once I first backed underneath the pin and attached the whole lot seemed nice. Then I began to boost the entrance jacks. The truck acquired 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 function 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 car parking zone, simply wait till you set your foot into the throttle.
On our trip 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 backwards and forwards 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 should 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 luggage. Now in hind sight towing the RV with that squatted stance most likely wasn’t the brightest factor I’ve completed.
The truck pulled it with no drawback, 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 situation. We have been even capable of navigate the mountains of Vermont fantastic, 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 highway. Sure we have been capable of take off from a lightweight at a good fee, however once I did, that squat acquired extra pronounced.
22 Should Have’s For Full Time RV Residing
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 understand how a lot of a shudder rolled via the body of the truck.
We may even cease the rig in what I believed was an appropriate distance for its dimension. Till our brake pads disappeared on our solution 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 luggage, towing our RV was an entire new expertise. Actually 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 appears to be like. 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 appears to be like higher! Past the way it appears to be like, the best way it tows is a dream. Slightly 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 at the moment are sporting extra evenly as effectively. I can inform by how all 4 rims have brake mud on them now as an alternative of simply the entrance two! Not thrilled in regards to the additional cleansing on the automobile wash, however hey we will cease in much less time now!
Journey consolation? Night time and day. With the RV attached, and the air luggage inflated, it’s SO a lot softer of a trip. After 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 realize it! That might have ended catastrophically, however phoning a pal and having air luggage, saved our cross nation journey.
I’ve included a YouTube video from our second season on the highway. If you’re making an attempt to determine for those who 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 possibly can set your air luggage 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 slightly longer, however my day by day was simpler.
We went with the Load Lifter 5000 air luggage for our F350. The air luggage put in in about an hour with none busted knuckles or inventing new curse phrases. Two thumbs up!
For inflating the air luggage, I needed to have the ability to simply hit a swap 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 once 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 traces into the cab for the switches.
Total, I’m not in any means upset with the best way this technique functioned. It carried out precisely as I anticipated it too, and for those who watch the above video, you possibly can see how useful 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 fantastic, and we nonetheless use it right this moment, 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 once they have been low, even in the midst 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 essential 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 turn out to be useful. If you will 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 highway.
