Having air luggage for towing a Fifth Wheel RV will certainly make the experience extra snug, however do you really want them? We’ve got performed over 20,000 miles this 12 months with and with out air luggage and have a number of actual life knowledge for you.
Do you want air luggage for towing a fifth wheel? No, however there are a couple of causes chances are you’ll wish to severely contemplate 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 select it up, however didn’t absolutely grasp simply how giant it was.
We are actually the identical measurement 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 robust, 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 buddies are already in Indiana to select it up. We’ve got 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 had been rated excessive sufficient too. Every part I’ve to go by says we’re good to go.
After I first backed beneath the pin and attached every thing seemed nice. Then I began to boost the entrance jacks. The truck received decrease and decrease, till it began to cross the purpose the place it was sitting degree, 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 objective of the Fifth Wheel fashion 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 set your foot into the throttle.
On our experience 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 remember, we haven’t even put a single factor in our new RV so that is the lightest it’s going to 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 in all probability wasn’t the brightest factor I’ve performed.
The truck pulled it with no drawback, not one which I observed anyway. We had been in a position to cruise at freeway speeds and begin and cease at visitors lights with out problem. We had been even in a position to navigate the mountains of Vermont advantageous, 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 street. Sure we had been in a position to take off from a light-weight at a good fee, however once I did, that squat received 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). For those who hit a pothole, you don’t even wish to understand how a lot of a shudder rolled by way of the body of the truck.
We might even cease the rig in what I believed was a suitable distance for its measurement. 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 a complete new expertise. Actually even when we downsize to a smaller rig, I’m nonetheless going to make use of them. Some great 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 in case you’ve seen my truck, I spent a couple of dollars on how she appears. 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 appears higher! Past the way it appears, the best way it tows is a dream. Reasonably 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 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 further cleansing on the automobile wash, however hey we are able to cease in much less time now!
Trip consolation? Evening and day. With the RV attached, and the air luggage inflated, it’s SO a lot softer of a experience. Once we are snaking by way of 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 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 street. In case you are making an attempt to resolve in case you ought to get them, I might 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 luggage up. I knew had been had been going to be inflating and deflating them a number of occasions per week, so I needed straightforward. The set up took somewhat 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 change and air up or down relying on what we had been doing. You may simply run an air line to your again bumper and air up and down once you hook up, a number of individuals do. I didn’t wish to pull out an air compressor 3 occasions every week.
I went with the Firestone Trip-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 components had been discovering a spot to mount the compressor, and a spot to run the air strains into the cab for the switches.
General, I’m not in any method upset with the best way this technique functioned. It carried out precisely as I anticipated it too, and in case you watch the above video, you may see how useful it got here in.
The Air Bag System I Want I Bought
If I had been to do it once more, the one factor I remorse not doing, is getting a system with a tank. The system we received works advantageous, and we nonetheless use it as we speak, 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 have the ability to put a fast join beneath the bumper to connect an air line. Then I might have the ability to fill truck tires once they had been low, even in the course of nowhere. We might air up bike tires, blow up tubes to drift within the lake, every kind 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 essential 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 is 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 might say to buy round and get a system with an air tank that matches your truck. Hopefully you by no means need to do the Mark and Doug airbag patch job, however in case you do, hopefully you run into your individual Mark and Celia on the street.