VB Suspension upgrade for Ducato Maxi

[richarddgjames]

When I tried to find out what the effect of the VB SUSPENSION UPGRADE KIT FOR MOTORHOMES (page 37 in https://www.vbairsuspension.com/upload/File/722400000000EN02-%20Product%20Selection%20Assistance%20V02.pdf ) would be when applied to the Maxi version (ours is a 6m 2017 150bhp 3.5T) - as opposed to the very different standard suspension, I could find very little on the web. So I would like to offer my observations;

 

The original Maxi suspension was very hard which was reasonably OK on good roads and to be fair the steering was really quite sharp but touring on rougher side roads in Ireland and Scotland it all became very tiring and we and the poor dog didn’t like it one bit. We were looking to get a more comfortable ride without too much extra weight and ideally at a reasonable extra cost. The suspension upgrade kit (about £2000) with FSD shock absorbers, new struts and the 'Light' helper springs at the front, and FSDs and helper springs at the rear seems to have achieved this very well. The rear springs were not mentioned in the brochure but supplied with the kit. The height was raised by about 4 cm front and back I am unsure of the weight increase but I would guess 10-20 kg. The ride is far more comfortable, and although we can still hear the rough patches on the road the sensation is more car like and not at all jarring. The dog is very much happier. I would note that the there is a slight wallowing and roll but this is very mild and rather to be expected with the increased height and longer spring travel. Likewise the steering has lost just a little of its precision but this a small price to pay for the overall improvements and overall I would not hesitate to recommend this upgrade to anyone troubled by the harshness of the ride in the Maxi Ducato who didn’t wish to go as far as the full air suspension - the 4 corner air suspension option was £5000 more and added 40+Kg to the Maxi weight but has the advantage of adding some levelling functionality and I imagine also a smoother ride.

PS, this review only applies to a Maxi version!