pepe63xnotuse Posted November 16, 2010 Author Share Posted November 16, 2010 Just to update this Finally took the plunge and bought the Marcle kit(as Driverite didn't get back to me concerning a fitment quiry)... So..it was all systems go this morning...first side on,easy peasy...full of confidence...Come to do the nearside and I find that there's insufficient room for the bellows,due to a bracket carrying a brake pipe and hose sitting on top of the axle!?! (..Why didn't I start this side first!? :'( ) Spoke with Steve at Marcle and he reckons that he's never come across this before.... :-S Had a chat with the bloke at our local garage and although he hasn't looked at it yet but he can't foresee there being a problem with maybe moving the bracket and making a new brake pipe... As we're away in it this coming weekend and he can't do anything 'til next week...I've had to revert it all back to standard *-) So to anyone thinking fitting "air",DON'T just take the word of the people who are selling them as to how straight forward they are to fit! If possible try and get some dimensions off them,so you can check you've got room on YOUR vehicle(..probably easier said than done tho'). It does make you wonder what happens if/when there's a problem when they're being fitted at a show..? Would/could they be making new brakepipes/brackets on site? or would they be tempted to just bend/force any obstruction out of the way?!? ..it makes you wonder... :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 We had Air-ride put on our Rimor Sailer 645TC (7.14m) at the (then) York show in September 2007, before they went ahead with fitting the kit they had a good mooch around under the 'van to make sure there weren't any problems. It took them a fair while to fit (possibly due to it being a twin rear-wheel drive Transit based 'van), but we just got charged the standard fee for it. It made quite a difference to the ride height of the 'van (see below before and after photos) - we don't have it now but from memory I think we ran the pressure at around the 45 level. The different in the handling was very marked, it was a much more pleasant vehicle to handle, much less sway from passing large vehicles, going round corners and the little French roundabouts were much easier and a lot less tiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 We too are looking to fit an air system to our Chausson and have also had a 'disinterested' experience with Driverite so not sure whether we'll bother with them either. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank McAuley Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Hi Very informative and helpful dialogue. Do any of you have "experience" of fitting Air Suspension to an Alko chassis? I had it on a Ford Transit based mhome and it was very beneficial - esp re road holding and going off and on ferries! :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 I'm very impressed with the quality of the Dunlop kit supplied by Marcle'.. All of the brackets,fasteners etc are plated and are very nicely made..and on the side that I did manage to fit( *-) )everything went to gether quite easily... Not the cheapest kit around though(£450ish,with no gauges)..but for us the fact that Marcle' are only an hour away in the next county,so we could actually call in on Steve if need be,counted for a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank McAuley Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Did you fit the system to a new mhome? The reason I ask is because the advice I'm getting is that AS really isn't required on an Alko chassis until it is a few years old ! Perhaps it's a case of being vehicle specific: some say,eg, that a Mercedes based mhome "needs" it from new whereas a Fiat doesn't ? :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted November 18, 2010 Author Share Posted November 18, 2010 Oh..sorry,no mine isn't an Alko chassis,it's on an '07 Renault(the Platform chassis by the looks).. I don't think it's actually sagged that much,it's just that I need some extra rear end lift(ooer missus),due to the quite severe slope on our driveway causing it to occasionaly ground out.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Frank McAuley - 2010-11-18 10:37 AM Did you fit the system to a new mhome? The reason I ask is because the advice I'm getting is that AS really isn't required on an Alko chassis until it is a few years old ! Perhaps it's a case of being vehicle specific: some say,eg, that a Mercedes based mhome "needs" it from new whereas a Fiat doesn't ? :-S Frank, I assume there is a problem with your van that you feel the air over spring units may assist with? If your van has the wide track AlKo chassis, and it is in good order, I would think you should not need to supplement the rear suspension. You may, however, merely wish to lift the rear of the van to prevent grounding if it has a long rear overhang. If it is "none of the above", have you weighed the van at a weighbridge, to be sure the rear axle is not overloaded? It would be a help if you say what make/model of van, and also what version of base chassis carries it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank McAuley Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 The reason I'm "chasing" the Air Suspension is because I had it fitted to my last mhome:Auto-Sleeper Wilton and it made a tremendous difference. I'm hopefully taking delivery of a new AutoTrail Delaware in Feb/March 2011 which has an Alko chassis on a Fiat base veh and I was considering having air suspension fitted at the factory. I reasoned I might need it as I make frequent use of ferries and carry/pull a mscooter on an Easylifter Hydrail. Taking cognizance of your previous comments I spoke to MARCLE Air Suspension this morning and they were really helpful, viz: they agreed with you. They .in the main, only fit air suspension to Alko when they are about 4/5 yrs old. In short Marcle were of the opinion a new Alko chassis did not need any assistance - as you and another blogger stated. Decision made - no additional expense required. Thankyou and Marcle too- very impressed by their professionalism and speedy response! Bye until the next "challenge"! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 I wonder if there may be a misunderstanding, though, Frank. The units we have been referring to so far are not air suspension, merely what are called "air over spring" assisters. That is to say the supplement, but do not replace, the conventional springs. AlKo, I believe, do now offer a "full air" alternative for their chassis, which is factory fit, and which would, IMO, be advantageous on a motorhome because in addition to the ability to re-trim the vehicle, it also offers a more compliant ride. My comment was not intended to include the full air alternative, where available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank McAuley Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Tyou Brian. My mistake! The whole idea as described by you sounds good and this would be the time to have it fitted. Back to the drawing board! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted November 24, 2010 Author Share Posted November 24, 2010 Just to update this again... They've managed to fit it this morning..they had to slightly twist the bracket and reshaping the original brake pipe(...something I couldn't have done at home,with it just on blocks *-) ) Just a point of note for other Renault owners,this brakepipe also has an integral flexible hose incorporated into it,so just knocking up a new reshaped pipe wouldn't be a straight forward option.. (Oh!..and also,it was on the offside,NOT the nearside as I stated in an earlier post :$ ) ..and at 45psi,it's lifted the rearend 3"! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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