Air Suspension, your views.

[Geee246]

Hi all

Had my van for around a year having previously owned a caravan and still debating over the air suspension issue due to the fact that my van has the usual issue associated with ride and handling. Just want to hear others experiences good or bad to help me with my decision. I am handy with tools so capable of doing it myself so would be great to hear from those who have done DIY fitting.

Off on a 3 week trip to France in a couple of months which will mean a lot of driving.

 

I have a CI Carioca 625. 2ltr diesel based on the Fiat Ducato X244 chassis. Its a 6mtr van fitted with leak springs and bump stops.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Might get better advice if you say what van you have, but if the handling poor air assist is not a cure for badly built, overweight vans...it helps a bit as the "assist" in the name suggests, but it ain't full air suspension. I have DIY fitted two 4x4 pick ups when I had demountable campers. Worked well in firming up the ride and stoping sway on roundabouts etc....so a noticeable difference but its only a compromise for a better behaving lighter vehicle.

 

Not difficult if you have decent tools, first time I didn't and it took ages, second time much easier. Don't bother with the air tanks and extra expense IMO, the balls are small and can easily be pumped up with an foot pump

 

[Geee246]

Hi Judge Mental

 

See the edit to my original post for van details. Thanks for your post

[Tracker]

Semi air suspension certainly takes the sting out of the banging and crashing over bumps and, as has been said, is easy enough to fit if one has a modicum of mechanical ability.

 

I found it helped considerably to compress the air bellows and secure them with string prior to fitting to allow easier location between axle and spring then cutting the string when in place simply allows it to expand to fill the available space.

 

As far as handling is concerned it all depends. The more air you put in the better the handling but the harder the ride and the unit may well make the back of your van ride higher - even when uninflated - giving a noticeable slope on level ground. The upside is that you may never need wheel ramps again!

 

I bought mine from Marcle Leisure who supply Dunlop and the service was first class.

[Guest pelmetman]

Wish I'd done it years ago *-)

[Guest JudgeMental]

Geee246 - 2013-04-24 9:38 AM

 

Hi Judge Mental

 

See the edit to my original post for van details. Thanks for your post

 

Well as your van only 6 metres long it should make a noticeable difference, so worth doing i would think.....just make sure your not overloaded. Welcome to the forum by the way :-D

 

Have a look on YouTube, bound to be a fitting video but its pretty straightforward

 

 

[pepe63xnotuse]

I fitted a Dunlop set to our current van, a few years back...primarily for a bit more ground clearance (it tended to ground-out on the rear bumper/towbar, when pulling onto our sloping drive)...and although I thought the "handling" was good before,I was pleasantly surprised at the improvement it made to "cornering"(especially at "spot islands" etc)

 

..and as Eddie says, with the right tools & prep', they are really quite easy to fit..as long as there's nowt in the way of where the "bellows" need to go...

 

*Someone posted on the forum recently,that they had brackets/bolts(possibly for water-tank/seatbelts?)protruding through their floor,which were in the way of where their "bellows" needed to go....

(..we had a rigid brake pipe assembly which needed altering on our Renault!)...

 

I didn't bother with gauges etc(..although at the time,I fully expected to fit them at a later date)but in reality we've found for our usage, they just aren't really needed..

 

On our previous van (X250,Compass 120) I fitted a pair of Grayston coil springs(the type that replace the bump stop)and they were a fair bit cheaper and did the job okay but I was unsure whether they would've been up to the job on our current bigger,heavier van..

 

Edit: * Just realised that "someone",was you Geee246 :-S

 

 

[rupert123]

It depends but i think well worth it. I am going to disagree with others, why do half a job, get the gauges and an electric pump fitted then if you ground on a ramp, for example, just pump up from the cab. Level up from inside rather than messing around with footpumps. each to their own and what you feel you can afford but do the job properly if you can.

[Geee246]

Yes Pepe63, I do also have the issue with the bracket in close proximity. Just been down to the van and it is the bracket for the rear seat belt as stated by another member on that post so I also have that to consider. I have looked at the Dunlop kits from Marcle and hope that it should fit without modification. Your response and everyone elses are appreciated so far.

 

Geee

[Guest JudgeMental]

Geee246 - 2013-04-24 11:08 AM

 

Yes Pepe63, I do also have the issue with the bracket in close proximity. Just been down to the van and it is the bracket for the rear seat belt as stated by another member on that post so I also have that to consider.

 

Geee

 

give the retailer a call, pretty sure it will be something they have come across before

[Patricia]

Air-Ride Suspension was fitted to my motorhome at a show (possible about 2003) and it made a huge difference. I don't think, in fact I know, that I would not be driving solo now without it. My van is about 6m on a Ducato chassis. The person who fitted mine has since retired but this link will give you an idea of what others think http://www.motorhomefacts.com/forum-printtopic-1-59497-0-0-asc-viewresult-1.html.

[starvin marvin]

I have an A class Hymer and thought long and hard on the meriits or air suspension, my wife found the ride ie sideways roll unsettling. Eventually decided on MAD springs, in our view a bargain and a complete success.

[Brian Kirby]

We have Firestone Driverite semi-air units on our van and they have improved general handling greatly. You mention bump-stops. I think these may not be bump-stops as such, but spring assisters. The clue will be in how close to the axle they normally sit. If close, or actually in contact, they are assisters. They work, but do give a harsh arrest to spring compression. The air-assist units are equally effective in absorbing load, but do so more progressively, giving a more compliant ride and less "crashing" over potholes etc.

 

I fitted ours (Ford Transit) myself without difficulty. Like Pepe, I originally fitted them to improve rear ground clearance, and was then impressed with the way they improved handling, especially on roundabouts etc, where the double roll was much better damped.

 

To establish the inflation pressure, I measured the rear ground clearance (rear bumper clearance) with the van empty before fitting, and then inflated the units with the van fully laden to gain the same ground clearance. The resulting pressure has proved very successful.

 

I have one conventional tyre valve each side for inflation. The units are not linked across the rear axle, which I think contributes to their roll resistance. The bellows do not hold much air, and a few strokes of a cycle pump is sufficient to pressurise them. I see no point, and no advantage, to the added complexity and cost of on-board pump and pressure gauges. The units hold pressure well, and only need attention at about the same time as the tyres, possibly slightly less. I understand Henry's point about being able to raise the tail if grounded but, for the complexity and cost involved, this seems a cart before horse remedy. If you have grounded, it is too late, and you should have raised before the event. Simply re-establishing the unladen ground clearance when fully laden seems more likely to avoid such problems (avoidance, IMO, being preferable to post hoc remedy), and should not result in a nose down attitude.

 

Overall, for the outlay, especially if you can DIY, I think they are an excellent and beneficial investment.

[Overdrive]

I DIY fitted Airrides to our van over 4 years ago, relatively easy fit, it's the third van we have had them fitted to.

 

Personally, it's one of my top 2 must haves I would fit to any motorhome, cornering roll, and stability on the motorway when being overtaken greatly improved.

 

David

[Mel B]

IMV you will certainly notice the improvement by having air assistance suspension on your MH. We had it on a Rimor Sailer 645TC 7.14m motorhome and then again on a Chausson Flash 04 5.99m MH and it made a massive difference to the handling and comfort, hubby used to get tired when driving on the smaller roads in France, especially navigating the numerous roundabouts on some of them, the MHs used to wallow and were affected by trucks and the wind. Once we had the air assistance suspension fitted it transformed them - much nicer and more relaxing to drive, and a less 'bouncy' ride too. Never regretted it for one minute on either of them. We haven't had it fitted this time simply because we have a PVC so don't need it.

[crbtaylor]

Had the VB full air suspension fitted to our 6.5m Coach built. It completely transformed it, it was quieter, comfier, handled better on and off motorways and the best bit = it levelled on site at the touch of a button. Expensive, but money well spent.

[Geee246]

Whats a PVC?

[Keithl]

Panel Van Conversion.