slarsen wrote: I had Firestone air bags on my 2006 F250. Got a new 2012 F250, and one of the first things I did was put Firestone air bags on it. Which should indicate what I think of them.
The only thing I did differently was to make the fill position easier to get to when the trailer is attached.
Where did you put the air line filler? In the past I have seen them on the bumper near the license plate. Would inside the bed high up on a corner post work?
2006 Sandpiper 325 BHD
2006 Ford F-250 King Ranch V-10
16K Drawtite slider hitch
I had them on my F250 for 6 years without one problem. As far as filling with air, go with the on-board air compressor. I had mine mounted on the frame under the cab on the driver's side. A switch in the cab controls the compressor and a gauge tells you where you are with psi. It is so simple to hold the switch down just before you hook up and add the pressure you want. Then when you get to the site to unhook, just hold the switch in the other direction and set her down to unhook. You never need to find a station with air or carry a compressor.
beardedone wrote: I was advised to only inflate the bags after you are hooked up and the hitch weight is loaded on to the truck (landing gear up).
If you are using a weight distributing hitch,
adding air after the WDH is adjusted will remove load from the TV's front axle and the TT's axles,
and will add load back onto the TV's rear axle.
If you plan to add air after the WDH is adjusted,
you first should "over-adjust" the WDH by making the front-end height slightly lower than desired.
Adding air then will cause the front end to rise back toward the desired height.
If you add the correct amount of air before the WDH is adjusted,
the WDH can return the front end to the correct height, and will further raise the rear end.
With the correct combination of WD bar loading and air bag pressure,
you can adjust both the front end and the rear end of the TV to the desired heights.
slarsen wrote: ....I figure, for as seldom as I adjust pressure,...
They take such a small volume of air to adjust, a manual bicycle pump will suffice. Unless you're constantly changing loads or just want the 'bling' factor, the on-board air isn't cost effective, IMO.
Welfarewagon, I put my filler (with an air gage, so I can check pressure any time I want) inside the gas filler, right in front of where that urea filler would have been if I had a diesel in my F250.
Lots of postings on that subject (diesel vs. gas) a couple months ago; I took delivery the end of October.
Having in-cab fill capability would be great, but it's costly. Like about as much as, or more than, the cost of the air bags themselves. I figure, for as seldom as I adjust pressure, I can do it in the garage or with the portable 12V compressor I carry with me when traveling with the 5th wheel.
I assume the small, 12 volt compressors with the lighter plug cut off, and a 7 pin like the trailer has, to plug into the truck and inflate would be about as easy as the bicycle pump. That is my plan for the air pin on my trailer.
dubdub07 wrote: As far as a WDH setup; why would you need bags? The WDH lifts the rear and distributes the weight evenly.---
Even with a properly adjusted WDH, the rear of the TV might be lower than its unhitched height by two inches or more.
Some people prefer to have less rear-end squat.
Using air bags, in combination with a WDH, is a way to reduce the rear-end squat.
And -- the WDH does not distribute the weight evenly. With a properly adjusted WDH, the net load change on the TV's front axle is approximately zero. Approximately 70-80% of the tongue weight will be on the TV's rear axle, with the remainder being transferred to the trailer axles.
I agree with all posts, and have used the forum's advice on this subject! I got the bags with my first FW three years ago with my 07 RAM 2500. When I switched trucks (2010 RAM) I took my bags with me. I mounted them myself and it was very easy. I do not have the on board compressor and used to take a donut compressor to fill them and saw that someone uses a bike pump, so I tried it. Works great and it is less work than dragging out a compressor. 25 pumps each side. I always hook up and fill then let the air out before I unhook. It brings the truck down so less travel on the landing gear. The biggest benefit with having the bags is segmented or uneven roads. The undulating without bags is terrible. The bags make the ride MUCH nicer. I was running 40-50 psi in them early on in my FW experience and got the rough ride you are worried about. Each setup is different so you will need to find the right psi.
As far as a WDH setup; why would you need bags? The WDH lifts the rear and distributes the weight evenly. For a FW though, they are a nice addition.
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