You will get good answers here as there are many of us towing. A wider audience would be found on some of the camper forums. Lots of old guys who have been pulling for years. A significant differentiation is if you want some semblance of ride when not towing. Airbags are adjustable to the road and load. Do read up on ping tanks for airbags, you can tune the rising rate characteristics of the airbag with the size of the tank.

 

What's the best route ? I have a heavy 5th wheel that has a dry hitch weight of 3290 lbs .

Jayco rep says bags are best some people say no bags as they can be problematic.

Any help or recommendations on which way to go , where to buy and who can install on my new beast.

Would be great to hear back !

Thanks Everyone

I use Timbrens which are relatively inexpensive because they just replace the bump stops. But my truck is a 3500 so I have the overload spring pack, whereas a 2500 doesn't (at least from my model year -- I know the new 3/4-tons are different).

But the suspension and sag are really the least of your worries. The bigger issue is your rear tire and wheel capacity, which you'll almost certainly exceed if you're on the OEM stuff. My camper's factory pin weight is about 2600 lbs and with the way I have it loaded it's right around 4000 lbs. I had to upgrade to 19.5-inch wheels/tires. Here's a pic from the side; doesn't really squat despite the immense pin weight.

 

Thanks for sharing. I am riding on the OEM 20 inch wheel with a Goodyear wrangler E
rated tires . I checked the load on them and it was 3800 lbs - I would think that would be enough

 

I second timbrens. No maintenance on them.

 

I would say the conventional thoughts are that it depends on what you do with the truck when you aren't towing. If you put additional leaf srping(s) on, the ride might be a bit harsh. With airbags, not so much as you can deflate to a min. BUT springs are probably less problematic (or potentially so). We went through this dilemma with a slide in camper and then a flatbed camper (currently) as we never took the campers off so we wanted soemthing we didn't have to worry about. Actually, we did both; primarily use the airbags as a way to level the truck but if we had a failure while traveling to Mexico, etc. we were worried that if the airbag failed, we'd never find parts as we are more boondockers.

 

Thanks for sharing. Makes sense. I would prefer to have the option to go back to stock since I will be moving the 5th wheel very little. We are primarily on a seasonal site.
airlift 5000 bag system apparently has a fail safe built in that will assist if the bag experiences
a failure. This not available with the Firestone bags - from what etrailer tech told me

 

I put airlift 5000 bag system on mine in a couple hours. Rides better empty at 12lbs, super easy to level with a load. Built in back up jounce.

 

Nice - So you fill manually with a compressor ? nipples at the bumper or are they T’d into one feed ?
easy install ?

 

I second this, ride better at 5psi than stock without bags. I have the 7000xl airlift system - no pump.

 

Nice - So you fill manually with a compressor ? nipples at the bumper or are they T’d into one feed ?
easy install ?

 

I fill manually at the bumper. The nozzle's are popping thru the bumper right by the plate lights. A lot less equipment to deal with mounting and routing. Basic installation.

 

You have a 2500 duramax ?
how big are you towing ?

 

I would recommend some sort of onboard air supply. Not difficult to wire or plumb. At the minimum but a handheld battery compressor. Always hunting for a compressor and or AC to air up is a pain.
You can use the compressor kit that Air Lift sells for the Air Shocks, it will take a minute to air up but it will work just fine at a much lower cost. An easy place to place air valves and fill points etc is inside the bed just above behind. the tail light.

 

I would recommend some sort of onboard air supply. Not difficult to wire or plumb. At the minimum but a handheld battery compressor. Always hunting for a compressor and or AC to air up is a pain.
You can use the compressor kit that Air Lift sells for the Air Shocks, it will take a minute to air up but it will work just fine at a much lower cost. An easy place to place air valves and fill points etc is inside the bed just above behind. the tail light.

I have much the same, I bought a decent (not the cheapest), mini air compressor that fit's behind the rear seats. Just pull it out, and plug in to AC plug, to adjust if no gas stations around. Also works as a back up incase of a low tire pressure....

 

I had a stock 07 2500. The only thing I upgraded to were Firestone airbags. This is a picture towing our 40’ Landmark with a pin weight of 3300Lbs.

 

And she rode fine right? I towed our current pinnacle 36kpts with my 2008 2500 duramax - 40 footer no problem there either.

 

It rode and towed like a dream. We were scared of the brakes failing.

 

What's the best route ? I have a heavy 5th wheel that has a dry hitch weight of 3290 lbs .

Jayco rep says bags are best some people say no bags as they can be problematic.

Any help or recommendations on which way to go , where to buy and who can install on my new beast.

Would be great to hear back !

Thanks Everyone

Airbags all day long. They are infinitely adjustable which is nice for pulling different trailers with different combinations of bed load etc. or just for stabilizing and leveling the truck without a trailer but with a pallet of heavy stuff in the bed. I‘ve had Firestone bags professionally installed on all my Dmax’s and never had any issues.

 

Thanks for the response. Did you install the bags yourself? any recommendations on who I can call to have these installed ?

 

What's the best route ? I have a heavy 5th wheel that has a dry hitch weight of 3290 lbs .

Jayco rep says bags are best some people say no bags as they can be problematic.

Any help or recommendations on which way to go , where to buy and who can install on my new beast.

Would be great to hear back !

Thanks Everyone

Airbags all day long. They are infinitely adjustable which is nice for pulling different trailers with different combinations of bed load etc. or just for stabilizing and leveling the truck without a trailer but with a pallet of heavy stuff in the bed. I‘ve had Firestone bags professionally installed on all my Dmax’s and never had any issues.

 

What's the best route ? I have a heavy 5th wheel that has a dry hitch weight of 3290 lbs .

Jayco rep says bags are best some people say no bags as they can be problematic.

Any help or recommendations on which way to go , where to buy and who can install on my new beast.

Would be great to hear back !

Thanks Everyone

at 3290 lbs with a dually you really don't need anything. The advantage with air bags is you can dial in the ride you like and reduce the bounce. Other options are Timbrens or Sumo springs, they replace your factory joust bump stops, they work very well at a fraction of the cost but are not adjustable. The downside to the air bags is the possibility of leaks and price.
IMO I would try driving without any to see how it rides - if your happy with ride leave it alone, if your not and you plan on keeping the truck for a long time then get the bags and dial it in to your liking.

 

Neither! Check your truck rear axle gross vehicle weight. Then go to a CAT scale without the trailer. Check how much load you have on the rear axle. Subtract from GVW. I bet your close to under 3000 ponds available payload. I had a 3500HD and maxed out with just over 3000 pin weight on my 12000 lb. 5th wheel. Upgraded to a dually.

 

What's the best route ? I have a heavy 5th wheel that has a dry hitch weight of 3290 lbs .

Jayco rep says bags are best some people say no bags as they can be problematic.

Any help or recommendations on which way to go , where to buy and who can install on my new beast.

Would be great to hear back !

Thanks Everyone

I have a 2017 Duramax and tow a 42 foot 5th wheel and have had great luck with air bags. I installed Firestone airbags and also installed an onboard air system by Viare. Pretty easy install. I have towed across country and all over the southeast and had great luck. The air bags are great because I can air up to tow and air down for stock ride when not towing. Also don’t forget to upgrade your tires to handle the weight.
You will get a lot of people who will say airbags won’t help you tow more and yes you are supposed to follow the door sticker, but these trucks are beasts and with the bags and upgraded tires I have no concerns. It is a personal call on what you feel comfortable with.

 

Thanks for the response. What tires do you recommend going up to ? I have OEM 20 inch good year wranglers which are already E load rated on the truck from stock .
you think I still should go to Michelin LTX or equivalent ?

 

I’ve been talking Timbrens the past few weeks, but just installed some bags last night. No onboard air as of yet. When you install onboard air, where is the power typically drawn from. I may go that route someday. Just sounds complicated to install.

 

Nice ! Which bag system did you end up going with ? How touch was the install ? Any pics to share ?

 

I have a 2012 Silverado 3500HD dually with the duramax engine. We use an Arctic Fox truck camper and a KZ 36 foot 5th wheel. I installed a pair of 5,000 lb rated Firestone airbags 8 years ago, and use them just for leveling. They ride fine when not loaded, using 10 psi. I carry an air compressor from Lowes, and a suitcase generator. Having tried everything else, I like this setup best, especially when towing the 5th wheel. A good TPMS is a good idea too.

 

Would you worry about this lean in my bag? My truck is apparently a one off. Everything is lined up per the instructions and etrailer videos on the bags but due where the shock mount is welded there’s no way to get it in the perfect sweet spot. Can’t even hammer it into place. I can adjust front and back, but not laterally. 5psi in this photo.

 

Would you worry about this lean in my bag? My truck is apparently a one off. Everything is lined up per the instructions and etrailer videos on the bags but due where the shock mount is welded there’s no way to get it in the perfect sweet spot. Can’t even hammer it into place. I can adjust front and back, but not laterally. 5psi in this photo.
View attachment 1112422
View attachment 1112423

How is the bag mounted to the bottom plate? Is it possible to drill another hole and move the bag over?

 

Also, I moved the fill valves to the fenders just forward of the rear wheels. Makes it easy to check the bag pressure while checking the tires. The TPMS I use has an app that allows use of your smart phone as a display, and provides both visual and Audible warnings for high temperature and low pressure, either slow leak or rapid. I carry the generator and compressor all the time. Plenty of room in the 8 foot bed, and secure under my metal tonneau cover.

 

I run the Airlift 5000, towed professionally for a couple of years. Installed the pump under the back seat and gauge assembly with manual on-off switch under dash next to OBD plug. Unit has been installed for 12 years with no issues. Did the install in about 3 hours. Cousin installed same unit on his truck with no issues, he has the remote where he can stand to the side and get loaded dump trailer level. Easy way to level vehicle is to measure height of wheel well before you hook up, then once loaded just inflate to same height, then headlights are properly aimed.

 

I am a huge fan of the air bags.
I tow a gooseneck dump trailer sometimes up around 15k
fifth wheel camper around 12-13k
they were on my truck when I bought truck used a couple years ago. (2007 silverado classic 2500hd)
There was one leak, which a squirt bottle of soapy water easily identified, and therefore was easily fixed.
I added the air pump/controller. (the manual version) and I Love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LoadController Single & Dual | Air Lift Company

LoadController Single & Dual provide one-touch control of your air springs using a compact easy-to-mount gauge.

www.airliftcompany.com

Mounted the dual gage W/buttons in a A-Pillar gage pod.
Mounted the air pump in front of the spare tire under the bed.
I can easily/safely adjust the ride while driving down the road.

 

Thanks For the info - very helpful

 

Ok for what it's worth I have done both the progressive add a leif on my 2013 2500hd and now Firestone Airbags on my 2019 2500HD. Personally and in my opinion Airbags are far superior for ride quality, height adjustment and just all around comfort.

The progressive leaf spring will do the job and are bulletproof however they can sometimes made noise and I find they cause additional bounce and chucking on 5th wheel application. About the only issues you can have with a Air bag is a leak, either because of an initial defective product (rare and immediately discovered) or poor installation. If you have your air lines covered with a protective jacket and have them carefully routed to stay away from abrasion or hot exhaust you have nothing to fear. Now the best part, you can dial in the pressure to give you the correct bed rail clearance. This is especially helpful if you vary the load in your 5th wheel or travel trailer often. I love them have tens of thousands on both and would never go back to leafs.

 

I pull a 3 axle toyhauler that weighs in at or just over 20 K. We are full-timers so everything we own is stored somewhere in it. I have been using airbags for years now with no issues at all and they work very well for me. I would highly recommend using them.

 

I understand your concern on the bag alignment, however I've seen many on big trucks that ran 100's of 1000's of miles that way. They aren't always in perfect alignment and don't really seem to care. If you can get it lined up better, more power to you. If not, I wouldn't sweat it much.

I've had them on a pickup that weren't completely aligned, maybe not quite as much as yours but fairly similar. No issues.