New truck - need airbags?

Just purchased a new 2016 Gmc 2500HD Dmax, was wondering if I will need airbags on truck to pull our Sundance 3300 5er. I had airbags on my 08 Gmc 2500HD Dmax, but was mostly because it was older and the springs were weaker. Any feedback?

I have a 15 ram 2500 with coil springs in the rear. I put air bags on it but only run them at 20 psi probably didn't need them but helps with the ride.


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Skcamper said:

Just purchased a new 2016 Gmc 2500HD Dmax, was wondering if I will need airbags on truck to pull our Sundance 3300 5er. I had airbags on my 08 Gmc 2500HD Dmax, but was mostly because it was older and the springs were weaker. Any feedback?

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I used airbags on 2013 RAM 2500 to achieve the rake that I wanted. The easiest way to tell is load her up and take her for a ride. You definitely need airbags or overloads if you get any undesirable squat, you know that much already. But you may want a little rake, like I do. Or you may want to achieve a level position where your rig is level bumper to bumper. Personally I like the ride that airbags provide, 10 lbs of air will get you off those springs and make the ride a little better when not loaded. I have a 3500 now and I'm thinking that I might install airbags on it. Not really sure yet. Remember that airbags also provide some shock dampening on these rough roads that seem to be so prevalent. I was on I-10 eastbound between El Ft Stockton and Sonora; I encountered about 70 miles of rough potholed interstate, I could not win, the left lane had major humps, and the right lane was basically un-usable. I know my airbags, reduced speed and "Trailer Saver Hitch" were contributing to protecting my BC3650RL. Many people that I'm talking to are talking about deteriorating infrastructure, so I thinking seriously about the airbags. ------ IMHO

Skcamper.

I've got the same truck. Installed Airlift 5000 Ultimate with WirelessOne...and I couldn't be happier. Leveles the truck nicely and really improves the ride when loaded. Two thumbs up!

C-Haert

I've got Firestone bags with a Airlift wireless compressor.

IMO any 2500 needs airbags when towing a 5er or large trailer. Just the ability to tune the ride while going down the road is worth the money.

Also loading conditions change, just the other day I had a load on my equipment trailer that just had to be tongue heavy do to the dimensions. It was seriously squatting the springs, so I just pumped it up to about 60 and everything leveled out nicely.

alexb2000 said:

I've got Firestone bags with a Airlift wireless compressor.

IMO any 2500 needs airbags when towing a 5er or large trailer. Just the ability to tune the ride while going down the road is worth the money.

Also loading conditions change, just the other day I had a load on my equipment trailer that just had to be tongue heavy do to the dimensions. It was seriously squatting the springs, so I just pumped it up to about 60 and everything leveled out nicely.

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What happen to the tires, were they rated for the load?

I have a 2015 2500 with the Airlift bags and couldn't be happier. Although it handled my Big Country without it is much better with.

I tow our Prowler with a 2500HD . . . no need for air bags.

Matter of fact, I'm towing a little high in the front as it is!

However, I did purchase the trailer to fit the truck . . . not the other way around.

I have installed air bags on the last three pickups I have owned. I cannot remember the brand I have now but they go from the axle up to the frame. Makes a huge difference in ride especially when going over the transition from highway to bridge and back. I went with the manual in cab firestone gauge and controller and compressor.

I had Air-lifts on the 2004 Duramax because the trailer did squat the back of the truck some. When I went to the 2014 I measured the back bumper height, then loaded the Cyclone. It dropped the back end by 2.5 inches so I added Air-lifts to this one also.

We also added Firestone AirLift bags on our 3/4 ton truck. The 3/4 ton truck has one less leaf spring than a 1 ton truck does so it helps bring the bed more level when hitched up.

I also have a 2015 Chevy 2500 High Country, and will install airlift 5000 next week just to level the truck while towing my big country 3650 rl

If you are driving hitched up and people are flashing their high beams at you because they think you have yours on, then you are squatting in the rear and need air bags.

C-Haert said:

Skcamper.

I've got the same truck. Installed Airlift 5000 Ultimate with WirelessOne...and I couldn't be happier. Leveles the truck nicely and really improves the ride when loaded. Two thumbs up!

C-Haert

Click to expand...

I also have the same truck (2015) and have the same Airlift system and love it!


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We put Firestone air bags in out f350 and works very good.

SNOKING said:

What happen to the tires, were they rated for the load?

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Well nothing happened and I was over the tire ratings. Sometimes I hate to comment, but IME trailer towing outside the very predictable world of towing our personal RV's is not always the way we want it to be. Farming I have towed some super crazy heavy loads that I shouldn't have, because I absolutely needed to get the job done and no one else was going to do it. In this case I had to move my Cat loader with some other things and the only way they would fit on the trailer resulted in a lot of tongue weight maybe 5k out of a load of 15K.

I just bought a 2016 Ram 3500 Dually. I noticed when hooked up and I check the Level Up system it said I was -1.5 degrees low. I'm wondering in inches how low the nose of the trailer really is. I looked at the truck and trailer from the side and it looks level to me. I am thinking about putting them on to make the ride better. Before I put them on my Chevy 3500 I would hit the expansion joint at the beginning of some bridges and it would hit in the back so hard it would cause the cruise control to disconnect. I put the Air Lift bags on the Chevy and the ride quality was night and day and the expansion joints were not nearly as harsh. Now, the new Ram definitely tows smoother than the Chevy ever did but I think the air bags will only improve the ride quality of the Ram. And, for the price it really is a easy, inexpensive modification to the truck.

farside291 said:

but I think the air bags will only improve the ride quality of the Ram. And, for the price it really is a easy, inexpensive modification to the truck.

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I think the reason that you notice that is because the airbags lift some of the load (loaded or not) off the springs. So because of this some of the shock is eliminated.

farside291 said:

I noticed when hooked up and I check the Level Up system it said I was -1.5 degrees low. I'm wondering in inches how low the nose of the trailer really is. I looked at the truck and trailer from the side and it looks level to me.

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Mine looked level, too . . .

But as it turns out . . . it is not.

The best way to check this is to hitch up the trailer and find a flat surface, then measure each corner of the trailer frame to the ground.

That will tell you if you are towing level or not.

I took this photo just after we arrived home from the Vegas Rally last month in the parking lot of the neighborhood Kohl's store where I measured the corners and discovered it is towing 4 1/2 inches high in the front:



We are now getting ready to replace the rear axle (and all five tires) with roughly 5000 miles on it because of this . . .

By the by . . . I had it weighed last week and it is not overloaded . . .