Air Bag suspension hooking and unhooking

Holoholo · Apr 18, 2017

This may seem simple to some but am having issues with hooking up and unhooking a 5th wheel using air bag suspension. There is about a 2 inch difference of loaded weight and the air suspension makes us level for towing.
If you use air bag suspension, What sequence do you use.
A: drop the front landing gear...then release air pressure, then pull away. OR
B: Release air pressure, THEN drop landing gear.

Either way causes unequal pressure at the hitch. If release air 1st, there is an upward pull at the hitch and the truck wants to pop up as it clears the hitch.
If drop landing gear 1st, there is a downward pull at the hitch.

Either way causes a bit of hangup then unhooking. Would love some thoughts. Thanks

Oregon_Camper · Apr 18, 2017

You might want to check out this thread I started a while back, asking basically the same questions.

https://heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/64748-Air-Bags-2-Questions?highlight=

Shortest Straw · Apr 18, 2017

It depends on how level we are when we unhook. In most cases, level, I extend the front landing gear until it releases pressure off of the hitch and unhook. I have never experienced what you are describing. Maybe you just are not taking enough weight off of your hitch before you pull away.

Holoholo · Apr 18, 2017

Shortest Straw said:
It depends on how level we are when we unhook. In most cases, level, I extend the front landing gear until it releases pressure off of the hitch and unhook. I have never experienced what you are describing. Maybe you just are not taking enough weight off of your hitch before you pull away.

Thanks, Good idea to lift the landing gear just enough to take pressure off the hitch. Then leave the pressure in the air bags until unhook?
My thinking is...By extending the landing gear, THEN releasing air before pulling away should do the same to lesson pressure on the hitch? But frequently the truck is still a little higher than the hitch.
Hard to tell how much pressure is still there.

avvidclif · Apr 18, 2017

Drop landing gear and release pressure on hitch, unhook, and then if you are going to use the truck release the air bag pressure if you want to. I hook up with min pressure (5 lbs) and then add air to the bags.

Holoholo · Apr 18, 2017

avvidclif said:
Drop landing gear and release pressure on hitch, unhook, and then if you are going to use the truck release the air bag pressure if you want to. I hook up with min pressure (5 lbs) and then add air to the bags.

So you do not release air bag pressure until AFTER unhook?

pegmikef · Apr 20, 2017

I just lower landing gear to point that it just starts to lift from hitch. Unhitch, pull out and then reduce air pressure to about 10 psi. Hitching I do opposite. Extend landing gear to raise pin box to correct height, Hook up and lock hitch. Raise all jacks, then increase air to about 40 psi (amount needed so all is level).

Gary521 · Apr 20, 2017

I release the air pressure before I unhitch and inflate after I hitch up. My system has a memory function so one setting is set to minimum air pressure and another setting is set at inflated air pressure. Just push the button to deflate and push the button to inflate. Similar to the Level Up system. I love technology.

avvidclif · Apr 20, 2017

Holoholo said:
So you do not release air bag pressure until AFTER unhook?

Most of the time. It makes no difference if the air bags are full or empty as long as the hitch is raised enough to unhook. Just clear the hitch and pull out. Same for hooking up, raise the RV until I can hook up and add air if needed. Being cheap I use a bicycle jack to air up the bags. 8 pumps goes from 5 to 40 lbs. Simple, easy, and cheap ($10).

BigGuy82 · Apr 24, 2017

Holoholo said:
This may seem simple to some but am having issues with hooking up and unhooking a 5th wheel using air bag suspension. There is about a 2 inch difference of loaded weight and the air suspension makes us level for towing.
If you use air bag suspension, What sequence do you use.
A: drop the front landing gear...then release air pressure, then pull away. OR
B: Release air pressure, THEN drop landing gear.

Either way causes unequal pressure at the hitch. If release air 1st, there is an upward pull at the hitch and the truck wants to pop up as it clears the hitch.
If drop landing gear 1st, there is a downward pull at the hitch.

Either way causes a bit of hangup then unhooking. Would love some thoughts. Thanks

I do the following:

1. Drop the landing gear to ground and raise the coach slightly to ease pin pressure
2. Release the hitch locking lever
3. Raise the front of the coach until the pin box plate is an inch or so above the hitch plate (just so they are not touching) - this is what makes all this work. Also, don't go too high or you'll still have hang up issues
4. Drive off to unhitch
5. Deflate the AirLifts to 10 psi for normal driving

Works EVERY time without fail.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

JASMAR · Aug 18, 2017

Related curiosity, we just installed Firestone Ride Rite Airbags on TV. No on-board compressor. Had 10psi pre hitching, once I hitch up, the psi went up to 22psi (2300 pin weight increase Airbag psi by 12 psi) So it seems that adding weight or removing weight could in itself change Airbags psi by 2 to 3 psi. Has anyone else notice the psi increase just by hitching up?

Air Bag suspension hooking and unhooking

Holoholo

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Oregon_Camper

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Shortest Straw

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Holoholo

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avvidclif

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Holoholo

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pegmikef

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Gary521

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avvidclif

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BigGuy82

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JASMAR

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