Air Bags for Power Wagon (2019 or newer)

[megacabby]

Just ordered a travel trailer to go on the road.

Looking at adding air bags (suspension) in the back to minimize squat of the 2021 Power Wagon.

Has anyone done this and if so, does the air bags hinder the ride quality when airbags are inflated with minimum pressure and not towing a trailer?

Please also post pictures

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Just ordered a travel trailer to go on the road.

Looking at adding air bags (suspension) in the back to minimize squat of the 2021 Power Wagon.

Has anyone done this and if so, does the air bags hinder the ride quality when airbags are inflated with minimum pressure and not towing a trailer?

Please also post pictures

Get the airlift bags with the internal bump stops so you can run them at 0 psi and if you intend to do powerwagon things off road get the daystar cradles aswell

 

[Great Pumpkin]

I’m a bit off topic but not really… I was looking at air bags for my motor home and to be honest the install was above my pay grade and I can’t find a person to help with the installation. Then I found Timbren (shocks). Cost was just over $300 installation was about 15 minutes and the difference was night and day.

 

[DooganDazs]

I put the Airlift LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Plus in for leveling to pull a 37' travel trailer (GVWR 8000lbs). It rode a lot better with them at 60 psi. I had about 2"-2.5" of squat in the back end without the air bags. It also seemed to smooth out the ride when I wasn't towing, so I'm pretty happy with it. I also put the Wireless Air unit in so that I could change the pressure on the fly. The shocks went in real easy, probably only took about 2 hours. The air pump took about a day but I spent a lot of time tracing out the right wires to get power there.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I’m a bit off topic but not really… I was looking at air bags for my motor home and to be honest the install was above my pay grade and I can’t find a person to help with the installation. Then I found Timbren (shocks). Cost was just over $300 installation was about 15 minutes and the difference was night and day.

Timburns are fine if you never take the load off otherwise any bump in the road makes them hit and creates an awful ride they are nice for a truck that stays loaded with tools and some gear all the time so the timburns sit right on the axle with no 1/2-1” gap

 

[UglyViking]

Timbrens are also great if you aren't towing frequently, as you can install them pretty quickly, especially if you notch your bump stops the same way the timbrens are notched, makes it so that only a single bolt needs to come out. (sidebar, why are these bolts so freaking long!) That said, takes me about 15 mins to swap them with the wheels on, kind of a pain in the rear but if it's infrequent enough it's not bad. I'd prefer bags, just because of the simplicity, but with that you are trading convenience for added cost and maintenance.

 

[SL1]

I had air bags on a truck and they worked great but where a bit of a pain airing up and down. Not the end of the world though. On the new ram 2500 I lucked into some timbrens for 51 dollars on a bid site. They were like new and I thought what the heck, I ll try them. I love the timbrens, install and forget or as Uglyviking said, 15 minutes and its back to stock. I keep them installed and the improvement is unbelievable when pulling a trailer or under a load.

If I was 4 wheeling, I would remove the timbrens or put a helmet on and a mouthguard in.

 

[mtbgordon]

I have the sumo springs that I removed from my 2022 PW. Trading in on a new jeep.
If anyone is interested... https://hdrams.com/forum/index.php?...ower-wagon-here-is-what-i-have-to-sell.11376/

 

[megacabby]

I put the Airlift LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Plus in for leveling to pull a 37' travel trailer (GVWR 8000lbs). It rode a lot better with them at 60 psi. I had about 2"-2.5" of squat in the back end without the air bags. It also seemed to smooth out the ride when I wasn't towing, so I'm pretty happy with it. I also put the Wireless Air unit in so that I could change the pressure on the fly. The shocks went in real easy, probably only took about 2 hours. The air pump took about a day but I spent a lot of time tracing out the right wires to get power there.

View attachment 41478View attachment 41477

Getting the Airlift 5k air suspension installed along with the Equalizer Weight Distribution Hitch (travel trailer - dry weight of 6354) on Monday.

Please feel free to add additional comments and tips as this is my first time towing a “ bumper pull” in a long time.

 

[jetrinka]

Getting the Airlift 5k air suspension installed along with the Equalizer Weight Distribution Hitch (travel trailer - dry weight of 6354) on Monday.

Please feel free to add additional comments and tips as this is my first time towing a “ bumper pull” in a long time.

I wouldn't go with both for a trailer that size - not needed. From experience I would send the WDH back and just run bags. That trailer isn't anywhere heavy enough to warrant both.

 

[jsalbre]

I wouldn't go with both for a trailer that size - not needed. From experience I would send the WDH back and just run bags. That trailer isn't anywhere heavy enough to warrant both.

Airbags are in no way a substitute for a properly set up WDH. Airbags will stiffen and remove squat from the rear. WDH will restore weight to the front axle, allowing steering to perform as designed. Running airbags and no WDH can actually increase how much weight is removed from the front axle, further impairing your steering control.

A trailer with a dry weight of 6400# could easily have a tongue weight of over 1000# once loaded up for travel, especially if the fresh water tank is towards the front, as it is on almost all conventional (non 5th wheel) travel trailers with slides.

 

[jetrinka]

A trailer that size is nothing for a PW and my point is that megacabby is wanting a WDH AND bags to compensate for (maybe) 700 pounds on the tongue. I’ve got a TT that puts around 500 on the tongue. I just use some bags to level it and it goes great on a 7” drop hitch. Steering it straight ahead due to suspension geometry being the same and steering is just as weighted.

WDH is not needed for a trailer this size behind a truck that outweighs said trailer IMO. Been there done that. Level it with some bags and be happy. If it were a bigger bumper pull we might have a different conversation

 

[jsalbre]

A trailer that size is nothing for a PW and my point is that megacabby is wanting a WDH AND bags to compensate for (maybe) 700 pounds on the tongue. I’ve got a TT that puts around 500 on the tongue. I just use some bags to level it and it goes great on a 7” drop hitch. Steering it straight ahead due to suspension geometry being the same and steering is just as weighted.

WDH is not needed for a trailer this size behind a truck that outweighs said trailer IMO. Been there done that. Level it with some bags and be happy. If it were a bigger bumper pull we might have a different conversation

There’s no way a 6400# dry weight travel trailer has a 700# tongue weight loaded for travel unless you travel exceptionally light or have the trailer very poorly loaded.

Putting the dry weight of 6354# into Google tells me it’s likely a Heartland BH270. That’s a 32’ long trailer with a 7700# GVWR. The dry hitch weight is listed at 680#. That trailer is well over 700# on the tongue with just propane tanks and batteries. It has a huge front storage compartment that most people are going to fill with gear, and a 41 gallon fresh water tank right at the front. If you fill that up you’re adding nearly 345# right behind the tongue. I’d bet it scales at 1100-1200# tongue weight loaded up for camping.

Weight aside, a WDH is going to be of huge value just for controlling sway on a trailer that long. Passing semis are going to give that thing quite a shove.

 

[flan]

For the sway control alone the equalizer WDH is worth using.

 

[UglyViking]

I'm not a tow master or anything, but for my 32' tow behind I'd def want the sway control on the longer distance trips. Don't care much about the weight distribution, as I think the truck can handle up to the largest tow behinds, but the sway control is important to me with a trailer that much of a wind sail.

I can't imagine it plays much of a roll for shorter trailers (length of height) but for travel trailers, or 30+ ft box trailers, I think I'd want the sway control for anything over an hour drive.

 

[Quick]

I have a set of never installed TimberGrove ASAM airbags for the Power Wagon. PM me if interested. Still new in the box from TG. Sold my PW a few weeks ago.

 

[Wobly]

I have a set of never installed TimberGrove ASAM airbags for the Power Wagon. PM me if interested. Still new in the box from TG. Sold my PW a few weeks ago.

I found some Timber Grove bags from a guy that sold his Power Wagon before I got mine and bought them cheap. I installed the bags without using the bottom mount and also installed the Daystar cradles on the bottom. I ran the inflation valves to the rear license plate holes. When driving with them deflated, I would hear an occasional "slap" of the bag hitting the cradle. I solved that by getting a cheap, handheld vacuum pump and "vacuuming" the bags until they are flat. It does mean that I don't have bumpstops, but I have done some pretty wild off-roading and never had a problem. Maybe it's because I also have the Carli +2" springs in the rear.

When towing our travel trailer (Keystone 29BHS) I do use a WDH and about 20lbs of air in the bags. It firms up the rear nicely and the WDH transfers the weight to the front tires and controls the trailer sway.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

There’s no way a 6400# dry weight travel trailer has a 700# tongue weight loaded for travel unless you travel exceptionally light or have the trailer very poorly loaded.

Putting the dry weight of 6354# into Google tells me it’s likely a Heartland BH270. That’s a 32’ long trailer with a 7700# GVWR. The dry hitch weight is listed at 680#. That trailer is well over 700# on the tongue with just propane tanks and batteries. It has a huge front storage compartment that most people are going to fill with gear, and a 41 gallon fresh water tank right at the front. If you fill that up you’re adding nearly 345# right behind the tongue. I’d bet it scales at 1100-1200# tongue weight loaded up for camping.

Weight aside, a WDH is going to be of huge value just for controlling sway on a trailer that long. Passing semis are going to give that thing quite a shove.

I have had up to 1800 lbs tongue weight with no WDH no issues with sway i dont know any commercial trailer haulers running a WDH … and unless he is loading everything he owns in the front he wont be at 1000lbs even if he did that more than enough weight to not have sway….

The people having sway issues are the ones towing way to fast or have almost no tongue weight…

 

[UglyViking]

I have had up to 1800 lbs tongue weight with no WDH no issues with sway i dont know any commercial trailer haulers running a WDH … and unless he is loading everything he owns in the front he wont be at 1000lbs even if he did that more than enough weight to not have sway….

The people having sway issues are the ones towing way to fast or have almost no tongue weight…

Have you towed a pull behind travel trailer >30' without WDH? I think there is a pretty big difference between a long tow behind travel trailer and most commercial trailers, which tend to be shorter in height or length even if they weigh a lot more.

I also know some guys just refuse to use them, for whatever reason.

I'll agree that not having your tongue weight correctly setup is bad from a stability perspective, and I think we've all seen the videos with the little rc car and improperly setup trailer weight,. That said, I think there is also something to be said for the giant windsail that most travel trailers are, especially the longer ones.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Have you towed a pull behind travel trailer >30' without WDH? I think there is a pretty big difference between a long tow behind travel trailer and most commercial trailers, which tend to be shorter in height or length even if they weigh a lot more.

I also know some guys just refuse to use them, for whatever reason.

I'll agree that not having your tongue weight correctly setup is bad from a stability perspective, and I think we've all seen the videos with the little rc car and improperly setup trailer weight,. That said, I think there is also something to be said for the giant windsail that most travel trailers are, especially the longer ones.

Yes the ones im referencing are 40ft park models.

Yes a WDH could be used but its not really needed especially for the people that say its a must with the little travel trailers sway control may be needed but not the WDH in my books anyway