Do airbags help?

[Snomas]

I'm pulling a 22 ft TT for the 1st time w/my 2018 F150 2 rear WD. I have a Anderson WDH. Has anyone added air bags to their truck and does it help that much. I have to really tighten the chains to bring the rear end of the truck up so the front end comes down and doesn't float when towing.

[GrandpaKip]

I get less bounce with the Andersen than I did with my other WD, but some roads still cause porpoising. Sometimes, changing speed helps.
When I set them up for the Silverado, I used the tongue jack to raise everything to make it easier to adjust the nut. Then I tightened it one turn, let it all back down and remeasured. Kept it up until the truck sat properly. I did this with the truck unloaded. If I have a lot of stuff in the bed, I’ll usually make another half turn from “normal”.
The chains on mine are so tight that they feel like a solid piece of steel.

[Snomas]

GrandpaKip wrote:
The chains are supposed to be tight. How much are you compressing the urethane bushing? Should be about 1/4” or so, if I remember correctly. I raise the tongue and truck with the jack to make it easy to adjust the tension nut. I have about 600# on the tongue and have no problem returning the front end to spec.
Do you know the tongue weight?

Tongue wt is approx 550 # and I can't get the front end down to spec, I'll try more tension on the chains to see if that helps. I get a fairly smooth towing on smooth roads, but it can bounce on a rough road. Is that normal?

[GrandpaKip]

Hey folks, he has an Andersen hitch. It doesn’t have bars and uses a tensioned chain instead. Whole different animal than hitches with bars.

[twodownzero]

It doesn't sound like you would benefit at all from airbags. Is your entire truck and trailer level with the bars on? Maybe some time with a tape measure and some adjustments are in order.

[GrandpaKip]

The chains are supposed to be tight. How much are you compressing the urethane bushing? Should be about 1/4” or so, if I remember correctly. I raise the tongue and truck with the jack to make it easy to adjust the tension nut. I have about 600# on the tongue and have no problem returning the front end to spec.
Do you know the tongue weight?

[Lynnmor]

Ford manual says to return the FRONT to 1/2 as much as it changed before and after the trailer is on the ball. If the rear is then sagged too much, add additional spring to the rear (air bags for example) to return the rear to a reasonable height.

[MitchF150]

How are you setting your WD bars on the trailer? Do you just plop the tongue on and then try to set the WD bars, or do you plop the tongue on and then LIFT it up with the tongue jack to get the weight off the hitch and then set the bars?

Good luck!

Mitch

[JIMNLIN]

Air bags will help overall. However I wouldn't depend on the bags to transfer weight. Bags can lesson rear spring compression and rebound

I pull a 10k car hauler with a 7400 lb blue tractor with the wifes 1500 chevy. I went with Sumo springs which helps stiffen up the rear spring pack. What I like about the Sumo is I can remove them in about 3 min when I don't need them for a stock ride. I thought about bags but for my use 6-7 times a year didn't make cents/sense for me.
My Husky Centerline TS WD hitch brings the trucks front down to normal ride height.

[Bob_Olallawa]

You really need to have the right hitch componets for the weight and know how much you are really transfering back to the front of the tow rig. Air bags mostly cause more problems than they do good. You have to set them up before hitch set up is done.

[beemerphile1]

If you are overloaded, air bags won't change that.

[Lwiddis]

“I have to really tighten the chains to bring the rear end of the truck up so the front end comes down and doesn't float when towing.”

I believe you are seeking to be level for looks. And TV’s your payload is? Must be a very light duty F150. Air bags won’t increase your payload. “Shifting” weight doesn’t increase payload either.

[1320Fastback]

Its going to be one heck of a rough ride with airbags, especially if you pump them up to raise the rear end more than 2" or so.


Be better to remove tongue weight from the trailer.

[goducks10]

Air bags don't transfer weight to the front. They'll stiffen the rear but that still doesn't change the dynamics any.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBZu39pQ8Gg&feature=youtu.be