Motorhome - Air bags or timbren/Sumo?

[welndmn]

I traded in my Cabover camper and ended up with a Class C motorhome.
I always used airbags with my cabover but I dreamed of not having an air gauge or screwing with air bags a lot.
With a Motorhome, what you do you like?
I want the secondary suspension for when I tow behind it.
Right now, it rides very nice, I have never owned a timbren spring before.

 

[Grendel]

They're a little less controlled but not bad.


I do prefer an air ride though. More flexibility.

 

[D Nelly]

I put a set of SuperSprings helper springs on my half ton Silverado to get rid of the sag with a trailer on or more than 500 lbs in the bed. I like them a lot, don't really notice them empty but they make a big difference with a load. They were under $200 on Amazon since it was an open box deal and I really dig not having to deal with airbags

 

[arse_sidewards]

If you don't already have them install the OEM helper springs that go over the top of the leaf. If that's not enough go to a junkyard, get a second pair of them and double them up. If that's still not enough pull your main spring pack and start adding leafs. The vehicle will also handle a little more firmly as a bonus.


It's a motorhome, not a shortbed pickup. The tongue weight is so small relative to the unloaded axle weight that you don't have to worry about making it ride like a dump truck when empty and even if you do the wheelbase is long enough that you can get away with a lot.

 

[OHV Wildcat]

This is a Ford chassis, correct? I haven't gone this route, as it's not necessary for mine. In fact, I've thought about going the other way - - softer springs with supplemental airbags. For my class C, I gain not quite 2 lbs on the rear axle for every lb of tongue weight. When I'm not towing, that rear axle suspension is far too stiff.

Fyi--the caster goes to shit with any tongue weight, since some weight comes of the steers, and the twin I beam is stupid. Really, the caster starts shit and gets much shittier with tongue weight. Re-aligning for a bunch of positive caster really helps calm down steering wheel wander. If you got a Chevy, ignore all that.

 

[DRTDEVL]

It's a motorhome, not a shortbed pickup. The tongue weight is so small relative to the unloaded axle weight that you don't have to worry about making it ride like a dump truck when empty and even if you do the wheelbase is long enough that you can get away with a lot.

Not necessarily. My 20.5' class c is very sensitive to tongue weight, because the rear axle is centered below the cabin. The tongue weight uses the axle as a lever against the front, and will pull it off the ground on bumps if you aren't careful. Heck, I've had the front end leave the ground crossing a railroad grade at low speed while I had 1,000 lb WD bars hooked up!

I may look into re-engineering the rear frame extension vs. bumper locations to try and tuck it in further in the future, as I think I can get rid of at least a foot of leverage by tucking them in to the body. This will force the elimination of my generator tray, though, and require some other engineering magic elsewhere.

 

[arse_sidewards]

Not necessarily. My 20.5' class c is very sensitive to tongue weight, because the rear axle is centered below the cabin. The tongue weight uses the axle as a lever against the front, and will pull it off the ground on bumps if you aren't careful. Heck, I've had the front end leave the ground crossing a railroad grade at low speed while I had 1,000 lb WD bars hooked up!

I may look into re-engineering the rear frame extension vs. bumper locations to try and tuck it in further in the future, as I think I can get rid of at least a foot of leverage by tucking them in to the body. This will force the elimination of my generator tray, though, and require some other engineering magic elsewhere.

My point is that you can throw a ton of spring at it and it will still ride fine, not that it isn't sensitive to weight.

 

[BIG-O]

Not necessarily. My 20.5' class c is very sensitive to tongue weight, because the rear axle is centered below the cabin. The tongue weight uses the axle as a lever against the front, and will pull it off the ground on bumps if you aren't careful. Heck, I've had the front end leave the ground crossing a railroad grade at low speed while I had 1,000 lb WD bars hooked up!

I may look into re-engineering the rear frame extension vs. bumper locations to try and tuck it in further in the future, as I think I can get rid of at least a foot of leverage by tucking them in to the body. This will force the elimination of my generator tray, though, and require some other engineering magic elsewhere.

Yep that’s the problem towing with motorhomes the rear overhang and frame extensions.