Rear airbags anyone who has installed them

[Nick]

Deaver, tuned Fox and sway bar and you get a axially stable and very plush ride.

[BrianW]

BTW here's the post where I detailed installing my Firestone bags. Maybe it will be of some help if you go that route. I still think you should put the money to springs, though.

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...gs-9902-9.html

[TomsBeast]

Originally Posted by carringb

Another option is the double-bellow kits from airlift or firestone, that mount outboard of the frame as well. Then you just leave the baseplate to bag bolts out, and have a "floating" airbag setup.

That's the setup I added to my 4x4 E350 about 6yrs ago. I re-purposed a set I had on my old F350, so I had to do a couple minor modifications to do. After seeing the kit UJOR was offered, I took out the bottom bolts to let it float while offroad

Their are two ways to plumb the airlines; tied together, or individual (separate fill valve for left and right bag) I use individual, it's supposed to reduce body roll a little, but I like it as I can adjust left to right level when camping, by letting air out of the high side. Just add air while 'pulling up tent pegs' before hitting the road.

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

That's the setup I added to my 4x4 E350 about 6yrs ago. I re-purposed a set I had on my old F350, so I had to do a couple minor modifications to do. After seeing the kit UJOR was offered, I took out the bottom bolts to let it float while offroad

Their are two ways to plumb the airlines; tied together, or individual (separate fill valve for left and right bag) I use individual, it's supposed to reduce body roll a little, but I like it as I can adjust left to right level when camping, by letting air out of the high side. Just add air while 'pulling up tent pegs' before hitting the road.

Sweet thx for response guys,I'm just wondering if I would leave bottoms bolts/plate out now if it's stock height suspension/tires and let them float or only do that once 4x4 conversion/lift/bigger wheels and tires later?

[TomsBeast]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Sweet thx for response guys,I'm just wondering if I would leave bottoms bolts/plate out now if it's stock height suspension/tires and let them float or only do that once 4x4 conversion/lift/bigger wheels and tires later?

I don' think it matters for now. After you convert to 4x4, bolting them in place limits 'up travel' of the suspension, undesirable when flexing the suspension while offroad crawling over big transitions. Before redoing my front suspension, unbolting lower bolts on the rear airbags, I almost put my top heavy rig on it's side at 12 mile Hot Springs. My spotter looked like this:

You haven't lived until your 9,000lb rig teeters from one corner to the other, with only two tires touching the ground at a time.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...er=7&autoplay=

[shenrie]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

You haven't lived until your 9,000lb rig teeters from one corner to the other, with only two tires touching the ground at a time.

when you know its coming is one thing, when you teeter without a clue its gonna happen is another, lol. we didnt call it living, wife and I called it almot shitting our pants.

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

I don' think it matters for now. After you convert to 4x4, bolting them in place limits 'up travel' of the suspension, undesirable when flexing the suspension while offroad crawling over big transitions. Before redoing my front suspension, unbolting lower bolts on the rear airbags, I almost put my top heavy rig on it's side at 12 mile Hot Springs. My spotter looked like this:

You haven't lived until your 9,000lb rig teeters from one corner to the other, with only two tires touching the ground at a time.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...er=7&autoplay=

Haha that’s why if I convert this top heavy pig(like yours) I’ll wear a diaper offroad or just concede it’s a great camper with 4x4 that will get me to epic remote locations so I can launch my waverunners or on sandy beaches in Baja,the desert/dunes cruise fire roads some mud/snow etc and let my Ktm dual sport/race quads and future sxs put in the work.im curios if you did the 4x4 conversion if you have any regrets of high top vs buying pop up? Or if you would have done a different companies lift/height etc after using it with real life experience.I’m on the fence and have justified keepin/dumping it pros/cons,thx

[Zappo]

Anyone else with a fiberglass is welcome to respond and I appreciate comments/opinions.

[TomsBeast]

Full disclosure, when I almost tipped mine over, it was during a side trip after Sturgis. My KLR 650 generator and fuel jugs on the back, tons of crap, firewood, awning, 300lbs maybe on the roofrack. I have a front anti-swaybar from an F350, that makes a lot of difference. I should have disconnected it before that near miss, I'm sure the articulation would have been much improved. Having said that, it's no rock crawler Jeep or Samurai, but in semi-experienced hands, a 4x4 camper can take you pretty far off the beaten path.

I don't find a fiberglass highroof to be particularly 'top heavy' feeling. But I haven't driven top top vs high roof side by side, so I'm not much of a gauge. Roof clearance has been an issue a time or two, where I sorta wished for a pop top, had to climb up and push low branches up onto the roof rack before proceeding. Pop top or high top, you can forget putting either inside a tract home garage.

I've camped in all sorts of weather, back in my duck and goose hunting days. My big complaint is soft sided campers keep me from getting a good night's sleep if there's wind. Insulate all you want, they aren't as warm as a hightop, heater or not. Also, it seems everytime you want the headroom in a pop top camper, just for a few minutes, it's too much trouble to raise the top. So you don't have headroom unless you set up and 'make camp' so to speak. One more thing to mess with, so you wind up hunching over to stock the fridge at the grocery store.

Having said all that, I can't say I'd strongly prefer one over the other.

Does that help?