Firestone Airbags (helper springs)

[Preston]

I was wondering if I put airbags in rear suspension of my truck and it keeps the rear at same ride height with TT hitched do I still need WDH?

[Rob_Fla]

Yes, still need to distribute weight between front and rear axles, air bags will not do that.

[Preston]

Originally Posted by Rob_Fla

Yes, still need to distribute weight between front and rear axles, air bags will not do that.

Yes, I see now in my owners manual where it says WDH is required for the tongue weight my TT has. Airbags are recommended if leveling rear suspension when towing 5th wheel.

[drfife]

Preston, IMHO your 32BHDS is too heavy for your Tundra tow vehicle.

Air bags are not your solution.

A higher weight rated tow vehicle is.

[Bob Landry]

Originally Posted by drfife

Preston, IMHO your 32BHDS is too heavy for your Tundra tow vehicle.

Air bags are not your solution.

A higher weight rated tow vehicle is.

I have to agree. With a fully loaded trailer, you are at the max capacity of the truck. Add the 1000+ hitch weight with passengers and cargo n the truck, you are probably exceeding the payload capacity of the truck. While airbags willaffect the WD setup, they will only level the truck, not increase any of the capacities. You would probably be OK for short trips to your local campground, but for long distance or mountain towing, I would look at either more truck or less trailer. I'm pulling 8K lbs with a similar truck with only DW and me in the truck, and while the Tundra is rated for 10,100 lbs, and it pulls OK, Interstate or mountains, I think I'm at the top of the comfort range with my rig.

That said, I ran nto a guy who was pulling a 11k lb trailer with a Tundra, with wife, 4 kids and two dogs and he said it was Ok on the open roads. It's whatever you are comfortable with without endangering yourself or othrs on the road, but if you go stictly by the numbers, it sounds like you are overloaded.

[Ranger431]

If you've got leaf springs in the rear look into a Roadmaster Active Suspension, its a good mod to help beef up the rear end.

I am not advocating overloading however, you need to know your capacities and limits.

[Preston]

It tows fine and I am under my weight limit fully loaded, no need for a bigger tow vehicle. I just don't like hooking up the spring bars and was wondering if I get around it. True if I had a 1 ton TV I wouldnt have to use the bars I guess but the Tundra does fine with them.

My BIL put air bags on his TV and got rid of the WDH but he also has an F350. I am under when I weighed fully loaded by 500lb. That was with passengers and fully loaded TT. It was with full fresh water tank also. I dont know what water weighs but that was with 82 gallons and now I only tow with 1/3 tank of water so that is how much more under the 500lb I am now. I ain't saying I don't know it's back there when I tow it cause it sure ain't like when it was when I was towing the 3500lb pup, but it tows it better than an F250 I towed it with.

[TexasA&M]

1ga water = 8lbs

FYI, it is advised that you use spring bars on pretty much any light duty truck when pulling a bumper pull trailer of this size. It's not about having a level truck when towing; it is about putting weight back on the front axle of the tow vehicle.

I pull mine with an F250 and have spring bars AND air bags. I use the air bags to level out the truck based on what I have in the back, but the spring bars are what is keeping my front wheels on the ground, and keeping me within the ratings of the receiver hitch (although just barely).

[SmokerBill]

Even though the airbags may prevent the rear end of the TV from sagging, the front end will still be lightened. Think of the the hitch ball, the rear wheels and the front wheels as the force (hitch ball), the fulcrum (rear wheels) and the load (front wheels) of a lever. No matter how high the fulcrum, the same amount of force will be applied to the load.