Tow Weights & Air Bags

[JandC]

On another forum I read about this and just wondered if anyone on the MOC either had an opinion, or maybe had even tested this out.

Changing the amount of air in your suspension air bags can move actual weight back and forth from you steer axle to drive axle.

In other words, if you were hooked up to you Montana and had 20 pounds of air in your bags and weighed, then inflated your bags to 40 pounds (raising the back of your TV) and weighed again, you would loose pounds from your drive axle and gain those pounds on your steer axle.

[8.1al]

I don't see how that could make any difference

[Tom S.]

I think they may be thinking of a fulcrum effect, but I'm pretty sure that if it did make any difference, it would be almost negligible.

[Irlpguy]

As Charlie said I don't see how that would make any difference. If the effect was to raise the front of the RV it might in fact shift additional weight onto the rear axle of the RV, again this might be minimal. Bumper pulls using an equalizer hitch were designed to shift some of the tongue weight back onto the trailer tongue from the ball, but that is a completely different condition.

My opinion is that it only "levels" out the TV but then I am no mathematical whiz, it might involve some "law" of gravity or something....LOL

[dieselguy]

What Tom S said. Personally ... a 20 psi change makes a big difference in how my rig rides, but makes makes maybe 1.5" difference in ride height. I'd not want to run say 20 psi more and have a ride like a lumber wagon.

[mhs4771]

Might have some difference depending on the placement of the hitch. Ours is centered over the axle and all our pin weight is on the rear axle, the front axle doesn't change. While some have their hitch three or four inches behind the axle and others that same distance in front of the axle.
Just a thought.

[BB_TX]

I agree with above. Since the weight is almost directly over the rear axle, raising the bed height a couple inches would have no measureable affect of weight shift. (I did pay attention in physics and statics classes. )

[WeBeFulltime]

Moving a sliding 5th wheel on a loaded tractor/trailer one notch (approx 2") will only shift 250lbs to/from steer axle. Have done it many times to get a heavy load legal and to be able to take on needed fuel.

[1retired06]

No opinion here.

[davidaf]

In the truck camper world this is discussed fairly frequently. I don't have the numbers you are looking for but w/ my truck camper loaded (4500lbs) and 50lbs in the bags I lose a bit over 100lbs on the front. I didn't weigh it w/o the air since I knew i'd always have the bags loaded particularly on the old 2005 ram.

[JandC]

I agree with most of what has been posted. With a TV and RV fiver I have a hard time thinking it would shift very much weight. I may experiment with it though the next time I run over the scales just so I know.

There are times that I will push additional air, or take some out while running down the road. If there is extremely high cross winds I have added some air and it seems to stiffen up the drive axle some, then there have been some pavement so bad that I let a little out to soften the ride. I guess I just want to know for sure if that is effecting my actual weight distribution at all.