Firestone Airbags?

[kramperD]

If things work out, we'll be bringing home our first Monty, 08 3400RL! We have an 08 F350 Superduty 4X4 offroad......do I need to worry about getting airbags? Or is it just me? I really want to be ready to enjoy our outfit. Thanks for all of your comments...good, bad or indifferent! D

[kramperD]

Left out a detail or two....our ford is a CC longbed....D

[camper4]

You should be good to go. Unless you add lots of weight to the bed of the truck... like, another fuel tank, large tool box, 4 batteries, etc.
Most of all, enjoy your new rig!

[restez]

I would wait until you give your Monty the maiden voyage home and see how the truck handles it. Should be alright but if there is any sag in the rear the airbags will fix that problem. If you travel at night the oncoming drivers will also appreciate not being blinded by your headlights from a sagging truck. It is a very economical way to level up your truck. I have found that it also softened the ride on my truck when running empty and made it much more stable when fully loaded. I wouldn't be without them personally.

[capn chris]

I'm with restez. Try it first. If the Ford squats when loaded, you might want to add air bags to bring it back up to level. Suspect your 350 will be fine.

[coyoterick]

quote:Originally posted by ddettorre

If things work out, we'll be bringing home our first Monty, 08 3400RL! We have an 08 F350 Superduty 4X4 offroad......do I need to worry about getting airbags?

I tow my 06 3400RL with an 06 F350 Superduty 4x4 and definitely do NOT need airbags! The truck settles less than 2 inches with the Monty and doesn't even hit the top spring.

[Art-n-Marge]

I have an F-250 with the F-350 spring set and mine dropped quite a bit, but I have almost 2,600 lbs at the pin. The air bags eliminate the sag (I don't blind anyone with my headlights), and smooth out the ride a lot. My wife, the passenger, really noticed the before and after. Out the door the bags cost me under $1,000 but I also got a compressor and digital panel with independent controls in the cab.

It is a wait and see. What I saw is I needed air bags. Your combination may be different.

A couple of other details you should supply are SRW or DRW (DRW may not need air bag since they can carry a lot more weight). The other detail is by 4x4 "offroad", does this mean the stock rear suspension has been changed so that the rear end sits higher? If so, you might have clearance issues with the underside of the rig's overhang. The minimum distance requirement between the bed rails and the trailer's overhang is 6 inches. Mine is 7.5" but with airbags - I never measured before air bags.

[washley1]

Our F350 dually needs the bags, but I don't have them yet. When I put the Big Sky on it sags enough to throw the wheel alignment out, and my tires are not wearing well. Seldom tow at night, so have not noticed if the headlights are blinding anyone. The best price I have seen installed is about $500, and that's why I am slow to just do it. I guess after I pay for tires long before I would have I will get over the price!!

[kramperD]

So many things to consider......the F350 is SRW......thanks for bringing it up. Right now I'm leaning towards let's hook it up and see what happens. I know it'll be empty so probably after we get're home, stocked and on the road things'll show themselves. I just have so many questions.......do I get a tri-pod.....should I get the mor-ryde hitch pin since it has the suspension.....and on and on and on. You all are my "go-to" people and really appreciate everything everyone has to offer. I just want to start off on the right track. Thanks, D

[pineranch]

I have the airbags and they were $269.00. I installed them myself without any problems. I pump them up to 35 psi and hit the road. Never had to adjust the pressure once set. Some go for the compressor which greatly adds to the cost but I do not see the need. Someone told me, "For $269 you can save your springs or wait and put new springs on in a few years."
Mike

[Art-n-Marge]

You are venturing off topic a little bit by now mentioning a tripod. I have a tripod. It helps with movement but only at the front. It does not help with the rest of the rig.

This one I can say, save your money and get a JT Stabilizer system or Steadyfast to save time to set up AND they work much better. 5 years ago, I would have been concerned about their cost, but with what I've learned now (and about air bags), I would say the labor cost and install these things (and the air bags), myself.

The tripod is bulky, hard to store and takes too much time to set up. If you don't mind trailer movement everywhere else, then by all means get one, but I'd use the $80 to $100 towards a better system that stays under the rig, ready to use, sets up in just a couple of minutes and provides a lot more steadiness.

[kramperD]

Sorry Gang.......those after-thoughts were meant to be philosophical gibberish to be solved another day.....

[ols1932]

It really depends on how your truck accepts the pin weight of the rig. I wouldn't have the air bags installed unless the truck "squats" under the load. Our truck squatted so we had them installed and I like them. I run 50 psi in them. But I also have the TrailerSaver air ride hitch that I also put 50 psi in the bags.

Orv

[danandbetty]

Here's my 2 cents worth: On my one ton dually I added air bags not because of truck sag but because they soften the sharp blows I was getting in the cockpit when driving on I-5 in both the Seattle area and the Los Angeles area. Those concrete highways that are worn out can be killers. My Firestone ride rights help soften those blows. Has nothing to do with the Monty really...just the truck. I only run around 28 psi when towing the Monty but have to let it down to 10 psi empty or its too sharp on bumps. Good luck

[MuddyPaws]

Maybe I didn't 'need' them. But it sure did stop the bouncing over expansion joints!