Power Wagon Registry

I'll be picking up a 8K lb (max loaded)Outdoors RV or Nash Trailer this spring and want to get my towing setup dialed in. My biggest concern with running Daystar Cradles and Airlift Airbags w/Internal Jounce Bumper is the reduced rear travel when offroading.

I'm running OEM PW Rear Springs and +1.5" Thuren Front Springs so I'm perfectly level when unloaded. Tongue weight will be about 700lb-800lb and I'm concerned that without the airbags my rear will sag 3+ inches even with the weight distribution.

Is the added towing benefit and internal bumper of airbags worth the lose in travel?

Assuming towing is 15% and off-roading is 15% with the rest being daily driving.

I'm probably over thinking this and should just use the WDH without airbags but I figure its worth a poll.

Thanks,
Steve

With your front end lifted, and stock rear springs, I can’t imagine you are going to get back to level with just a WDH on a 9k pound empty trailer.

You'll need airbags. Make sure your WD bars are the 1400lb variety. What you loose in travel is insignificant.

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When I was towing my camper. I had Carli air bags and the WD bars.

Bill2014 wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 23, 2019 6:19 pm

With your front end lifted, and stock rear springs, I can’t imagine you are going to get back to level with just a WDH on a 9k pound empty trailer.

The 8k lb is loaded, dry is just under 6k. I fixed the original post.

But yeah that's what I'm thinking, unfortunately.

My dry is 7k and my loaded is 8500. I need airbags but BARELY! You might be okay if you have a good high end WD hitch with the highest bar type. Maybe. I mainly need the airbags when either not using the WD bars or hauling gravel or barkdust or anything but the trailer. You can always do Timbrens if you want to remove them all the time for Boogie bumpstops. It's a pain in the ass but can be done.

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I run a trailer that is 7600lbs loaded, and I got the Airlifts with the internal bumpers. I don't need them to lift much when I use my Andersen wd hitch, but they level the truck and give me a pretty nice ride. I had too much air pressure at first, but now 17-18 psi does the trick when my camper is hitched up. I took the PW up Poison Spyder in October and it did well with the airbags. I honestly did not notice any difference when offroading unless you forget to let the air out. I would go with the airbags especially if you have the leveled look when unloaded.

ghaugo wrote:I run a trailer that is 7600lbs loaded, and I got the Airlifts with the internal bumpers. I don't need them to lift much when I use my Andersen wd hitch, but they level the truck and give me a pretty nice ride. I had too much air pressure at first, but now 17-18 psi does the trick when my camper is hitched up. I took the PW up Poison Spyder in October and it did well with the airbags. I honestly did not notice any difference when offroading unless you forget to let the air out. I would go with the airbags especially if you have the leveled look when unloaded.

Yeah, I run about 25 PSI in my bags. I started at 50 PSI and got some bad porpoising and thought I needed more pressure to stabilize. That was exactly opposite of what I needed. Porpoising was because I had too much air in the bags and the truck suspension wasn't being used.

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To the OP, if you don't have it now, I'd highly suggest Thurens rear tracbar and bracket relo. (along with bags and WD).

TankerZak wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 23, 2019 11:00 pm

ghaugo wrote:I run a trailer that is 7600lbs loaded, and I got the Airlifts with the internal bumpers. I don't need them to lift much when I use my Andersen wd hitch, but they level the truck and give me a pretty nice ride. I had too much air pressure at first, but now 17-18 psi does the trick when my camper is hitched up. I took the PW up Poison Spyder in October and it did well with the airbags. I honestly did not notice any difference when offroading unless you forget to let the air out. I would go with the airbags especially if you have the leveled look when unloaded.

Yeah, I run about 25 PSI in my bags. I started at 50 PSI and got some bad porpoising and thought I needed more pressure to stabilize. That was exactly opposite of what I needed. Porpoising was because I had too much air in the bags and the truck suspension wasn't being used.

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Thanks guys.

Oilbrnr wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 24, 2019 9:43 am

To the OP, if you don't have it now, I'd highly suggest Thurens rear tracbar and bracket relo. (along with bags and WD).

Absolutely, one of the first suspension mods I did. I'm running the Thuren rear sway bar, Synergy drag link, Dodge Offroad steering box brace, and Thuren fox 2.0 shocks.

Deep down I knew bags and cradles were in my future but I was hoping y'all would come back and say I didn't NEED them.

The bigger question is bags with internal stops or not. I didn't get them, sometimes I regret it, other times not. I never really got a good understanding on how much they would limit articulation. Being in NV is as tough a choice as I had here in AZ. Sometimes I'm able to run pretty fast on dirt, other times I'm rock crawling. I'd think you'd be the same.

Oilbrnr wrote:The bigger question is bags with internal stops or not. I didn't get them, sometimes I regret it, other times not. I never really got a good understanding on how much they would limit articulation. Being in NV is as tough a choice as I had here in AZ. Sometimes I'm able to run pretty fast on dirt, other times I'm rock crawling. I'd think you'd be the same.

The internal jounce comes out to nearly the exact same length as the OEM bumpstop (with the 1 inch spacer) but lets you run 0 PSI. That should improve articulation not decrease it over having 5 PSI in the airbags. But you must remove the factory 1 inch spacer that sits behind the oem bumpstop during the airbag install.

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I seem to be the only person capable of leveling their travel trailer without Airbags.

OffroadTreks wrote:I seem to be the only person capable of leveling their travel trailer without Airbags.

Depends on the hitch weight and the WD hitch. I can almost do it. I think with a 7k wet trailer you can. After that it starts getting harder and might not be possible. I think a 7500 or 8k even maybe depending on hitch weight and weight distribution. I was litterally like 1/2 inch low with no options left at 8500lbs so had to airbag.

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OffroadTreks wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:37 pm

I seem to be the only person capable of leveling their travel trailer without Airbags.

EasyDoesIt wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 26, 2019 7:46 pm

OffroadTreks wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:37 pm

I seem to be the only person capable of leveling their travel trailer without Airbags.

I mean, I tow an Airstream, so don't take my word for it.

OP, try it first without the airbags and see how she tows. It is an easy half day job to install them if you're not happy. I will say however, having owned and towed both a 28' Airstream and a 28' Desert Fox (Nash) towing the two were quite different with the same truck (Dmax, 8' crewcab) and same WD hitch. Airstreams have a lower CG and far superior suspension. But don't take my word for it either.

I think there is only one way to know. Hook it up! I have a No Boundaries 19.1 toy hauler. It's UVW is much lower than yours but the unloaded hitch weight seems about the same your talking. It's 720 hitch weight empty. By the time you add the 30gal fresh water, propane, all the crap in the front storage like spare tire, chairs, etc. etc. my tongue weight is probably 1,000 lbs. I have stock suspension 2016 Laramie on Yokohama 35" MT and with the Fastway e2 WD hitch it's level. I had to get the longer drop hitch for the WD hitch. Longest highway pull so far was Omaha to Denver empty at 75mph+ the whole way. Not a wiggle. I also have the Diamondback heavy duty cover and always have tools and recovery gear in the bed. SO... Hook it up. I think you might be happily surprised with just the WD hitch.

What ever you decide works best with or without bags, I would highly recommend a good WD hitch for the sway control on the highway. Best of luck with your decision.

This is on a 2012 front leveled truck towing a 7-9k 1ft toy hauler. One thing not mentioned....when setting up the WDH. The say to get the front end down to (less than half of where it went up to with no wdh setup or back to where it was unloaded.) What I found when I tried to get the truck to sit level with just the WDH, (and a ton of it, I might add) and, it lowered the front to below the where it sat unloaded! And thought this might put too much stress on the front end.

This is setting up my 2nd WDH with this truck. (the first got stolen.)

=> With a leveled truck and headlights aimed correctly. Think the only way to tow level, and keep your headlights where you want them is with air bags. (Even if you keep the rake, then tow level......your headlights will be either too high or too low depending....)

=> For me WDH for safer towing
=> Air bags for proper headlight aim (and the look you want.)

I made a trip to Mesa, AZ from CO and towed my 7,000lb Coachmen Freedom Express travel trailer. I used my Airlift airbags in conjunction with my Andersen WD hitch. The Andersen hitch does not have bars and it does not transfer a ton a weight to the front. However, the anti-sway and anti-bounce is great with this setup. I ran the airbags at 25lbs and with the load of stuff in the back. This seems to be the best towing setup for my rig. I really like the bags for snow as well. They seem to keep my axle hop down when I get in deep snow.

Mileage for the trip down was 6.5-8 because of lots of winds. The winds were more favorable headed back and mileage was 9.1 for the trip back to CO. I was running the mid grade 89 fuel for the trip. I have 35 inch tires, and the truck was loaded with wife, kids, and toys. All in all the truck did a great job. It likes to rev on the big grades I pulled throughout the trip, but it handled them all well. I go back and forth about getting diesel for trips like this, but I don't do lots of long pulls, and I love my truck! It can really do everything I need a truck to do.

I tow a 7500# Airstream with only WD on my 2019 PW and no airbags with no issue. Tongue weight is around 900 lbs.

I had a hitch place adjust my bars so I am only getting a 1/4 inch lift in the front.

Debated adding air lift but not there yet.

Thuren actually talked me out of it and said WD should be more then fine.

I did add timbrens to my 2005 for towing but that is because the leaf springs were older and softer.

The timbrens helped on the 2005.

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OffroadTreks wrote:I seem to be the only person capable of leveling their travel trailer without Airbags.

Nope I did it too

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We have towed our 7,200# travel trailer for years using just our WDH w 1400# bars. Several 3-5k mile cross country trips and no problems. Lots of the members recommend air bags as well though.

Mule007 wrote:We have towed our 7,200# travel trailer for years using just our WDH w 1400# bars. Several 3-5k mile cross country trips and no problems. Lots of the members recommend air bags as well though.

Why did you go with 1400 lb bars? I am using 1000 lb bars and they work fine. I was told the 1400 lb bars would produce a rougher ride.

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