Ride Rite Air Bags - How to use?

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RVJeeper18

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Sep 19, 2018
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Sorry if this has been answered but couldn't find in search. Feel free to direct me to other threads.

Fairly new to MH world, have a 2017 Coachmen Leprechaun 317SA that has the Firestone Ride Rite airbags on the rear. We use the MH for general camping as well as Jeep off-roading where we pull the Jeep on a trailer.

What is the correct way to use the air bags? The instructions are very vague with no specifics or guidelines for proper psi or how to gauge proper inflation. Anyone use these on a regular basis and have some "rules of thumb" or procedures they use to set up correctly? I know i will have to vary the set-up between regular and trailer use.

Just to keep the conversation on track - I am very familiar with GVWR etc. and weigh the loaded rig regularly, do not exceed the ratings for total, axle, tongue weights etc. Also have been down the road of flat tow vs trailer and found the trailer fits our needs for hauling our rig.

Any advice appreciated.
 
I don't pull a toad, but when I'm running close to fully loaded, I run 55 psi in mine and that seems to work well for me. My C is close to yours. A big thing to remember is always keep five or ten pounds of air in them. They don't like being fully deflated.
 
What kdbgoat said about running them flat - don't do it. We had them on our previous motorhome, and they worked well at preventing the rear suspension from bottoming out. I ran about 40 - 50 psi in them, but when towing, I bumped the pressure up to about 80 psi. Ours had a 12 volt pump and dual gauge switch-panel that allowed me to dial in the pressure to each bag, independently - a VERY handy option.

Ride Rights are not the same thing as an air suspension system, they simply help prevent the suspension from bottoming out, and they can help (a little) with slight leans due to one side being heavier than the other. If you air them up too much, you'll find that the ride will get noticeably rougher - at least that's what we discovered when I tried it.

Kev 
 
Hi RV Jeeper18,

Good advise from both kdbgoat and Kevin. I have a Coachmen Mirada Class A with the Firestone Ride Rite airbags. I have been running my airbags at around 50 to 55 lbs when towing (four down). Keeps the RV from rocking as much when on the road. As was said, keep the bags inflated some as you don't want them to be without air or they could be damaged. Best wishes!
 
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