The stock suspension on our 2015 Airstream Interstate was leaving much to be desired. Over bumps, we were experiencing plenty of dipping, bouncing and swaying. Too much of a spongy feel for my taste.
I then installed a Hellwig rear anti-sway bar, Koni shocks and Sumo Springs but did not like the result in the rear. Cornering was very nice, but we were not soaking up the bumps. Entering or leaving a parking lot became worse… the side to side rocking had less oscillation than before but it was more violent and harsh.
By late Spring 2018 we were living in this ClassB RV full time. Our home was rented out for a year and we were packing up to leave on a cross country trip to New England. I needed a better solution. A company in Tualatin Oregon that proclaims to be Sprinter experts convinced me to let them remove the Sumo Spring rubber towers and put in a pair of Boss airbags. Air bags are great, right? Maybe this low-cost ($1000 installed) system would be a good solution… after all, these guys really know Sprinters, right? Not so fast.
The Boss airbags went in and we were sent on our way with 35 lbs of pressure. The next morning we went on a short trip to test everything out and discovered we were banging hard on every little bump. Something was wrong. I checked the air pressure in the bags and the pressure was gone. I got out the air compressor and inflated them back up. It was Saturday and that shop was closed.
I crawled underneath to view the installation and learned that the air bags are not very tall and, like the Sumo Springs, they occupy the space between the axle tube and the chassis frame. The Boss air bag features thick metal mounting plates above and below a black rubber pillow. Due to the geometries of the Sprinter chassis, the top metal plate sits at about a 10 degree angle and this uses up some of the space. Imagine squeezing a marshmallow at just one edge to get a visual on that. Only two inches or so of travel can take place before the two plates strike each other. With OEM rubber bump stops removed, the airbag top and bottom metal plates now crash together if there is not enough air pressure. The picture attached shows the bags with 50lbs of pressure.
Then the battery fell out.
I stopped to fill the air bags several times. As we neared our destination, we crossed a couple of short bridges that had abrupt pavement seams. I didn’t know the airbags were low on air and then BAM!
I heard a terrible racket and pulled off the road immediately. That’s when one of the house batteries, mounted underneath the coach behind the rear wheels, had decided it was time to abandon its moorings and hurtle itself to the pavement. I crawled underneath to find one of the batteries laying on the ground, still in its metal cage and attached by the one of its two massive battery cables. I disassembled the mess and noticed the rivets designed to hold the battery cage to the chassis had completely sheared off. If this had happened a little earlier on this trip, the 55mph twisty mountain road we had been on had no place to pull off and it could have been disastrous to stop, even deadly. And what if the second battery cable had snapped? That’s a 65lb battery that would have caused major damage to another vehicle at the very least.
What happens next? Grab the popcorn.
There was only one RV repair place close by. Fortunately they were willing to squeeze us into their schedule and we decide the best short term fix was to put both batteries into the rear hidden storage compartment that exists under the floor of the Interstate Grand Tour. Before, the battery mass was centered at 30 inches behind the rear axle, it is now about 55 inches. With 135 lbs of batteries sitting that far back it acts like a kind of lever on the rear suspension and I can definitely feel the effect. It’s like driving a small pickup truck with a few bags of cement sitting just inside the tailgate. This can’t be helping the airbag situation.
We went back to the company in Tualatin that installed the airbags... calm, but not too happy. They convinced me that once they repair or replace the air bags the chassis really needs to have a lift kit, consisting of two extra leaf springs plus a spacer that would lift the body, to increase the ground clearance and allow those air bags more vertical room to travel. Their theory being that, with the added stiffness of the leaf springs, the air bags could then serve more to dampen motion rather than acting as load support, and I could run a lower pressure setting. Sounds great, right? On that day, they did the right thing as far as customer service goes, and installed the lift kit at a price I couldn’t refuse since I had just spent $400 on emergency battery repairs thanks to a defective product and/or poor workmanship.
And then the cabinets started falling down.
Now the bags are losing 4-5lbs per day. The extra leaf springs produced an absolutely terrible ride, but now we were on a schedule, heading for New England. We found ourselves cringing every time we saw a pothole looming into view. Now I know what it’s like to drive a dump truck with nothing loaded in the back. And yet we were traveling fully loaded, at the manufacturer’s rated weight capacity!
The big, gradual wallowing bumps were getting soaked up very nicely but the stiffness from the leaf springs could not cope with any abrupt elevation changes, like you find on many pavement seams, broken pavement and bridge overpasses. We’re feeling every ½ inch. The whole coach was being tortured toward an early demise. By the time we got to South Dakota, the upper cabinets over the galley started showing signs of separating from the ceiling at one end. I installed a heavy duty tension rod to arrest their descent, where it remains to this day.
My wife started talking about the thousands of jolts causing back pain and she was threatening to buy a plane ticket if I didn’t get this fixed... PRONTO! I diverted our route a little and we rolled into Kankakee Spring Co. in northern Illinois to get help. They had the same opinion… we had “too much spring” (leaf spring) and we collectively decided to remove just one of the two extra leaves but leave the spacer that gave some lift to the chassis. The end result was a reduction in road violence of about 50%. Would it be enough? Oh, and they found the air line had not been trimmed cleanly by the installer so they snipped the ends fresh… now I lose “only” about 2lbs of air per day.
On we trudged through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Central Iowa’s I-80 had been terribly rough… but southern New York’s I-88 was even worse. I concluded the ride is just not good enough; there’s still too much hammering on sharp bumps. It pains me to admit that we would have been better off leaving it all original, except for the upgrade to better shocks, that is.
Maybe if we take out the other extra leaf spring it will be all better. Keep the airbags and the extra height from the spacers that had been installed. Right now the airbags like to be at about 40 psi. Less pressure is just too bouncy-bouncy on medium bumps and a bad hit can still cause the airbag plates to collide.
Next stop: Palmer Spring in Portland, Maine
Over the next six weeks and 5000 miles I concluded the ride is just too rough. I’m ready to end this nightmare. The folks at Palmer Spring agree that taking out the remaining extra leaf spring is the best next choice. This returned the leaf springs to the original setup but again we kept the extra spacer to help those airbags have some room to compress before the mounting plates could meet and bang together.
I had originally been told back in Oregon the spacer was one inch… it’s actually ¾ of an inch or less. The height of the bag between the top and bottom plates is about 2-3/8” with 50lbs of pressure, and only 1-7/8” at 25lbs. I think I’d better get accustomed to keeping plenty of air in them, which of course affects ride quality. I wish I could run them with just 15-20 lbs for a gentle assist and let the Koni shocks do more of the work.
I know that Air-ride equipped Interstates use the VB air system for about a $7500+ upcharge. And someone I met in Arizona went to Advanced RV and got the same system installed on his RoadTrek for about $8000. It’s a completely different and well engineered design. Those bags are much larger and have lots of luscious cushioning air volume. Maybe someone reading this can comment whether that system dampens the rebound stroke as well as the compression stroke? These little Boss airbags are just dumb pillows that only assist with compression… and then propel the chassis upward, causing a secondary bounce when gravity takes hold again.
The Journey Back to Oregon
We traveled south through Kentucky, kissed the NW corner of Tennessee, then straight west to southern California and back to Oregon. I could finally tell what is happening with the airbags without the offensive harshness of the extra leaf springs. I’ve been running with 40 lbs of pressure, thinking this was the optimum level. They are losing about two lbs of air per day so I use a bicycle pump to quickly check and add air as needed. There is so little air volume in these bags due to their small size that it only takes one stroke of the tire pump to add 2-3 lbs.
So what do I think about the Boss airbags? They are not up to the task. Oh, they are a tough product for sure, but the top and bottom plates use up half the vertical space between the axle and the frame so the bags can only offer about 2 ½ inches of travel, making it necessary to run higher pressure in the bags. Have you ever sat and bounced on one of those really firm gym balls? Yeah, it’s like that. Really freaking annoying.
I am tempted to have these bags removed. I never did experience what it would be like to have just the upgraded Koni shocks with no Sumo springs and no airbags. That Sprinter shop in Tualatin Oregon wants $200 to remove them… but they haven’t returned three phone calls in two weeks. They also admitted they’d only installed this setup on one other vehicle after saying there are hundreds of these installations on other Sprinter based motorhomes (suggesting, what, I’m imagining a terrible ride?) No, they won’t be getting any more of MY money. Yes, they tried to make things right by installing the lift kit, but that is the worst “Sprinter Upgrade” you can install in my opinion. The added leaf springs caused me great angst and $600 in expense to remove one pair, and then the other, while on our 12,000 mile journey away from Oregon.
As soon as we returned to Oregon, I had the Airstream dealer remount the batteries underneath the coach, closer again to the axle, but with a re-engineered sturdy method of holding them in place. Since we run fully loaded, carrying 4000 lbs in the front and 7000 lbs in the rear with all tanks half full. I’ve been trying tire pressures of +4 to +7 above the 61lbs Mercedes recommends because I thought it was needed. I’ve talked with a few people with travel trailers who have airbags in their tow vehicles and they run with 60lbs of pressure. I increased my airbags to 60lbs and decided to reduce my tire pressures to +2 so they would help absorb shock. It’s not ideal, but it is an improvement. Most of the bouncy bouncy action is gone. It’s like I’ve just got really, REALLY firm shocks back there. I may still have these airbags removed or I might crawl underneath and try to do it myself. I’ll let you know.
Conclusion? Upgrade your shocks, absolutely, big improvement. I like the Koni shocks but I would try Bilsteins next time or, better yet, go with the expensive Fox shocks that people on this forum have raved about. Tip? Just my opinion, but I say avoid Sumo Springs, avoid small airbags and never, ever let an “expert” Sprinter shop talk you into adding leaf springs.
Good write-up. Recommend you remove the Boss airbags as they have been know to cause severe frame damage on heavily loaded Sprinters like our Interstates.
__________________
- - Mike
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2024 Airstream Interstate 19e AWD
Previous: 2013 Airstream Interstate 3500 Ext Lounge
Wow, what a story! Sorry to hear about it and to learn you may still be $8000 away from a solution.
I wonder why the Koni shocks did not control rebound better (whether from leaf springs or air bags). The Koni FSD's on my Chevy-based Avenue control motions very well. But then, I'm only 20.5 feet long and have less that half your rear overhang. But still, consider having the shocks checked that they are the correct model for your Sprinter and are working properly.
Titus, amen.
Tronadora, thanks for sharing. We’re your batteries the stock 12 v group 24’s or heavier group 27 or 6 v? Are you certain the rivets were sheared off, tension failure or pulled out of the sheet metal. This may shed some light on what conditions caused the batteries to fall out.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Hopefully you have saved countless others from the same fate.
The full air suspension from VB is probably the correct solution. We did the big swaybar and Komi shocks with great success in handling crosswinds but the ride was still too harsh.
Unfortunately for us, VB doesn’t have an airbag suspension for the older T1N Sprinters so I spent nearly a year planning a Glide Rite air suspension. Unfortunately their system has been out of production for some time for our 13+ year old vans. I was having to cobble a new system together from their parts bin and the old drawings they shared with me. In the end I gave up after realizing the drawings they sent me were for the 2500 version instead of the 1500 Sprinters that Airstream used to use .
I just wasn’t prepared to do the entire suspension system spec out a second time. I ended up taking actual axel weights from one of those CAT scales and the Michelin load ratings tables to find the minimum allowable tire pressure. That helped the ride harshness quite a bit but the most significant factor leading us away from a full air suspension was installing a passenger swivel seat and adding a swing arm mount to the galley cabinetry for a portable desk so InterBlog doesn’t have to ever actually ride in the rear.
Currently Looking...
2018 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Frisco
, Texas
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12
Check out Kelderman air suspensions. They build some nice stuff. Their air suspension is what Earthroamer uses. They have a nice application for 2014+ Sprinter dual rear wheels and can be had with a compressor for self leveling. Link for the Sprinter application is below. I am considering this for my 2018 Grand Tour Ext.
Mike - if you have any links to stories about frame damage, please PM me.
Rowiebowie - I'm sure the Koni gold shocks in the rear are doing SOMETHING, but are not getting exercised as much as I'd like. The short travel of these bags with high pressure propels the load upward faster and/or harder than the shocks can respond (my opinion). I think they are overwhelmed, but I'm sure things would be worse with stock shocks, or worn shocks.
Swilly43 - Before the airbags were installed, I had my AS dealer widen my battery cages and remount with the Lifeline 220Ah 6V batteries, so each battery is 66lbs instead of 56lbs. Yes, the rivets were sheared off. I had concerns about the methods used so the second time I had them attach the batteries, we moved them to right side where fresh steel material could be used for a better purchase. The left side was looking like swiss cheese with the old holes and the new holes littering the frame section. We also added extra rivets, some screws, and a massive steel bar that now cradles the cages and bolts to the frame.
The thread also has links to other incidents. Any airbag that just attaches to the bump stop without reinforcement can potentially damage the frame. In my view there are only a few airbag solutions that work on Sprinters.
The best is the VB Air Suspension system that Airstream now offers. It is approved by Mercedes. The Kelderman air suspension, mentioned by ADVPHOTOG, looks like it would also work and is a bit cheaper.
In full disclosure I have installed an airbags on my rear axle. It is a Dunlop system available in Europe, but not distributed directly in the USA. I bought mine from a distributor in the UK. I've attached the Dunlop Installation manual and a photo of the components on my work bench before installation. I had to modify the generator brackets to fit these air bags on my Interstate. They did not help the ride at all. I only run them at 25-35 psi when driving. Their only function for me is to raised the back end of my van to clear curbs or steep driveways at low speeds.
I'm not recommending the Dunlop airbags and I would not install them again.
__________________
- - Mike
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2024 Airstream Interstate 19e AWD
Previous: 2013 Airstream Interstate 3500 Ext Lounge
2014 Interstate Ext. Coach
Las Cruces
, New Mexico
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 29
Glide Rite Air Bag Suspension System (4 Bag)
Fall 2016 our AI was modified by the Sprinter Store with the Glide Rite Air Bag Suspension System (4 Bag). I dropped the AI off on a Monday in October, and picked it up Thursday, the same week. Though i had intended to have it installed by my local Automotive Technician/Wizard, plans changed when he was picked up to work out at the local NASA site. So, the Sprinter Store offered to pay my fuel costs to/from Tulatin, OR and Las Cruces, NM, which was easily accepted. Prior to the installation of the air bag suspension, unhappy noises were often heard emanating from the back couch whenever the AI went over bridge approachments, large cross seams, bumps, etc. From the front seats, the suspension rode quite well, no problem there! The various suspension enhancement components were looked into, and some were tried; the Koni Shocks. But, nothing satisfied the back couch riders. The four-bag air suspension made all the difference, and all who ride in back are happy campers!
Fall 2016 our AI was modified by the Sprinter Store with the Glide Rite Air Bag Suspension System (4 Bag). I dropped the AI off on a Monday in October, and picked it up Thursday, the same week. Though i had intended to have it installed by my local Automotive Technician/Wizard, plans changed when he was picked up to work out at the local NASA site. So, the Sprinter Store offered to pay my fuel costs to/from Tulatin, OR and Las Cruces, NM, which was easily accepted. Prior to the installation of the air bag suspension, unhappy noises were often heard emanating from the back couch whenever the AI went over bridge approachments, large cross seams, bumps, etc. From the front seats, the suspension rode quite well, no problem there! The various suspension enhancement components were looked into, and some were tried; the Koni Shocks. But, nothing satisfied the back couch riders. The four-bag air suspension made all the difference, and all who ride in back are happy campers!
Thanks for posting about the Glide-Rite system. It is a good systems - as good as the VB system.
__________________
- - Mike
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2024 Airstream Interstate 19e AWD
Previous: 2013 Airstream Interstate 3500 Ext Lounge
[QUOTE=JJKinnerup;2239913]Fall 2016 our AI was modified by the Sprinter Store with the Glide Rite Air Bag Suspension System (4 Bag).
They never brought up the Glide Rite system to me. Looks like a comparable co$t to the VB Air system once installed, and a far more suitable system by a mile. Glad you got a good result.
I had the Koni shocks, Helwig sway bar and Firestone air bags on my single wheel Sprinter. Pleasureway not Interstate brand. Worked well for me. I seldom used the airbags for added capacity and kept them at a low level only so they would not get damaged. I read that these airbags can damage the unibody if overinflated so I never tested the higher limits. I would say the airbags were not required but the Koni's and the sway bar really improved the handling. Had the original springs.
I'm not recommending the Dunlop airbags and I would not install them again.
Adding my two cents to the air-suspension systems/products debate; the choice depends on the purpose and need to change or improve the ride on a Sprinter Class B.
If it is to improve the rear passenger experience, then by all means it could be VB, Glide-Rite, Drive-Rite, Kelderman or oder full air-suspension systems. If it's just meant to stiffen the ride, remove some sway, load leveling, raise the rear end to get on ferries, up steep driveways etc. then a semi-air suspension system is absolutely suitable.
We installed a BOSS system and removed it the next day because the engineering of the parts turned out to be absolutely unsuitable for a sprinter application at the time. Packed up and shipped back, I was able to get a full refund with the help of PayPal.
Since most of these systems for Sprinter vans are made in Europe, we then decided to go with a Drive-Rite semi-air system, which was shipped to me factory direct from Dublin Ireland in just days.
With gained experience it took about 6 hours to install. An Air-Lift 72000 compressor system was later added to assist with keeping pressure, as well as adding air for whatever purpose, with the push of a button.
Over time I found that going down the highway, these Firestone airbags do their best job at 30 to 35 psi. Give a reasonably stable ride and have some small cushioning effect over bumps.
Often taking 5-10K mile trips, what disturbs this driver more is the noise and harshness of the front suspension over bumpy, uneven roads. I have yet to find a suitable air strut for the MB sprinter. As far as the rear, for what I have invested in this, no regrets and I would do this again just to get on my beloved ferries.
BTW Glide-Rite seems to work together with Drive-Rite. They sell a 4 bag and a 2 bag system. Not sure, one or the other might be a better fit for the AI with generator.
... I have yet to find a suitable air strut for the MB sprinter. ...
I don't think anyone makes one. A few weeks ago at a suspension seminar at Advanced RV the VB rep said the they looked at making an Airbag strut for the Sprinter, but concluded adding a coil spring to the strung was a better solution. Their new strung for Sprinters should be available later this year.
__________________
- - Mike
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2024 Airstream Interstate 19e AWD
Previous: 2013 Airstream Interstate 3500 Ext Lounge
I have an AirLift airbag system on the rear of my 2006 AI (installed by PO).
It has a wireless remote to set the pressure (can be done individually, so some leveling can be done) and an air compressor on board. It automatically keeps the pressure at whatever I had it set.
It has pretty long bags and there doesn’t appear to be any suspension limiting at all. I have experimented with different pressures- in general it rides better with lower- but even around 30psi seems to help with big hits. More will raise the rear noticeably, and while I don’t notice the ride that much in the front, I expect it is not so great in the rear with that increased pressure.
If I was fully loaded, with a motorcycle on the back I would probably run a bit more than 30.
I also have the Fox dampers. They do seem to quite noticeably help the low speed ‘rocking’.
I have Koni damper in the front. Sumo springs in the front only. Those certainly helped with the hard edged ‘hits’.
I think it may need a new front spring now...but I have not really measured it to verify.
2004 34' Classic S/O
Currently Looking...
Kutztown
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 194
Your Helwig rear axle stabilizer bar has 3 tension settings. What is yours set at? If it's at the highest tension, put it on the lowest then test your ride. From experience, those bars are excellent for reducing the side to side roll and just as excellent at destroying the ride.
Your Helwig rear axle stabilizer bar has 3 tension settings. What is yours set at? If it's at the highest tension, put it on the lowest then test your ride. From experience, those bars are excellent for reducing the side to side roll and just as excellent at destroying the ride.
Maybe you can elaborate with a picture or internet reference? On the Interstate, the item shipped as just the massive bar that bolts to a simple link (original equipment) with no adjustment. Pics attached.
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