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Pahaska · 04-20-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

I assume I can take my Reese head(with ball) and simply unbolt it from my Reese draw bar and bolt it with the existing bolts to the drop/draw bar I pick up from Air Safe?

Also assuming I just buy the drop down bar (guessing 4" would suffice with a Suburban--right?) and the bolts to mount the drop bar to the Air Safe platform come with the drop bar/bracket?

Yes, the original hitch mounting bolts work just fine.

The WD adapter mounting bolts do come with the hitch. They come with the non-WD platform that you will not be using rather than with the WD adapter..

I bought the standard length WD mount. With my 4WD Silverado, I am using the bottom holes and I get the perfect ball height. With the Suburban, you would probably use the top holes.

Pahaska · 04-21-2009, 03:01 PM

Here is my inatallation. My flaps were right behind the exhaust, so I had to cut a hole.

Silvertwinkie · 04-21-2009, 05:35 PM

Thanks for the info John. What length receiver shaft did you buy? It seems like the class 5s have a 6.5" and 8.5" shaft. I am told that there is either 4.5" from the center hole on the 6.5" shaft and about 6.5" from the center hole on the 8.5" shaft. If you got the 8.5" and are just clearing your bumper, that is a pretty tight fit. BTW, love the engineer in you with the rocktamers and the exhaust hole.

I noticed that yours does not have the shocks, do you notice any bouncing of the connection where the shocks might help curtail some extreme movements? Any thoughts on the class 6 having the shocks vs class 5?

I was also reading on one of the sites that using weight distribution additional factors need to be taken into account:

Receivers Air Ride Trailer Hitch for smoother and safer rides

When Weight Distribution Bracket is used on any Air Ride receiver hitch you must reduce tongue weight capacity by 20%, example… Class 5 – 1,400 tongue weight reduces to 1,120 lbs, Class 6 – 2,000 lbs to 1,600 lbs, Class 8 – 3,000 lbs to 2,400 lbs.

This was one of the reasons I was thinking of going class 6, not only for the shocks to help even the control, but also in case I opted at some point for a trailer with a heavier hitch weight. I know my hitch weight is listed as 750lbs, but I have weight it with a hitch scale and it clocked in, loaded with LP and normal items (nothing significant and no anvil collection) under the front sofa at 845lbs, which lead me to believe that others might also be higher than listed. Happy campers tells me the class 6 may be overkill, but something about having the shocks and some extra capacity built in seems to make sense to me...kind of like the unwritten using 80% of tow capacity.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Pahaska · 04-21-2009, 06:24 PM

So far, I have not seen a reason for shocks. I have driven over some construction and the trailer appears rock solid.

I think shocks would reduce the benificial effects of the air bag by stiffening the ride.

Silvertwinkie · 04-22-2009, 06:52 AM

I agree, but then the sites also advise things like this, which gets me thinking about what if I upgrade trailers some day and exceed 850lbs of hitch weight. JCanavera's 30 slide has 1050 to 1100lbs of hitch weight (on paper). Not that I'm considering a slide this week, but these hitches aren't cheap.

Which Hitch capacity do I need?

We recommend that you do not exceed 75% of the hitch rating for your particular application. The reason for this is because most people under estimate the gross trailer weights and pin or tongue weights. As consumers we never know for sure unless we have the proper equipment to measure these items. This also allows for a larger trailer down the road, if we plan ahead. Our hitches work best when they are not maxxed out, but are in the 50-75% capacity range. This will give you the most movement and smoothest ride.

keith93611 · 07-09-2009, 07:55 AM

Shocks are used on the air hitch when you have extreme tongue weight... with heavy tongue weight and a lot of air in the bag 80 psi + you can get what they call the basketball affect and the shocks cure the issue...
Hope this helps I know I am late to chime in but I just found this site.

Airstreamer67 · 07-13-2009, 05:25 AM

Keith, your explanation is logical to me.

Silvertwinkie, I would caution that getting an AirSafe hitch with shocks that provides way too much overcapacity could negate some of the beneficial effects. I would ask the factory first. It may be like putting axles on an Airstream which are overrated for the load, thus producing a ride which is too stiff and could cause problems. I just don't know.

I use the Class 5 Airsafe with a tongue load of about 800 pounds, and it provides a butter-smooth ride. It has no shocks, and from my experience, doesn't need them. If I recall correctly, my hitch is rated at a max of 1400 pounds tongue weight. I don't think I'll ever own a trailer that would approach this mass, but if I did, I would get the Class 6 or above to meet the need.

woppa 4 · 07-13-2009, 07:20 AM

Airstreamer67: ? what size shaft 6.5/8.5 TV 2007 Dodge 2500 T mega cab AS 30 C 2009 book TW 670. I 'm considering a class V. Class lV is interesting, but I am leery of the hollow shaft + WD adapter for my EL system Mel

woppa 4 · 07-13-2009, 07:23 AM

Airstream 67 follow-up: Class lV is GVRW 10,000 to tow. MY
AS is rated at 10,000 max. Mel

keith93611 · 07-15-2009, 06:43 PM

I recommend to use a weight distribution and sway controls at all times… you will find with the AirSafe Hitch you will have all the cushion you need to protect the trailer from the ridged ride that weight distribution can create.

stufarmer · 07-17-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Ok, ok, I am getting pretty close here, just a few more question to the Air Hitch experts.....

I have the Enkay rock tamer mud flaps:

Enkay MudFlaps | Home

I am going to get the Class 6 but looking at any of the higher capacity receiver hitches, I see an 8.5" shaft, one that I think is 6", then one that is 12.5". Which one do you think I need if I would still like to use my Enkay rock/mud flaps?

I assume I can take my Reese head(with ball) and simply unbolt it from my Reese draw bar and bolt it with the existing bolts to the drop/draw bar I pick up from Air Safe?

Also assuming I just buy the drop down bar (guessing 4" would suffice with a Suburban--right?) and the bolts to mount the drop bar to the Air Safe platform come with the drop bar/bracket?

This may sound a little ignorant on my part, but....do the Enkay Flaps effect fuel economy..? Towing/Not Towing..? thanks for your input. Steve

Lumatic · 07-19-2009, 07:53 PM

Took out my Tradewind/ F250 with a class 5 Air Safe and Husky WD and sway bar this weekend for the first time. Both TV and Tradewind rode easy and towabilty seemed significantly improved. This replaced my very old Reese.

pattonsr · 07-20-2009, 05:03 PM

I heard that Sean is working on a way to attach the 3P to an Air Safe. Does anyone have information on that?

Barry

Happycampers · 07-20-2009, 06:19 PM

Silvertwinkie, I have Enkay mudflaps too and when I put them on in front of my Airsafe hitch the hole for the pin was about 1/4 inch short of letting the pin through so I just took a big grinder and took a 1/4 inch off the end of the receiver, works fine now.
I talked to the guy in Florida where I bought my hitch and he said it wouldn't matter if you got the hitch with the shocks. If the if there isn't enough wait to cause the shocks to work they work like the class 5, so you should be ok with the class 6 if that is what you want.

Marvin

loft47 · 08-19-2009, 09:57 AM

we just finished our first trip with the air safe unit. '07 30' s/o, reese equalizer, infiniti QX56. the first leg of the trip was not fun, trailer did not handle well. found the issue was not enough load on the w/d bars. once we got that settled it was wonderful. trailer tracked well and the air bag took most of the bounce out of the tow vehicle ride. we solved the w/d bar tension issue by putting in more shim washers.

dkottum · 10-05-2009, 04:22 PM

Just got off the phone with the Airsafe folks. We have an 06 Tundra and 07 Safari 20 SE hitched with a 1000 lb Equal-i-zer. With enough tension on the bars to properly position the truck, the connection seems very hard to me, and probably to the Airstream. They say the Airsafe will fit nicely between my Equal-i-zer and the Tundra receiver using their weight distribution bracket, and suggest the Class V Airsafe. My trailer has 600 lbs tongue wt and 5000 lbs max trailer weight. It looks to me like the Class IV Airsafe is more appropriate. They say doesn't matter, just add air to level the Airsafe. The whole idea is for a soft connection. Any advice on which Airsafe, or perhaps, any Airsafe?

Pahaska · 10-05-2009, 04:54 PM

As long as the class will handle the tongue weight, whether it is a class IV or class V doesn't really matter. The pressure in the bag adjusts the ride.

I have been very happy with my AirSafe hitch. It makes choppy concrete highways much more tolerable and I am sure it is less strain on the trailer by softening my stiff 2500HD.

The extra distance that the ball has been moved back does wonders for a tighter turning radius. It is now easier to back into my storage slot between buildings and I can now turn around in our cul-de-sac without going off the pavement.

Lumatic · 10-05-2009, 05:06 PM

Dkottum,
I have a Airsafe Class V 4500# trailer and F250 and find the ride and handling much improved. I use a Husky WD hitch with 800- 1200# bars. Without the Airsafe the bars would be too stiff but the Airsafe air bag effectively takes out the shock. I am very happy. But if I had a 1/2 ton tow vehicle, I don't think the Airsafe would do as much.

StingrayL82 · 10-05-2009, 08:11 PM

AirSafe seems to be a really nice product, especially for those of us with Duallies who tow other trailers besides Airstreams and don't have tons of money to throw at another tow vehicle.

Some of the threads I've read assume that weight distribution hitches eliminate sway...they do not. Weight distribution hitches use bars to evenly distribute weight over the entire length of tow vehicle and trailer, resulting in a more level ride with more control and stability, better braking, less strain on vehicle and increased towing capacity.

Sway control, a totally different critter, provides constant and adjustable sway reduction, minimizing trailer sway caused by high winds, curving roads or sudden maneuvers and can be used with or without the weight distribution bars.

I say all of this because, until recently, I assumed that weight distribution hitches eliminated sway, and this assumption was based on what I read on this forum. Bottom line, do your own research and then when you're confident you know the topic, research it some more.

We have a Draw-Tite w/d setup w/750lb bars and a Reese Friction Sway Control. I think the AirSafe would be a great addition to what we have already, to reduce the harsh ride of our Dually.