2022 AI19 4x4 stock suspension - What do you think?

[ChristineM]

Good morning,

What do you all think of the suspension/ride stability of your tall-roof AI19 sprinters?

After a drive home from Iowa to Illinois I had to peel my white knuckles off the wheel. The crosswind buzzer went off one time which at least confirmed it was windy.

There are several bits of information on YouTube of folks who have had upgrades installed.

One particular video made me rather curious and that had to do with the setting/configuration (sure there is a more accurate term) of the leaf springs and shocks. The point of the video addressed how an uplifted van can display a sag in the back. Point being made is that Mercedes configures the vans for lighter duty service workers and not necessarily an RV who will add almost 2000 lbs. Certainly unknown to me how the vans airstream uses are "sprung".

I weighed mine at a cat scale and it was 8,000 pounds. The van was mostly empty of camping stuff, 2 adults and about ½ tank fuel.

I have an appointment next week to have the van compass 3.0 kit installed and I hope hope hope this improves my experience with the van. I am told there will be no additional height to the van.

Cheers.

https://youtu.be/Y38PB3anIk4

https://youtu.be/geinkeuGjcY

https://youtu.be/KnbkYrcEccg

[StogieMan]

We did the the VanCompass Stage 3 kit on our 2015 AIGT as it's a 2x4. In hindsight, we should've probably gone with the Stage 4 that included a 2" lift. Still could get that portion done as it would be nice to get an extra 2"'s when working underneath.

Overall better ride but it doesn't completely eliminate the sway when in back of 18 wheelers but definitely improvement everywhere else especially on cornering.

Since your AI19 is smaller in length and lighter you'll probably notice a major improvement.

[ChristineM]

Originally Posted by StogieMan

We did the the VanCompass Stage 3 kit on our 2015 AIGT as it's a 2x4. In hindsight, we should've probably gone with the Stage 4 that included a 2" lift. Still could get that portion done as it would be nice to get an extra 2"'s when working underneath.

Overall better ride but it doesn't completely eliminate the sway when in back of 18 wheelers but definitely improvement everywhere else especially on cornering.

Since your AI19 is smaller in length and lighter you'll probably notice a major improvement.

Thanks so much! Looking forward to the ride home from the shop!

[ChristineM]

Greetings -

As a followup, I had this kit installed by MB Auto in Indianapolis.

https://www.mbautoonline.com

My biggest surprise for me, is the in-town driving experience. So much confidence has been gained through this alone. And as Stogie mentioned, there is some behind-the-semi puffs however I found those to be rather tolerable. If annoying, one only needs to wait for the semi to get more out in front or just drop back a bit. And there is great improvement in the wind, just this area behind a semi with the aerodynamics, is felt. Passing semis are practically not felt at all, in my experience.

I am still less of a fan of driving in strong winds, but this kit has just greatly improved the experience.

I for one, feel much much safer with it.

Michael Beer and his team did the install and I cannot say enough great things about them. Good people. Had to leave the van overnight, but very much worth every penny.

Christine

[Lily&Me]

Thank you so much, Christine, for updating your threads.

Maggie

[ChristineM]

Thanks for your kind words.

Difficult to convey the experience with this van this year. It started with a sense of I-can-go-anywhere-freedom, to a broken door before using the van once, then an electrical issue and almost dead chassis battery, to then driving the Iowa winds with white knuckles.

This last trip I was greeted to "replace engine coolant" warning message when I turned on the van to go home. Uncle!

What I have learned mostly is to laugh (when not crying). I am a sucker though, and still love the idea going places and seeing beautiful landscapes. So I am sticking with it!

[Lily&Me]

Yes, stick with it.

You’re working the bugs out, and learning more about your rig every day.

Ohhh, the places you’ll go…

Maggiw

[SteveLinda]

Hello! We just bought a 2023 AI 19 4x4 and have put 4,000 miles on it. We are wondering if we could chat about your experience before and after VanCompass suspension upgrade? Specifically, does it smooth out the bumps on rough paved roads and going over bridges and road separations?

[ChristineM]

Originally Posted by SteveLinda

Hello! We just bought a 2023 AI 19 4x4 and have put 4,000 miles on it. We are wondering if we could chat about your experience before and after VanCompass suspension upgrade? Specifically, does it smooth out the bumps on rough paved roads and going over bridges and road separations?

Greetings and congratulations on your van! I am unsure if the package installed on my van would address rough and bumpy roads. Mine excels against some windy situations and mostly in town cornering and handling. Hoping I pasted below correctly is a video made by a family who got the van compass 4.3 package with adjustable shocks. That may be more what you’re looking for as it allow for off-road situations like beaches.

Mostly I would recommend a discussion with van compass. They are passionate about their products and they have a couple different suspension packages to select from

Good luck and maybe stop back and let us know what you ended up doing! [emoji604][emoji604]

https://youtu.be/geinkeuGjcY?feature=shared

[Rocinante]

I would also recommend you chat with the folks at Agile Offroad, based in Santee, CA, near San Diego. They do a great suspension upgrade.