2 questions air suspension and ceramics

[Manxcat]

Our new Carthago compactline i138 is on order. Most of the options we want have been decided but there are 2 we are dithering over:

Air suspension. We remain unconvinced that this would be a good value. However driving today in our existing Carthago the cross wind was quite disconcerting. Does air suspension give better cross wind stability. If you have air suspension, would you buy it again?

Ceramic coating. Our existing Carthago gets filthy at the very sniff of mud and rain . Also driving around Cornwall lots of scratchy hedges and trees (nothing too serious). Would anyone here recommend this being done?

The only non Carthago extra we are definitely going for at the moment will be SAP self levelling.

Thanks in advance for the wisdom.

Richard

 

[Howard B]

I have ceramic coating on my van, cant see what it does tbh.
Will be fitting semi air sometime this year as it made a difference to handling on our previous van.

 

[Guigsy]

I fitted semi air on the previous van. It very much improved handing from cross winds. But did very little for ride comfort.

I've had my current van for about 18 months. I hated the ride quality. Replaced the tyres and reduced pressures which helped a lot, but still noisy and jolting to drive. Recently paid £8k for full air. Same as semi air, it now doesn't get sucked in passing trucks or get caught in cross winds. But it also made a good step improvement in ride quality. Less rattle and judder and much less busy at the wheel. I think it was worth it, but I'll find out this summer when I intend to get plenty of use out of it.

 

[Pausim]

We had a ceramic finish on our Carthago when new in 2019. It hasn’t needed any polishing yet and washes down very easily. My wife had her car ceramic finished in 2015, it still looks as good as new and has never been polished.

Not tried air suspension but the Fiat/Alko chassis is so much better than the Mercedes one on our previous motorhome that I am not feeling the need for it.

 

[TOAD on Tour]

We have both full air and hydraulic self levelling, both fitted by SAP, love both options and would definitely recommend SAP. If you’re having them fit your self levelling, I’d have them fit the air also, would make more sense to me.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

However driving today in our existing Carthago the cross wind was quite disconcerting.

Does your existing Carthago have the basic Fiat suspension or an Alko chassis?

 

[doug harding]

my carthago143le has full vb air suspension fitted on fiat alko chassis. as to value, not sure. it was on it at purchase. personally i wouldn't be paying circa £7000 +.