Full Air Suspension - is it worth the price?

Kev and Carolyn said:
You have to remember that we did not buy it separately....but as a package. It came with the truck.The previous owner bought it. That may mean he had more money than sense? I dont know and dont really care to be honest. That aside...I can sit outside the truck with this remote gubbins that some one has paid for and play with the VB system in the loo on site if i wanted to? Its fun to think that when you are outside and the missus is cooking or doing stuff inside.......You can have a laugh whilst away from the truck with the hand set
...Some body has made a seriously good job of it.

Personally ....Its expensive full stop! Would I buy it if I had the money? No....Why? Because I could buy the Hydraulic one and have more fun with it.
I digress........You have what you want. Mine came free with the purchase of the vehicle. That I am glad of!
Would I recommend it....yes of course! It works for us and surely that is all that matters?
Feel free to slag it off if you wish...but dont if you have not tried it out! You really dont know!

This is not a rant...its just an opinion based on our experience. I have not tried anything else so I cannot compare.

Is the figure expensive ? Yes it sure is ...again I say...I did not buy it...its a package in the truck.
Realistically ........If you can buy it today for 3k then do it! It is your choice
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Already apologised that my £3 k related to ‘semi air’ not a self levelling system.
 
Just the rear air we have fitted on a PVC has made the drive so much better (I fitted it for the extra ground clearance, the ride was good before).

If a better (I imagine) ride was more important to me than £6/7k in the bank, then yep, I'd go with full air. I've not read about anyone regretting having it fitted.
 
Wissel said:
Just the rear air we have fitted on a PVC has made the drive so much better (I fitted it for the extra ground clearance, the ride was good before).
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Full Air on the rear is 4½k so only a couple of k more for full 4C air.
 
Darrell Blackmore said:
Thinking of installing full VB Air Suspension onto my 6.49m motorhome. Main concern is ride comfort (ironing out the bumps and crashes down country roads) and a degree of self levelling on site. Recently installed VB semi-air to rear and apart from slight improvement in handling/dealing with cross winds, this provided no improvement to ride comfort.

How significant is the improvement provided by automatic full air system?
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Well I fitted VB full air to a Frankia i640 6.5m 3.85t and I wouldn’t bother again to be honest. We had a Rapido 6m A class 3.5t on the Fiat chassis before and I would say it was smoother than the Alko chassis.
I had the money for VB full air,but found no difference with potholes and the thump from them. Steering into corners was better with the VB , but on severely pot holed farm type roads, even though you lift the chassis on air , it is a very unpleasant experience.
 
Cairngorm said:
Well I fitted VB full air to a Frankia i640 6.5m 3.85t and I wouldn’t bother again to be honest. We had a Rapido 6m A class 3.5t on the Fiat chassis before and I would say it was smoother than the Alko chassis.
I had the money for VB full air,but found no difference with potholes and the thump from them. Steering into corners was better with the VB , but on severely pot holed farm type roads, even though you lift the chassis on air , it is a very unpleasant experience.
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Tyre choice can make a bit difference. Vanco tyres made my filling come out but all weather tyres are so much softer a ride
 
A lot of ride harshness is down to tyre pressures having to be so high on many MoHo , any suspension type will only attenuate this to some degree .
 
Also consider repair costs, if you keep inflating to gain height you will eventually blow a bag.
Have had many go with hgvs and trailers, eventually the wear will get to them, and with all things, they never blow in the best of places.
And if you do get it fitted, don't use the plastic quick fit pipe couplers many use, splash more cash and use the brass ones, the plastic ones will in time go brittle and break.
 
Cairngorm said:
Well I fitted VB full air to a Frankia i640 6.5m 3.85t and I wouldn’t bother again to be honest. We had a Rapido 6m A class 3.5t on the Fiat chassis before and I would say it was smoother than the Alko chassis.
I had the money for VB full air,but found no difference with potholes and the thump from them. Steering into corners was better with the VB , but on severely pot holed farm type roads, even though you lift the chassis on air , it is a very unpleasant experience.
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As I said in my earlier post the light chassis has a good ride anyway no comparison the hard ride on the Maxi chassis where it is worth getting air fitted.
 
pandas said:
Tyre choice can make a bit difference. Vanco tyres made my filling come out but all weather tyres are so much softer a ride
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All weather tyres, any recommendations for this Holy Grail of serenity. How low can you reduce tyre pressures by, to achieve a smoother ride.
If I had thought that by merely reducing the pressure, I could achieve a better ride, I would have taking that option and changed the tyres on a more regular basis.
 
Cairngorm said:
All weather tyres, any recommendations for this Holy Grail of serenity. How low can you reduce tyre pressures by, to achieve a smoother ride.
If I had thought that by merely reducing the pressure, I could achieve a better ride, I would have taking that option and changed the tyres on a more regular basis.
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I can only say from my own experience where the contrast has been significant and not because the pressures are lower. I understand the tyre composition is more forgiving - but I thought the world was flat until recently!
 
full air and winter snow tyres is the smoothest ride we have had, the levelling option on vb is an extra and like the fiat comfortmatic it does a job but not as well as proper auto levellers but £200 against £1000's.
main difference is the full air works all the time when driving and helps when camping so pretty much 100% of the time where as levellers only work when camping.
not had my ramps out of the locker since fitting.

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pandas said:
Tyre choice can make a bit difference. Vanco tyres made my filling come out but all weather tyres are so much softer a ride
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Try Michelin camping then they make Vanco's seam like soft sponge. :ROFLMAO:
Reducing the pressure on the Michelin doesn't help and the grip is awful.
 
Lenny HB said:
Try Michelin camping then they make Vanco's seam like soft sponge. :ROFLMAO:
Reducing the pressure on the Michelin doesn't help and the grip is awful.
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Agreed - all weather for me every time at recommended pressures. Better ride, better grip on mud, grass, snow plus no additional noise and the wear is not an issue with the mileage we do.
 
gus-lopez said:
I expect the council's to have filled them properly!
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I think they are going to do that, in the UK? Wasn’t it announced at one of the covid briefings (rather bizarrely) that more money was going to be put into filling potholes?
 
I paid £6000 for ours 2 tears ago. We wanted to update the weights so decided to have the complete vb system. It makes the ride smoother, but as said on another post the high tyre pressure that is needed knocks out a lot of the benefits. We have to be very careful when in tight situations as the suspension is always trying to keep the vehicle upright, like if you were trying to squeeze through tight gates and let your foot off the brake the van will lurch to the side, quite violently at times, I have been told it is the norm, but I’m not keen on the lurch. Is it it worth £6000? No.
 
Darrell Blackmore said:
My van is a Pilote G650L 2018 model on a Fiat chassis. It’s only 6.5 metres and 3500kg. Weight is not an issue as always at least 150kg under payload. I am looking to smooth out the ride but I wonder how effective it will be on a small van. For £6.5k I would expect to glide over poor roads/potholes. Intend keeping the van long term so if it works I think it should be a good investment
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Hi Darren, if I was you and knowing what I know now , with going from an Rapido A class Fiat chassis to A class Frankia Alko chassis. I would suggest you might be disappointed with your expenditure.
BUT the reason I went for full air was I read on the Pilote Facebook of one member describing his full air installation as “driving on a carpet”. Obviously I wanted that as well, but in my case the carpet was perhaps changed, but it felt like the original underlay was still left.
Everyone seems to have different opinions on the subject, some good , some underwhelmed, so you pays your money , you take your choice.
If I were you , I would go stronger front springs and semi air on the back and splash out on the proper self levelling option and all weather tyres.
Best of luck in your decision makiing.
 
Cairngorm said:
Hi Darren, if I was you and knowing what I know now , with going from an Rapido A class Fiat chassis to A class Frankia Alko chassis. I would suggest you might be disappointed with your expenditure.
BUT the reason I went for full air was I read on the Pilote Facebook of one member describing his full air installation as “driving on a carpet”. Obviously I wanted that as well, but in my case the carpet was perhaps changed, but it felt like the original underlay was still left.
Everyone seems to have different opinions on the subject, some good , some underwhelmed, so you pays your money , you take your choice.
If I were you , I would go stronger front springs and semi air on the back and splash out on the proper self levelling option and all weather tyres.
Best of luck in your decision makiing.
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thanks, think that is sound advice

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My sum up is that if there is no worry about the cost go for it but if it's going to strain the finances give it a miss.
 
TeeMyob said:
My Main Car has it! Wonderful.

New Sprinter vans can have it for £7,000 plus VAT
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Hi , now that’s great to hear! Do you know is that VB full air or something else? Mick at SAP advised that we can only have rear air, it’s for a new rwd sprinter.
thanks
Bill
 
dicksob said:
Hi , now that’s great to hear! Do you know is that VB full air or something else? Mick at SAP advised that we can only have rear air, it’s for a new rwd sprinter.
thanks
Bill
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At a guess probably only for the FWD Sprinter.
 
dicksob said:
Hi , now that’s great to hear! Do you know is that VB full air or something else? Mick at SAP advised that we can only have rear air, it’s for a new rwd sprinter.
thanks
Bill
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hi,

it’s for rear wheel drive vans. It’s now listed as “comfort air suspension”. The full option seems to have disappeared.

Mercedes have now started to produce just one SWB (L1) RWD. It’s a 316 only.
 
Kev and Carolyn said:
We have just taken on a Auto trail Delaware with this kit fully fitted by Conrad Anderson in Birmingham.
Only used the truck a couple of times just to test and play with it til we can all go travelling again. Honestly ....Bloody marvellous! Just glad we did not have to buy it ourselves! Struth it was expensive.
The previous owner paid £6800 fo the fully remote controlled system to be installed and I am just glad he did!
We are still playing with it to be honest. It is good though! Blown away with it to be honest! When you want to empty the grey waste ...there is an option to lift and tilt the truck so as it empties properly...How cool is that?

Kev
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Hiya Kevin,I’m surprised to see that you have taken on another Auto Trail after your past experiences with them ?
 

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