Thinking About Getting Air Suspension

HKF

HKF

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The Charente, France
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Benimar Europe 740
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Since August 2021
Hi everyone :) After our last journey out, we've been seriously thinking about getting air suspension. Our MoHo bangs and rattles over every single tiny bump/hole in the road and it's driving us nuts!! We intend to make longer and longer journeys as our confidence grows, so it will be worth it. But I have some questions!

MoHo is a 2011 Benimar Europe 740 on a Fiat Ducato. It's 7.3m and currently rated at 3.5, although we may get it uprated.

  1. Is it even possible to get air suspension on this MoHo?
  2. Would you recommend getting it done in the UK or France?
  3. Can you recommend anywhere to get it done?
  4. How much will it cost (a ballpark figure would do)?
  5. How long is the downtime to get it done?
  6. What's the difference between full and partial air suspension?
  7. Does air suspension have any connection to self levelling?
  8. Is there anything else to take into account?
A bit of a list, I know.....sorry.....but we're seriously in considering it.

Thank you :)
 
I can answer a few of them:
1. Possible? Probably, yes. The question is, is it a Ducato chassis, or a Ducato with an Al-ko back-end?
4. Cost? I asked recently and a Ducato chassis "full air" was ~£8.5k. Prices went up in July.
6. Semi vs full? Semi air, also called air assist is far cheaper, about £1k fitted. It just replaces the stops/assistors in the rear for airbags, but you're still using leaf springs. Full air replaces everything and hence is much more expensive and more involved. Both can improve load capacity (normally with bigger tyres and still needs re-plating). Both improve handling (although semi less so). Full air improves comfort far more.
7. Levelling? Semi can only adjust level a little and only at the back. Full air can do far more. But if you're parked up on a steep hill, you need levelling rams.
 
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HKF said:
Hi everyone :) After our last journey out, we've been seriously thinking about getting air suspension. Our MoHo bangs and rattles over every single tiny bump/hole in the road and it's driving us nuts!! We intend to make longer and longer journeys as our confidence grows, so it will be worth it. But I have some questions!

MoHo is a 2011 Benimar Europe 740 on a Fiat Ducato. It's 7.3m and currently rated at 3.5, although we may get it uprated.

  1. Is it even possible to get air suspension on this MoHo?
  2. Would you recommend getting it done in the UK or France?
  3. Can you recommend anywhere to get it done?
  4. How much will it cost (a ballpark figure would do)?
  5. How long is the downtime to get it done?
  6. What's the difference between full and partial air suspension?
  7. Does air suspension have any connection to self levelling?
  8. Is there anything else to take into account?
A bit of a list, I know.....sorry.....but we're seriously in considering it.

Thank you :)
Click to expand...
Wel. I don’t know any of the technical questions but others will come along who know what they are talking about - but we put semi on our rapido to get the payroll increased, hubby was very impressed about the difference in driving it afterward and it is on our list to immediately added to our next vehicle (when we find it😁) even if we don’t need it for the payload.
 
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Swapping away from camping tyres, dropping to reasonable tyre pressures, and fitting semi air on the rear of my 7.2 meter van transformed the ride. And a lot cheaper than full air, which my van isn’t worth fitting it too.
 
Guigsy said:
I can answer a few of them:
1. Possible? Probably, yes. The question is, is it a Ducato chassis, or a Ducato with an Al-ko back-end?
.....
Click to expand...

How do I know which one I have, please?
 
elamessa said:
Most French motorhome dealers will install Air Sispension.
Click to expand...
I very much doubt it, its a specialised job.
There are quite a few VB agents in France not all deal in Motorhomes some only in trucks. Not sure what coverage Goldschmitt have.
Which ever system you go for it has to be installed by one of their agents.

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Have the Goldschmitt full air, thumps over bumps now rather than crashes but a vast improvement. Amazing stability when driving, flying pasts artics, really strong crosswinds the van just keeps a dead straight line.

Great for leveling can get level over 90% of the time at the push of a button, never found the need for Jack's.
Wouldnt have a van without it now but I did get a very good improvement in ride after fitting Toyo tyres,. If I'd fitted those first I probably wouldn't have bother with the air.

Had it fitted in Belgium as TW wanted stupid money.
Takes 2 days to fit.
 
Beltie said:
What is your 'van?
Click to expand...

It says in my first post;

"MoHo is a 2011 Benimar Europe 740 on a Fiat Ducato. It's 7.3m and currently rated at 3.5, although we may get it uprated." :)
 
Lenny HB said:
I very much doubt it, its a specialised job.
There are quite a few VB agents in France not all deal in Motorhomes some only in trucks. Not sure what coverage Goldschmitt have.
Which ever system you go for it has to be installed by one of their agents.
Click to expand...
Sorry, got Air suspension and Air assist mixed up.

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Just fitting semi-air will not improve the ride by itself. We fitted it to upgrade the MAUW but were impressed with the improved handling, however it's still on the crashy Fiat Camper chassis. Just turn the radio up!
 
Simon Meadwell said:
So semi air wont stop the banging and crashing?
Click to expand...
If you are frequently bashing off the end of the travel on your suspension, then semi air does help. I had semi air on my previous van. It was resting on the assistors/bump stops even when empty and was riding very low all the time. Semi air did help with the big hits. But it didn't make much difference to general road imperfections.
 
TerryL said:
Just fitting semi-air will not improve the ride by itself. We fitted it to upgrade the MAUW but were impressed with the improved handling, however it's still on the crashy Fiat Camper chassis. Just turn the radio up!
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, turning the radio up (we actually don't even have it on) would do nothing to help calm my dog!

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