At what tongue weight is it best to run air bags? (1 Viewer)

[Fisher23]

This is a question for an off road trailer with a 300 to 350 lb draw bar weight.

I would think not.. but asking as likely someone knows better

 

[rscoleman]

Tongue weight is is the downward force exerted at a vehicle-trailer coupling point when your trailer is hooked up for towing. The tongue weight should be about 10-15% of the gross trailer weight. Draw weight is maximum, horizontal pulling force that can be safely applied to a coupling device. The LC has max Tongue weight of 810lb, I think.
With that said air bags are to an extent a leveling device and load rate increase for springs and do not effect Tongue weight or Draw weight. They will stiffen up rear ride and remove suspension flex. I mostly tow a boat less than 3500lb it does next to nothing to stock suspension. I have pulled a 6500lb trailer and I used weight distribution hitch to level the LC against that load as I was at 700lb tongue weight. If I was towing over 5000lb on the regular I would have air bags and weight distribution hitch. Air bag to add extra load rating to rear springs (preferably adjustable bags so I can set the pressure to ride I like) and weight distribution hitch to smooth out ride and level load.

 

[JAS4]

Hmmm. I tow loads exceeding 6000 lbs frequently, and I want to offer something here, but I’m struggling with the premise - appropriateness of airbags as a function of tongue weight. I think it’s more helpful to think of them in terms of load support. For example, I would 100% install them again, even if I never towed, provided my use case included recurring combined loads anywhere close to the payload rating of the vehicle. I hate driving squatted vehicles, and airbags are so easy to live with and few to no downsides in my experience. YMMV.

 

[BadReligion]

For a light weight off road trailer (under 3k lb) you don't really need air bags. But if towing a heavy car trailer or travel trailer, they tow a lot better with more weight forward of the trailer axle. That may require 900-1000 lb of tongue weight. Which absolutely will require airbags.

 

[Sandroad]

This is a question for an off road trailer with a 300 to 350 lb draw bar weight.

I would think not.. but asking as likely someone knows better

What else are you asking of the rear springs? Lots of heavy gear? Heavy mods? Total weight matters, not just tongue weight. Do you know the loaded trailer tongue weight? Lots of people are surprised to find it’s often lot more than advertised dry weight. I suspect you’d find airbags helpful in your case.

 

[Fisher23]

Thanks everyone.