This kit has been used on many four wheel drive vans so we know it’s OK for standard two wheel drive and for four motion variants. It has around 5 inches of travel at the front and up to 9 inches of travel at the rear. High lift version has an additional potential 3 inches of lift (total 8 inches). Tested in various rough environments and known to be tough and reliable.

This image shows one of the early conversion running 22 inch rims in the lowest setting. 18, 19 or 20 inch wheels will be noticeable lower and also ride better, getting the most out of the air suspension conversion. Even on 22's you cannot turn the steering when fully down!

The same early conversion with the suspension lifted. Again with 18, 19 or 20 inch wheels this would look higher. This equates to the standard kit although every vehicle and wheel combination is different. More than enough lift to clear obstacles including speed ramps. Not enough to damage driveshaft joints.

Here we have the old style 2007 front struts with small bag, and armoured leader hose. Armoured hoses and not push in hoses are essential on all front struts. This bag was soon found to be rather small which compromised ride quality and handling. Its still the type of bag sold by many companies - it lifts, and it lowers but modern air suspension systems can do so much better, which is why we stopped using it within a year (see below).

This shows the rear in the fully down position. Again the use of 22's limits the drop but this allows easy loading when required and always looks cool. With the vehicle fully down no handbrake is needed - the body sits on the tyres on all wheel/tyre combinations we have seen. Extreme lowering helps considerably for access by some poeple and for motorcycles and other heavy objects.

Lift on the rear is around 9 inches maximum. Enough to clear any obstacles generally encountered. Ride quality fully up in compromised so it is intended for maneuvering speeds only, after which users return the vehicle to normal ride height. Tyre wear, handling and ride quality are all best close to the original ride height.

Older computer displays from around a decade ago look a little old fashioned these days and have been superseded but this shows the main functions that remain today. The display shows the pressure in each corner which is directly proportionate (within limits) to the height of the vehicle. From the pressure the user therefore knows the height.

All controllers allow full independent 4 corner control of the air suspension. In addition most have between 3 and 8 pre-set heights which the vehicle will lift to at the touch of a single button. On this vehicle 3 was set for max lift which you can see with the extreme pressure required. Another reason not to go for smaller bags.

Modern controllers not only look snazier, but the 3P controller is also very easy to install. Almost everything is integrated into the single unit and there are just 5 lines and 5 wires to hook up - contrast with many dozens for the old RidePro shown as well. Although listed as our budget controller the AirLift is a good value unit.

We quickly discovered that 5.75 or 6 inch bags (which still dominate the T5 market) were simply too small to achieve what air suspension has to offer. So very quickly we switched to bigger bags and in 2012 we developed our own strut using our own design of billet top cap. This is not available anywhere else as we own the intellectual property to this design.

This shows some of the pre-launch development units, which have all the correct double sided hose clamps, retain the anti roll bar (as required by law). these experimental units have additional fittings for experimenting with pre-load gases both in terms of mixture and pressure. Our own recipe is a secret and we soon discovered how unhelpful adjustable dampers/shocks were.

Under no circumstances should a push in nylon line be used directly into a front strut. Its simple not durable, safe or legal for road use. You can also see the 7 inch bag is the biggest that will fit without rubbing and failing. Correct brake hose and sensor fittings are also still in use.

The Transporter is a heavy beast. Standard vehicle vary between 2600Kg and 3000Kg max, with the mighty T32 up to 3200Kg and all vehicles easily re-rated for an additional 200-225Kg. With this sort of weight items designed for a 1200-1400Kg VW Golf simply are not up to the job. Hence they break. Everything we sell for the VW T5 and T6 is designed with durability in mind and based on well over a decade of manufacturing our own conversion kit for this vehicle.

Although the notes on this page focus upon the struts, the rear bags are just as important. Slim 5 inch and 5.5 inch bags that we have seen offered by some will lift and lower but they wont handle or die well. so we don't use them. We use the correct bag for the job - not the easiest to fit.

The rear kit in powder coated metal is strong and durable. The unique alignment adjusters are included to ensure that the bag is perfectly aligned (this make a massive difference to durability and so lift potential of the kit). Many customers with motorhome fit schrader valve kits to inflate the air springs but we highly recommend the on board air control system to get the most from your air suspension.

We are also able to offer "special purpose" air suspension kits for the VW T5 Transporter. the standard kit listed is designed to prioritise comfort, and drops around 100mm from standard, with a 100mm range. We also offer a Mega-lift kit which drops 100mm and allows 200mm range (100mm lift and 100mm drop) which is ideal for vehicles used for forestry and agricultural uses that need additional clearance now and then. We also offer a Mega-drop kit which drops around 160mm from standard with a 100mm range. Results may vary depending upon model and wheels fitted and are for guidance only. Price for Mega-lift and Mega-drop are around £300 extra from the prices listed below.

The T32 is the heavy variant of the Transporter and as the name suggests has a maximum weight of 3200Kg. To achieve this it uses different suspension. The front struts and hubs are completely different, and far heavier in construction. The vehicle also benefits from air suspension so we also doa kti for the T32 - the dampers on a T32 weight more and are thicker metal.

The rear kit in powder coated metal is strong and durable. The unique alignment adjusters are included to ensure that the bag is perfectly aligned (this make a massive difference to durability and so lift potential of the kit). Many customers with motorhome fit schrader valve kits to inflate the air springs but we highly recommend the on board air control system to get the most from your air suspension.

We are also able to offer "special purpose" air suspension kits for the VW T5 Transporter. the standard kit listed is designed to prioritise comfort, and drops around 100mm from standard, with a 100mm range. We also offer a Mega-lift kit which drops 100mm and allows 200mm range (100mm lift and 100mm drop) which is ideal for vehicles used for forestry and agricultural uses that need additional clearance now and then. We also offer a Mega-drop kit which drops around 160mm from standard with a 100mm range. Results may vary depending upon model and wheels fitted and are for guidance only. Price for Mega-lift and Mega-drop are around £300 extra from the prices listed below.

The full 4 wheel air suspension conversion kit for the VW T5 Transporter fits all vehicles from 2003 to 2016 (and we also have kits for the T6 2016 onwards). The kit is a simple bolt on conversion requiring only a few holes to be drilled, and can be reversed later if you trade your vehicle in (or lease it) and wish to take the kit to a newer van later. Only the highest quality components are used throughout, and are chosen for reliability over any other factor. The basic non management kit is just the front strut and rear bag kit without any compressor, controller, or management. Various options are available and the most popular is the basic kit which includes a manual controller. Other options include remotes, solenoids and computers. Twin tanks and twin compressors are also available as additional options. This kit has been designed to be diy friendly and is rated for very competent DIY fitment or local garage fitment.