Air suspension needs air to work. For the most basic Motorhome and van systems this may not be on board the vehicle and they are sometimes inflated from a normal tyre inflator at a workshop or petrol station.

Those vehicles without on-board air generation are very much in the minority. Most systems have a small compressor which generates the air and fills a tank.

The compressor is really a small air pump powered from the vehicles 12v dc electrical supply. the motor turns and pumps the air into a tank (normally) to store a reservoir of pressurised air for immediate use anytime you want.

Old style compressors are large, heavy, noisy, and unreliable – see below.

These compressors are very reliable and come with the stainless leader hose pre-fitted and pre-tested – they never leak (unlike the ones at the top), and draw a predictable electrical load (unlike the ones at the top). As a bonus they are also lighter and quieter.

Top spec air installations will often use 2 of these units to ensure tanks are filled quicker, and to reduce the load on each compressor.

Cheaper Firestone units are good compressors, but are often rated at only 7% duty cycle (use it for 7 minutes then leave it for an hour and a half before you use it again!!!), and some are quoted by firestone as designed for use 2 or 3 times a week. despite being totally unsuited to many custom air installs cheap skate suppliers still insist on using them.

Our compressors are rated at 100% duty cycle at 100 Psi, and go to 200 Psi.