Christine

The Sales Office will close at 5 PM today and reopen at 9:30 AM on Tuesday April 22. Our call centre staff will also be on an Easter break so there will be no phone service during the Easter weekend. You're welcome to email and we'll respond to general enquiries next week.

Automated in stock orders placed via our website during this time may be dispatched over the Easter period. Please note that some courier companies, whilst accepting shipments, will not deliver them on public holidays.

We know that many customers install products on weekends and bank holidays so if you require technical assistance then please email us at  ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK  using the subject ‘Technical’ and we will endeavour to reply to your query within 24 hours.

Just a few years ago campers were dominated by VW Transporter and Mercedes Sprinter whereas Fiat Ducato reigned supreme when it came to motorhomes. These days we see more and more Ford based campervans and motorhomes. Are you among the owners of these vehicles? We can help!

Ford Transit Custom / Swift Monza

Whether you want to equip your camper with a front and rear lowering kit or  just a rear load support kit, we've got you covered! The load support kit is a cost effective solution to improve ride quality and lift the camper up and is installed in addition to the leaf spring.

These kits only fit Gen 1 Transit Custom based campers, contact us if yours is Gen 2.

Ford Transit campers and motorhomes

Swift and Chausson are among companies that have added Ford based motorhomes to their range. If you have one of those, the first thing we need to know is whether your vehicle is RWD or FWD as they require different bags and brackets. RWD vehicles with a single rear wheel have several slightly different chassis designs and we would need a picture of the rear axle/bump stop area to identity which variant of the kit fits your Ford. The twin rear wheel kit is available here.

Load support for FWD is available here.

Please note that these are load support kits and they can only lift the camper/motorhome up and lower it back to the original height. Load support kits cannot go any lower than the stock height.

Require air suspension for the front? The front struts are available HERE.

Key Features:

• Heavy Duty Double-Convoluted Boss Air Bags: Standard in every kit for exceptional durability and performance. Rated to 1100 Kg per side per side above axle capacity - more than you'll ever need in real life! Depending on the vehicle, they will be either Boss Extreme Series 2500 or Boss 2600. 
• Heavy-Duty Steel Brackets: Ensures a secure, reliable installation. Made by us here in Norwich using British steel.
• Schrader Valves: For easy inflation and deflation.

If you wish to have an in cab controller, various onboard air management options are available from the drop-down menu. Please note that air management is required if your camper/motorhome has air on all four corners.

Why Buy From Us?

• 25 years industry experience: Our staff were first introduced to air suspension just as it became known here in the UK in the early 2000s, learning, growing and evolving with the industry. Some of our products have been on the market for almost as long as the vehicles they were made for (VWT5) or don't have a bolt on equivalent on the market (Vauxhall Vivaro/Renault Trafic).
• High quality, durable, air suspension grade parts:  We only sell parts that we would use on our own vehicles. We want you to enjoy many happy trips in your camper/motorhome, not worrying about strange noises, rapidly dropping pressure, malfunctioning compressor or cracked or bent brackets - all of which we've seen on people's vehicles when they came to us for help.
• Family owned: By supporting us, you're supporting an independent local business.
• Local manufacturing:  We design and make our products here in Norwich. For instance, the brackets are made from locally sourced steel and welding is done on site.
• Tech support: Since we've been selling air suspension products for so long and design a lot of them ourselves, we can offer quality technical support. We know our products unlike some of our competitors who write on their website that they cannot provide any more information beyond what's already on the product page. Most people who buy air suspension are not industry specialists, they have questions and want to speak to someone who can answer them.
  

  Get in Touch

  If you need more information, or are looking for a lowering kit, we’re here to help! Call us at 0800 772 0315 or email us at ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK - our team is always happy to assist.

Every now and then we get enquiries about truck, bus and industrial airbags. Our company specialises in airbags for road use and vehicles up to 4.5t:cars, pickups, vans, campers and motorhomes. The only exception is Iveco Daily, we have a kit that suits Daily Cs up to 7.2t. The biggest airbag that we have in our range is the 7 inch Boss 2600. The bulk of our business is load support kits and van struts and, currently, we don't have plans to extend our product range any further. Therefore, we are unable to help supplying truck, bus or industrial airbags.

2024 has been a very busy year for us and there's still plenty left to do so this year our festive break will be rather short. Our Christmas/New Years opening hours will be:

December 23 - business open as usual

December 24 - CLOSED (calls will be answered by our call centre staff 9am - 3pm)

December 25 - CLOSED (no calls, you're welcome to email 😊)

December 26 - CLOSED (no calls, you're welcome to email 😊) 

December 27 - CLOSED (no calls, you're welcome to email 😊) 

December 30 - business open as usual

December 31 - business open as usual

January 1 - CLOSED (no calls, you're welcome to email 😊) 

January 2 - business open as usual

Please note that our call centre staff cannot assist beyond taking messages and we won't be able to do any callbacks before Dec 30. Emails will not be monitored between Dec 24-26. There will be limited email support available on Dec 27.

What if you want to place an order? Automated in stock orders placed via our website will be dispatched over the Bank Holiday period but if something is needed urgently please email us beforehand. If you need to pay by bank transfer (trade customer, ordering from abroad) and require an invoice, please let us know which product/-s you require, you would also need to email us your contact details (phone number and delivery address). Made-to-order items will be manufactured in the New Year.

We know that many customers install products over the festive period so if you require technical assistance then please email us at  ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK  using the subject 'Technical' so we could spot and get back to you quicker.

We would like to thank all our customers and hope that you're thoroughly enjoying your genuine AirRide products. As for those customers whose orders we're currently manufacturing... we're looking forward to dispatch them to you soon! In the meantime, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Bags for Coilovers: Can We Help?

We’ve recently noticed a surge in inquiries about air bags for coilovers. While this is a question we’ve been asked occasionally in the past, the recent spike in interest appears to have coincided with the closure of a competitor that previously supplied these products.

The Short Answer

Can we help? The short answer is no. In most cases, it’s easier, more reliable, and more cost-effective to invest in a dedicated air suspension kit rather than trying to adapt coilovers with air bags.

The Longer Answer

Air bags for coilovers present several challenges that make them less than ideal for road use:

• Ride Quality Issues: Coilovers paired with air bags often have spring and damper rates that are too stiff or unsuitable for comfortable road use. Our focus has always been on achieving excellent ride quality alongside adjustability for lowering, which coilover setups rarely achieve when combined with air bags.
• Threaded Coilovers and Reliability: Many coilovers have threaded bodies for height adjustment, which can be problematic when paired with air bags. Over time, these threads can become unreliable, leading to leaks or alignment issues.
• Space Constraints: Vehicles often lack sufficient space for the proper diameter air bags that would provide a comfortable ride. Narrow or undersized bags may fit, but they won’t deliver the performance or durability needed for real-world driving conditions.
• Universal Air Bag Option: While we do sell a universal air bag that doesn’t rely on sealing to fragile coilover threads, this option is highly limited by space constraints. It’s rarely a practical solution for heavy vehicles, and although 6 inches in diameter does not perform like a 6 inch bag. It works brilliants on lighter vehicles when no direct fit application is available. Available HERE.

Our Recommendation

If you’re considering adding air bags to your vehicle, we strongly recommend converting to a full air suspension system. Air suspension kits are purpose-built, offering benefits that retrofitted systems with threaded bodies cannot match.

• Matched Air Bags: The air bags are specifically matched to the application, ensuring the correct size, durability, and performance for the vehicle.
• Calibrated Damper Rates: The damper rates are designed for air bags, not coil springs, providing optimal ride quality and adjustability.
• Compatible Mounts: The bag mounts are designed to seat securely against the damper body, ensuring compatibility and proper function.

By contrast, retrofitting air bags to coilovers is often a hit-and-miss process. The original components were not designed for air bags, leading to unreliable sealing and inconsistent performance. In addition, the limited compatibility of bag sizes can compromise both ride quality and safety.

Converting to a purpose-built air suspension system delivers superior ride comfort, reliable performance, and full adjustability for both height and handling.

Need Help Choosing the Right Kit?

Our team is here to guide you in selecting the best air suspension solution for your vehicle. Call us or email us - we’ll be happy to assist you!

Air suspension systems are known for their exceptional reliability, and under normal circumstances, O-rings typically don’t require replacement unless the struts have been disassembled or the vehicle has been stored for an extended period. In such cases, servicing the air suspension components, including replacing O-rings, is essential to ensure optimal performance.

At our online store, we offer a range of high-quality O-rings specifically designed for our own brand of air suspension struts, as well as for TA Technix struts.

You can find a selection of these O-rings in our shop HERE.

If you're looking for a specific size that isn’t listed, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We may be able to source other sizes to suit your needs. Feel free to give us a call at 0800 772 0315 or email us at ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK, and our team will be happy to assist you.

Navigating the Unpredictable Air Suspension Market

The air suspension market can be unpredictable, especially when it comes to demand for specific products. Take load support kits, for example. We keep plenty of stock for the most popular vans in the UK, but even with careful planning, demand can surprise us. Some kits may go unsold for a while, only for us to suddenly receive a surge of inquiries for a product we hadn’t anticipated. Trends, especially for pickups, shift rapidly, making demand difficult to forecast.

For instance, our 2015+ Toyota Hilux Load Support Kits were flying off the shelves for a while. Then, with the launch of the new Isuzu D-Max, interest shifted dramatically, and we sold countless D-Max kits instead. Now, the spotlight has turned to our latest bestseller: the Ford Ranger Raptor Load Support Kit (Gen 1 and Gen 2, 2019 onwards). It’s one of our most sought-after products, and we’re already wondering which vehicle will take centre stage next. It’s always exciting to see how customer needs evolve!

About Our Load Support Kits

Our load support kits are designed to complement your vehicle’s standard suspension, providing additional support when carrying heavy loads. They help keep the vehicle level, reduce sag, and improve ride quality under load.

Key Features:

• Double-Convoluted Air Bags: Standard in every kit for exceptional durability and performance.
• Optional Triple-Convoluted Upgrade: For even greater load-carrying capacity.
• Heavy-Duty Steel Brackets: Ensures a secure, reliable installation.
• Schrader Valves: For easy inflation and deflation.

If you’re looking to enhance functionality, you can add onboard air management options via the drop-down menu. These systems allow you to control your suspension on the go, providing maximum convenience and flexibility. Check out the ‘Options’ tab for more details.

Unmatched Quality

At the heart of our kits are Boss Air Bags, some of the toughest on the market. Rated to an astonishing 1100 Kg per side above axle capacity, these bags provide far more strength than you’ll ever need in real-world applications. They’ve been rigorously tested to ensure durability and performance you can trust.

The brackets, made from heavy-duty steel, are designed to handle the demanding loads of vehicles like the Ford Ranger Raptor. Together, these components ensure you’ll enjoy years of reliable performance and peace of mind.

Available Now for the Ford Ranger Raptor

The Ford Ranger Raptor Load Support Kit is available for purchase now. Whether you’re preparing for heavy-duty work or just looking to improve ride stability, this kit delivers everything you need.

The Ford Ranger Raptor Load Support Kit is available for purchase HERE.

Get in Touch

If you have questions, need more information, or are looking for a kit for another Ford Ranger model, we’re here to help! Call us at 0800 772 0315 or email us at ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK - our team is always happy to assist.

What's the weight of air suspension?

One of the most common questions motorhome owners ask us about front struts is regarding their weight. This concern is completely understandable - many motorhomes operate near their maximum weight capacity for much of their life. Owners are naturally cautious about adding extra weight, particularly when it comes to modifications or upgrades.

Comparing Weights: Original vs. Air Suspension Struts

The original Fiat Ducato front struts, commonly found on motorhomes (and its variants, the Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Relay, and RAM ProMaster, produced from 2014 onwards), weigh approximately 14.5 kg each. In comparison, our air suspension struts for these models weigh just 12 kg each, resulting in a weight saving of 2.5 kg per side.

This weight reduction can provide flexibility, allowing you to install other upgrades like a Viair compressor or additional accessories, without worrying about exceeding your vehicle’s weight limits.

Lightweight Air Suspension Components

Air suspension components are surprisingly lightweight, making them an excellent choice for weight-conscious motorhome owners. For example:

• Aluminium Air Tanks: Weigh less than 3 kg.
• Airlines, Fittings, and Controllers: Add negligible weight.
• Rear-End Load Support Kits: Typically add 10 - 15 kg to the vehicle's weight, depending on the air bag and bracket size. These kits are designed to work alongside the existing suspension for better load handling without significantly increasing overall weight.

Our complete rear conversion kits, which fully replace the leaf springs with air suspension, generally add 30 - 50 kg to the vehicle’s weight, depending on the vehicle and setup.

Special Cases: Kits That Add Weight

There are two key exceptions where air suspension kits add weight to your motorhome:

• AL-KO Load Support Kit: Our AL-KO load support kit for Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Relay, and RAM ProMaster (2014 onwards) motorhomes is installed in addition to the existing suspension. This kit adds approximately 35 kg to the vehicle’s weight, as no components are removed during the installation. While this adds weight, it delivers substantial benefits, including enhanced load support and significantly improved ride quality - making it an excellent upgrade for many motorhome owners.
• Leaf Spring Conversion Kits: Our leaf spring conversion kits, which replace the original suspension and allow the vehicle to lift and lower, typically add 30 - 50 kg to the overall weight. These kits provide enhanced functionality, such as improved ground clearance, better ride comfort, and easier loading and unloading, making them a popular choice for motorhome enthusiasts.

High-Quality, Custom-Made Struts

Our air suspension front struts for the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Relay, and RAM ProMaster (2014 onwards) are custom-made to order in our workshop in Norwich. Each strut is built to the highest standard of quality, precision, and attention to detail, ensuring it meets the unique needs of your vehicle.

For more details or to purchase, visit our shop's dedicated page for the Fiat Ducato Air Front Strut.

If you own a motorhome, camper, or van based on a different chassis, we also offer struts for a range of other makes and models. Be sure to check out our full selection for compatibility with your vehicle.

Get in Touch

Need more information? Our team is here to help!
- Call us: 0800 772 0315
- Email us: ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK

Important Information About AL-KO Chassis Kits

We often receive inquiries about air suspension kits for the “old shape” Ducato, Boxer, and Relay motorhomes with AL-KO chassis numbers starting with X230/X244. Unfortunately, our AL-KO kits are only compatible with the newer X250/X290/X295 chassis.

Identifying Your Chassis

While the changeover year for the new chassis was 2006, it’s important to note:

• Motorhomes, especially A-class models, take time to build and may remain unsold at dealerships for years.
• If your motorhome was first registered in 2006 or 2007, it might still have the older chassis.

To determine your chassis type, check the chassis number. If you’re unable to locate it, feel free to send us photos of the vehicle’s front. However, for A-class models, photos may not be sufficient to confirm the chassis type.

Why We Don’t Offer Kits for Pre-2006 AL-KO Chassis

Older motorhomes—some now over 25 years old—may need a suspension upgrade as they age. We understand these vehicles hold sentimental value, but unfortunately, we cannot provide an AL-KO kit for pre-2006 (ish) chassis due to significant design limitations:

• Space Constraints: The old shape chassis doesn’t have enough room for our air bags to function effectively.
• Performance Issues: Tiny 3-inch air bags used on older designs provide minimal lift and negligible ride quality improvements. These setups are inadequate for tackling common challenges like ferry boarding or rural site access.

We use Firestone 9000 air bags in our kits—the same bags trusted in ambulances and heavy-duty vehicles. These bags require at least one inch of clearance to expand fully and deliver noticeable benefits. Unfortunately, the space on the old chassis isn’t sufficient for these high-performing bags.

Why We Don’t Sell Alternative Kits

While other manufacturers produce kits for the older chassis, they typically rely on undersized air bags that fail to provide meaningful improvements. These kits are too lightweight to resolve grounding issues or improve ride comfort and, in our view, do not offer good value for money. At AirRide, we only supply products that meet our high performance standards.

The Good News

For post-2006 AL-KO chassis (X250/X290/X295), our kits offer superior support and ride quality. Benefits include:

• Enhanced Comfort: Smoother rides even on uneven roads.
• Improved Clearance: Lift capability to handle ferries and rough rural sites.
• Proven Durability: Reliable components built for heavy-duty use.

If you’re unsure about your motorhome’s compatibility or need advice, our team is happy to help. Call us or email us today!

We offer a wide range of pick-up kits on the website, they are all load support kits and are therefore installed in addition to the existing suspension - usually leaf spring (although some vehicles do have coil springs). As the name suggests, the kits are designed to support heavily loaded vehicles. Load support improves stability and handling, reduces roll, lifts sagging vehicles to reduce or prevent grounding and assists with towing. They are rear-only kits.

If you wish to add front struts, these are not readily available and would be made to order. Prices start from £1999 depending on customer requirements.

We also receive a few enquiries about lowering kits for pick-ups. That is not something we currently offer as bolt on kits because there isn't enough demand. We can supply universal parts, prices start from £1900. Universal parts do not fit any vehicle directly and will require cutting/welding/grinding on your end to install on the vehicle, and is highly labour intensive.

We supply quite a lot of kits for commercial use pickups, some with fifth wheels and some converted to demountable campers. The load support kits we offer do a wonderful job in these specialist areas, and if you need more information then please call us on 0800 772 0315 or send an email to  ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK

Although our main business is the manufacturing and sales of bolt on kits, every month we receive a dozen or so enquiries asking whether we can make a custom kit. Most of the time it's for vehicles where no air suspension solution exists (for instance, classic cars) but sometimes it's because the customer is trying to achieve something very specific, for instance, a 9 inch drop on a Merc or a 6 inch lift on a Porsche (this week's examples) and none of the existing air suspension kits can offer that.

We have some incredibly experienced staff here at AirRide with a background in custom car building and engineering meaning we can take on some very challenging projects and come up with air suspension solutions that no-one else had successfully brought to the market. The downside is that it costs. A lot. For instance, we'd charge about £5000 for parts and labour to install a bolt on kit. For custom work, prices start from £6000 and that's for simpler projects where the universal parts need only minor tweaking in order to fit the vehicle and achieve customer requirements.

For larger projects with lots of fabrication, testing and development costs can range between £10 000 - 15 000. We once had a customer who spent £20 000 with us to develop a super custom product, and traders wanting a fully developed conversion can spend double that.  Sometimes, when we quote them, potential customers think we're taking the mickey and just email them random prices because we don't want to do the work. This is not the case. Developing an air suspension kit involves far more than putting together some airbags and plates, mounting them onto the vehicle and running airline. Whilst that will get you lifting up and down its not a developed air suspension conversion which needs a whole lot more work. On some projects it can take hundreds of hours to design and manufacture brackets and that's before testing - we've had occasions when what should work in theory does not work in practice meaning the brackets needed re-designing which resulted in dozens of hours added to the project which, inevitably, drives up the cost. And that's just the air suspension part! Cutting of the subframe and other parts of the vehicle might also be required, depending on what the customer is trying to achieve. A properly developed air suspension conversion does not just go up and down - it needs to ride right, and clear so the bags don't get damaged. That takes a lot longer to complete.

We're upfront about this and have advised people in the past against air suspension. For instance, sometimes people have a pickup truck, which naturally sits high up, and an aging dog and they want to be able to lower it for them. In this case we advise to either get a ramp or consider changing vehicles.

The same goes for motorhomes and campers that are 30+ years old. Yes, we can put it on air but it's often more cost effective to sell the recreational vehicle if the ride quality is so bad and buy a newer one?

Another common reaction, when we explain the potential costs, is for people to ask if we could send them the custom parts to save on labour costs. The answer is no. Custom means that the parts are designed from scratch here in Norwich and they're designed and tested for fit on the vehicle. We absolutely need the vehicle here and it has to stay in our workshop for the duration of the project. It's not possible to leave it here for a day so we could take measurements, drive home and come back some time later to pick up the parts. Custom kits can take anything between 6 weeks and 12 weeks to design and make and the vehicle needs to be with us the entire time. There is no other way. Asking for custom parts to be sent to you without the vehicle coming here is a bit like phoning up a plastic surgeon and asking if they can do the treatment without you being present.

Questions? Please call us on 0800 772 0315 or send an email to  ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK

This post is intended for people who're considering equipping their vehicle with air suspension. If you've purchased a camper/motorhome that already has air suspension but it didn't come with any instructions then our basic setup guide is AVAILABLE HERE.

Rear kit for leaf spring/AL-KO

Around 75% of all  UK motorhomes are Fiat Ducato/Citroen Jumper and Relay/Peugeot Boxer based, followed by Mercedes Sprinter/VW Crafter and Ford Transit. We supply kits for all of them, and quite a few more too. In fact almost all UK sold vans, motorhomes or minibuses.

We supply kits for both AL-KO (2006+ vehicles) and leaf spring (1994+) chassis for Ducato/Jumper/Relay/Boxer motorhomes and leaf spring chassis kits for other motorhomes.

The most popular option is load support, which replaces the bump stop with heavy duty airbags. This kit will lift your camper/motorhome, improve handling and ride quality. It will not make your vehicle go any lower than it already is - for that you need an entirely different kit, which is called "full rear" - and we have a selection available on our website for the most popular vehicles. These load support kit also known as auxiliary suspension or semi-suspension also have a place in the procedure for re-rating the vehicles.

All our load support kits use heavy duty, 6 mm steel brackets that are designed to cope with the loads involved and won't slip, bend or break. Beware of kits with 4 mm brackets - it might not sound like much of a difference but it is: 4 mm brackets are inadequate for heavy vehicles (campers and every motorhome!) and will bend under pressure, affecting the ride quality, damaging airbags and leading to costly repairs.

A few years ago, we switched to Boss Air Suspension bags and have never looked back. Boss produces the toughest bags on the market. We've praised them in blog posts in the past and for a very good reason - Boss bags have phenomenal load capacity, more than 1t per side on top of the axle capacity, and they're virtually indestructible. The only way to destroy a Boss bag is by installing it incorrectly, or driving the vehicle with no air pressure in the airbag (same with all bags tbh), which is why its particularly important to check you vehicle if its not used over the winter.

Of course, everything mentioned above means we are charge more for our kits than our competitors and we understand that it's tempting to look elsewhere trying to save money. After all, air suspension is air suspension and all airbags are the same, right? Wrong! Really cheap kits include thin brackets that could cause serious damage to your camper/motorhome and light duty bags that might be OK on an empty van that occasionally carries loads. This is totally unsuitable for campers/motorhomes that are heavy even when empty. Even if the thin brackets will stay in place, the light duty bags won't be able to do much if anything to help your ride quality. We once had a customer who had already spent around £1300 to fit load support that made no difference. We inspected the vehicle and saw the usual combo: a light duty kit with an emergency tyre inflator compressor (designed to be used 1-2 times a year) instead of an air suspension compressor. It took forever to pump air into the bags and that wasn't even the worst news we had to deliver: the kit was the wrong kit for that vehicle. We had to replace the entire kit and on board air system with proper air suspension parts to get the customer what he wanted, what he needed, and what he had already paid for! Remember buy right, buy once.

Rear kit for coil spring campers

If your camper has coil spring on the rear,  such as the hugely popular VW Transporter, then our rear kit will replace the existing suspension, meaning you can lift and lower the rear of the vehicle. We supply kits for T25/T3, T4, T5 and T6, as well as Vitos/V-class and Vivaro/Trafic.

Front kit

Although a rear kit can make a huge difference, we get asked about front air suspension a lot. Fiat Ducato front struts are among our best selling products, followed by VW T5/T6 struts. We can supply struts for most vans, including the new VW Crafter and Mercedes Sprinter, Vivaro and Vito's. If your camper/motorhome has struts on the front, we can make air suspension struts for it! They are all made to order using the highest quality OEM spec twin tube shocks - we dont use motorsport type single tube dampers as our customers don't race their vans on circuits, and prioritise comfort and durability.

On board air

"Do I need on board air?" is one of the most frequently asked questions. It depends has to be the answer. A big proportion of our customers simply want to lift up their sagging motorhome and don't need the option to adjust air pressure on the go. For them, basic Schrader valves are a suitable solution. For customers who want to adjust height and pressure on a regular basis, we recommend adding one of our On Board Air (OBA) options. Standard OBA is great value for money and is designed for weekly adjustment. For more frequent adjustment we recommend the higher spec Premium OBA. About 20 years ago only 1:20 customers went for full OBA, however as knowledge has spread about the benefits of actually being able to adjust the suspension (it easily doubles the effectiveness) then that ration is now almost 1:2.

Some of our customers opt to buy a basic kit with Schrader valves and add OBA later, if required, and if you are not sure or want to spread the cost this can be a good way to go. Please note that this does not work on all vehicles. On board air is always required on vehicles with both front and rear air suspension. Tip:- If you have grounding issues of any kind then you DO need OBA.

Any questions? Can't find your vehicle? Call us on 0800 772 0315 or send an email to ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK

We'd like to thank all our customers for their support and wish them a happy Easter! We might not have the best weather ahead with wind and rain predictions but hey, when has that stood in the way of British bank holidays?!

The Sales Office will reopen on April 2. Orders for in stock items placed during the Easter holidays will be dispatched next week.

Every now and then customers ask us why there are no flexi hoses with our struts. We don’t use them in our AirRide Custom kits. TA Technix and AirRide Gold kits don’t come with them either. AirLift Performance is the only one of our suppliers that continues to use flexi hoses.

Previously we did use braided lines on AirRide Custom products for about 15 years but that changed a few years ago when there were two incidents of professionally fitted garage installations where the braided lines were not fitted to the standard we would expect, and because the braiding is very tough, they touched and wore through the brake lines. Fortunately, there were no accidents just brake fluid leaks, but it caused us to reassess, and we started using nylon lines instead. Although there is a massive visual difference between a braided metal hose and a ¼ inch nylon airline, correctly fitted nylon push to connect lines work very reliably indeed!

Still having doubts? Statistically, we have not had any reports of nylon line failure, and the only reports we do get are mile 1 errors – where they were not routed properly and pulled out before the vehicle left the garage. So particular attention should be paid to the routing of the line where it transitions from strut to chassis. If you are using 3/8 or 1/2 line then the transition will be very difficult/impossible which is why we tend to use 1/4 on almost all installs. This is because larger lines need a larger radius - i.e. they don't go around sharp corners well.

When fitted correctly, the lines should follow the same sort of route as the brake lines and sensor lines (a large 180) and should be well secured and well checked during installation. They should be carefully checked again after 50 miles and then again after 500 miles. Regardless of if you have a braided line or nylon line regular inspection of the strut lines should be a part of regular upkeep on your air suspension system.

Need more information? Please call us on 0800 772 0315 or send an email to  ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK

Our range of van struts just got bigger! The new Sprinters and Crafters, following the end of the Mercedes and VW partnership in 2017, now have struts on the front. It looks like the Crafters got equipped with front struts instead of the original transverse leaf spring some time before Sprinters made the same step but we don't have exact changeover years yet. Therefore, if you have a 2018+ Sprinter or Crafter, just look underneath to see what suspension it has on the front. If in doubt turn the wheel and send a picture. We are always happy to advise.

The rear suspension is still essentially the same but likely to change in near future. We have several options available depending on your requirements and vehicle specs, from load support to lowering kits.

The new air struts use Boss bags, the toughest and highest capacity bag of its type on the market. They are our personal favourite, and are built on original cores. Suitable for a variety of applications, from commercial vehicles to campers and motorhomes.

Various air management options are available to match the chosen air suspension setup: rear only, front only or front and rear.

We get asked about the Sprinter/Crafter front kit for vans with the transverse leaf spring. We did develop a kit some years ago but it was designed for custom low rider vans with emphasis on the drop, not comfort. It is far too complex  (using a combination of hydraulics and air suspension) for campers and motorhomes and therefore we are unable to supply it. There won’t be another front kit aimed at campers and motorhomes either – any development work takes between 6-12 months of continuous work, trial and error, and costs tens of thousands of pounds. As a small, independent business we need to be really selective about the projects we undertake. As much as we love a challenge and bringing a new air suspension product to the market, if we don’t believe there’s enough demand (we may need to sell 100 kits just to break even on some projects) then it’s not financially viable for us to do it.

Our range of van struts is AVAILABLE HERE.

Questions? Call us on 0800 772 0315 or send an email to ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK