Here at AirRide we only sell parts that we would install on our own vehicles: high quality and built to last. Our kits are premium products which is reflected in the price. Every now and then we receive calls asking why our load supports kits are £700 for bags, brackets and Schrader valves when they've seen much cheaper products elsewhere. The very short answer is: because quality costs money!
We use some of the highest specification bags on the general market because many of our customers have motorhomes. Motorhomes are not vans, and need very different kits due to being heavily loaded all their life. We use 160 psi rated bags on most kits which have more laminations and thicker rubber than any we have seen available. They are also tested to an incredible 1000 psi for leaks - most of the bags used in the counterfeit kits explode (really they do) at significantly lower pressures.
A proper air suspension grade compressor alone costs about £240 yet we’ve seen cheap kits that include an “all metal” (plastic emergency tyre inflators in reality) compressor designed for use once or twice a year – suspension compressors are designed for daily/weekly use.
Hint:- If a compressor has crocodile clips, or a cigarette lighter plug on it, then it's certainly not a suspension grade compressor!!
Any real air suspension compressor is never, ever connected to the lighter plug, and will require a relay as it draws a lot of power.
Then there are unbranded or counterfeit airbags, usually coming from China or Eastern Europe from other companies (particularly eBay). eBay sellers also fraudulently claim “VOSA” compliance – which is both false and non existent, plus “4000 Kg” capacity which is also totally untrue, and unsupported by basic mathematics. Poorly designed or counterfeit brackets can actually damage your vehicle given the loads that are involved in air suspension and heavy motorhomes. We only supply proper suspension grade compressors, proper genuine highest quality and highest specification air bags/springs, and 6mm thick steel brackets with proper braces and supports. We replace a lot of the low quality eBay kits for proper specification kits – so please be aware that all air suspension is not the same and if you buy cheap, you can often buy twice, which clearly is not cheaper!
