Thoughts on Auto Level in Rams

[Robert B]

I’ve been looking around at trucks and found some of the 18 Ram 3500’s have factory auto level.

Anyone here have any experience with this setup and tow a 5ther?

Thanks

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by Robert B

I’ve been looking around at trucks and found some of the 18 Ram 3500’s have factory auto level.

Anyone here have any experience with this setup and tow a 5ther?

Thanks

I ordered it on my 2500 Ram and love it. Better ride when towing and also it makes it easier to hook up my tt as I just lower the truck and do not need to raise the tt as much. Think it would work great also with the 5er. Later RJD

[Robert B]

Originally Posted by aceinspp

I ordered it on my 2500 Ram and love it. Better ride when towing and also it makes it easier to hook up my tt as I just lower the truck and do not need to raise the tt as much. Think it would work great also with the 5er. Later RJD

Curious, do the 2500’s have coils or leafs in the rear?
The 3500 has leafs.

[ependydad]

I have it on my 2018 Ram 3500 dually/crew cab/long bed. With my 2012 Ram 3500 dually/crew cab/long bed, I would get people flashing their high beams at me with my old rig (3,000 lbs. of pin weight) and new rig (3,400 lbs. of pin weight). That doesn't happen with the air bags.

I can say that for whatever reason, the new 2018 is a harsher unloaded ride. I don't know if it's the air bags or what. But this new truck really seems to beat us up.

When unhitching, you have to disable the air bag system. If you don't, when you take the pin weight off of the truck bed, the system dumps the air bags which then binds the fifth wheel hitch against the king pin. We found that out the first time unhitching.

We get the camper settled to where we need it to be and then I go into the on-screen menus and enable "Tire Jack Mode". This keeps the air pressure as it was until you move the truck. We unhitch and pull the truck forward which it then dumps out the air.

Hitching up is nice because the inflating helps with the landing gear and gets everything set for the pull test. Once the weight is on the truck/hitch, the system auto inflates the bags. This puts the landing gear just an inch or so off the ground. We kick out the boards, I pull test, and then we finish raising the landing gear and pulling chocks out.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by Robert B

Curious, do the 2500’s have coils or leafs in the rear?
The 3500 has leafs.

The 2500 has coil springs. Later RJD

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I have it on my 2018 Ram 3500 dually/crew cab/long bed. With my 2012 Ram 3500 dually/crew cab/long bed, I would get people flashing their high beams at me with my old rig (3,000 lbs. of pin weight) and new rig (3,400 lbs. of pin weight). That doesn't happen with the air bags.

I can say that for whatever reason, the new 2018 is a harsher unloaded ride. I don't know if it's the air bags or what. But this new truck really seems to beat us up.

When unhitching, you have to disable the air bag system. If you don't, when you take the pin weight off of the truck bed, the system dumps the air bags which then binds the fifth wheel hitch against the king pin. We found that out the first time unhitching.

We get the camper settled to where we need it to be and then I go into the on-screen menus and enable "Tire Jack Mode". This keeps the air pressure as it was until you move the truck. We unhitch and pull the truck forward which it then dumps out the air.

Hitching up is nice because the inflating helps with the landing gear and gets everything set for the pull test. Once the weight is on the truck/hitch, the system auto inflates the bags. This puts the landing gear just an inch or so off the ground. We kick out the boards, I pull test, and then we finish raising the landing gear and pulling chocks out.

I'm guessing your harsher ride is due to the leaf spring set up. My trucks rides very smoothly compared to my Chevy I had and also with the tt in tow it smooths out the ride a lot on the wash boarding on concrete roads.
Little confused as to you saying you have to dump the air. I guess not having all the weight you have your truck does different things compared to mine. When I get ready to unhook I lower the truck then use the power jack to lift tt off ball. Drive out and then raise truck to normal. BTW what new truck still old in signature Later RJD

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by aceinspp

I'm guessing your harsher ride is due to the leaf spring set up. My trucks rides very smoothly compared to my Chevy I had and also with the tt in tow it smooths out the ride a lot on the wash boarding on concrete roads.
Little confused as to you saying you have to dump the air. I guess not having all the weight you have your truck does different things compared to mine. When I get ready to unhook I lower the truck then use the power jack to lift tt off ball. Drive out and then raise truck to normal. BTW what new truck still old in signature Later RJD

Thanks for the signature reminder.. it's only been 6 months. Funny, though- it was literally a 1-character change!

I think the new truck and my older 2012 were both leaf springs. I guess with the increase in payload/GVWR (12,300 vs. 14,000), they had to stiffen things up somewhere.

[Lins]

Originally Posted by aceinspp

The 2500 has coil springs. Later RJD

Not with the air suspension, it's bags only in that case.

[-lenny-]

I have auto level on my 15 Mega Cab dually. I love it, and have not had any issues with it. I do not do anything fancy when unhitching and have never had a problem. I'm guessing I leave more weight on the truck than others? Great feature, it was an overdue option in my opinion.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by Lins

Not with the air suspension, it's bags only in that case.

True my bad was looking at different rear on truck. Guess that why it rides good.
Later RJD

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by -lenny-

I do not do anything fancy when unhitching and have never had a problem. I'm guessing I leave more weight on the truck than others?

We raise the camper until there is a gap between the hitch coupler plate and the bottom of the kingpin. That way everything is "floating" with no contact. Pull the handle and drive out.

I'm curious if your way is different.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Thanks for the signature reminder.. it's only been 6 months. Funny, though- it was literally a 1-character change!

I think the new truck and my older 2012 were both leaf springs. I guess with the increase in payload/GVWR (12,300 vs. 14,000), they had to stiffen things up somewhere.

looks good now Doug. Later RJD

[MIFarmer]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I can say that for whatever reason, the new 2018 is a harsher unloaded ride. I don't know if it's the air bags or what. But this new truck really seems to beat us up.

If your situation allows it, try adjusting down the rear tire pressure. I run 45psi, which still allows for about 7,500 lbs on the rear axle, and the ride is very balanced between front and rear when empty. My setup puts a touch over 6k on the rear, so even at 45psi I'm a bit overinflated. The doorjamb pressures are good for over 10k lbs on the rear tires, so there's plenty of extra air in there that can be traded for ride quality.

[-lenny-]

Originally Posted by ependydad

We raise the camper until there is a gap between the hitch coupler plate and the bottom of the kingpin. That way everything is "floating" with no contact. Pull the handle and drive out.

I'm curious if your way is different.

My hitch is a B&W Companion.

When I get to where I want to unhook, truck is still set to Alt Ride Height. I lower my front jacks until the nose of the trailer raises up about 2 inches. Undo hitch locking bar, unhook breakaway and electrical cables. Drive ahead, truck will raise up some as weight comes off but nowhere near hitting the trailer.

For reference, when I hook up the same is true. The hitch in the truck is an inch or two high and gets pushed down as I back into the pin box. This is just how I learned to do it with class 8 trucks back in the day, and it has stuck with me.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by -lenny-

My hitch is a B&W Companion.

When I get to where I want to unhook, truck is still set to Alt Ride Height. I lower my front jacks until the nose of the trailer raises up about 2 inches. Undo hitch locking bar, unhook breakaway and electrical cables. Drive ahead, truck will raise up some as weight comes off but nowhere near hitting the trailer.

For reference, when I hook up the same is true. The hitch in the truck is an inch or two high and gets pushed down as I back into the pin box. This is just how I learned to do it with class 8 trucks back in the day, and it has stuck with me.

When do you hit “Alt Trailer Height”?

Does sound like we hitch up the same, though.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by MIFarmer

If your situation allows it, try adjusting down the rear tire pressure. I run 45psi, which still allows for about 7,500 lbs on the rear axle, and the ride is very balanced between front and rear when empty. My setup puts a touch over 6k on the rear, so even at 45psi I'm a bit overinflated. The doorjamb pressures are good for over 10k lbs on the rear tires, so there's plenty of extra air in there that can be traded for ride quality.

Looks like with my last truck, I run just over 7,000 lbs on the drive axle.

https://flic.kr/p/26qbY2U

Not a bad idea to check load charts and decrease tire pressure a bit.

[MIFarmer]

The difference is night and day. Having the air-assist suspension suddenly makes sense.

[-lenny-]

Originally Posted by ependydad

When do you hit “Alt Trailer Height”?



Does sound like we hitch up the same, though.

Honestly, depends when I think of it. Sometimes I have alt ride height tow haul and e brake all engaged before hooking up. Sometimes not till we are ready to leave. Then it stays on till we are unhooked and I am parking the truck.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by -lenny-

Honestly, depends when I think of it. Sometimes I have alt ride height tow haul and e brake all engaged before hooking up. Sometimes not till we are ready to leave. Then it stays on till we are unhooked and I am parking the truck.

Interesting. This could be my ignorance talking, but I thought the Alt Trailer Height was for lowering the truck to make hitching up a trailer easier (i.e. you didn't have to run the tongue jack/landing gear up as far).

[MIFarmer]

Originally Posted by ependydad

When do you hit “Alt Trailer Height”?

Does sound like we hitch up the same, though.

I always hook and unhook with normal ride height selected. That way when I resume the hitch height with the Level Up it matches the unloaded truck, which won't reach the Alt height unloaded.

Also as a twist, I pull the hitch before the jacks are on the ground and the hitch is still in compression from backing into the site. It'll never bind, and if you're chalked, it's not going anywhere. Put an inch or so of preload on the jacks, then pull out. If all goes well, between the Level Up resume and the normal ride height, you should be spot on to re-hook.