WDH and air bag setup?

I have a 21 Tacoma sport. I have the air lift ride control bags and I’m towing a camper with a fastway E2 6000 pound WDH. My question is how do I properly set up the WDH with the air bags? Set it up with the bags empty? Or do I put the amount of air I will be using in the bags then set up the hitch? (I was thinking 35-40 pounds while towing and 10 pounds when empty). I also have a leer XL topper on it.

 

Anyone?

 

Will you accept a guess?
If you pressurize the bag first, then put the load on it, wouldn't mashing the bag increase the pressure in the bag?
(I once tested this theory when I was six. I put an inflated balloon in a chair just before Mary Jane sat down. The balloon popped and I got a black eye.)

 

I will have the same set up and probably air the bags up after hooking up the WDH

 

I was thinking the same thing. But then wouldn’t you defeat the purpose of the WDH? You would be taking weight off the hitch as you air up your bags. ‍♂️ I’m kinda lost with the whole thing.

 

The air spring is for support. If you're running a mostly stock truck, I would basically use the air to keep the rear axle off the bump stops if needed (after hooking up the WDH) - the rear springs are wholly inadequate for my truck - just with the tonneau cover weight. Keep in mind, as well, shock setup is key (especially with a vehicle light in the rear like a truck).If you increase spring rate significantly (by adding air), you will need to increase compression and rebound as well to control the bouncing.

A WDH hitch moves the load from rear to front, so you will probably need to drive the truck with the trailer loaded to tweak it for stability.

Some links to help:
https://www.airliftcompany.com/workshop/weight-distribution-bars-air-springs/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3CAKb18ZXs

There was a better link/ tutorial that showed the measured weight shift, but I can't seem to find it anymore. I think it was from one of the hitch companies (curt, Reese, etc.)

 

you set the WDH at your loaded ride height.
bags are inflated to maintain the ride height between loaded and unloaded

 

Yeah with just my leer cap and 10 psi of air in the bags my truck bottoms out over certain bumps. Idk if it’s the air bags bottoming out or the truck hitting the bump stops. I have to run 15 psi all the time to prevent it.

 

So leave my 15psi in the bags since that’s what I always have in them to keep them from bottoming out. Set my weight distribution hitch up and just add air as I need and put more cargo in the bed to keep it level? (Dogs firewood kids bikes ect)?

 

measure your shock rod at your intended ride height (sounds like 15 psi unloaded?)
hook up trailer
add pressure in bags until your shock rod measures the same as ride height unloaded
set WDH
add cargo
add pressure until ride height

 

Check out the Fastway e2 WDH website. Their videos call for adding all cargo and options first, then go through their setup. The WDH will be calibrated to your custom setup.

Personally, I would keep the bags at the lowest PSI that you usually drive with. Otherwise it seems like you have two systems that are that are trying to do the same things and neither effectively.

Just my opinion.