Hello all, I have a 2002 2wd v10 excursion. I'm getting it ready for an extended vacation this summer. We'll be pulling our 27 foot Airstream about 7500 lbs with an equalizer weight distribution hitch.


My questions are mainly suspension related. It drives pretty well but, would like to enhance the driving / towing experience. I'm contemplating rear air bags, rear stabilizer, new shocks, brake job, etc.


What recommendations do y'all have on manufacturers and models for various upgrades. I've looked at many posts but, have found myself more confused than ever.


And also, what must I do to get the front end stabilized? Steering stabilizer? Which shocks etc.


Thanks in advanced.

 

I don't tow too much, but we've got towing guru's who'll pipe in with advice. To better understand your needs, can you clarify?


You've done this before? And were happy or unhappy with the experience? Why? How far did you travel?

To cure sway? To reduce lean? Level the load?
If shocks and brakes are needed, go ahead and do it.
Bilstein or Rancho or Monroe, they've each got their fans.
Similar story on Brakes; I'd stay away from the bling (slotted/drilled, but that's just me).

Rear anti sway? Hellwig. Upgraded leaf springs? Ford F250 or F350.

Can you be more specific? What doesn't feel stable? What have you replaced up front thus far? All original/stock? Steering gear box tightened or not? Original end links, ball joints, unit bearings, etc? or replaced?

de nada.

 

I'm a fan of the Helwig sway bar and also the RAS (Roadmaster Active Suspension), makes my truck pretty stable with a trailer.

The 2WD front end is pretty good/reliable stock as long as everything is in good shape. I don't have a steering stabilizer, and not so sure it's needed on a 2WD. Sean already hit the high points on what to check.

I have Rancho's on mine and like them. Never had Bilstein's, so can't compare. Personal preference most likely. Key point is having shocks that aren't worn out.

Equally important is having the WD hitch dialed in correctly, preferably using a truck scale to scale to do so.

Happy travels!

 

My only addition to the above at this point pending your feedback to Sean's questions is to be sure the EX's tires are load range E and to verify the trailer's tires age, if they are "ST" trailer tires anything OLDER than 3 years would concern me for planning an extended summer trip. ALL ST trailer tires suck, PERIOD! They age faster than "dog years" compared to real vehicle tires, are speed limited to 65 MPH, die even faster if run hot or below max sidewall rated pressures. And the amount of damage that a blowout can do to a trailer is scary let alone the chance of loss of control due to the failure. I lost 3 load range E ST tires on a 210 mile trip, tires were less than 3 years old, not run over speed, air pressure was at 80PSI and checked at departure and the load was well below the tire capacity. There was no loss of air but three tires suffered severe internal failures of multiple belts/chords leading to a partial out-of-round condition and chunking off of tread sections, I never felt a thing from the driver's seat! I'm sure that we were less than a mile or two from a blowout (or two...or three). I hate ST tires on heavy TTs, but I still run them, but now I also use a TST507RV TPMS system to keep an eye on pressures and temperatures, I plan to upgrade to 16" LT tires over next Winter.

And here's a nice write up on proper WD hitch setup RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Towing: Travel Trailer Hitch Set-up Procedure
And the CAT scale locator CAT Scale Locator | CAT Scale

Let's see some pictures of your EX and Airstream (canned ham ), I love the iconic look of AS TTs.