RAS Vs Hellwig Vs Both
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Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Long Island, NY
RAS Vs Hellwig Vs Both
I have an 03 ex with a 6L PSD and I'm in the process of getting a new travel trailer, 30Ft Outback, and was looking for some advise on gaining a little more stability on the road. I'm bringing the Ex in the shop for new ball joints this week and figured while it was there I would also get either the Hellwig, RAS or Both. Is it really necessary for both or will one due.
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Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Florida
How heavy is the tongue weight on your trailer?
I found that when I only had about 900#'s of tongue weight on my old trailer...the Hellwig ALONE was all I needed on my Ex for it to tow flawlessly.
However when I stepped into my new TT that has 1100-1200#'s of tongue weight...I found that I had more sag in the rear of my Ex than I liked (~3") so I went with the RAS to add some rear spring capacity and lessen the sag.
There are a few folks on here that have experimented with RAS ONLY. If I remember right...those that have tried just the RAS are happy with the performance/stability.
Regardless of which way you go...it is critical that you have a WD hitch with properly sized spring bars for your tongue weight. Also it is critical that you have some type of sway control over and above the typical friction bar (my opinion). Also it is imperitive that you visit a CAT scale to insure your WD system is set up properly.
So to answer your direct question...if your tongue weight is under 900#'s...I'd go Hellwig first if it is over 900#'s I'd go RAS first but regardless...make sure your WD is sized properly and verified set up right via a scale.
Good luck,
joe.
I found that when I only had about 900#'s of tongue weight on my old trailer...the Hellwig ALONE was all I needed on my Ex for it to tow flawlessly.
However when I stepped into my new TT that has 1100-1200#'s of tongue weight...I found that I had more sag in the rear of my Ex than I liked (~3") so I went with the RAS to add some rear spring capacity and lessen the sag.
There are a few folks on here that have experimented with RAS ONLY. If I remember right...those that have tried just the RAS are happy with the performance/stability.
Regardless of which way you go...it is critical that you have a WD hitch with properly sized spring bars for your tongue weight. Also it is critical that you have some type of sway control over and above the typical friction bar (my opinion). Also it is imperitive that you visit a CAT scale to insure your WD system is set up properly.
So to answer your direct question...if your tongue weight is under 900#'s...I'd go Hellwig first if it is over 900#'s I'd go RAS first but regardless...make sure your WD is sized properly and verified set up right via a scale.
Good luck,
joe.
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From: Vero Beach, FL
I'll be the contrarian...
First, to disagree slightly with cficare, they ARE designed for different primary purposes, but I would submit that the RAS performs some sway control as a secondary function.
If I were in your shoes (which, in fact, I was, not that long ago), I would go RAS first. RAS increases spring rate like a helper spring (only when you need it), which helps reduce rear-end sag (which the sway bar won't). It also helps with reduce sway, by increasing the spring rate. It may not be as effective as the sway bar, but in my case, I found that the RAS provided improved ride stability that I'm very happy with.
Granted, I'm not towing a monster trailer, but my approach was to buy the RAS first, and see if it did what I wanted, and added stability, avoiding the need for the sway bar. I can GUARANTEE you that the reverse order will NOT do anything to reduce rear-end sag.
I guess it all depends on what you're trying to accomplish.
First, to disagree slightly with cficare, they ARE designed for different primary purposes, but I would submit that the RAS performs some sway control as a secondary function.
If I were in your shoes (which, in fact, I was, not that long ago), I would go RAS first. RAS increases spring rate like a helper spring (only when you need it), which helps reduce rear-end sag (which the sway bar won't). It also helps with reduce sway, by increasing the spring rate. It may not be as effective as the sway bar, but in my case, I found that the RAS provided improved ride stability that I'm very happy with.
Granted, I'm not towing a monster trailer, but my approach was to buy the RAS first, and see if it did what I wanted, and added stability, avoiding the need for the sway bar. I can GUARANTEE you that the reverse order will NOT do anything to reduce rear-end sag.
I guess it all depends on what you're trying to accomplish.
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