# Retro Fit Air Suspension for Al-Ko Chassis now available



## 120445 (Feb 16, 2009)

I have been in touch with Dunlop UK as they have been developing an Air Assist system for the Al-Ko chassis.

They pointed me in the direction of Marcle Leisure who are my "Local" (in the loosest sense of the word!) stockist.

There are four kits available dependent upon the model year of the chassis. Marcle require a picture of your axle with the wheel off before they process your order to ensure you have the ordered correct one. Apparently Al-Ko have been known to stock pile older chassis and use them on new vans.

The prices seem reasonable at between £706.05 and £761.65 dependent on the kit required. These prices include Shipping and Handling.

Unfortunately the instructions are in Dutch at the moment but Dunlop are translating the at the moment and these will be available soon.

I am still waiting to hear back about a fitting service...

...Possibly a job for Eddie VanBitz

Marcles website is:

Dunlop Al-Ko Air Suspension (Marcle Leisure)

Hope This helps

Steve


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

Steve - may I ask why you need it on your Rapido - we have the 7090F (2008) version - on Al-Ko chassis, but we find the road holding fine - and whereas on the Hymer we did have a saggy backside, the Rapido rides high already at the back, we could do with some on the front to bring that end up - but haven't heard of any for there?

Carol


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## 120445 (Feb 16, 2009)

I don't have it fitted but have been looking it to it to improve the ride quality. There is no sag at the back end and yes the road holding is fine except when very windy but the ride is rock hard... it feels like you are driving along cobble streets when you are on anything but newly surfaced roads.

I want to do something about this as it makes the whole thing shake and rattle. I know that you will always have thing rattle but the hard ride definitely isn't helping.

Steve


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

Steve - have you checked your tyre pressures. We had our mh weighed at a Government weighbridge - fully loaded - on our way for a long trip - with water etc., on board - and emailed Michelin with the figures - the tyres we have, and asked for their recommendation for tyre pressure - it came back - via a phone call - to a hell of a lot less than they had been set at from new - we are - without going out to check - something like 55 front and 50 rear - but needless what our are, I would suggest, if you haven't done this exercise first, it is worth doing - and you may find then you won't need the new suspension.

Carol


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

*air suspension*



Stevegt said:


> I don't have it fitted but have been looking it to it to improve the ride quality. There is no sag at the back end and yes the road holding is fine except when very windy but the ride is rock hard... it feels like you are driving along cobble streets when you are on anything but newly surfaced roads.
> 
> I want to do something about this as it makes the whole thing shake and rattle. I know that you will always have thing rattle but the hard ride definitely isn't helping.
> 
> Steve


The ride in our 983 is really harsh too and we could really do with some way of picking up the front as it seems nose heavy.
Chris


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## Chausson (Oct 17, 2006)

Hi
Firestone do air assist kits sold through dealers, there are two dealers in the MMM magazine why not try them I think one is called Driverite in Somerset which is where I got mine from.

Ron


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## 89425 (May 23, 2005)

Chausson said:


> Hi
> Firestone do air assist kits sold through dealers, there are two dealers in the MMM magazine why not try them I think one is called Driverite in Somerset which is where I got mine from.
> 
> Ron


Firestone don't make kits for the AL-KO chassis.

Dunlop AL-KO kits are the only ones that are available to fit yourself (as far as I know), plus your not forced to buy extras like compressors etc with any on the Dunlop kits.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Alko*

I thought it had been available for a while.

Alko Air Assist

Trev


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## 89425 (May 23, 2005)

*Re: Alko*



teemyob said:


> I thought it had been available for a while.
> 
> Alko Air Assist
> 
> Trev


Talking to a company in Poole, they tried the AS kit and weren't to impressed with it. Apparently AS no longer provide their AL-KO kits for other companies or even DIY fitting.


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## mrangry (Apr 2, 2009)

*Rapido ride quality*

Hi Guys,

I have a Rapido 7090F, 08 model. Just got last week from dealer. I too am disappointed in the hard ride and road noise.

I discovered when we first got the vehicle home that the tyre pressures were 83psi. I notice on the label inside the cab door that the recommended pressures on the camper tyres is 5.5bar, about 79psi. I thought this was very high. I haven't fully loaded the vehicle yet. I tried the tyres at 64psi and there has been a small improvement but not to the road noise.

When I have had Michelin tyres on cars they have been the hardest noisey tyre ever.

I notice that the Camper tyre pressure recommendation is some 1 bar higher than normal van tyres (15PSi) - Thinking what is the advantage of having camper tyres if they have a harder and noisier ride?

I too are thinking about air suspension, not sure about what difference it makes. The back end seems too high to me.,

It is interesting what Carol suggests. Weighing the vehicle and checking with Michelin.


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi all,

Not a Rapido, but a Hymer Tag pre 2002, we are having a front suspension upgrade and anti roll bar fitted by www.goldschmitt.de which will not only raise the front by 50mm, but will remove the wallow every time we enter a bend or a roundabout. Ours sits nose down too. I have seen the visual results on a Dutch owned Hymer Tag, and the owner spoke very highly of the subsequent handling since the upgrade.

Goldschmitt are the only people that will supply and fit a pre 2002 tag air suspension kit, however, it is not cheap.

All the UK air suspension kit suppliers I contacted stated that there wasn't a Tag air kit available for our chassis year. 8O :?

Jock.


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## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

Jock, 

Just a thought but if you are razing the front axel travel height on a Tag you could change the axel weights on the rear slightly. If you are on your axel weights when fully loaded it might be possible to over load the 3rd axel. That is assuming that they are currently running at the same weight at the moment.

I have come across this problem on some trucks when fitting larger tyres to the front axel. Might be worth a trip to the weigh bridge when loaded.


Richard...


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## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

Jock, 

Just a thought but if you are razing the front axel travel height on a Tag you could change the axel weights on the rear slightly. If you are on your axel weights when fully loaded it might be possible to over load the 3rd axel. That is assuming that they are currently running at the same weight at the moment.

I have come across this problem on some trucks when fitting larger tyres to the front axel. Might be worth a trip to the weigh bridge when loaded.


Richard...


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## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

Jock, 

Just a thought but if you are razing the front axel travel height on a Tag you could change the axel weights on the rear slightly. If you are on your axel weights when fully loaded it might be possible to over load the 3rd axel. That is assuming that they are currently running at the same weight at the moment.

I have come across this problem on some trucks when fitting larger tyres to the front axel. Might be worth a trip to the weigh bridge when loaded.



Richard...


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## Bubblehead (Mar 5, 2007)

Hi

I posted a few weeks ago re my concerns about getting on / off ferries with our tag. I checked the cost of an air kit for an Alko tag - £2300

Thats a bit of a show stopper for us

Andy


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

RichardnGill said:


> Jock,
> 
> Just a thought but if you are razing the front axel travel height on a Tag you could change the axel weights on the rear slightly. If you are on your axel weights when fully loaded it might be possible to over load the 3rd axel. That is assuming that they are currently running at the same weight at the moment.
> 
> ...


Hi Richard,

Thanks for the reminder re the axle weights. This is on the list of questions I will be be asking before I go ahead with the upgrade. I am told by those in the know, that Goldschmitt are the "dogs doo dahs" in the suspension engineering world.



bubblehead said:


> Thats a bit of a show stopper for us


It certainly was for us too Andy. 8O 8O

Cheers,

Jock.


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