Air suspension

Hi I would like to fit air suspension to my Broadway EB , what is the advantages of this please

Well, ... Vastly improved road handling, especially cornering ,reduces roll, adjust your van side height on unlevel pitches .
Alko rear air assist is generally fitted to most vans, also Dunlop rear air assist is another brand.
Members will have their own preferences and should be able to answer your question in detail.
Boaby

I fitted airbags to my previous & present van, & concur with all Boaby above PLUS, all our vans already put the suspension under probably 3/4 constant loading, so the springs never get 'time-off' so to speak.
The placement of an airbag will bring the spring back to somewhere near to its original span & thus allow a reasonable deflection of the suspension.
On my Talisman, the spring was 'flat' so any movement made it 'go-upwards' like a bridge span, with the airbags, it was again like a bow!!
The good bit it that you can press them up or down to suit your requirements. 
I went a bit over the top with my latest as its with an on board compressor, tank & L & R paddle valves.

No experience of air suspension but if you have CP tyres and the dreaded Peugeot TPMS you are probably running your rear tyres at their maximum of 5.5 bar (80 psi).  That's fine if when your Broadway is fully loaded your rear axle mass is at or close to its MTPLM of 2000 kg but if it is substantially less than that, which it could be with an end bathroom, the air suspension could give you a softer ride.  The same principle would apply to your front CP tyres which are plated at 5.0 bar (73 psi) but I don't know if aftermarket air suspension is available for front axles.

It's not just a softer ride Caraman, it's the road handling, ever been over taken by a lorry on the road and feel that your back end getting pulled over ?.
Cornering roll is reduced especially if you have a longer body overhang over the rear axle..
I found the rear air assist ideal when traveling on and off Scottish ferries ,especially at low tide, I used to increase the bar pressure enough to clear the concrete ramp.
Boaby

My Nuevo at 4 years old had developed rear springs with a frown (as opposed to a smile) I remedied it by fitting "helper springs" which are coil springs which sit over the "bumpstops" (yes I know they arent really bump stops!) these returned a smile to the standard springs and gave some rear suspension  - which was virtually nil previously

Helper springs are not significantly cheaper than air bags but are a bit easier to fit  - can be done in 30 minutes in your driveway  however they wont split or puncture.

not really a recommendation just saying that air bags are not the only way to go

Agreed with most of above, but it wouldn't enter my head to use them to level it on a sloping pitch!

I have been thinking about fitting air suspension on our Broadway FB. Couple of questions. Will it affect the warranty. Does it have to be included as a modification for Insurance. Is there anywhere in the south Wales area that could be recommended.

To be on the safe-side, I told my insurers about all my additions, solar, air-sus, sat-dish, towbar etc.
That's all they'll need to make any possible claim difficult.

there are different types of 'air suspension' from the bellows type 'air assist' from companies like Marcle or Dunlop....or full air suspension from the likes of VB where the existing suspension components are removed and 'full air' units replace them.
the cost difference reflects the different complexities and (presumably) benefits...

Just had Rubena Air suspension fitted to my 2017 Nuevo by TowbarsUk near Cambridge.
Instant difference to road handling and less crashing over potholes. still experimenting with pressures, but found as I don't usually carry a full load (it's only a short van) it seems to be happy with 2.0 to 2.2 Bar. started on 3 bar, but was a bit harsh.
Took 'Modelman's' advice and rang my insurer to fess up to a modification and they were totally fine about it - no additions to premium whatsoever (Direct Line). It is now added to my schedule if there are any future issues.
Looking forward to some (slightly) quieter trips in the future......

I would be grateful to know what the cost would be to fit a basic air suspension system on a Brodway FB. 
Tiggs

Hi Tiggs...
Mine cost for £750 as I had a small compressor fitted at the same time. I really wanted to be able to adjust the pressures up or down (depending on load and comfort) without having to get a pump out or call at a garage forecourt.
Money well spent in my opinion. Ride much better and some of the road noise levels are less.

Sorry, Tiggs, to be slow to respond to this thread.

I bought our Nuevo ES in March 2015, and got A-S at Willersey to fit Al-Ko Air Rides in July 2015. I paid £400 (which was the net cost having been reduced by the 10% discount on parts through membership of ASOC). I think it has been worth it. I never bother to adjust the pressure in the 2 bellows to cater for load / slope etc: I check them, along with 5 tyres, every fortnight or so, and leave the Air-Tops at about 28psi. I carry a small 12v tyre pump, and some bike pumps, so if necessary I can inflate when on hols - but never have. Not hard to inflate using a cycle hand pump, by the way. Works for me (including when we have 2 heavy Danish bikes hanging on the back).

As to fitting in S Wales, it's apparently not rocket science so any competent motor engineer should be able to do it. I'm sure that Stowford in Talbot Green / Coed Ely could do the job - they are AS dealers. There's also a firm in Caerffili, whom I'm thinking of using for my next habitation service. (I used Stowford 2 years ago, but they were so awkward: I hadn't been forewarned to empty every cupboard in the van, and had to do it, in the rain, when we arrived; just managed to get the lot into the car. I used a mobile fitter last year, but he seemed to spend most time taking damp readings.....). 

Where do you take yours for hab service?

Cymro. I

I fitted a Dunlop kit purchased from Marcel Leisure 4 years ago.
Benefits are a big difference to the overall ride, better handling and hardly noticeable buffeting when being overtaken by delivery vans in a rush.
I didn’t bother fitting a compressor as it only needs a slight pressure top up of maybe 2 psi every 4 months with a bicycle pump to approx 32 psi

Thanks for the information. It was all very helpful. I use the company in Caerphilly-which was mentioned previously- who I find very helpful. I am waiting for them to come back to me with a price for fitting air suspension, which I hope to have fitted when it goes in for a service in March.

As far as I am aware, the MIN pressure is 1Bar, this keeps the airbag inflated sufficiently to stop it getting damage. Clearly you new one may differ so check manual

I had them fitted to my Broadway and it was great, much better handling less roll etc...

Im now considering fitting ACS front suspension to my Corinium.

Ray