[TriBeard]

I'm ordering a 2015 crew cab long bed ecodiesel, and the biggest thing that I'm getting hung up on is the air ride. It's an expensive option, and I don't have the extra money to throw at it if I don't really need it. I also had bad experiences with air ride in my old Town car where the bags would leak off and I worry about the longevity of the system.

I guess I'm just interested in hearing from people that have it and those that don't, as well as just opinions on if it's worth it. One of the biggest selling points for me is the better aerodynamics on the highway, and being able to lower it for my grandmother to hey in, but I'm still not sure if it's worth it.

 

[mattyj724]

I say its not worth it. I do not have it and my truck gets great mileage just like all the others. Also you can get an after market one for cheaper than the factory if you really wait it. Otherwise just get side steps.

 

[Haulin]

Most people I have heard feedback from on this say it's not necessary and that like the member above, it's not worth it.

what has mileage been like for those that have it compared to a ram 1500 without?

 

[TriBeard]

Most people I have heard feedback from on this say it's not necessary and that like the member above, it's not worth it.

what has mileage been like for those that have it compared to a ram 1500 without?

I've heard 1-1.5MPG on the highway more with the air suspension assuming you're driving at a speed conducive to it going in to "aero" mode or whatever.

I think I'm going to get them to cancel the air suspension and then see about a truck bed liner instead, and I should still come out 1200 or so cheaper. Then I just have to either get a granny stool or some running boards..

 

[Scuba diver 71]

I have air-ride on my truck. The ride quality is noticeably better. Regular suspension feels stiffer. Not sure if the aero mode helps or not. I'm getting 24MPG in mixed driving which is great by my standards. The low entry is nice although it takes a few seconds for the thing to drop down. What I like the most about air suspension is that you can drop the truck down and get into a lot more low clearance city parking garages than with regular truck. Also self leveling under load is nice but it doesn't work with excessive load. I recently had 2000 lb load in the bed and it didn't level off. It is not a cheap option but for me it is worth it.

 

[Katoom250SX]

O.p....your Lincoln had air shocks. The ram has air bags. Similar to a semi. Shocks and bags are two completely different systems. As far as ride, I test drove a crew 5'7" air suspension and it rides no different than my laramie crew 6'4" with coil suspension. On a electronic test table there may be a difference, but the real world my butt in the drivers seat I couldn't tell.

As far as the parking garage concern, if I recall the air suspension only drops something like 2 ". If it's that close I'll find somewhere else to park.

If you tow heavy occasionally, spend 80.00 on an air ride air bag system. This prevents the truck from squatting under load and is as simple as adding air to a tire. If you want, buy the on board compressor for the bags and customize on the fly.

Mileage in my opinion, is personal driving habits. I'm at 23.8 over 2400 miles and that's by the pen and paper. Two 340 mile trips I got 27.9 and 28.8 ( again by pen and paper....i do find the evic is somewhat accurate - biggest difference has been 8 tenths high). That was running with traffic 4-7 mph over the posted limit.

Overall it's pretty cool (more of a wow factor), but I didn't feel the 1600 option was reasonable.
Good luck!

 

[Boocoodinkydow]

If your primary motivation is added fuel economy, it'll be a long road to recoup the option price. I had to make the same 200 mile trip on 2 consecutive days & compared the results with aero & normal ride height. Netted 1.2 mpg advantage @ 70-75 mph. The entry-exit mode is so slow on mine it's of no advantage. I've actually gone in to do my shopping & noticed it dropping as I was coming back out. What makes me feel warm & fuzzy is the ride comfort that rivals any luxury car I've ever owned. While most reports agree the air suspension isn't able to level a load in excess of 2000lbs, I've had loads in excess of a ton on 3 occassions, heaviest of 2300+, & it leveled the load without a problem. It is an expensive option but for my use I'd definitely do it again.

 

[TriBeard]

O.p....your Lincoln had air shocks. The ram has air bags. Similar to a semi. Shocks and bags are two completely different systems. As far as ride, I test drove a crew 5'7" air suspension and it rides no different than my laramie crew 6'4" with coil suspension. On a electronic test table there may be a difference, but the real world my butt in the drivers seat I couldn't tell.

As far as the parking garage concern, if I recall the air suspension only drops something like 2 ". If it's that close I'll find somewhere else to park.

If you tow heavy occasionally, spend 80.00 on an air ride air bag system. This prevents the truck from squatting under load and is as simple as adding air to a tire. If you want, buy the on board compressor for the bags and customize on the fly.

Mileage in my opinion, is personal driving habits. I'm at 23.8 over 2400 miles and that's by the pen and paper. Two 340 mile trips I got 27.9 and 28.8 ( again by pen and paper....i do find the evic is somewhat accurate - biggest difference has been 8 tenths high). That was running with traffic 4-7 mph over the posted limit.

Overall it's pretty cool (more of a wow factor), but I didn't feel the 1600 option was reasonable.
Good luck!

Thanks. I've actually got some air ride 1000 bags in my tahoe now, and it looks like I could take them out and put them in the ram and use them there as well if I wanted, and add a compressor down the line if I used it a lot. I don't tow or haul heavy loads a lot, just runs to home depot, a 4-wheeler/lawnmower every now and again and such, but I have towed a 30' camper a couple times (it's a friends) and have moved myself and sister in and out of apartments and had some heavy loads then.

I think the bedliner and maybe some running boards will be a better use of the money, and I'll still come out ahead. I test drove a Hemi with coils because they didn't have any ecodiesels, and the ride was nicer than my tahoe by a good amount, and perfectly fine in my book. That helped ease my concerns about that as well. I don't mind a harsher ride personally, but I don't want to hear endless complaining from the mother, the girlfriend, or anyone else either.

 

[Katoom250SX]

If your primary motivation is added fuel economy, it'll be a long road to recoup the option price. I had to make the same 200 mile trip on 2 consecutive days & compared the results with aero & normal ride height. Netted 1.2 mpg advantage @ 70-75 mph. The entry-exit mode is so slow on mine it's of no advantage. I've actually gone in to do my shopping & noticed it dropping as I was coming back out. What makes me feel warm & fuzzy is the ride comfort that rivals any luxury car I've ever owned. While most reports agree the air suspension isn't able to level a load in excess of 2000lbs, I've had loads in excess of a ton on 3 occassions, heaviest of 2300+, & it leveled the load without a problem. It is an expensive option but for my use I'd definitely do it again.

Just out of curiosity, we're the two trips exactly the same weather conditions? Reason I ask is weather can cause a large factor. As you can see my two trips were .9 different. Almost 1 mpg. That contributed to higher temps (a/c compressor) and a decent side wind. The trip I scored just shy of 29 mpg I didn't run a/c and the wind was nearly non existent.

Second question I have is I've read several threads where individuals are talking of 2000 + lbs. Just curious, are you guys putting this weight in the bed of the truck!? If so that's over double on I think almost all eds and 2300 lbs is almost triple if a loaded up ed. Not saying I'll always run by mfg ratings, but I'd be scared to break something.

 

[Katoom250SX]

Tri beard. ....you are right. I have a premium linex and s.s. wheel to wheel bars for around 860. Add an airbag kit and you are around 940. Still have some cash left over for tonneau cover, mudflaps, floor mats, or just 600 bucks for fuel!

 

[Boocoodinkydow]

Just out of curiosity, we're the two trips exactly the same weather conditions? Reason I ask is weather can cause a large factor. As you can see my two trips were .9 different. Almost 1 mpg. That contributed to higher temps (a/c compressor) and a decent side wind. The trip I scored just shy of 29 mpg I didn't run a/c and the wind was nearly non existent.

Second question I have is I've read several threads where individuals are talking of 2000 + lbs. Just curious, are you guys putting this weight in the bed of the truck!? If so that's over double on I think almost all eds and 2300 lbs is almost triple if a loaded up ed. Not saying I'll always run by mfg ratings, but I'd be scared to break something.

The trips were made on 2 consecutive days with no appreciable difference in traffic, weather conditions , loads or other driving conditions. While not a laboratory sterile comparison I feel it was probably about as good of a real world comparison as possible. It's nearly impossible to definitively proof minor economy differences without repetitive tests because of so many seemingly indifferent circumstances can alter the results. A recent question along the same lines was about fuel economy differences between 4x4 & 2 wheel drive. Almost impossible to get an accurate results without averaging numerous tests. I'm pretty confident that there is , however, a small fuel efficiency advantage to the aero mode.

 

[Boocoodinkydow]

As far as the second question, the actual payload consisted of a little less than 1700# of flooring. Additionally, I have a bed cover that weighs almost 200#. In the cockpit was my copilot & I at close to 450#, 2 cold beers, 1 fat cat that loves to ride & an iPad Air, total of roughly 2320#. Now I'm sure to draw criticism for my views on load limitations but here goes. My longhorn has a posted load limit of less than 900#. I once loaded that much behind the rear axle & absolutely couldn't tell it was there. This ram has the most anemic rating in it's class primarily because it's being scaled by parameters not yet accepted by other brands. It does, however, have some inherent limitations by virtue of a smaller axle size by comparison to others & 5 lugs rather than 6. In spite of this, I'm a firm believer that load & tow ratings are primarily set with the oversight of exponentially overly cautious bureaucratic safety officials & an army of liability lawyers rather untethered engineers & are no where near actual capabilities. If I were to haul this type load on a continuous basis, I have no doubt it would be detrimental to it's longevity but have no reservations of occasionally hauling an uber heavy load. It's a truck, use it like one.