Which to pick - '22 fully loaded hemi vs diesel with air suspension, like the mpg but worried about air suspension problems

[Janelle]

Hi all, new to the forums.

I'll be towing campers and commuting so better MPG is important. Never had a diesel before, I assume it's reliable.
From the limited inventory that's available out there I can either pick the Hemi that has all the bells and whistles like heads up display/digital mirror or go with the Level 2 ecodiesel, which unfortunately has air suspension that I hear fails consistently.

Looking for suggestions before I break the bank. Is the air suspension that unreliable in cold weather?
Both options have the Rambox, which is a must for me. There are a few diesel level 1 options out there but do not provide any savings.

Also curious if anyone in Canada was able to knock anything off MSRP recently.

I'm not in extreme rush as I have my current SUV still.

I live in Idaho and have a 2014 with air suspension tow a boat and haven't had one issue with it or anything else.

 

[Ram Night]

The air suspension will give you problems it’s not if, it’s when. Cold weather just speeds up the process.

I had so many problems with the air ride in my new Rebel I have back to the dealer 4 months later and purchased a sport with coil springs.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

I had so many problems with the air ride in my new Rebel I have back to the dealer 4 months later and purchased a sport with coil springs.

I own a suspension shop. Literally 2-3 phone calls a day about air suspension. When the weather dips is 20-30 calls. What a waste of my time LOL. I feel bad for people that buy it. Lease it guys, ya don’t want to own it

 

[etbrown4]

Seems like experiences with 4 corner air suspension is highly variable. A few here report problems and others report good luck, so there's no clear answer on this forum.

I have 95k on a 2016 Longhorn Limited and have had zero problems. In fact the ride is so much smoother than a coil spring truck that I would not consider buying another Ram without air suspension.

 

[Doug Steinbach]

Don’t see why you would have problems with air suspension. Trucks use air suspension as do a lot of high end cars. I have factory air on the rear of my 16’ 3500 and Kelderman air suspension on the front. Keeps truck level and rides better (front) 322,000 miles about half towing, no problems. Cold weather is hard on everything but in the winter months in Calgary I had concerns, but suspension wasn’t one of them.

 

[IvoryHemi]

If you do any heavy towing, the air suspension is must have.

I tow 8k regularly and wouldn’t want a truck without it

 

[Capt Derek]

Have 2020 HO, 25000 miles, factory air blew an airline off at about 11000 miles, which cooked the compressor, but that's what warrenty is for, no other issues since and love how it hauls my slide in camper

 

[Bill A]

So, are you saying that you are towing a trailer that normally requires a WDH, but because you have air suspension that now you no longer require the WDH and simply use the air suspension to level the truck and you're good to go?

Most situations will still require a WDH so some of the tongue weight is transfered to the front of your TV. Otherwise the front end of the TV may feel light. When using a WDH, the air suspension will fine tune the ride height. When moving my trailer around town, I just use the hitch ball without the WDH spring bars or sway control and it works out fine. I would never get on a highway without the WDH and Sway Control.

 

[Tim7139]

Is the air suspension that unreliable in cold weather?

No, problems become much more apparent in the cold. It's like when you have a weak battery and the vehicle won't start when it's cold , or freezes before it gets real cold. Winter didn't kill the battery, and testing in the fall can let you avoid the issue.

I look at air suspension like a battery; needs a yearly check and will cost a bit of money every few years.

If you're testing for leaks and topping up nitrogen it seems fine. Jack it up a few times a year and make sure it's holing for the amount of time it normally does. When it's not address the leak and fill the nitrogen. If the system gets opened for service remind the techs to fill the nitrogen. When the system runs out of nitrogen and the system ingests moist air it'll start acting up sooner.

 

[Tim7139]

I'm surprised with how aggressive dealers are with "extra" maintenance that air suspension service does not get pushed harder.

 

[Tim7139]

I find it odd guys the same guys who will change their oil every 3K-5K and religiously empty their catch cans won't fill their nitrogen once a year. Not a lot of great guides and clear steps I guess.

 

[crash68]

Most situations will still require a WDH so some of the tongue weight is transfered to the front of your TV. Otherwise the front end of the TV may feel light. When using a WDH, the air suspension will fine tune the ride height. When moving my trailer around town, I just use the hitch ball without the WDH spring bars or sway control and it works out fine. I would never get on a highway without the WDH and Sway Control.

@andymax ^^^ this
The laws of physics still applies whether a truck has air suspension or not, what changes is how you set the WDH. Unfortunately some people refuse to believe they need a WDH because the truck is sitting level or drive a HD truck.
If you haven't seen this video: https://youtu.be/XBZu39pQ8Gg
Watch what happens to the front axle weight when using air bags and the truck is leveled. A WDH puts that weight back.

 

[Tim7139]

Don’t see why you would have problems with air suspension. Trucks use air suspension as do a lot of high end cars. I have factory air on the rear of my 16’ 3500 and Kelderman air suspension on the front. Keeps truck level and rides better (front) 322,000 miles about half towing, no problems. Cold weather is hard on everything but in the winter months in Calgary I had concerns, but suspension wasn’t one of them.

The devil is in the details. How the system is designed and maintained makes a big difference.

A big Lorrie/OTR truck has an air system that draws in a lot of fresh air, runs it through filters and driers, and the drivers monitor and respond to issues.

Some cars, like an 80's New Yorker, have simple system. Some cars, like a 2000's S Class Benz w/AirMatic has a much more costly to fix and maintain system.

I think the 4th gen RAM system has a few short comings but is a decent system, and the 5th is better but more work would go a long way. The 4th gen not having an indicator you're low on nitrogen or an indicator you're pulling in air, a clearer indication nitrogen needs to be periodically filled, or possibly having a serviceable moisture control device on the intake behind the tail light with a service interval are huge missed opportunities for dealer profit and customer satisfaction.

 

[Tim7139]

I own a suspension shop. Literally 2-3 phone calls a day about air suspension. When the weather dips is 20-30 calls. What a waste of my time LOL. I feel bad for people that buy it. Lease it guys, ya don’t want to own it

What percentage of calls is 2-3 a day?

Does your shop service the factory systems, or do you only offer rip and replace or see the dealer options?

 

[Quick_Shifter]

What percentage of calls is 2-3 a day?

Does your shop service the factory systems, or do you only offer rip and replace or see the dealer options?

As percentage it’s 100% negative issues with air suspensions.
We don’t service something that will just come back. We replace with coils usually after the owner spends $10K at the dealer and it just over it.
If it worked reliably air suspension is awesome I would recommend it to everyone but unfortunately it does not.
I always say it’s not if it’s when. For the air suspension failing

 

[Tim7139]

As percentage it’s 100% negative issues with air suspensions.
We don’t service something that will just come back. We replace with coils usually after the owner spends $10K at the dealer and it just over it.
If it worked reliably air suspension is awesome I would recommend it to everyone but unfortunately it does not.
I always say it’s not if it’s when. For the air suspension failing

So you only get three calls a day, and they're all air suspension... but I guess it's safe to say I've helped fix and maintain more 4th gen air systems than your shop. You're way more knowledgeable, but it's just not something you work with or see the value in working with.

Sounds like in your area people with air suspension issues call a bunch of shops, get no help, and end up ripping it out or going to the dealer. Dealer's gotta dealer, so unless it's a clear fault and they have a tech that took the air suspension course they unload the parts cannon until they accidentally fix it or the customer runs out of money and heads to your shop to rip it out, and if they did the parts cannon thing and missed the nitrogen fill it's likely a very short lived fix.

I've had more than one dealer argue against the need to add nitrogen after repairing a bag or leak in the system. Seems more struggle than it needs to be to find a dealer or after market shop with decent knowledge on the systems.

I'd never claim it's a maintenance or problem free system, and you can only ignore them for so long before you maintain or remove temp - but be warned, traditional shocks fail too!

I always say it' not if it's when. For a battery failing .

edit:fixed smiles

 

[Quick_Shifter]

So you only get three calls a day, and they're all air suspension... but I guess it's safe to say I've helped fix and maintain more 4th gen air systems than your shop. You're way more knowledgeable, but it's just not something you work with or see the value in working with.

Sounds like in your area people with air suspension issues call a bunch of shops, get no help, and end up ripping it out or going to the dealer. Dealer's gotta dealer, so unless it's a clear fault and they have a tech that took the air suspension course they unload the parts cannon until they accidentally fix it or the customer runs out of money and heads to your shop to rip it out, and if they did the parts cannon thing and missed the nitrogen fill it's likely a very short lived fix.

I've had more than one dealer argue against the need to add nitrogen after repairing a bag or leak in the system. Seems more struggle than it needs to be to find a dealer or after market shop with decent knowledge on the systems.

I'd never claim it's a maintenance or problem free system, and you can only ignore them for so long before you maintain or remove temp - but be warned, traditional shocks fail too!

I always say it' not if it's when. For a battery failing .

edit:fixed smiles

You’ve got it all figured out my phone rings 3 times a day. SMH
LOL

 

[Quick_Shifter]

@Tim7139 From a business perspective would you want to fix systems that will break again and the same people that shop hop go around saying that you fixed it a few times and it’s never been right?
Because it doesn’t matter if it worked for 5 years after your repairs they would still bad mouth you to the next guy saying it never worked right, because that’s how those consumers act. Believe me I own multiple businesses and customers are all the same.

 

[andymax]

@andymax ^^^ this
The laws of physics still applies whether a truck has air suspension or not, what changes is how you set the WDH. Unfortunately some people refuse to believe they need a WDH because the truck is sitting level or drive a HD truck.
If you haven't seen this video: https://youtu.be/XBZu39pQ8Gg
Watch what happens to the front axle weight when using air bags and the truck is leveled. A WDH puts that weight back.

Well this was my point, though in hindsight I may have come across passive aggressively, but I didn't mean to. I am disturbed that people are out there towing, thinking that air suspension alone is enough. Somehow the notion that "level" is the goal...Nope, it's not.

 

[crash68]

Well this was my point, though in hindsight I may have come across passive aggressively, but I didn't mean to. I am disturbed that people are out there towing, thinking that air suspension alone is enough. Somehow the notion that "level" is the goal...Nope, it's not.

oh you're good, my reply was more intended at others adding on to your post. Definitely right about those who think if it's level it's good. It's funny some of them are even the payload police, they'll grip if they think your too heavy.