Fitting air suspension to rear of ducato

For Van2 build index click HERE and for Van2 YouTube Chanel click HERE and all pics from build HERE

This was another new job for me – never had or seen an air suspension kit before! The reason for having it is to give a better less clashy ride and allow us to have a level van with no tail sag.

Air assistance kits come with various features at various price points, so determining the functionality you want is important. With 1700+ nights camping with no air suspension I cannot see us adjusting it daily when parking. I see us installing it and forgetting it. Thus, I do not want a dedicated compressor, nor do I need cab-controls to adjust it. Also I do not wish to modify the cab. I will have a portable compressor anyway and will have +12v next to the dials.

Some kits don’t come with pressure gauges, or have a single connector. I want pressure gauges to help with adjusting and knowing if there is a leak, and I want independent OS/NS settings to balance the van if needed.

An ebay kit from seller ( HERE ) was £249 so amongst the cheapest, but the customer service, pre-sales was brilliant, and they sold me a second gauge as requested.

The bags are branded Rubena, rated for 4T, and the brackets the seller provides are brilliant. Fit perfectly, very cleverly designed, and simply screw up into the bump-stop threaded hole, and the bottom clamps around existing bracket. You do NOT need to remove any existing suspension bolts at all – so easily reversable

On a new van, the bump stops came out easily 🙂

My tips:-

  • Do this job early with little weight in, then the bump stop unscrews easily. (On older vans, the bump stop thread may be rusted… Good luck!)
  • A long hacksaw blade is easy to cut the ABS sensor cable bracket. Any power tools here are high risk of damaging something important!
  • Use conduit where the airline needs securing or goes into chassis to prevent rubbing, and leave enough slack for extreme suspension movements.
  • Do not connect the airline to the bellows until bellows in situ as you need to squeeze the air out.

Overall, nice and easy job!

(Note: Other kits are very similar, but some require you to remove the rear spring U bolts. Some require 12v for the compressor. And where you route the gauges and filler will be personal choice and pose it own issues. Mounting in the garage and using the same route as towbar electrics was simple)

If you want to adjust suspension each time you move a can of beans around, you need a different kit with compressor and dash controls.

9 thoughts on “Fitting air suspension to rear of ducato”

  1. Just seen your website and very impressed with the detail.
    The question is do you think it is best to have 2 gauges. I will fit the system, pressurise to the max and then leave it alone. The system is to purely increase my motorhome payload to max. So would one gauge suffice?

    Thanks.

    1. Sorry, this comment was spammed!
      Personally, I think 2x gauges are better as it stops air moving from one bellow to the other under cornering, and will also help with leak detection. My kit, they only supply 1x gauge so I asked for another.
      Oh – don’t pressurise to the max – it’ll be rock hard!! It won’t legally change the moho payload, it will just make it ride better/higher and look less loaded, but won’t incease payload capacity unless you then get it replated etc – but there will be other requirements to that – speak to experts if you need to replate (e.g. sv tech)

  2. Great product
    Question please.
    If you only have one gauge and are both bellows pumped up at the same time ?
    Thanks

    1. Hi
      Yes, the kit I have would’ve come with a “T” piece and the bellows would be the same pressure. However, also, on cornering, air from the one under most pressure could go to the other via the “T”. So, IMO, having a split system will be more stable. (I asked the supplier on ebay to supply 2nd gauge which they did).
      Really happy with it, and the price, and the build quality of the brackets (and branded bellows). I know a few others have bought the same after me and all been happy.
      Easy to fit, hardest thing is removing the old bump stop thing if your van is old and its rusty (mine was new so easy), so bear that in mind as the captive nut can come off and cause challenges.
      Good luck

    2. PS – I should add, I’ve seen kits with single dial and a valve to select which side, but I didn’t like this approach – I want to see both sides pressure at all times

  3. Great write up! I’m looking at adding one of these kits to my Ducato based Motorhome. A year on, are you still happy with the quality of the kit & your dual gauge setup?

    1. Not quite a year, but the van is finished and heavy – and the air suspension is doing well – no issues at all with the kit and to be fair I do not envisage any. the brackets are “perfect” and substantial, and the bags are branded and I assume replacable. Van drives really well (considering) and glad I did it. The kit I do like and would recommend, but I would say a dual gauge (indpendant) setup is the better way to go and worth the small increase in cost. I’m aware of a few others who have copied me (lol) and all seem happy too. I would say, do it sooner rather than later – the toughest part is removing the old bump-stop/cone/suspension helper – on mine, new van, easy. On an old van the captive nut can rust and break off leaving with you a challenge. Google it – same issue affects all kits and is van related not kit. If old, consider spraying with magic penetrating lube stuff a day before 🙂 Good luck

  4. Hello and thanks for the advice and video. I can’t find the items on eBay, other sellers seem to have brackets that require undoing the leaf spring U-Bolts. Do you have any contact details for the seller you bought your kit from please?

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