Two Things

[Ctgriffi]

Thought I'd share two minor improvements to the 91 Warrior that I completed recently:

 

Center Caps

My rig never came with any center caps on the front wheels (did they all originally, from the factory?), so I thought I'd make use of a recent hobby purchase, a 3D printer, to come up with a solution. Using Fusion360, I spent a crazy amount of time modeling and then printing about 10 different versions of these caps in ABS, trying to find the best way to engineer the retaining clips so that they could a) bend a little b) hold everything securely and c) not break instantly upon installation (harder than it sounds!). I also put the Winnebago logo on the front, obviously, which turned out pretty legit IMO... we'll see how they hold up, fingers crossed. It was a fun project and a great learning experience, especially in terms of gaining beginner CAD skills.

 

 

 

 

AirLift 25804 Compressor Kit

It's helpful to be able to adjust your air bags based on how much gear you've carrying and current road conditions. I typically like to run higher pressure (60+) when I'm doing long-distance, interstate travel on excellent highways—just keeps things tighter and less will-nilly, especially when the semis are flying past you, sucking you into that low pressure bubble (we all been there!). At the same time, if you're not carrying a full load or are just moseying around a state park, 40psi seems to be the way to go on my rig. I always bring a 12v compressor and tire gauge of course, but that process can be a hassle and definitely isn't something you can do on the fly!

 

This kit comes with just about everything that you need to add onboard air to your rear air suspension. There are a few different options in terms of installation (some recommended, some probably not), but I chose to put the control panel near the driver's left knee and then ran the 1/4-in air line with 12v+ behind the vinyl flooring and through a sturdy grommet in the transmission tunnel, down to the compressor unit, which I mounted on the rear crossmember. Underneath, I was careful to keep the air lines FAR away from any exhaust components, and I wrapped the lines in a good bit of heat shield insulation where they passed over the transmission. I may also add some kind of "splash plate" over the compressor unit eventually, but I don't think it's going to get a lot of moisture where it is—if any water does intrude, I added some tiny holes in the downward corner of the case for easy drainage.

 

So far, it's working great and will hold the same pressure for many days, no leaks! Also, due to the remote location of the compressor (and some sturdy rubber I sandwiched between it and the frame), it makes very little noise when running. I just really enjoy being able to adjust the bags while driving, to see the impact on ride and handling. (It IS just a single-circuit setup, however, so I can't adjust left vs right, but honestly I rarely ever did that before and don't mind the loss.)

 

 

 

 

 

[IdahoDoug]

Nice work - agree the logo looks terrific.  I also have access to a 3D printer and my son is going to make a few parts for me as I get farther along with my Sunraider project.

 

On the Air Lifts, I have over 300,000 miles of driving experience with them since I installed them on both of our LandCruisers decades ago.  I will pass on some wisdom that air plumbing each side separately pays big dividends in handling.  On a curve, the outside bladder will compress air to the inside bladder, actually allowing it to lean further.  Then when you exit the turn the vehicle is slightly leaning until the pressure equalizes.  Being able to control each side can also account for a heavy load such as perhaps carrying a motorcycle and extra fuel on the back, etc.  Great products - only one failure in all those miles and that was simply a long hot day pull that overheated a bladder despite doubling up on the factory heat shielding. Slow movement, so less passing air to suck away heat.  Air Lift replaced it for free and shipped it to us on our trip 2500 miles from home, so great service.

[Ctgriffi]

Thanks for taking a look, Doug! I haven't noticed any undue leaning in corners yet... but, then again, even after lots of upgrades and repairs, these things still handle pretty darn awful, compared to normal vehicles. I guess my expectations are not high

 

Totally agree about the AirLift quality of service—they truly stand by their lifetime guarantee.  A few years back, after decades of use, they were happy to send me out replacement bags, for no charge, and with no questions asked. Amazing.