Weight Distribution and Rear Suspension Helper Spring Use in 2008 Chrysler Town and Country

Question:

Hi there, I have multiple questions. I was advised to have airbags put into my rear suspension, but I am also told I should have a weight distribution hitch with sway control. Of course this is stressing me out. Can the two co-exist or should I just have gone with the WDH? By the way, I have a 2008 Town and Country with a tow package I will be towing a Fleetwood Westlake whose tongue weight will be between 300 and 450 pounds when fully loaded. In addition, the weight behind the rear axle of the towing vehicle will be around 200 pounds, kid and dog. Which WDH and sway would you recommend?

asked by: Mike Y

Expert Reply:

In general, a properly selected and installed weight distribution system like the Reese Strait-Line # RP66082 will do more to improve the overall towing quality of a trailer than a set of rear air bags in the tow vehicle. The WD system actually shifts trailer weight to the vehicle's front axle to restore traction (for better steering and braking) while an air bag kit will essentially just prevent rear-end sag by stiffening the suspension. The results of these two different strategies, a level tow vehicle, can look the same but in actual practice the WD system will improve the towing experience more.

That said, your particular vehicle, the 2008 Chrysler Town and Country, and similar low-sitting vehicles like the Honda Odyssey, can still effectively use both WD and a rear-axle suspension helper kit. They can work together but neither is really a substitute for the other. The Reese Strait-Line # RP66082 is ideally suited to your tongue weight of 300- to 450-lbs since it works properly over a TW range of 200- to 600-lbs.

Rear suspension kits for your T&C, shown on the linked page, include both air bags and jounce springs. Air bags need a more involved installation, including drilling, and need to be maintained at a minimum pressure at all times. But the Super Springs jounce spring kit # CSS-1195R that fits the 2WD version is much easier to install and requires no maintenance, but it will still provide useful stiffening of the rear coil springs when they are loaded by the trailer's tongue weight.

Air bags like Air Lift # AL60814 do offer the benefit of adjustability so you can tweak their pressure to suit your preference, especially if you add an on-board compressor like # AL25592 that lets you adjust pressure on the fly. This is great if your TW load varies a great deal, but for use with WD and for the best bang-for-the-buck I would go for the Super Springs coil helper springs.

expert reply by: Adam R