OPTION PRESENTATION: FULL AIR SUSPENSION IN MOTORHOMES
These are the advantages of full air suspension in a motorhome
In your Carthago motorhome, you can choose full air suspension as an option from the chic c-line upwards. In this report, we would like to introduce you to the air suspension system, explain its advantages and present the various options for the individual chassis.
The full air suspension is an innovative technology that improves driving comfort and stability in the motorhome. This type of suspension uses air as the main suspension element, which means that the suspension properties can be flexibly adapted to the respective driving conditions and the weight of the vehicle. The ability to vary the air pressure in the suspension elements allows riders to customise the height and firmness of the suspension. This not only leads to a smoother ride, but also to better handling and safety, especially on uneven roads or in difficult weather conditions. In this context, full air suspension offers an excellent solution for motorhome owners who value comfort and driving dynamics.
Advantages of full air suspension in motorhomes:
1. increased driving comfort: The air suspension absorbs shocks and bumps on the road better than conventional suspension systems, resulting in a smoother and more comfortable ride.
2. Adaptability: The air pressure can be adjusted depending on the load and driving conditions. This allows individual adjustment of the suspension height and firmness, which is particularly advantageous for different weights and road conditions.
3. Improved stability: Full air suspension ensures even weight distribution and reduces vehicle roll, which increases stability when cornering and in crosswinds.
4. Easier handling: The ability to adjust the height of the vehicle makes it easier to get in and out and to load the motorhome.
5. Longer service life of vehicle components: As the air suspension absorbs shocks better, other vehicle components such as shock absorbers and suspension are subjected to less stress, which can extend their service life.
6. Less wear and tear: The softer suspension reduces wear on tyres and other chassis components, resulting in lower maintenance costs.
7. Better traction: By adjusting the suspension, traction can be optimised on different surfaces, which is particularly advantageous on unpaved roads.
8. Increased security: A more stable ride and better control of the vehicle contribute to safety, especially in difficult driving conditions.
Overall, the full air suspension offers an excellent combination of comfort, flexibility and safety.
Air suspension systems in the Carthago motorhome:
In your Carthago motorhome, you have the option of adding the full air suspension to your configuration from the chic c-line upwards. The following options are available for the respective chassis:
Fiat Ducato: AL-KO Air Premium X2, full air suspension on the rear axle or AL-KO Air Premium X4, 4-channel full air suspension on the rear/front axle
Mercedes-Benz: AL-KO Air Premium X2, full pneumatic suspension on rear axle
Iveco Daily: Adaptive air suspension and shock absorber system "AIR-PRO", full air suspension of the rear axle
We present the respective full air suspensions in more detail below.
AL-KO Air Premium X2:
A fully automatic air suspension system for optimum comfort on the rear axle. The Air Premium X2 system results in a soft, comfort-orientated suspension - fully automatically.
The system can be automatically levelled or manually adjusted using a remote control. The rear axle of the motorhome can be raised on rough terrain, for example, or lowered for easy loading or boarding.
Conversion work for the Air Premium X2
The original suspension in the motorhome consists of three steel torsion bar springs on each axle side. If full air suspension is installed, these three torsion bars are removed on each side and replaced by one air bellows and two smaller torsion bars. Now 80 per cent of the motorhome is on air suspension. The two additional built-in torsion bars form the safety net in the event of an emergency: If the air suspension were not functional, you would still be able to drive your motorhome thanks to this 20 per cent.
A special feature of a Mercedes-Benz chassis: the parameterisable special module (PSM):
The PSM is an interface between the vehicle and the body electronics and is required to control the air suspension.
Air Premium X4:
Air suspension systems such as the Air Premium X4 offer an effective solution for maintaining the driving comfort and stability of the motorhome. The complete system is maintenance-free and is also suitable for vehicles with ESP.
The Air Premium X4 full air suspension for the front and rear axle offers a high ride height with optimum comfort-orientated suspension. Air suspension struts are used on the front axle and air bellows on the rear axle. This enables automatic alignment to the optimum driving level and perfect levelling of the motorhome when stationary.
The four-circuit full air suspension largely absorbs shocks and vibrations during the journey. On uneven pitches, the motorhome can be automatically levelled at the touch of a button thanks to the auto-level function. This eliminates the tedious laying of wedges.
AIR-PRO:
In a joint development with Iveco, Carthago has launched the Air-Pro adaptive damping system. So you can experience a completely new driving experience in the combination of a luxury motorhome based on an Iveco series chassis!
The Iveco Air-Pro system is based on full air suspension on the rear axle, paired with an adaptive, electronically controlled damper system on all wheels (front & rear axle). The system developed by ZF uses a central control unit to adjust the characteristic curves for the shock absorbers to the driving situation within milliseconds.
This reduces vibrations by around 25% and lateral tilt by > 30% compared to the previous chassis systems.
As well as improving handling performance, the air suspension on the rear axle can be used to raise and lower the vehicle while it is stationary, e.g. to facilitate loading and unloading or to level off the vehicle on a sloped parking space. These positions can even be saved and then retrieved for later use.
