Kelderman Manufacturing Air Ride systems

John Whitman, Ohio
2006 Dodge 2500 2-bag front, 2-bag rear & torsion axle Airstream trailer.
"It just floats along."

Oct 3, 2003
Trailer Life
TL Enterprises

Two and one half years and 64 thousand miles ago, I had a Kelderman air suspension system installed in my 2000 Ford 350 diesel. Kelderman is a frequent advertiser in your magazine. We have been very pleased with the improvement in the ride both with and without our 13,000 lb. 5th wheeler attached. We also had air suspension installed on the trailer which resulted in much less movement of things inside.

About 3 months ago, I noticed that the compressor for the truck was coming on more than normal. I contacted Kelderman and told them I would be near Oskaloosa on a certain day. They said bring it in and they would look at it.

Upon my arrival I talked to a technician named Doug. He at once went under the truck and discovered that two of the connections were leaking. He also advised that they had changed the wiring system since mine was installed and he should rewire it also. The whole process took a little over two hours. When he was done I ask for the bill, fully expecting to have to pay for repairs on a 2 ½ year old system. To my surprise they said I owed nothing. Now that's service that is unheard of these days.

We feel our Kelderman air suspension is worth every penny we paid and the service is far superior to any other we have experienced in the RV industry.

Rial & Annette Newland Adrian, MI

Dear Mr. Kelderman,

Though we have never met or spoke, I wanted to take the time to help
convince the skeptics by sharing my story of what not having your systems
will do for them.

I am active duty military and recently transferred from Little Rock, AR to
Anchorage, AK. My wife & I had the option to ship everything we own and fly
to Anchorage or pack up and haul everything ourselves with a monetary
incentive. We chose the second.

I have a 2001 Chevy Crew Cab dually and a 2003 Prairie Schooner, 36' Luxury
5th wheel (triple axle/triple slide). Both very expensive.

We consolidated our household, loaded all we could in the camper, sold or
gave away what we could not load, took a short vacation and started the
journey. (We gave the Clampets a run for their money!) While on vacation I
installed a simple (NAME BRAND) truck axle airbag kit thinking it would help
with the ride and handling. Now that we made the trek (4,200 miles, EST.) I
wish someone would have slapped me in the face for even thinking such a
thing. As it turns out, that !@#$ air bag kit only intensified the bouncing
and the rough ride. I will never buy or recommend them to any again!

Anyone who has ever driven the Alaska-Canadian Highway knows you had better
pack a refrigerator size lunch and have plenty of time on your hands for the
road condition is the worst on the North American continent.. (I-40 through
Arkansas has nothing this road.) Unfortunately we did not have the time to
spare.

We made the drive the second week of March 2005. We were expecting hard
packed snow the whole way. Much to our surprise we had clean road for nearly
the whole length. This in turn was our problem. Due to the much early
thaw/meltdown, nature took control and created "speed bumps" caused by
hot/cold, expansion/contraction from one end to the other of the 1,500 mile
highway. One sticks in my mind particularly well for I thought we sprouted
wings and mimicked the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazard. We hit this
"ski-ramp" @ 55 MPH (the Speed Limit of the AL CAN) and I know the whole rig
was airborne for at least 30 YARDS. That was a month ago now and my lower
back & posterior are still reminding me of how rough it was.

After the trip was over, one of the first stops we made was a car wash to
remove all the road grime. Only then did I discover the damage! As I washed
off the grime on the trailer I found a 16-18" crack on the exterior
gel-coated fiberglass, leading from a corner of the bedroom slide. Another
crack 4-6" long with 1/2 to 1" gap in it at the top corner of the 3rd slide.
The trailer frame is slightly bent where the spring shackles are welded to
it. There are gaps in the corner exterior arch moldings where the trailer
makes an arch for the hitch. Interior: The entrance door frame is out of
square. The bathroom & closet doors have to be forced open and shut. The
crown molding is pulling away from the ceiling... it just gets worse and I
get more infuriated just thinking about it. To top it all off, we are still
uncertain if the "Full Coverage" insurance is going to cover the cost for
repair.

THE MORAL OF THIS STORY: Kelderman Air ride Systems might be considered
expensive to the unknowing. However, I encourage all you skeptics to do the
math and research! Kelderman truck and trailer systems sure are cheap
insurance to help prevent damage such as what I have! I only wish I had the
time and money last month to detour this trip to Iowa! Anyone wanting to
drive to and around Alaska to see the Last Frontier and actually be able to
enjoy it better have time & Kelderman riding with them!!

Mr. Kelderman, I invite you to offer this letter to any naysayer who has an
expensive investment such as I do.

Chris Patton

John & Charity Avera
969 Bethel Road
Decatur, AL 35603
June 17, 2001

Dear Jeff,

We finally arrived home safe with no damage to anything in or on our trailer! That was the first time we ever completed a trip and had no damage to some item in or on our fifth wheel. The air suspension system you installed worked perfectly and there has been no loss in air pressure since it was installed. I wish we had known about Kelderman Air Suspension when we bought the rig, as our first trip would have been to Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Having a new two-axle dual wheel 38-foot Newmar Country Air fifth wheel with a Newmar matching pattern stripped F550 Fontaine Ford draws attention anyplace we stop and for the first time we could tell everyone we had no damage in or to our rig. I know it pulls smoother now which is a real bonus considering the current poor condition of the roads. Every RV'er knows I-40 in Arkansas and I-10 in Louisiana are two of the worst interstates in the country, but they are no problem for the Kelderman Air Suspension you installed on our fifth wheel.

Your air suspension system will allow us to go to many locations that we did dare go before because of the rough roads. You expanded our travel area but most of all our ability to enjoy the trip without worrying about breaking something in or on the rig.
A special thank you, for you, your dad, and the three men who installed the Kelderman Air Suspension on our Country Air. I am convinced the combination in unbeatable.

Feel free to have anyone questioning the advantages and value of a Kelderman Air Suspension on their rig call us. Charity and I will be glad to tell them how great it is and how it has helped us.

Thanks again,
John and Charity AVera

Rick & Lynn Croel
1885 Hayes St.
Marne, MI 49435

Dear Jeff,

You recently installed an air ride system on our 1997 Trail-Et horse trailer. I would like to say I simply can't believe the difference.

We recently purchased a 3 year old philly. She's not very big. Without the weight of a big horse in the trailer it pulled terribly. We took her to a show in Illinois (a six hour trip). When we got there she could hardly get out of the trailer. We were unable to show her the first day of the show. After you installed the air ride system we made the same trip to the same show. What a difference. When we arrived she hopped out of the trailer like nothing. My daughter showed her the following morning and got second in a class of 23 horses.

I WILL NEVER OWN A TRAILER WITHOUT AIR RIDE ON IT AGAIN.

Several people have looked at the system and are really impressed with the quality of workmanship and materials. I would like you to send me a couple of your stickers that I could put on the trailer. I don't usually advertise other people's products for free, but feel very strongly that your product would be a great addition to anyone's trailering experience.
Again, Thank You Very Much for providing such an outstanding product. A product that actually does what you said it would do.

Sincerely,
Rick Croel

November 7, 1997
Kelderman Mfg Co., Inc
2686 Highway 92 East
Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577-9685

Dear Jeff,

While I've only had your Air Ride Conversion on my One-Ton Crew Cab Chevy for a week, I just had to write to tell you how much my wife & I love it! It's turned our "Army Tank" into a "Suburban"! I must admit, we were skeptical of the advertised benefits of this system, but now we are your best salesmen. I've shown it to my Chevy dealer and others who own similar trucks. I've ran out of literature already. Next to my Vortex engine, this conversion is the best piece of equipment on my truck.
Thank you again for your hospitality while at your place. We appreciated the ability to stay over night. All your people treated us well and made us feel at home. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,
Steve Meyers

October 13, 1998

We had the Kelderman Air Ride System (Front and Rear) installed on our '97 Ford One Ton 4x4 dually on 13 August 1998. Since then, we have driven 4,500 miles in pure comfort. What a difference the Air Ride makes. It takes the bite out of the bump. We no longer feel "beat to death" after a day on the road pulling our 34' 5th wheel. We really appreciate the hook-up provided and many thanks to Rich. He took the time to explain the working details of the system and made us feel right at home.

Thanks again,
Paul Smith

In this issue product Showcase, I'm fortunate to have a collection of correspondence about the Kelderman Air Ride System. Ron Mays' letter exemplifies a number of members with "inquiring minds". Here is an excerpt from Ron's letter: I would like to know if you or any of your readers have used or have any comments about an add-on after-market air ride system. The only one I have any info on is the Kelderman Air Ride System, but I would like to talk to someone with some experience with their unit.

Ron Mays
Drexel, MO

A quick answer to Ron's inquiry comes from Donald Bailey of Colorado Springs, CO. Donald comments:
" What you can't see in my All Dressed Up picture is the great Kelderman Air Ride System."

Additional letters from William Schweinle, Bloomsburg, PA, and Charles Miller Cambridge, MN, talk favorably about the Kelderman Air Ride System. Below are their letters.

My 3/4 ton 4X2 rode a bit rough due to the heavy suspension. I solved the ride problem by installing a Kelderman Air Ride System, from Kelderman Mfg. Inc., Highway 92 East, Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577. I opted for the two bag system to be able to retain the spare tire in its original position. All hardware was delivered by UPS. Installation instructions are very complete and, with the help of, my lady friend, I installed the unit without undue difficulties in the time they allowed it would take. The system includes a 10,000 lb hitch receiver, since it bolts to the frame utilizing the same mounting holes as would a bolt on hitch. The unit is everything the manufacturer says it is, and now the rear of the truck rides at least as well as the front, if not better. The air pressure can be regulated to the load and the ride remains-, good up to the more than a ton that I have carried. The air suspension also helps to maintain level when I tow my 31 ft Airstream travel trailer.

The only negative is in getting the spare tire and wheel into the original carrying position. It can be done but needs two men and a boy to do the job. I have elected to carry the spare in the truck bed, but that minor complaint is overridden by the riding comfort. The unit has been in place for about miles and I am totally pleased with it.

William H. Schweinle
Bloomsburg, PA

Farlow
PMB 1238
112 Rainbow Drive

August 14, 2000

Dear Jeff,

Thanks for making the adjustments to our suspension system. As usual, it was a pleasure seeing you and watching your crew work. There is an unusual atmosphere of capability and respect among the members of your crew.The suspension works extremely well. Things unintentionally left out on the counter tops and dinette table are still there when we park hours and hundreds of miles later. I've watched the trailer gently bob over bumps that fairly shake the truck. I wish the truck rode as well as the fifth wheel. If we were going to keep the truck we would certainly want you to perform your magic over it. Thanks again for installing the suspension and thanks for making sure it works as well as you claimed it would.

LeRoy H. Woodward
416 E. Waupansie
Dwight, IL 60420

May 17, 2000

Dear Gary and Jeff,

We own a 1998 Alfa Gold Fifth Wheel, three axle, 38' Recreational Vehicle, and we were literally shaking the RV to pieces. We already had Kelderman Air Ride on our 1996 Ford F350 Dually and it transformed the ride of the pick-up.We talked to you, Gary, and you told us that you could air ride our RV for $3000 and we decided in November, 1999, to go ahead and install air ride on our RV. The air ride on our RV literally transformed the ride of everything inside of the RV. We had many fine trinkets in the Curio Cabinet at the rear of the RV, which we had to remove and pack before the air ride was installed. The turbulence was so great inside the Curio Cabinet, anything that was left in there was destroyed.

Now that we have the air ride on the RV, we don't take anything out of the cabinet. We also leave many things on the table and nothing falls off, unless we do a "panic stop".On May 5, 2000, we stopped at Kelderman to have some stabilizing jacks installed on the rear of the RV. We had just arrived at Kelderman and Jeff walked outside just as we drove up and asked us how the air ride was doing. I said, "Well, let's go look inside the RV". He could not believe all the things we had left on the table. We had papers, several bottles of vitamins and a small plastic container of Sweet and Low on the table. None of these moved or fell off the table. Jeff could hardly believe what he saw, and I told Jeff that I believed you could set the table with plates and silverware and they would not fall off the table.

So before we left Oskaloosa, I put two plates, two knives and two forks on the table as though we were going to eat. Jeff took a picture of the table before we left. Upon arriving in Dwight, IL, I was not sure what we would find when we looked inside the RV. Nothing on the table had moved. Much to my amazement, the plates, knives and forks were still as they had been when we left Oskaloosa. As long as we do not do "panic stops", nothing inside of the RV moves around or falls over. We drive 65 and 70 mph on the Interstate, and the RV rides and trails absolutely perfect.

The other very amazing thing was, the first set of tires on this RV had started cracking around the rims and they had very bad wear patterns, at 8000 miles, so General Tire Co. adjusted the tires. The new tires from General were brand new at the time Kelderman installed the air ride. We have put 10,000 miles on the RV since Kelderman installed the air ride. On May 5th, while we were at Kelderman, Gary and Jeff inspected the tires for wear and found we had a perfect wear pattern on all 6 tires. This was absolutely amazing.

I would not even consider pulling any kind or make RV without air ride suspension. The air ride will literally keep you from shaking your RV to pieces!! Your appliances will last longer, as will everything else in the RV last longer. And when you get ready to sell your unit, you'll have something to sell.

Gary and Jeff, we can not say enough about the kindness and fairness in the way that you and your employees have treated us every time we have been at your shop. Thank you very much for everything. We look forward to seeing you again.

Sincerely,
LeRoy and Lena Woodward

Having only pulled my 5th wheel RV from your facility after installation of your Air Ride Suspension on my F450 to my home in southwest MO. through Wichita, I already know that you have solved my problem. I was shaking my 5th wheel apart before installing your product. I definitely recommend that anyone considering your system deal directly with you. Not to take anything from a dealer, but I talked to one of your dealers locally, and I detected that he was reluctant to install the Air Ride on my truck. Some of his concerns were valid, but talking to you and your people, I was impressed with your attitude that you have not seen an installation that you couldn't handle. I have a custom bed and some modifications were needed to the storage compartments to accommodate the air bags. This was accomplished to the effect that it is not even noticeable, totally professional.

I pulled my unit to your facility and stayed 2 nights. Although I talked to you on the phone, where I became convinced that your system would handle my problem, I dealt with Tony when I arrived at your facility. I am impressed with the way he took care of us as soon as we arrived.

I have worked in corporate engineering and customer service in aviation, and your people do an excellent job. I will recommend you and your product to anyone who will listen. I am also impressed with the suspension for the trailers. My next priority is your air hitch for my truck, and your air suspension for my next 5th wheel.

I am passing your video and brochures on to a friend of mine here who has a truck accessory shop. I would like you to pass some information on to the man that worked on my truck. I hate to admit it, but I forgot his name. He is rebuilding a motor home and is looking for parts.

There is a company near here that specializes in RV salvage. I told him that I would send him the info. It is Colaw RV Salvage near Carthage MO. They have a Website. It is: colawrvsalvage.com. I would appreciate it if you would pass the info on to him. And tell Tony thanks for a job well done.

Jeff: I also checked out your Dodge, although I have been a Ford person since high school,(45 years ago), you have done a hell of a job on that truck. I will recommend you and your products highly.

Jerry Kunkel
1249 Circle Dr.
Neosho, MO

Nov. 26,2003

Hello Jeff,

Just a few lines to let you know how much I like my Kelderman Air Ride System.
Doug and Tony did a great job installing the Air Ride System, they were really good to answer any question that I had about the Air Ride System.

I have a 3/4 ton Dodge pickup and a 28 ft. 5th wheel trailer (Hitchhiker). I feel that the pickup rides as good as any 1/2 ton pickup. I wish that you had a Air Ride for the front of my pickup and then it would ride just like a car. The trailer doesn't buck now when you cross a uneven bridge, it pulls straight and true at 70 mph. I have a rear kitchen and before I had the Aid Ride installed you couldn't leave anything on the counter, everything in the cabinets had to be rearrange. I left my coffee maker set on the counter just to see if it would ride on the counter, will when I got home and looked the coffee maker was where I put it.

I want to Thank You for letting me hook up and stay in the trailer while I was getting the Air Ride install.

I feel that you have a good product and I will let everyone know I enjoy riding in my pickup now.

Thanks Again,
E.L. Roby
3712 Haven Dr.
Derby, Ks 67037