- Joined
- Mar 30, 2020
- Messages
- 468
- Reaction Points
- 1,347
- Location
- Texas
- Military
- USN
- Current Ride
- 2021 F-250 6.7 "Silverback"
- Current Ride #2
- 2015 Corvette Z51 "Vettenessa"
Huge shout out to Erik for sharing his install first!
The purpose of this new thread about onboard air is to help those thinking about installing the Viair 20185 Dual Stealth Black 485C system under their truck bed.
This would be a good time to get your favorite adult beverage, some snacks and acquire a comfortable reading position.
Let's begin!
This is a great DIY project and you will save yourself a lot of money doing it yourself. However, I didn't have the tools or experience for this install but did have the money to pay for installation.
I contacted the shop that did Erik's install. The owner was absolutely amazing and she gave me a ton of great info. She also explained that Erik got a discounted install price because they were already installing a new suspension for him. Erik's price was around $500. She emailed an updated quote to me, "The installation would be $650 plus shop supplies, and if we need anything additional such as hangers, or whatever minor items that may not be included for this install." That quote although more expensive than Erik's is still a great price and you will see why later on. Unfortunately, I live 6.5 hours away from her shop and decided to have mine installed locally.
The first local shop that I contacted was 4wheelparts. Their quote was much higher!
The next shop that I contacted quoted me $125 to install everything? I decided not to go there because there was obviously a huge misunderstanding right from the get go.
The final shop that I contacted quoted me $500 for the install. I showed them Erik's install pics. They asked if I really wanted to cut my frame up like that? I said, "DO NOT NOT CUT THE FRAME!" It took me a good 10 minutes of showing them the pics again to convince them that the frame was never cut on Erik's install. So, be careful out there and don't let anyone cut up your frame. I decided to go with this shop because the store manager said they install Viair all the time (remember this for later). He told me to come back next week and first thing in the morning.
I arrived very early one week later. The shop was not even open when I got there. When the store manager arrived, I got out of my truck and said good morning. He looked like he had never seen me before. We went inside. He asked how he could help me? I said that I am here for my appointment. He asked appointment? I was starting to have some doubts at this point. I said, "Yes, I am here for the installation of the dual Viair system." He asked Viair? Then, he said that he had never heard of Viair before.? I took a deep breath and said you took pics of my truck and I sent install pics to your phone. Remember? I was about to walk out when he said that he remembered.
One of the installers came up and asked for my key fob. I looked at the manager and asked if we could talk about the install before they get started? He said they still needed to open the store first but for me to go ahead give him the keys. I handed over the key fob and waited my turn to talk about the install.
About 30 minutes passed and I took a peek into the install bay. The installer was already working on the installation. I found the shop manager and asked when we were going to go over the installation? He said in a few minutes.
I waited about 2 hours and a second installer walked into the store room. His name is Rigo. The manager pointed at me and Rigo walked over. He wanted to show me the mounting locations for the pressure gauge.
We walked out to the truck and I patiently listened to Rigo explain where the gauge could go. I told Rigo that I do not need the gauge and do not need it installed.
Rigo laughed and said sir, you need this gauge for your air bags. I waited patiently as Rigo explained to me how air bags worked and why I needed the gauge. I told him that I do not have air bags and don't plan to use any air bags. Rigo laughed even harder! Then, Rigo points at his partner under my truck. Rigo asked me what do I think that man has been working on all morning? I looked back at Rigo and said ask him for yourself. So, Rigo keeps laughing and yells down to his partner.
The man working under the truck told Rigo he was not installing airbags and to look for himself. Rigo drops under the truck and I could see the look of surprise on his face.
Rigo apologized and asked me what all of this was for? I told Rigo that it was not his fault because the store manager never went over the installation with me first. Now that we were on the same page, things went a lot smoother.
It went smooth until it was demonstration time. Rigo came in and said it was all done. We walked out to the truck and he connected an air blower nozzle to the air chuck. I could hear the air escape but the pumps never came on. Rigo asked me to go back and wait inside.
Five minutes later we try again and now the pumps work. I asked Rigo to show me the fuse location. That is when he tells me that the 20 amp fuse blew the first time. So, he replaced it with a 30 amp fuse. I told Rigo that each pump draws 40 amps of current and there is no way those are the right fuses. Rigo said that was all that came with the system.
I called Viair and they were absolutely fantastic! Viair explained over my iPhone's speaker that the 20 amp fuse had to go bye-bye and to use the 80 amp fuse and holder. Rigo found those items in the box but he was so confused. He said these are for car stereos and not air compressors. I asked him to use them anyway. Rigo made the change and it was done.
The store manager told me that if they ever do this install again they would charge the next person 3 times more ($,1500 plus tax). Then, he said no, we will never install another system like this again. He honored his original quote and I paid $541 including tax.
A funny thing happened to me on the way home, Viair called me back. They asked if I was still at the shop? I sad no, why? Viair explained that if the shop used the 20 amp fuse, then they may have also used the wrong gauge of wire and the wire might be too small. I thanked them for the info.
The next day, I wanted to try the system out but could not find the air blower nozzle. I drove back to the shop and they did not have it anywhere. Rigo insisted it was in an unopened package and still in the box he gave me yesterday. I was skeptical but drove back home and found the nozzle just like Rigo said. I felt so stupid ?
I called the shop to let them know I found it.
I plugged the air nozzle in and showed my finance what it can do. Everything worked perfectly!
About a week later, we visited some friends and of course I had to show off my Viair system. That is when I noticed the pumps were not coming on. I made sure the truck was running and that upfitter switch #5 was on but the pumps never came on. That is when I remembered that last phone call from Viair saying the wires may be too small.
I reached out to Viair and asked them to help me find a shop that could fix the wiring. They responded almost immediately with info about a different shop. I called up shop number 2 and made an appointment.
Shop #2 was absolutely fantastic! Jason quickly realized that shop #1 had wired the system up like a one pump system. Since I have two pumps, the wires were too small. Also, each pump should have it's own power wire running up to the relay. Shop #1 had both pumps on one wire. Jason also found that the system was not grounded right. Additionally, Jason upgraded the air hose from the tank to the air chuck. He said the hose they used was too small and it would take forever to air up my 35 inch tires.
So, Jason fixed everything and I paid him $195. Some may argue that I should have made shop #1 fix everything for free but it was clear to me that they did not have the knowledge to fix it. So, I was ok paying Jason for his time and effort. Remember that Erik's shop quoted me $650 plus materials. At the end of day, I paid $736 between shop 1 and 2. So, its not too far off and still cheaper that the $1,100 that 4wp quoted me. Also, Jason said that shop #1 did a great job installing the pumps, brackets, and tank. Jason also said that this installation was a big job and he would have turned me down if I came to him first.
Now that everything is installed and working correctly, I did a quick air down and air up test run today.
Starting pressure was about 48 psi but the air gauge is showing closer to 46. Could be the angle of my iPhone? I was trying to avoid the glaring reflection.
Airing down to 20 psi took about 3 minutes with me stopping a few times to check the pressure:
Airing back up to 50 psi took about a minute and 45 seconds.
In the end, everything came together and is working great.
Erik has the best install pics. See Erik's post here.
If this is something you would like to do, here are the Amazon links for the products:
Amazon link to the dual air system:
Amazon link to the mounting brackets:
The purpose of this new thread about onboard air is to help those thinking about installing the Viair 20185 Dual Stealth Black 485C system under their truck bed.
This would be a good time to get your favorite adult beverage, some snacks and acquire a comfortable reading position.
Let's begin!
This is a great DIY project and you will save yourself a lot of money doing it yourself. However, I didn't have the tools or experience for this install but did have the money to pay for installation.
I contacted the shop that did Erik's install. The owner was absolutely amazing and she gave me a ton of great info. She also explained that Erik got a discounted install price because they were already installing a new suspension for him. Erik's price was around $500. She emailed an updated quote to me, "The installation would be $650 plus shop supplies, and if we need anything additional such as hangers, or whatever minor items that may not be included for this install." That quote although more expensive than Erik's is still a great price and you will see why later on. Unfortunately, I live 6.5 hours away from her shop and decided to have mine installed locally.
The first local shop that I contacted was 4wheelparts. Their quote was much higher!
The next shop that I contacted quoted me $125 to install everything? I decided not to go there because there was obviously a huge misunderstanding right from the get go.
The final shop that I contacted quoted me $500 for the install. I showed them Erik's install pics. They asked if I really wanted to cut my frame up like that? I said, "DO NOT NOT CUT THE FRAME!" It took me a good 10 minutes of showing them the pics again to convince them that the frame was never cut on Erik's install. So, be careful out there and don't let anyone cut up your frame. I decided to go with this shop because the store manager said they install Viair all the time (remember this for later). He told me to come back next week and first thing in the morning.
I arrived very early one week later. The shop was not even open when I got there. When the store manager arrived, I got out of my truck and said good morning. He looked like he had never seen me before. We went inside. He asked how he could help me? I said that I am here for my appointment. He asked appointment? I was starting to have some doubts at this point. I said, "Yes, I am here for the installation of the dual Viair system." He asked Viair? Then, he said that he had never heard of Viair before.? I took a deep breath and said you took pics of my truck and I sent install pics to your phone. Remember? I was about to walk out when he said that he remembered.
One of the installers came up and asked for my key fob. I looked at the manager and asked if we could talk about the install before they get started? He said they still needed to open the store first but for me to go ahead give him the keys. I handed over the key fob and waited my turn to talk about the install.
About 30 minutes passed and I took a peek into the install bay. The installer was already working on the installation. I found the shop manager and asked when we were going to go over the installation? He said in a few minutes.
I waited about 2 hours and a second installer walked into the store room. His name is Rigo. The manager pointed at me and Rigo walked over. He wanted to show me the mounting locations for the pressure gauge.
We walked out to the truck and I patiently listened to Rigo explain where the gauge could go. I told Rigo that I do not need the gauge and do not need it installed.
Rigo laughed and said sir, you need this gauge for your air bags. I waited patiently as Rigo explained to me how air bags worked and why I needed the gauge. I told him that I do not have air bags and don't plan to use any air bags. Rigo laughed even harder! Then, Rigo points at his partner under my truck. Rigo asked me what do I think that man has been working on all morning? I looked back at Rigo and said ask him for yourself. So, Rigo keeps laughing and yells down to his partner.
The man working under the truck told Rigo he was not installing airbags and to look for himself. Rigo drops under the truck and I could see the look of surprise on his face.
Rigo apologized and asked me what all of this was for? I told Rigo that it was not his fault because the store manager never went over the installation with me first. Now that we were on the same page, things went a lot smoother.
It went smooth until it was demonstration time. Rigo came in and said it was all done. We walked out to the truck and he connected an air blower nozzle to the air chuck. I could hear the air escape but the pumps never came on. Rigo asked me to go back and wait inside.
Five minutes later we try again and now the pumps work. I asked Rigo to show me the fuse location. That is when he tells me that the 20 amp fuse blew the first time. So, he replaced it with a 30 amp fuse. I told Rigo that each pump draws 40 amps of current and there is no way those are the right fuses. Rigo said that was all that came with the system.
I called Viair and they were absolutely fantastic! Viair explained over my iPhone's speaker that the 20 amp fuse had to go bye-bye and to use the 80 amp fuse and holder. Rigo found those items in the box but he was so confused. He said these are for car stereos and not air compressors. I asked him to use them anyway. Rigo made the change and it was done.
The store manager told me that if they ever do this install again they would charge the next person 3 times more ($,1500 plus tax). Then, he said no, we will never install another system like this again. He honored his original quote and I paid $541 including tax.
A funny thing happened to me on the way home, Viair called me back. They asked if I was still at the shop? I sad no, why? Viair explained that if the shop used the 20 amp fuse, then they may have also used the wrong gauge of wire and the wire might be too small. I thanked them for the info.
The next day, I wanted to try the system out but could not find the air blower nozzle. I drove back to the shop and they did not have it anywhere. Rigo insisted it was in an unopened package and still in the box he gave me yesterday. I was skeptical but drove back home and found the nozzle just like Rigo said. I felt so stupid ?
I called the shop to let them know I found it.I plugged the air nozzle in and showed my finance what it can do. Everything worked perfectly!
About a week later, we visited some friends and of course I had to show off my Viair system. That is when I noticed the pumps were not coming on. I made sure the truck was running and that upfitter switch #5 was on but the pumps never came on. That is when I remembered that last phone call from Viair saying the wires may be too small.
I reached out to Viair and asked them to help me find a shop that could fix the wiring. They responded almost immediately with info about a different shop. I called up shop number 2 and made an appointment.
Shop #2 was absolutely fantastic! Jason quickly realized that shop #1 had wired the system up like a one pump system. Since I have two pumps, the wires were too small. Also, each pump should have it's own power wire running up to the relay. Shop #1 had both pumps on one wire. Jason also found that the system was not grounded right. Additionally, Jason upgraded the air hose from the tank to the air chuck. He said the hose they used was too small and it would take forever to air up my 35 inch tires.
So, Jason fixed everything and I paid him $195. Some may argue that I should have made shop #1 fix everything for free but it was clear to me that they did not have the knowledge to fix it. So, I was ok paying Jason for his time and effort. Remember that Erik's shop quoted me $650 plus materials. At the end of day, I paid $736 between shop 1 and 2. So, its not too far off and still cheaper that the $1,100 that 4wp quoted me. Also, Jason said that shop #1 did a great job installing the pumps, brackets, and tank. Jason also said that this installation was a big job and he would have turned me down if I came to him first.
Now that everything is installed and working correctly, I did a quick air down and air up test run today.
Starting pressure was about 48 psi but the air gauge is showing closer to 46. Could be the angle of my iPhone? I was trying to avoid the glaring reflection.
Airing down to 20 psi took about 3 minutes with me stopping a few times to check the pressure:
Airing back up to 50 psi took about a minute and 45 seconds.
In the end, everything came together and is working great.
Erik has the best install pics. See Erik's post here.
If this is something you would like to do, here are the Amazon links for the products:
Amazon link to the dual air system:
Amazon link to the mounting brackets:
Amazon.com: Viair 95900 Duty Compressor Mounting Bracket : Automotive
Buy Viair 95900 Duty Compressor Mounting Bracket: Shocks, Struts & Suspension - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
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