Smooth moves on the party bus with built-in spa and dance floor
Ride-Rite suspension comes out to play

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When Paul Biscoe decided to turn a regular Toyota Coaster into an open-top party bus, he knew his biggest challenge would be ensuring that a vehicle designed to carry 22 seated passengers would now be able to hold 50 dancing ones- all night long.

"It was just one of those crazy ideas you have when you're up at the pub. The only difference is I actually followed through with it," says Mr Biscoe. The vehicle, which is used not on the road, but at shows such as the annual Summernats car festival, is owned by Team Lorenzo Racing- a group that Mr Biscoe is a member of.

Mr Biscoe found that once the bus was ready- complete with a dance floor and a spa bath in the back- he would need additional suspension support to accommodate the extra weight and to make the handling of the bus safer and easier.

Party Bus"I recently had 47 people on the bus. It was so full that they literally couldn't move. There was a lot more weight for the bus to support, so I had Ride- Rite air helper springs installed by Pedders ," says Mr Biscoe, who, when he's not building dream vehicles, is a site manager for a major transport and logistics company.

The Ride-Rite system, distributed in NSW and ACT by All Air Suspension, can iron out difficulties presented by unevenly loaded vehicles (whether they are loaded with tools, equipment, or 47 rowdy people). The suspension – normally employed in work vehicles such as utes, 4wds, vans and light trucks – gives extra support to conventional leaf spring suspensions, making the vehicle safer, keeping its cornering flat, its chassis level and the ride smooth and comfortable.

"Ride-Rite air springs make a big difference to the handling of the vehicle. They even everything out, so you don't get erratic braking," says Mr Biscoe. "It makes the ride a lot better for me and the passengers- especially the ones who made full use of the spa bath."

Air suspension kits available from Pedders through All Air Suspension in association with national distributor Airbag Man range from the simple but very rugged Firestone Ride-Rite air helper kits, to sophisticated full air conversions also using Firestone air springs.

Firestone air springs are the world's top selling brand. The air springs used in Ride-Rite suspension systems are identical in construction to the airbags used under massive semi-trailers.

Mark Johnson, Regional Manager of Pedders Suspension in Campbelltown, installed the air suspension units into Paul Biscoe's party bus. He says that this project has demonstrated the versatility and adaptability of air suspension products.

"This is probably the most bizarre job I've ever worked on, but the Ride-Rite suspension has provided some obvious benefits and proven how diverse its applications can be," says Mr Johnson. "Air suspension has been an asset to safety, comfort, load carrying and maintenance.

"There has definitely been a rising demand for air suspension from several different sources and industries. It can be used on 4 wheel drives, utes, trucks, trailers, race cars, limousines- any vehicle that carries weight."

Pedders' customers include builders, mobile mechanics, electricians, plumbers, and home services providers. Recent conversions have included 2wd utes (Falcons, for example), 4wd utes, motor homes, F150s, Mercedes Sprinters, Series 100 Landcruisers – the list is endless.

Not only do the Ride-Rite and full air suspensions give better ride and handling, but also their air springs can be inflated to different pressures to cope with uneven loads and varying weight distribution.

Using a simple tyre pump – or compressor-driven control kits in the cab – air can be added to overcome imbalance. Vehicle loading heights can also be adjusted, with the suspensions being raised or lowered to match loading dock heights, for example. The loading height adjustment can also be used to enable a vehicle to slip out from under special trays it carries for particular jobs - but which it doesn't need to carry around all the time and waste fuel.

This inflation pressure flexibility can also be an asset when dealing with different ride surfaces, ranging from roadway to soft, muddy and sandy.

It can also be an asset when towing, which is an additional stress to which many work vehicles are subjected (including when their owners are on holiday, towing a boat or camping gear).

Ride-Rite springs can handle 0-7 bar (0-100 psi) and will support loadings of up to 1100kg each (subject to chassis gross vehicle weight limits). They are simple to install using ordinary workshop tools.

Mark Johnson says that Pedders Customers often comment that they should have done the conversion to air a long time ago – "You'll get people who have been hitting their vehicles into sharp driveways for years, or having their vehicle dragging its behind unsafely when towing - then suddenly it's just transformed."

Pedders Suspension can be contacted on (02) 4324 9686 at 12 Enterprise Close, West Gosford, NSW 2250. For further information about this media release or the name of local fitting specialists in other parts of NSW and interstate, please contact All Air Suspensions, 10 Angas St, Meadowbank, Sydney 2114 ph (02) 9807 7641, fax (02) 9807 7643 www.allair.com.au All Air can also supply contacts for national availability of the product.