We had heard about Airide and had spoken to a user, who seemed well pleased. At the exhibition we tracked down John Symons at the Symonspeed stand, where brisk business was being done.

So we quizzed him: "We have had good reports of your Airide on coach- builts which tend to sit down at the rear but that's not our problem. We need a slightly firmer ride and better directional stability when the motor- home is loaded. What could Airide do for a Ford Transit coachbuilt?"

John had fitted his system to several Fords and offered to do ours there and then! "What, on the grass?"

"Certainly. It only takes an hour; we have fitted several already this weekend!"

So John turned up at our pitch and got to work. He jacked up one side of the vehicle, slid beneath and replaced the rubber bump stop with bellows or ,air springs' which were also clamped to the rear axle. The operation was repeated on the other side. A small diameter flexible pipe was connected to each bellows and run beneath the vehicle to a gauge on the inside of the front step. A few strokes of a foot pump raised the pressure to 40psi.

That's all there was to it. It was done in less than an hour and no special tools were required, except perhaps for a cold chisel to remove a flange on the Ford's bump stop. (We have kept the bump stops; if the vehicle is ever sold,

Airide can be removed and installed on its replacement.)

We left Peterborough with the pressure at 40psi, reducing it later (simply by letting a little air out of the conveniently placed Schrader valve) to 35. For ambling on the twisting, bumpy roads of Wiltshire we have settled on a standard of 30. For a journey, the pressure can-without crawling beneath the vehicle -be increased. In short, we now select the ride quality that suits our own preference.

Our Ford has power steering which is marvellous when parking but rather light at speed. Immediately noticeable was the improved directional stability. On motorways, passing heavies caused no deviation from course. We have had a month's trial now under all sorts of conditions. We like the fact that the suspension characteristics can be altered so easily and reckon this is one of the best `extras' we have come across.

There is also a model for the Fiat/ Talbot range; many of those coach- builts could do with a little help for a level ride. An incidental advantage is that height at the rear is easily adjusted by about two inches at the axle (which would measure more at the end of the body) -useful when you find yourself parked on a slight slope.

In conversation, it turned out that owners of panel van conversions who have installed the system (I have not spoken to any yet) have also been well pleased. And finally, no alterations are made to the original vehicle; in effect, only the bump stops are replaced