All things made of rubber eventually deteriorate.
The rubber air suspenion bags on ToyHomes have the advantage of NOT being exposed to very high temperatures, heat cycling,
or corrosive chemicals. Being under the chassis, their exposure to UV radiation is also minimized. Deterioration from ozone
depends where the vehicle spends most of its time. If it's parked in an area with significant photochemical smog, the rubber
will degrade sooner than areas with better air quality.
(Side note: The U-2 spy plane had problems with hydraulic fluid leaks when it was first developed. Lockheed engineers figured
out the terrible smog in Burbank, CA (Where it was built) was attacking the rubber seals in the hydrualic system. They had to
replace the natural rubber seals with silicone rubber seals to fix the problem).
The good news is rubber tends to deteriorate gradually, so a sudden blowout of the airbags is unlikely. Even if one does, you
can still drive the vehicle. You should get it replaced as soon as you can, but a bag failure is unlikely to cause damage which
would leave the vehicle stranded.
Buzz L.
Phoenix, AZ
Former '86 Dolphin, '89 HiLux, and '96 Tacoma owner
