Hello All: This is my first post ever. I have just purchased a 2008 117DBL and will drive to Fl. from ND to pick up (road trip yah). I have a 2011 3500 cab and chassis DRW, 6.7, manual 6sp, 4.10 gears, flat bed. This weekend I will be lowering the bed and cutting out and putting in some shallow wheel wells for tire clearance. I grew up pulling trailers and in recent years have had a couple of 5th wheels. This is my first time with a slide in and need your advise. My truck has a payload capacity of 5210 lbs compared to a 3500 with a box on it @ 4680 lbs. The cab and chassis has a heavy straight frame and what appears to be a heavy factory suspension. In your opinions do I need to add airbags, and will it lean left when loaded? I would prefer to get home without adding air bags yet. Thank you all in advance, John

debtor wrote:Hello All: This is my first post ever. I have just purchased a 2008 117DBL and will drive to Fl. from ND to pick up (road trip yah). I have a 2011 3500 cab and chassis DRW, 6.7, manual 6sp, 4.10 gears, flat bed. This weekend I will be lowering the bed and cutting out and putting in some shallow wheel wells for tire clearance. I grew up pulling trailers and in recent years have had a couple of 5th wheels. This is my first time with a slide in and need your advise. My truck has a payload capacity of 5210 lbs compared to a 3500 with a box on it @ 4680 lbs. The cab and chassis has a heavy straight frame and what appears to be a heavy factory suspension. In your opinions do I need to add airbags, and will it lean left when loaded? I would prefer to get home without adding air bags yet. Thank you all in advance, JohnI have a 2007 117dbl and a 2006 Dodge 3500 CTD DRW. If I don't air up my bags, then my headlights would be pointing up (they do tend to point high even with the bags).I've not had any side lean problems (sway for sure with the airbags), but the CG of that camper is slightly behind my rear axle and thus if I don't front load as much as possible then the steering can get a little squirrely....may not be as much of an issue if you have a true cab/chassis as your CA length should be a couple of inches longer allowing the CG of the TC to be better situated relative to the axle.If I were you, I'd put something on to raise the rear, If you plan on Airbags, it is an easy install and you can temporarily install the airlines even if you want to route them elsewhere later or add an automated fill.Cheers & Congrats!hbski

I would make sure I had a rear anti-sway bar. As the name implies, it reduces sway. The larger the bar diameter, the less sway. I am not understanding "... will it lean left when loaded ...". I am an airbag fan. However, I am not sure I would be overly concerned with picking up your TC without them. Worst case, is your headlights will aim a little high,. and if excessive a screwdriver will take care of that. Then when you get home you can decide if you want bags. I will point out, the purpose of air bags is not to reduce sway, it is to lift the rear of the vehicle. They can help reduce sway, or if inflated improperly they can create sway.

Reddog1 wrote:I would make sure I had a rear anti-sway bar. As the name implies, it reduces sway. The larger the bar diameter, the less sway. I am not understanding "... will it lean left when loaded ...". I am an airbag fan. However, I am not sure I would be overly concerned with picking up your TC without them. Worst case, is your headlights will aim a little high,. and if excessive a screwdriver will take care of that. Then when you get home you can decide if you want bags. I will point out, the purpose of air bags is not to reduce sway, it is to lift the rear of the vehicle. They can help reduce sway, or if inflated improperly they can create sway.Sway depends heavily on bag location. Mine are inboard of the springs, so they move the effective load reaction point inboard. This will reduce the side to side distance and always increase sway for the same reaction load. Additionally, I'd be willing to bet that the spring rate of the air bags is also less than the spring packs meaning the overall spring rate is reduced as compared to stiffer springs (the concept behind more but thinner leaves that can support the same load, but give a softer ride for instance).

I had read that the L/slide due to the weight of the slide causes it to lean left. The cab and chassis's have a 9' frame behind cab and a slightly longer wheelbase (3") So I am unsure how much difference if any that will make in weight transfer. Thanks, again.

The c/c's come with a sway bar looks about an inch in dia.

Okanagan 117DBL | Good Sam Community

hbski
Explorer
Mar 04, 2015
Reddog1 wrote:
I would make sure I had a rear anti-sway bar. As the name implies, it reduces sway. The larger the bar diameter, the less sway. I am not understanding "... will it lean left when loaded ...".

I am an airbag fan. However, I am not sure I would be overly concerned with picking up your TC without them. Worst case, is your headlights will aim a little high,. and if excessive a screwdriver will take care of that. Then when you get home you can decide if you want bags.

I will point out, the purpose of air bags is not to reduce sway, it is to lift the rear of the vehicle. They can help reduce sway, or if inflated improperly they can create sway.

Sway depends heavily on bag location. Mine are inboard of the springs, so they move the effective load reaction point inboard. This will reduce the side to side distance and always increase sway for the same reaction load.

Additionally, I'd be willing to bet that the spring rate of the air bags is also less than the spring packs meaning the overall spring rate is reduced as compared to stiffer springs (the concept behind more but thinner leaves that can support the same load, but give a softer ride for instance).
Reddog1
Explorer II
Mar 04, 2015
I would make sure I had a rear anti-sway bar. As the name implies, it reduces sway. The larger the bar diameter, the less sway. I am not understanding "... will it lean left when loaded ...".

I am an airbag fan. However, I am not sure I would be overly concerned with picking up your TC without them. Worst case, is your headlights will aim a little high,. and if excessive a screwdriver will take care of that. Then when you get home you can decide if you want bags.

I will point out, the purpose of air bags is not to reduce sway, it is to lift the rear of the vehicle. They can help reduce sway, or if inflated improperly they can create sway.
hbski
Explorer
Mar 04, 2015
debtor wrote:
Hello All:
This is my first post ever. I have just purchased a 2008 117DBL and will drive to Fl. from ND to pick up (road trip yah). I have a 2011 3500 cab and chassis DRW, 6.7, manual 6sp, 4.10 gears, flat bed. This weekend I will be lowering the bed and cutting out and putting in some shallow wheel wells for tire clearance. I grew up pulling trailers and in recent years have had a couple of 5th wheels. This is my first time with a slide in and need your advise. My truck has a payload capacity of 5210 lbs compared to a 3500 with a box on it @ 4680 lbs. The cab and chassis has a heavy straight frame and what appears to be a heavy factory suspension. In your opinions do I need to add airbags, and will it lean left when loaded? I would prefer to get home without adding air bags yet. Thank you all in advance, John

I have a 2007 117dbl and a 2006 Dodge 3500 CTD DRW. If I don't air up my bags, then my headlights would be pointing up (they do tend to point high even with the bags).

I've not had any side lean problems (sway for sure with the airbags), but the CG of that camper is slightly behind my rear axle and thus if I don't front load as much as possible then the steering can get a little squirrely....may not be as much of an issue if you have a true cab/chassis as your CA length should be a couple of inches longer allowing the CG of the TC to be better situated relative to the axle.

If I were you, I'd put something on to raise the rear, If you plan on Airbags, it is an easy install and you can temporarily install the airlines even if you want to route them elsewhere later or add an automated fill.

Cheers & Congrats!
hbski

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