Suspension help for our slide in truck camper

Well you're covered. The 2k add a leafs should do the trick all by themselves. I'd try it before installing the bags to see if you even need them.

Tarkin75 wrote:
Glacier, that isn't what he said.. He said his Rear Axle weight rating is 3750. And that likely is accurate, as my 05 F150 says the RAWR is something like 3850.

He'll still be overloaded based on strict payload numbers, but the numbers he posted are accurate I'm sure.

Later
C

Sorry, I stand corrected.

Honestly, after the ordeal I went through, find a reputable spring shop and ask them for advice.

3 out of 3 places I went to all said to avoid airbags, they all recommended a good spring setup. Springs packs, Roadmaster Active Suspension, shocks, sway bars, etc..

They all pretty much said the same thing about being in the middle of nowhere and one of the airbags getting a leak. I know MANY, MANY have great luck with airbags. In my first RV, we had a leak and it was really a pain since we needed it to level the ride.

You still have OEM shocks on your truck? I would agree with the suggestion of making an upgrade, anything would be better than what you have, Bilsteins, Ranchos, KYBs, anything really, but best bang for your buck here will be shocks. You're probably going to start to porpoise when you get your TC loaded with all your gear and food and water without new shocks.

The things that you've done to your truck will make for a very stiff ride when the TC isn't on it, so adjustable or self adjusting shocks will help soften it a bit.

Glacier, that isn't what he said.. He said his Rear Axle weight rating is 3750. And that likely is accurate, as my 05 F150 says the RAWR is something like 3850.

He'll still be overloaded based on strict payload numbers, but the numbers he posted are accurate I'm sure.

Later
C

So your 2003 1500 is rated for 3750 lbs of payload? My 2001.5 Dodge 2500 was rated for around 2300 lbs with the E rated tires and my 2011 Ram 3500 DRW is rated for 4400 lbs with E rated tires. I realize that Dodge doesn't have the best payload numbers, but there is no way your 1500 is rated for that much weight.
Sorry dude, but your numbers are definitely off and that camper loaded is certainly too heavy for that truck. You are in 3/4 ton territory for that camper. Happy camping.

Just a friendly warning about the airbags, I have a Silverado 1500 that I love and haul an old Dreamer on. Look at the instructions and do not exceed the pressure called for as max, it should be about 50 or 60 psi. I had constant problems including a badly cracked frame rail due to overloading and using more air than the revised instructions called for, my instruction sheet allowed up to 100psi. Yes I have Hellwig bags, mine mounted in place of the bump stops, they were not centered under the frame either. My solution was adding leaves to main and overload packs and major boxing and plating of the frame and I was useing an overload spring with the bags. I roll down the road in comfort now. I have a regular cab eight foot bed truck, with a 9.5 foot camper.

Thank you all for your help. Today we put in add a leaf helper springs (2,000lbs) and Hellwig air bags (5,000lbs). We haven't put on the camper as of yet...will test that out on Friday. Tomorrow we have to seal the camper and replace the flooring under the bed (fingers crossed). We have had a lot of rain.

3750LBS?????????? Really?

+1 What Sparky said.

In a nutshell, your truck will be badly overloaded. You need to know exactly how much. Are you overloaded, or dangerously overloaded?

Weigh the truck empty. And with the camper. Be sure to get rear axel weights.

What size tires do you have? And what is their load capacity? I too have a camper on a 1/2 ton truck. I know what you are going through.