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OregonBound13's avatar
OregonBound13
Explorer
Jun 07, 2013

Suspension help for our slide in truck camper

We have a 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 1/2 ton truck and we just purchased a Real-Lite slide in truck camper. The camper weighs 1498 lbs and my truck is rated for 3750 lbs (GAWR RR).
We are unsure what type of suspension would be best for our truck with the camper. We are driving cross country (being on the road for 3-4 months making this our home) so we want to make sure that the suspension we put in will not ruin our trip or our truck.

Thanks for the help in advance
Sean and Stephanie
Truck Campers

22 Replies

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  • discovery4us's avatar
    discovery4us
    Explorer
    Jun 07, 2013
    I had a similar setup on a 2001. I used airbags with seperate fills. Loved it and I could adjust each side so I was good front to back and side to side. I did also go to E rated tires and installed bilstein shocks all the way around.
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator II
    Jun 07, 2013
    So camper is 1500 lbs dry, you'll be over 2000lbs total.
    Start by having some good LT tires on the truck. D or E rated 3k+ lbs per tire.
    Good shocks on the truck as well.
    Airbags are the premium solution since you can adjust the support infinitely to your load/ preference.
    Add a leaf or bolt on overloads are sufficient and the cheapest route.
    Timbrens are IMO the best compromise between ease of install and cost and they will hold that load up sufficiently as well.

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