Forum Discussion

Michael_J_'s avatar
Michael_J_
Explorer
Aug 25, 2014

Will my 2014 F250 need overloads?

I have a 2014 F250. I just bought a 1999 Northstar Laredo hard sided 8' slide in camper. I am still working on the camper so I have not been able to mount it on the truck yet. Therefore I do not know the combined weight of both for sure. I also have not been able to eyeball the camper on the truck and see how much sag I have. For my planning I was wondering if anyone can predict the future and tell me if I will need spring help, overloads, etc. The camper will weigh about 2800# to 3000# loaded, is my guess. The time for me to get to the wilderness is approaching fast and I would like to have an idea if I will need to spend extra money and time. The truck is 10,000GVW. It has the snow plow package so it has the heaviest front springs they make. All rear end suspension is factory with a tow package and no camper package. I will be able to weigh the rig in a couple of weeks but I do not want to be surprised. Any help please?
Truck Campers
  • wintersun's avatar
    wintersun
    Explorer II
    Sep 19, 2014
    hotrod 32 wrote:
    My local dealer quoted me $500 for OEM over loads for my F250 which would basically make it a F350 w/o the emblems. I have a North Star 850SC which is 2500 wet and it rides fine as a stock F250. I am considering some upgrade but haven't decided which.


    It is a good deal if that includes the labor. I paid $450 for Supersprings that increased my 2500 truck's payload to 5,000 lbs. and which took less than one hour to install. Much better to stick with the factory approach of adding leaf springs than the various other aftermarket airbags or devices designed to limit spring travel.

    Then you need to be sure your tires can support the weight of the rear of the truck along with the load of the camper and its contents.
  • bwc's avatar
    bwc
    Explorer
    Sep 19, 2014
    wintersun wrote:
    SuperSprings work in the same manner as the leaf springs on the F-350/F-450 trucks to support a greater load and to do so dynamically.

    The ones on my truck support a 3700 lb. camper load very well and do not make for a harsh ride when the camper is off the truck. No adjustments needed and nothing to wear out or break. Took me under an hour to install a pair on my truck.


    My buddy with a 2013 F-250 "no camper pkg" just had super springs installed by Bill Penney at Camper Warehouse, NH a week ago. They are hauling an 86SBS Adventurer. They were across Canada and back and did not like the swaying and sagging. Within 5 minutes of install he could tell truck handled 200% better. Very very pleased with improvement. Bill also suggested HD adjustable rear shocks which my buddy passed on at this time. Truck is a regular cab 4X2 long box with 9900 GVWR. Truck sits level and drives perfectly now. Camper is heavy , not sure of their gross weight.
  • Spur_Of_The_Mom's avatar
    Spur_Of_The_Mom
    Explorer
    Sep 19, 2014
    Just got back bringing the camper home. It's a 1998 Lance Legend 945, weighing 3200 lbs. and it's 11'3". I used the Stableloads and the Torklift tie downs and FastGuns. Everything worked great. I'm very happy with the ride and handling with the camper on the truck. Thanks for all the advise.

    Bruce
  • Spur_Of_The_Mom's avatar
    Spur_Of_The_Mom
    Explorer
    Sep 04, 2014
    I've been reading a lot of good info here from everyone and I think I'm going with StableLoad. I will only be using the camper maybe six times a year and I can turn them off and on when I want.

    Bruce
  • hotrod_32's avatar
    hotrod_32
    Explorer
    Sep 04, 2014
    My local dealer quoted me $500 for OEM over loads for my F250 which would basically make it a F350 w/o the emblems. I have a North Star 850SC which is 2500 wet and it rides fine as a stock F250. I am considering some upgrade but haven't decided which.
  • Michael_J_'s avatar
    Michael_J_
    Explorer
    Sep 03, 2014
    JEFE 4X4 and Skanjo, thanks for the reply. Did you consider spring helpers instead of OEM springs? Was there a reason you decided against them?
  • jefe_4x4's avatar
    jefe_4x4
    Explorer
    Sep 03, 2014
    MJ,
    Some folks swear by air bags. Many have tried them and found they do not fit their needs. I am one of those. Too much springy recoil and sway for me. (I still have a set of Firestones in the garage free to the first taker)
    Listen to SanjO. He has the correct modus operandus. Getting to suspension nirvana by degrees, after the TC is installed is the ticket. Too many variables to do otherwise.
    jefe
  • Michael_J_'s avatar
    Michael_J_
    Explorer
    Sep 03, 2014
    Anybody have a very positive review of airbags? I will be doing some back roads, such as in the National Forest, but I limit the white knuckle stuff and do not like to tear up equipment. I favor airbage theoretically because they have the ability to lower and raise the bed of the truck on demand. I have 4 or more inches of sag I need to get rid of. So many people have so many different approaches it is quite confusing.
    Also, how exactly do airbags get messed up if they are not punctured by sticks or rocks?
    Every time I read that someone took off this or that and tried this or that it costs $400 or $300 to try something new. I want to do it once and be done with it and go camping
  • skanj0's avatar
    skanj0
    Explorer
    Sep 03, 2014
    Spur Of The Moment wrote:
    Hi......I have a 2014 F250 and I'm getting ready to buy a camper. What about air bags? Do they work good, or do the spring helpers work better?

    Bruce


    A lot of people like bags and their adjustability. We like to take our camper off-road in the National Forrest's and it quickly became apparent that the bags wouldn't hold-up. They cracked severely in a verticle manner, and going down the road it felt like the camper was riding on beach balls. I was afraid a bag would fail at an in-opportune moment so I pulled them off and added OEM auxillary springs. I added 2 F450 auxillary leafs per side. I also added a 1" add-a-leaf to the main rear spring packs. The last piece of the puzzle was adding the upper Torklift Stable Loads.

    All trucks are different. I would get the camper first, see how it loads and handles, and then modify accordingly.

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