Suspension advice needed

[berniross]

Recently weighed my truck and fifth wheel and discovered that the truck weighs 10,000 pounds with the trailer attached. That was without my wife and dog. That happens to be the GVWR also, so I am a bit overloaded. Will going to heavy duty shocks give me a little more capacity? What about air bags? Any other solutions?

[rhagfo]

RustyJC wrote:
Shocks don't support weight, they dampen motion. Air bags are useful for leveling the rear of the truck if the pin weight of the 5th wheel causes it to squat excessively as well as increasing overall rear spring rate. Neither will change the truck's GVWR, payload, GAWR or GCWR ratings.

Rusty

Pretty Much X2.
Shocks control bounce after hitting a bump, or bridge transition. Air Bags, help level excessive squat. Only the OP can decide if he wants to run over the TV listed GVWR.
The big question is how does it feel while towing.

[the_bear_II]

The GVWR is based on many components of your truck these include:
Axle, brake size and type, wheel rating, cooling system, frame, engine size and most drive train parts. The manufacturer takes all of these items in consideration when setting the GVWR for a vehicle.

You'll be OK at maximum capacity or a little above but it puts a strain on the truck and affects towing safety (panic stops, quick maneuvers). So you'll need to be more aware and leave plenty of room from other vehicles while on the road.

For 13 years I towed a 5th wheel that was 5,000 lbs over the GVWR of my truck. It was white knuckle driving up and down hills and in traffic. Now I have a truck with 10,000 lbs more capacity than the weight of our 5th wheel. It's a dream to tow with.

[RustyJC]

Shocks don't support weight, they dampen motion. Air bags are useful for leveling the rear of the truck if the pin weight of the 5th wheel causes it to squat excessively as well as increasing overall rear spring rate. Neither will change the truck's GVWR, payload, GAWR or GCWR ratings.

Rusty