F350 HD DRW mods for 4500# camper

[Wo_ody]

June 2020. Given a 2020 F350 HD DRW, what suspension adds will best help handle the ride and weight of a heavy Lance 1172 camper?

Regarding truck roll or lean, what is the difference between running a Hellwig Big Wig rear sway bar vrs StableLoads? Is it one or the other or would combining both be better than just one?

Air bags ... no way. Thinking best route are Bilstein shocks and SumoSprings. F350 SumoSprings are available in 3000# and 5000#. Anyone have experience with either?

Accepting you can't have your cake and eat it too, without camper. I wonder what the ride would be like with shocks, sway bar &/or StableLoads, and SumoSprings?

Thanks for your replies

[NRALIFR]

I could swear that I remember reading somewhere just before the 2017 model year superduty launch that there were a few physical differences in the rear axle used on the F350 and the F450 pickups., despite them having the same axle designation.

:):)

[jimh406]

JIMNLIN wrote:
Read my post and sure didn't mean to come across snarky..

I didn’t think you were snarky. 😄 Any way, I can’t seem to get to all of the pages.

[JIMNLIN]

fleet ford body builders
Read my post and sure didn't mean to come across snarky.
This gives mechanical specs for 2014 to present.
Ford dropped their old 1999 to current fleet Ford specs in the last couple of years. It had the same type specs and was a great source for Ford owners finding their older trucks actual mechanical capabilities.
Wish someone could come up with that old fordbbas.com website.

[jimh406]

JIMNLIN wrote:
Moot picky point as the OP has a 2020 F350 DRW but anywayz the F350 DRW/F450 pickup both have the same Dana M300 9900 rawr....same number of leaf springs....same leaf thickness.../etc.

How did you find this out?

[JIMNLIN]

jimh425 wrote:

Supercharged111 wrote:
The leaf pack is no different than an F450.

Just for the record, the spring pack is definitely different on other years. I haven’t looked for the 2020, but probably is different still in the pickup variety. Dramatically different in the F450 chassis models.

Moot picky point as the OP has a 2020 F350 DRW but anywayz the F350 DRW/F450 pickup both have the same Dana M300 9900 rawr....same number of leaf springs....same leaf thickness.../etc.

[Kayteg1]

For what it is worth, my 2001 F450 and 2006 F350 C&C extended WB had the same number of 10 leaves in suspension.
My conclusion was that C&C are build for work, while bedded F350 dualies are still build for grocery getters.
Not that I can have much complains about my 2017 F350 dualy.
Just come back from vacations. (is going camping on retirement still consider vacations?)
About 6000 lb of camper,
3500 lb boat (patio boat with aerodynamics of open shoe-box)
48" stinger and high load on tongue.
When I did not like the tongue scratching driveways, the truck did not mind at all. Driving over 7000' elevation, high winds and no issues.
Averaging about 10 mpg with almost 18,000 lb combo in those hard conditions. CC set at 60.
Heck - friend was driving Toyota Camry behind us and she had to fill up sooner than I did.

[jimh406]

Supercharged111 wrote:
The leaf pack is no different than an F450.

Just for the record, the spring pack is definitely different on other years. I haven’t looked for the 2020, but probably is different still in the pickup variety. Dramatically different in the F450 chassis models.

[Supercharged111]

Load it up and send it. The leaf pack is no different than an F450. If you're not happy then mod it. I've hauled my camper with ~9k enclosed car hauler with 0psi in the bags (no wind) and it was fine. This in a 97 GMC dually. Bags were the only mod for that trip and as stated, they were empty. Forgot my air tank that day. Your truck is far more capable off the shelf so I would have absolutely zero worries loading the thing as is.

[noteven]

Wait... wait... I can think of one mod. If the door latches are the same black plastic as a low miles 2009 Ranger and a pretty low miles for the age 2012 F-3fitty in my fleet, you want to carry a small tin of motorcycle chain lube, the spray type with the bit of wax in it, to spray them squawking Ford door catches once a month or so. Shuts them right up on warshboard dirt roads and other busted surfaces.

[Buzzcut1]

My friends have a 2020 F350 4x4 extended cab with camper package with their new Lance 1062 they nave 1000s of mile on it with no mods and they are towing a 5000 pound horse trailer. Drive your rig first then decide if you need to mod it

[JIMNLIN]

A 2020 Ford F350 DRW has a 9900-10000 lb RAWR. The trucks rear axle may weigh 3500-3600 lb which leaves around 6000-6500 lb in the bed payload.

I would load the camper and make a short camp trip....then is the time to determine what the rear suspension needs. No use buying something that may not be needed.

[rickjo]

What are you thinking? My 2019 F350 CC DRW has a #6400+ carrying capacity. NO MODS necessary and I carry a HEAVY Lance 1181 packed to the gills.
Rick

[jimh406]

I like having airbags for the flexibility, so I add those and Energy Suspension extended bump stops to maintain overload contact when I add air to level.

If you don’t mind being out of level, I think stock would be fine. You will sag in the rear.

[noteven]

Recommend driving it stock for 20,000-30,000 miles with the camper before selecting mods.