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concerns with my 1/2 ton over payload capacity


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#11 Vic Harder

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Posted 25 November 2020 - 08:55 AM

do people upgrade the leaf springs AND also add airbags? for fine tuning and such? 

I'm in the go big or stay home camp.  1 ton truck and Puma mounted full time.  Truck came with air bags when I bought it.  I use them to trim the ride.  Only needs a few pounds.  

 

Folks who take the camper off a lot for daily driving are usually happier with air bags vs uprated springs.  With the springs, the truck will ride very rough when empty, and great when loaded.  With air bags, you can adjust for the load.  Downside of the air bags is that you will be relying on them to work.  And they have been known to leak/tear.  Not good when you are many km down a dirt road.


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#12 mtnbiker99

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Posted 25 November 2020 - 02:51 PM

I'm in the go big or stay home camp.  1 ton truck and Puma mounted full time.  Truck came with air bags when I bought it.  I use them to trim the ride.  Only needs a few pounds.  

 

Folks who take the camper off a lot for daily driving are usually happier with air bags vs uprated springs.  With the springs, the truck will ride very rough when empty, and great when loaded.  With air bags, you can adjust for the load.  Downside of the air bags is that you will be relying on them to work.  And they have been known to leak/tear.  Not good when you are many km down a dirt road.

Hi Vic - i'm also from Calgary. Hwy 40 forestry roads, waiporous, beehive area, etc is where i plan to camp mostly. All dirt roads as you know. I may just have to tolerate the rough ride when the camper is not on. I  drive a lot to bragg creek to bike and my odd trips to Edmonton and Canmore


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#13 mtnbiker99

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Posted 25 November 2020 - 02:57 PM

I had a 2005 F150 Lariat Supercrew with 5.5' bed.  Upgrades were E rated tires, air bags, rear sway bar.  In addition to being over the GVWR my center of mass was more toward the rear with the short bed.  My gut told me that if an evasive maneuver was needed on the highway,,that the rig would not perform well.  My F250 has a 6.5' bed and good payload.  Basically a non issue so I have less to worry about. 

i have the 6.5, so i believe the center of gravity will be slight towards the "front" of the rear axle. The trucks that i've own has never hit or past the GVWR, so i can't honestly know what it feels like.  


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#14 smlobx

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Posted 25 November 2020 - 06:27 PM

Keep in mind that in addition to more payload capacity in an F-250 you’re also getting larger brakes, stronger frame, axles etc.


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#15 Vic Harder

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Posted 25 November 2020 - 11:19 PM

Hi Vic - i'm also from Calgary. Hwy 40 forestry roads, waiporous, beehive area, etc is where i plan to camp mostly. All dirt roads as you know. I may just have to tolerate the rough ride when the camper is not on. I  drive a lot to bragg creek to bike and my odd trips to Edmonton and Canmore

Cool, another Calgarian!  I look forward to sharing "good spots" with you.  I'm trying to get my wife into mountain biking... that will be an adventure in itself  :P

 

For the roads you describe, I'd say those are pretty tame roads.  Empty with heavy springs, your trucks back end will be all over the place... not fun!  What makes you think that you will have to go the spring route?


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#16 mtnbiker99

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Posted 25 November 2020 - 11:55 PM

Cool, another Calgarian!  I look forward to sharing "good spots" with you.  I'm trying to get my wife into mountain biking... that will be an adventure in itself  :P

 

For the roads you describe, I'd say those are pretty tame roads.  Empty with heavy springs, your trucks back end will be all over the place... not fun!  What makes you think that you will have to go the spring route?

i was led to believe that air bags have a tendency to tear.  


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#17 DanoT

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Posted 26 November 2020 - 12:00 AM

When it comes to GVWR there is no industry standard calculation, so basically each manufacturer makes up their own rating.

 

My 91 Dodge Cummins 4x4 3/4ton with an 8.5' Phoenix camper, loaded with all my ski gear and winter stuff is 250-300lbs over the 8510lb GVWR. It is not a problem. E rated tires, Kelderman Air Ryde air bag suspension upgrade, extra leaf spring in the front and springs re-sprung a good many years ago.

 

Having brakes in good shape is important and I just interrupted the typing of this post to make an appointment with my mechanic to have the e-brake adjusted and brakes inspected as the old truck camper this Covid ski season is the daily driver to Sun Peaks Resort, B.C. and then serve as a heated boot change, washroom, lunchroom in the parking lot as locker rooms are closed.


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#18 rubberlegs

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Posted 26 November 2020 - 12:49 AM

I'm not sure how Sumosprings are sized for your truck. But for our empty Tacoma, there is a gap between the top of the "spring" (it's more like a close cell foam material, and acts like an airbag) and the frame. So with an empty truck it's not doing anything. But heavily loaded it's worked great in all conditions. It won't puncture like air bags, no fussy pumping it up. Something to consider. 


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#19 Vic Harder

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Posted 26 November 2020 - 01:34 AM

i was led to believe that air bags have a tendency to tear.  

They CAN tear, especially if doing 4x4 crawling, as the limit of suspension travel is reached.  Hence, not good for that and a royal pain if it happens to you in the middle of nowhere.  That said, many folks are happy with their airbags!


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#20 JaSAn

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Posted 26 November 2020 - 04:47 AM

When it comes to GVWR there is no industry standard calculation, so basically each manufacturer makes up their own rating . . .

 

That isn't really true.

 

The determination of individual component and sub-assembly failure is a well established and documented discipline; for the auto industry it would be SAE standards and procedures.  How the company combines those failures into a final GVWR is company specific, along with the safety factors that are built into that number.  And you are taking a static measurement (you weigh your truck on a scale).  The weight ratings are developed using dynamic loading (e.g. your truck hitting an obstruction at 70 mph).

 

I take GVWR and GAWRs seriously.  Part of my job was testing final product to failure in the computer data storage industry.  I know how hard sales and marketing push to have engineering sign off on inflated specifications.

 

IMO the more important weight to never exceed (for a camper): the rear axle weight should not exceed its GAWR.  This is because with the extended cabs and shorter beds the camper weight is mostly on the rear axle.


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