18 replies to this topic

[marc]

Get the Airbags and don't look back. My previous rig was a F250 4x4 which carried an Alaskan 8ft. NCO full time. This truck was the HD version and was equiped with the camper pkg. Still, with the weight of the Alaskan, (1400 lbs.) and the Honda ct90 on the back, I had a fair amount of sag. I installed a set of Firestone Airbags which eliminated the sag, improved handling and allowed me to tow my boat level. Here is a pic of my old rig off of Hwy 20 in Mendocino County. I had just finished a seasonal position with the State Parks and was on my way to Colorado for my next adventure.

Marc

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[erod]

great pic marc, cool rig...i too recommend air bags to anyone with a camper...in my opinion, the best "bang for your buck"!

[brett13]

Thought I would keep my question under the Tundra heading even though it is a new model. As I posted elsewhere, I was really impressed how the stock Tundra handled the weight. It basically leveled the truck and the ride was very smooth. This was a light trip just to pickup the camper, so I may have a little more weight in it when I'm "on expedition". And I will be going off road with it. So I am thinking I should do something to help the suspension in the back right?

My first thought was airbags, but I don't want to stiffen the ride empty. My second thought was ranchos. My third thought was take off the TRD offroad Bilsteins (stiff) and put on the stock Toyota shocks with airbags. My fourth thought is that I really have no idea- so I thought I'd ask the experts around here.

Will airbags make the ride stiffer with no load even with 10# in them?
Do ranchos hold the loads when cranked up?
Does a sagging truck with airbags for support turn from a smooth ride back into a stiff ride where you feel all the bumps?
Other thoughts?

Thanks!

[kcowyo]

Will airbags make the ride stiffer with no load even with 10# in them?
Do ranchos hold the loads when cranked up?
Does a sagging truck with airbags for support turn from a smooth ride back into a stiff ride where you feel all the bumps?

Airbags don't make the ride stiff when the bed is empty. If anything they help eliminate any bounce and recoil that comes with having a 6 or 7 foot empty bed. That's the beauty of the airbags, loaded or unloaded they improve the ride. I run them at 25PSI unloaded and between 65-85 PSI with the camper on.

Adjustable shocks - Rancho's, Pro Comps or Bilsteins - will not support the weight of the camper by themselves. I had mine prior to the airbags and suffered a bucking bronc type ride for 500 miles back home after picking up my camper. The bags solved that. Adjustable shocks are great for driving over varied types of terrain and soaking up the bumps on washboard roads and stabilizing the load in stop and go, sudden lane changing or high winds, on-road conditions. The Bilsteins that came with your TRD package are top of the line, I wouldn't replace them until necessary.

It is aftermarket, custom made leaf spring packs, that when unloaded make for stiff ride, because they are not adjustable. A spring pack designed to lift and support and additional 1,000 lbs work great for a permanent truck & camper combo. But when unloaded, the springs still have the lift and strength built in and if not needed create a stiff, bouncey ride full of recoil after every bump in the road. For a truck that will not have the camper on full time, an adjustable solution like airbags will allow the driver to set the PSI for any conditions - loaded with a camper, with an empty bed, with 500lbs of sheet rock in the bed, or empty but towing a boat, trailer, etc.

Riding on air, whether 85 lbs of it, or 10 lbs of it improve the trucks handling in all conditions under any and all loads.

[jimjxsn]

Brett,
I have the Firestone Ride Rite air springs and like the ride both loaded and unloaded. I have found that they don't hold air indefinitely. I find that I have to fiddle with mine every week or so to keep the 10 lbs of air in them which is a PITA.

If you get the air bags, I would recommend getting an onboard air controller. Air Lift has a new electronic one, the Sure Set, that looks promising…

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[brett13]

Thanks Kcowyo and Jim. Kcowyo, what truck do you have? I'm curious if it compares. Also, it sounds like I assumed correctly that I probably should beef up the back for those off-road and slightly more weighted conditions even though it rides pretty level now?

[kcowyo]

I wouldn't rush to add or replace anything unless you decide the ride quality with the camper on, is insufficient enough that you want to change it. I would go on a couple of outings and make mental notes of how it handles and then consider your options or if an upgrade is even necessary.

I'm simply suggesting airbags for 2 reasons -
1. Your camper squatted the rear of the Tundra 2.5 inches
2. When you picked it up you weren't fully stocked with gear like you might be for a trip.

I have a '97 Toyota T100, the pre-Tundra. But not the same design as the new Tundras though. My camper squatted the rear on mine 1.5 inches and I dealt with a lot of bounce, sway and understeer on the windy highways and in town. The bags really helped in those conditions. It took the airbags to return the truck to a near-stock ride with the camper loaded.

No airbags -


With airbags -



I haven't had the chance to drive a new Tundra, but I imagine there are some beefy frame and rear axles under that truck. It should handle the load quite well.

So maybe just run what ya got until what you got, ain't what you need.

[brett13]

I haven't had the chance to drive a new Tundra, but I imagine there are some beefy frame and rear axles under that truck. It should handle the load quite well.

It does. Made for towing >10k. Big 10.5" gear ring too.

So maybe just run what ya got until what you got, ain't what you need.

Well said. I'll drive it this way for a while, but it does sound like airbags is the way to go.

By the way, that T100 seems bulletproof. They look the same size as the 1st gen Tundra? And they probably have a decent payload capacity too?

[Another Rube]

Brett -

I'm not an expert, but my understanding is that the Toyota TRD Bilsteins are actually softer than the standard Toyota shocks - and much softer than the aftermarket Bilsteins. I think if you do a search on one of the Toyota truck sites you'll find this is the case.

- Rube