I have a 2019 F350 diesel dually and a Lance 1172 truck camper. Fully loaded with water, propane, and toys, I'm pushing the GVWR of the truck. I already added Airlift Loadlifter 5000 Plus air bags - it helps, but with the Torklift SuperHitch and the 5' SuperTruss and 2 eBikes extending behind the camper, I still ride lower in the back than I like and drag tail when going over deeper dips in the road. I'm also not "gentle" on the truck - for example, the washboard road to Eureka Dunes in Death Valley is a lot smoother at 30 MPH than at lower speeds. Sometime during this trip, I noticed both my front shocks were blown... I can't say it happened in Death Valley, because I didn't see the problem until I was in Utah, but I'm sure it didn't help. Utah has plenty of washboard and potholes too.

I'm looking for recommendations. The blown shocks are being replaced next week, but that still gives me stock shocks, and it may just happen again. If I were to replace the front shocks with something more appropriate for miles of washboard road, what would I want? For the rear, even though I put on the Loadlifter 5000s, I've been told these may not be enough - and that I should consider the Loadlifter 7500 and onboard air. Another website recommended the Firestone 7500, but the only dual-control air system offered for that system requires running air lines into the cab and mounting the gauge to the dash, and I literally don't want to do that (no room for the gauges in front of my knees, and no other good location for the gauges, not to mention I don't want to run the air lines into the cab). I don't really want to lift the truck (nor would I be comfortable in installing anything like that), because lifting would also make the door entry to the camper higher off the ground, and depending on the campsite, that could be a problem for my steps.

Any thoughts on how to beef up the front and back (and for the back, having the ability to air lift, and also air level side to side, is part of what I am looking for - but I might need more than just air bags and onboard air, or maybe my Loadlifter 5000 is fine and I need to do something else?

I'm not a mechanic and don't have a shop, so whatever is recommended will either have to be installable by a guy who is mechanically inclined and can follow instructions while working in his driveway, or I'll have to find a shop who can help - but the local shop where I live didn't come up with anything better than bigger air bags, and I can do that myself.

Attached photos show my truck/camper setup, and the front shocks' reaction to my choice of roads...

Why have a truck camper if you plan to stay on pavement?

What I'm NOT looking for is a lighter camper or heavier truck - I am hoping to find a way to get this system working better for my needs.


Truck, camper with 2 slide-outs, 5' Supertruss extension, bike rack and 2 eBikes - i.e., LONG and HEAVY

Blown front shock (one of two)

 

Steve,
An on board compressor and dual manual gauges in the cab sure make life easy, and allow you to “see” if you have an unexpected air leak, but they are not essential to making air bags work independently of each other.

Yes you can buy a complete “kit,” but you can also just buy the bags with install components. Also more air lines and fittings separately. Also a compressor separately.

You can simply run separate air lines from each bag to the rear bumper and inflate from there. Yes, separate lines are critical or you lose sway control via air traveling between the bags. Simply monitor bag pressure with a gauge or visual observation. An on board compressor with a 3rd line leading to the bumper area, plus the inflation hose accessory that is often but not always included with the compressor makes that part easy if you load and unload your camper off the truck in areas where air is not immediately available.

If you camper has a door that allows you to access some portion of the space adjacent to the wheel wells, you could mount the gauges there, but again the gauges are not necessary. Even with gauges, I have an air port at the bumper that on occasion I use to air up my trailer tires via that air hose accessory I mentioned.

I have had Firestone bags on 3 truck - driving more than 200k miles combined; one set 100k. After initial install leak checks and fixes, I have never had a leak. I routinely air down or up when I offload or hook uo my heavy 5er, which is quite often.

I do not fully air up the bags, but rather put in about 25 psi unloaded which increases to 35 when my 5er with pin weight of 3900 pounds is loaded. This puts me “level” and my oem overload springs are just a hare’s breath from being engaged. A smoother ride and I get the most out of the sway bar this way.

Fun and Safe travels.

 

Heavier air bags should be the ticket for you if the truck is still squatting. Have you considered moving the loads around? Specifically, a front hitch and put the E-bikes on the front of the truck rather than havethe 5' supertruss. Just an idea.
As far as shocks, in my opinion, you need something with some pretty decent dampening power. I've been happy with Fox 2.0's, but I'm not nearly as heavy as you are, you may want something like the 2.5's, something that can be rebuilt and custom tuned.

 

So you have pretty much overloaded the truck and can not figure out why it isn't holding up when you pound it down rough roads? You claim to be opposed to getting a rig designed for that abuse. You do not feel competent to make repairs yourself but choose to operate in remote areas. Good Luck with your plan. That truck was never designed for what you are trying to do. SLOW DOWN with a load like that on rough roads or the carnage will continue. Really, I am just kind of speechless, which is rare...

 

For the long travel time on rough roads at increased speeds, I suggest larger diameter shocks with remote reservoirs. The shock reservoirs help prevent fade over time and heat. You get what you pay for. Fox, Icon, King are thought to be best. For no lift, I think Icon offers 2.5 resi for our trucks.

 

fox 2.5 adjustable with external resivor front and back will set you back 2400. you can and should ask for the dampening to be increased (they change the internal valving). turn up the adjuster when the camper is in...turn it back down when the camper is not.
summo springs. they come in different LBs but front and back will set you back 450.

 

THIS is the answer... There is always a solution, you just need to be able to write the check for it.

 

whats the basis of the over load claim. we do not know the weight of the camper and we do not know the weight rating of the equipped truck. its not impossible that the OP is in fact within weight ratings as a particularly equipped f-350 can hold more than an f-450.

the problem is wash boarding and can be fixed with heavy duty off road shocks with external res.

 

Gee, I don't know, maybe HIS statement that he is "pushing" the GVWR of the truck, the picture of the truck with the camper jacks down still trying the break it in half... The cantilevered weight out the back probably puts it over the rear axle rating. Anyone who thinks you can run these trucks stock fully loaded or beyond on the roads he describes will soon find out it was probably "overloaded" despite what the sticker in the door jamb states. I mean best of luck but this looks like an attempt to win a Darwin award to me.

It needs major shock upgrades, tire upgrades and it is still probably marginal for the intended use. But hey, if you think the manufacturers ratings cover this, by all means run it.

 

I would put 5600 or 5990 front springs on it if you dont have them, 2.5 remote reservoir shocks, 255/80/17 tires so you get more sidewall flex and check the load rating chart and scale it so you can get your tire pressures right.

As mentioned maybe move the bikes to the front.

 

@RidgwaySD "So you have pretty much overloaded the truck and can not figure out why it isn't holding up when you pound it down rough roads? You claim to be opposed to getting a rig designed for that abuse. You do not feel competent to make repairs yourself but choose to operate in remote areas. Good Luck with your plan. That truck was never designed for what you are trying to do. SLOW DOWN with a load like that on rough roads or the carnage will continue. Really, I am just kind of speechless, which is rare..."
"Gee, I don't know, maybe HIS statement that he is "pushing" the GVWR of the truck, the picture of the truck with the camper jacks down still trying the break it in half... The cantilevered weight out the back probably puts it over the rear axle rating. Anyone who thinks you can run these trucks stock fully loaded or beyond on the roads he describes will soon find out it was probably "overloaded" despite what the sticker in the door jamb states. I mean best of luck but this looks like an attempt to win a Darwin award to me."

You make a lot of assumptions. Yes, I'm pushing the limits here, but there are improvements that will help - which is what I was asking for. I didn't say I'm in competent or unable to make repairs - I do repairs and installations all the time - but I don't tackle things that take a shop or that require tools I don't have. Darwin award? I'm a retired engineer who actually does know a thing or two, and you are just insulting rather than helping. If you have nothing nice to say, please just pass the post by...

 

There is more to know here.

assuming a top of the line Lance at dry weight of 4318 which would make it 5214 wet, and assuming a 2019 f-350 dually built with a target of a max payload of 6630. Not an obvious problem.

what’s the actual camper weight

whats the actual payload

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into the Fox 2.5 - others have mentioned this one as well, so it sounds like a good idea. I did add a front receiver tried moving the bike rack to the front - it helped distribute the weight, but totally messed up my adaptive cruise control (I believe it ties to the camera behind the rear view mirror, and when the bikes moved, it thought I was too close to something and tried to slow down, then speed up, etc.). I love the cruise control too much to turn it off, so put the bikes back on the back.

 

Well I posted the solution. Someone as "educated" as you claim to be should be able to see this. That set-up is "pushing the limits" ON ROAD. You are trying to do it off road and the difference has already been revealed to you. I think in an open public forum like this my comments will be helpful to others trying to do this "overlanding" thing, even if you do not find it helpful. I think your expectations of the vehicle you purchased are wildly optimistic but yes, there are things you can do to try and mitigate the problems you are experiencing. Springs, shocks tires, you are only $8-10k away from making it a little better. Good Luck

 

I don't necessarily agree with your comments, but I do think you would agree with me that the factory shocks are junk to begin with?

OP, no 1st hand knowledge of your setup and you're driving, but I would definitely look at larger suspension products, my daily driver is a 550 that weighs in around 11k ( quadruple at when towing). I could not imagine driving at those speeds at that weight with regular shocks.

I drive plenty of regular f-150s, I own two F-150 raptors. The suspension on the raptors incredible, primarily due fox shocks, if I was trying to reproduce what you are doing, the first thing I would do is shocks.