Hi,

I am getting ready to order a new F-350 crew cab single rear wheel. I will be towing a 5th wheel with it eventually. In the options under ordering the new truck there is a Camper package option which includes Auxiliary Springs, Extra Heavy Service Front Springs, Rear Stabilizer Bar and Slide-In Camper Certification. My question is do I need to order this option? It is an additional $160.00 so money is not an issue. If it is an option that is not needed to haul a 5th wheel, but I do order it, will the extra heavy service front springs make the truck ride stiffer than it normally would without the package while driving without the 5th wheel. The only reason I would order it if it is not needed is that I may put my lance camper 10,9" extended cabover on the truck to use until I get my 5th wheel rv. However, If having the camper package option is going to alter the ride of the truck when not towing, I will not put the camper on it and will just wait until my 5th wheel is ordered as a fair amount of driving will be done without towing. I hope I have made sense in this question. Thank you so much for your time.

Ed in California

 

I ordered my 05 FX4 250 CC with the camper package, and it drives/rides very well.. No harsh ride at all..

..............HP..............

 

When I ordered my 04 I ordered the rear swaybar separately ($115), and believe the heavy duty frt. springs came with some other part of a package. What I didn't get compared to the camper package were the helper springs (didn't want, or need, added airbags), and the camper certification.

Either way it was $160 vs $115

 

My 05 F350 PSD CC LB has the camper package (no camper) and does ride rough compared to an 05 F250 PSD CC LB I drove to pick up my truck (1 hour drive). I believe that most of the ride difference was the 18" continentals vs the 17" OEM on the F250. I get the 'bucking' on the freeway (~70mph) from road seams (Ohio, not I-5 in California). I also suspect that the factory shocks (FX4 package) do not have good damping for small displacement (road seams vs. large bumps).

Still like the truck, only tow via receiver (no 5th wheel). Have velvet ride shackles I am waiting to put on until some factory service is done.

My$0.02...

 

I have an 04' F-350 4x4,V-10, 6-speed, DRW, it has the plow and camper package, (helper springs and sway bars), the front end sits high,,looks good, it does ride rather stiff, and even when I lift the 9' Fisher plow, it sags very little, but it has been a great truck thus far,,,over 17 k now, has not been back once !

 

I have the camper option on my '03 and am very happy with the unloaded ride. One of the things that my friends comment on when we are driving out through the winding mountain roads to do some dirt bike riding is how little body roll my truck has.

It goes through the corners quite flat even when you're pushing hard enough to get it sliding a little on one end or the other ;-)

With the trailer attached I use a WD hitch and again, no problems.

 

I had a 2000 F350 CC LWB 7.3L 4x4 Off-Road truck with the Camper Pkg. Just traded it recently for 05 F350 CC LWB FX4 truck with the Camper Pkg. To me, both trucks rode/ride geat...loaded or unloaded. And I put a lot of miles on a truck...so that is my input. Good luck with your upcoming purchase!

 

Some added thoughts on the 05 camper package...


The front coil springs are 1 size up (400lbs spring stiffness) from stock (FX4 is 1 up from standard, so FX4 & camper = 800lbs/inch more).
Rear normal leaf springs are the same (only added overload, not in contact with frame until high weight= never with no load)
Rear sway bar added from stock/FX4 (not a ride issue for bumps, just body roll = good thing)
Else, camper certification lable (needed if you have camper).

I think my ride issue is from tires, not directly from springs/sway bar. Could be wrong..

Try both and see if it makes a difference (my test 250/CC/LB/FX4 vs 350/CC/LB/FX4/Camper was very noticable).

 

My personal philosophy... You can never have a heavy enough suspension. My advice, order it as heavy as you can make it.

 

We test drove a 350 FX4 LB 6.0 with Camper Pkg just before we ordered ours. We were worried it would ride rougher than our '99 F250 4x4 (also w/ camper pkg.). The most pleasant surprise was how nice the ride felt compared to our old truck! The test unit also had the 18" wheels and conti tires and we didn't notice any vibration, even up to 80+ mph.

Just another thing: I was told that by ordering the diesel engine, the front springs are automatically upgraded, and I thought it was to their max rating -- can anybody confirm this?

 

The way I understand it, with the diesel it is upgraded 2 times and can go 3 times. but you might verify that as I have done so much reading about this truck I can't see staight, what is fX4 is

Thanks,
Ed

 

The way I understand it, by ordering the diesel, whether with the camper package or not, automatically gives your heavier springs to support the added weight of the diesel. I have owned the exact same truck, one was 9600 #'s with the 2005 V10, the one I have now is 10,000 #'s with the 2005 diesel. So with the diesel the front springs are heavier by 400# in terms of what it raises your GVWR.

Just to let you know....the 9600 # V10 had a stiffer ride than the 10,000 # diesel. Kind of like My double barrel 10 gauge with 42 " barrel weighed 12.5 lbs and chambered 3.5 magnums. Kicked less than my 12 gauge with 2 3/4 " shells. With the heavier gun the recoil was absorbed in the weight of the gun. I think it is similar in principal with the trucks.

 

Can't comment on the '05, but my '04 rides real soft in my eyes with the camper pkg. The sway bar really really works!!