Body Lift and a Camper?

[routefinderrob]

Just curious if anyone is running a lightweight camper and a body lift? Any issues with the rubber lift breaking down under the weight? Other issues I've not thought of?

I'm not considering anything huge, 1.5" to try and keep from taking the grinder to the wheel wells of my new truck.

Thanks in advance,

Rob

 

[adrenaline503]

It should be fine. Most quality body lift kits are made from similar material as the stock mini spacers. It will however raise your center of gravity.

 

[washington taco]

No camper here but have been running a body lift for about 160,000 miles! Not the best option for a lift but between my OME lift and body lift it all works. Hell I run 315/70/17 and it works.

 

[Jeep]

If you are only going for 1.5" Why dont you grab a quality leveling kit and some good shocks while you are at it. You'll probably spend the same amount and you wont have the gaps, the "relocated" brakelines, p/s lines, oil cooler lines, the icky steering coulmn extension. And your truck will probobly ride better if you pick a shock for the application. Owned a high rep 4x4 shop for 10 years, we quit doing body lifts after the first year, no real problems, just a little half assed by design in the details.

 

[routefinderrob]

I actually do have a level kit on the truck. I am running 285/70/17 tires and when going modest offroading I'm shoving the tires into the fenders. I've trimmed a little and I'm still rubbing so I'm now considering a 1.5" body lift from Zone Offroad. If I was to trim a little more I could probably avoid this all together, but the only thing left to trim from here is sheet metal. I'm basically unwilling to trim sheet metal as I'll end up needing to re-weld several pinch welds - far beyond my comfort level on a truck I'm still making payments on.

I spoke with the folks at Zone and they said (and confirmed with emailing me the directions) that a 1.5" kit isn't enough to need to lengthen the steering column or anything else.

There is the issue of gaps - the front gaps will be covered with the stock gap guards and I may or may not worry about the rear depending on how it looks when complete. The exposure of the frame on the side will be covered a little by some sliders from square tubing that I'm building.

I was simply curious how this had held up as my wife and I are looking to buy a Four Wheel Camper in the next year or so. Just didn't want to find myself going backwards taking it off in two years and doing something different.

 

[eugene]

There are no stock spacers on the bed, its bolted solid to the frame. Last truck I had a body lift on I way overloaded without any damage to the bed, but why not get some 1.5" square tubing and make the body lift for the bed from it so it would go between the bed and frame to provide support? The main issue I understand is the pressure on all the bolts with side to side stress as the frame flexes, making a subframe that connects them all together would help simulate the bed still being bolted solid.