Suspension Help - '18 Tundra DC w/ Occasional FWC

[ejl04]

I purchased a Dobinson’s HD suspension kit back in 2020 from Mainline Overland with the thought that my Four Wheel Camper would be on it full time. Things have changed and it I tend to keep the FWC off the truck when I’m not using it. That makes for a very stiff ride when the truck has no load. I have Firestone airbags and Daystar cradles and the airbags do not touch the cradles when there is no load. I also notice that under load, the front rides a bit stiff and the back end tends to bounce a bit, especially off road. I barely inflate the airbags when the camper in on. On dirt roads, the ride is teeth rattling if there’s any washboard. There is around 30K miles on the suspension.

Here are details on my set up:

- Suspension: Dobinson's: HD leaf springs, Medium Duty in-line shocks & coils. SPC UCA's.
35” E rated Duratracs – 30K miles on them
- Front: 80lb ADD bumper plus 12Klb warn winch / RCI aluminum skid plates underneath. CBI rock sliders.
- Rear: Rigd mega swing out that has a 1up bike rack and often two 30lb mountain bikes on it. The 35” spare is underneath in the OE spare location.
- FWC Fleet is on plywood built stand and horse mat and it is a fully built out front dinette. ARB awning on the side and shower stall. Max Load ~ 1500lbs

I know the biggest culprit are the leaf springs. A shop has suggested removing a leaf and letting the airbags help more under load, which makes total sense. They also suggested upgrading the shocks to either a Dobinson's IMF or Accutune(d) Fox 2.5's w/ Reservoir's and DSC. I spoke to Accutune and they said the DSC could help, but it might be able to adjust for a max of 300lbs of load. It would be tuned to the truck for without load. I've also looked at Dobinson's MRA's with adjustable compression and rebound and Radflo's with adjusters. I'm in the PNW, so I want to stay away from Kings due to some of their issues with pitting and they don't sound like the best for my application. I had Fox's on my Jeep JK and they were great. I think reservoirs are necessary due to the load and the long miles for road trips and the long wash board roads that I take at higher speed when unloaded.

I would love to hear y'alls thoughts or experience with help on get a better ride when both loaded or unloaded. Or is this an impossible task with such a big weight swing with the camper? I've thought about lighter camper shells, but the wife likes the comfort of the FWC. I also like the it's easy to take on and off without having to worry about resealing for dust every time.

 

[Skinhyfish]

Do a medium spring. And bags. When no camper you can let air out and have a relaxed ride. Firm it up when needed. I have the setup for my slide in on my tundra for a while.

Did a custom spring for my flatbed and camper in my ford. Awesome when camper was in. Without it rode and bounced so hard.

Airbags is the only way to have a happy medium

 

[sancap]

That is a lot of weight for the Tundra, I had one with a much lighter camper and wound up damaging the bed and frame while off road. I moved to a 3/4 ton ram pickup. I lost some reliability but have a frame I trust more. Good luck with your decision.

 

[codename607]

I'll start by saying that my camper is a lot lighter because it's a shell, but this is what I used.

Stock leaf springs, Toytec Shackles, 2inch block and basic Icon shocks (no res). Truck rides perfect when loaded and still rides okay when the camper is off, but I do have a 1 inch rake when the camper is removed. I started out with bags but never liked the ride so I removed them. I've put 80,000 miles on the truck with this setup.

If I was in your situation I'd switch out the HD leaf and give a medium spring a try.

 

[beef tits]

Get airbags. You'll never do any serious off roading with a FWC; Turn-buckles start popping, and the clearance is terrible.

 

[ejl04]

Get airbags. You'll never do any serious off roading with a FWC; Turn-buckles start popping, and the clearance is terrible.

Airbags are already on. Firestone. Definitely not doing serious off-roading when camper is on. Just clear some lesser obstacles to get to camp sites. The issue is the ride when camper is off. Long fast dirt roads or uneven pavement are super rough.

 

[ejl04]

I'll start by saying that my camper is a lot lighter because it's a shell, but this is what I used.

Stock leaf springs, Toytec Shackles, 2inch block and basic Icon shocks (no res). Truck rides perfect when loaded and still rides okay when the camper is off, but I do have a 1 inch rake when the camper is removed. I started out with bags but never liked the ride so I removed them. I've put 80,000 miles on the truck with this setup.

If I was in your situation I'd switch out the HD leaf and give a medium spring a try.

View attachment 821991

Thanks. That’s how I’m going to start. Wondering if just remove a leaf or get something custom and more progressive.

 

[ejl04]

That is a lot of weight for the Tundra, I had one with a much lighter camper and wound up damaging the bed and frame while off road. I moved to a 3/4 ton ram pickup. I lost some reliability but have a frame I trust more. Good luck with your decision.

I’ve thought a lot about a 2500 or F250. If prices weren’t so crazy, I’d definitely go that route.

 

[beef tits]

Airbags are already on. Firestone. Definitely not doing serious off-roading when camper is on. Just clear some lesser obstacles to get to camp sites. The issue is the ride when camper is off. Long fast dirt roads or uneven pavement are super rough.

I ran a full OME lift on my Tundra, standard OME springs, no extra leaf in rear. I was just over 9000 lbs total weight, fully loaded. That was on a reg cab, long bed. It had 1-1.5" of rake which is ideal for a pickup. I ran about 50-60 PSI in the airbags to level it out when loaded with a Granby and gear.

It might be a matter of getting away from the HD springs, but unless your rear end is jacked up >1.5" above the front when unloaded, then you probably have the right springs. It's always going to ride like a truck ... no weight in the bed = stiffer, jumpier rear end. It's not a land cruiser.

I'd suspect your e-rated tires are contributing more than anything, especially unloaded. Even at low pressure, those things hardly flex at all. Not much you can do there. You'll want the stiff walls for toting the camper around. You might get away with running load range D, C seems too light.

People don't think about how much tire load range makes a difference in ride quality, but it is very considerable. Even at lower PSI, load range E will ride awful compared to SL or C range. I went from previous owner's installed E range KO2s, to SL range AT3W's on my GX470 and it was like switching from an F250 to a Coupe De-Ville.

 

[MotoDave]

On my 2012 Double cab Tundra I was pretty happy with Icon add-a-leaf, daystar cradles and air bags. Bilstein 5100 shocks front and rear in the middle setting up front. I ran the air bags with no pressure when the camper was off the truck.

When I first got the camper with stock rear suspension is was on the bump stops all the time. Air bags helped, but I ripped a set apart under articulation, so I got Daystar cradles. The cradles take up about an inch of uptravel so again I felt like I was in the bump stops all the time, and the internal bumps in the AirLift bags suck. The Icon add-a-leaf helped get my inch of uptravel back, and it was generally good after that.

 

[CoExplorer]

My truck and camper is lighter than yours, but similar setup for me. 2016 Tundra, FWC hawk. Often times loaded with all the camping gear+ 2 bikes on a one up with swingout. I am in the process of buying my suspension setup. I am doing Bilstein 6112 front, 5160 rear. I am getting custom leaves made from Alcan for 1000#'s over stock (exact specs to be determined when I re-weigh the truck with camper). Then I am planning to put stock height Sumo Springs to act as bumpstops when unloaded, helper springs when really loaded.

I am planning to drive my truck to South America, so was looking for something that should be robust, long lasting, and not require a ton of maintenance.

 

[kbahus]

The folks over at tundras.com rave about the Road Active Suspension system, maybe it is worth a look. Easy to install, still get a good ride when unloaded, and would work with a lighter duty leaf spring.

 

[ejl04]

I ran a full OME lift on my Tundra, standard OME springs, no extra leaf in rear. I was just over 9000 lbs total weight, fully loaded. That was on a reg cab, long bed. It had 1-1.5" of rake which is ideal for a pickup. I ran about 50-60 PSI in the airbags to level it out when loaded with a Granby and gear.

It might be a matter of getting away from the HD springs, but unless your rear end is jacked up >1.5" above the front when unloaded, then you probably have the right springs. It's always going to ride like a truck ... no weight in the bed = stiffer, jumpier rear end. It's not a land cruiser.

I'd suspect your e-rated tires are contributing more than anything, especially unloaded. Even at low pressure, those things hardly flex at all. Not much you can do there. You'll want the stiff walls for toting the camper around. You might get away with running load range D, C seems too light.

People don't think about how much tire load range makes a difference in ride quality, but it is very considerable. Even at lower PSI, load range E will ride awful compared to SL or C range. I went from previous owner's installed E range KO2s, to SL range AT3W's on my GX470 and it was like switching from an F250 to a Coupe De-Ville.

Thanks! Measured the rake and it’s +3” in the rear. I’ll start with removing a leaf and see how that goes. May switch out the tires once the 35” KO3s come out and go to D. Or go to Wildpeak At4s in D.

 

[ejl04]

The folks over at tundras.com rave about the Road Active Suspension system, maybe it is worth a look. Easy to install, still get a good ride when unloaded, and would work with a lighter duty leaf spring.

Read up on the forums and this could be part of solution. Appreciate it!

 

[ejl04]

My truck and camper is lighter than yours, but similar setup for me. 2016 Tundra, FWC hawk. Often times loaded with all the camping gear+ 2 bikes on a one up with swingout. I am in the process of buying my suspension setup. I am doing Bilstein 6112 front, 5160 rear. I am getting custom leaves made from Alcan for 1000#'s over stock (exact specs to be determined when I re-weigh the truck with camper). Then I am planning to put stock height Sumo Springs to act as bumpstops when unloaded, helper springs when really loaded.

I am planning to drive my truck to South America, so was looking for something that should be robust, long lasting, and not require a ton of maintenance.

Sumo might be a good alternative to the airbags. I think I’ll test it with the bags and a lighter leaf. If it’s still harsh, the. Try Sumo.