Oh I totally agree with the bags vs appropriate leaf pack.
Im right there as well. And have had bags before. Never again, for many reasons.
I was only bringing it back up to verify that the bags were indeed working for him, or not.
Seems that his problem, regardless of how overloaded he is, would very well be solved by those bags.
My primary concerns with just HOW overloaded is this, and in this order by importance/safety:
1. Wheels and tires.
You NEED more tire in the rear. Hell, you probably need more WHEEL in the rear.
Wheels have specific load ratings as well, regardless of the tires you put on them.
As an example, most 16" 8-lug alloy truck wheels have a rating of 3000-3600lbs each.
Id check to see what yours are actually rated at.
So with that said, as I mentioned before, you need at minimum a dually rear end.
Not only will it be more safe, but it will give your tires a chance at lasting more than a blink.
Running so close to their maximum load rating, I doubt youd see more than 25k out of a set.
So push to a dually rear. With your truck, that is as easy as a bed and axle swap.
2. Chassis and camper mounting.
I can see the rear center pivot mount on the truck, (and it looks great) but do you have a photo of the front setup?
With so much weight on that chassis, if the load isn't spread along a considerable length of those frame rails,
you can pretty much count on that chassis fatiguing and folding eventually.
3500 lbs is a lot to place in just 3 locations (with the majority placed on the front 2) on the chassis that was wasn't designed specifically for it.
3. Suspension
Why you came here right? :sombrero:
With so many safety concerns, I held back on a simple answer to your simple question until there was a bit more of an understanding of the situation.
Believe me, I run at or over max GVWR at times, but not by nearly 20% unless it is just crossing town with a pallet of sod or concrete in the bed.
With the desire and PLAN to keep this truck so overloaded indefinitely, I wanted to make sure that was understood.
So, with suspension, yes, your best bet is to go with a heavier leaf pack in the rear and some extremely stiff shocks. Your choice.
Lots like the expensive Bilstein 5100s, I do not have a local source and like to support my local businesses, so I went a different route.
I run KYBs, and I have had great experience with KYB Monomax with a heavy truck and camper.
Being so heavy, regardless of the comments I have made about bags, Im going to tell you to KEEP them and use them in conjunction with the heavier leafs.
With that said, you are definitely overloaded on the front as well, so maybe look into a set of front bags too.
That's all I've got for now.
Hope it helps.
And be safe.
