Hey guys I’m about to purchase an 1989 four wheel camper that was completely redone, dryweight about 850lbs I have a 2018 tundra sr 4.6 4x4, what should I expect to do to the rear suspension, tires etc, if this has already been asked please send me to right thread, thanks!
Newb/first camper
- Thread starter mdtundra
- Start date
Hi mdtundra, welcome to Wander the West!
I suspect you have a composite floor in the bed of your truck, and that will require special mounts for the tie downs. Other folks in the Toyota community can provide more specifics. You’ll also want to figure out how you want to electrically connect the truck and camper.
You may additionally want to consider airbags to level your Tundra with the camper on, and if you don’t have them, perhaps upgrade your tires to load range E ratings. Not everything needs to be done at once.
This is a great place to hang out on the interwebs, with lots of knowledgeable folks to help.
We love to see photos, so please post a few when you pick up your new rig.
I suspect you have a composite floor in the bed of your truck, and that will require special mounts for the tie downs. Other folks in the Toyota community can provide more specifics. You’ll also want to figure out how you want to electrically connect the truck and camper.
You may additionally want to consider airbags to level your Tundra with the camper on, and if you don’t have them, perhaps upgrade your tires to load range E ratings. Not everything needs to be done at once.
This is a great place to hang out on the interwebs, with lots of knowledgeable folks to help.
We love to see photos, so please post a few when you pick up your new rig.
Thanks for the response! The guy has turnbuckles he used on his tundra and has them attached to the cleats in the truck bed
Last edited:
You may want to get specifics on how the cleats in the current owner’s truck are fastened. FWC should have mounting recommendations. No one wants to see a camper fly off the truck.
I have my 1200lb-ish camper on a 2008 Tundra. E-rated tires really helped. Sumo Springs also kept the sag to a minimum (I don't care for air bags). When my shocks and struts were worn out I upgraded to Bilstein (the more heavy duty off-road version) and that helped handling on rough roads. The Tundra rules!
I see on the four wheel camper website that these guys do sales and installs:
www.mainlineoverland.com
sales@mainlineoverland.com
844-656-7626
It may be worth your time to head up there and chat with their installers.
I have firestone ride-rite airbags and E-rated 10-ply tires on my 2019 Tundra. Also, put a horse stall mat in the truck bed before install. You want to get the turnbuckles sorted out -- really one of the most important install steps.
WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
Main Line Overland, 917 Old Fern Hill Road, Suite #200, West Chester, PA 19380www.mainlineoverland.com
sales@mainlineoverland.com
844-656-7626
It may be worth your time to head up there and chat with their installers.
I have firestone ride-rite airbags and E-rated 10-ply tires on my 2019 Tundra. Also, put a horse stall mat in the truck bed before install. You want to get the turnbuckles sorted out -- really one of the most important install steps.
buckland
Senior Member
Welcome to WTW and congrats on the new camper (addiction!) ... You can find just about all information here. Folks will help. Airbags and E rated tires good ideas. I did change out my airbags when I had a new beefy leaf spring installed but I leave the camper on all the time since retiring) Air bags level out the ride but aren't adding capacity. Smooths the ride. Good advise above... don't try and do it all at once. Get out there camping/....best place to make lists around the fire.
Welcome to the site.Another thing to check is the depth of the truck bed.
I think the FWC you purchased might be 19" from the floor to the underside of the overhang.
I think most of the new trucks have a 21" depth bed.That means you need to place some sort of spacer under the camper.
If so search the site as there are threads about this subject.
Getting info from Stan at FWC will be a great help.
Frank
I think the FWC you purchased might be 19" from the floor to the underside of the overhang.
I think most of the new trucks have a 21" depth bed.That means you need to place some sort of spacer under the camper.
If so search the site as there are threads about this subject.
Getting info from Stan at FWC will be a great help.
Frank
Sagefemme
Advanced Member
Wow! Look at all that window!
Nice! Congrats!
So I’m a surfer I live about 15min from a beach where I can drive my truck on, do you know of anyone who has racks mounted on the side? I really don’t want to drill through the roof
There are racks that attach to the jack mounts, but I don’t have additional information.
Sweet I’ll do some research and see what I can find
goinoregon
Senior Member
look at mule expedition brackets. they attach to jack brackets. i used them for mtg an awning. worked great.
AspensNook
Member
Howdy! Congrats on your camper! I love how a classic FWC still looks so good, and that side window is awesome!
I am also new to the camper life, I’ll share a little of my experience and choices.
I had airbags installed at the same time as the camper, I have a Raven that comes in at 1300 lbs. The airbags have pros and cons that are well documented, good for adjusting to your prefer ride height, but I feel they are a bit bouncy and I’m not sure they’ll be my solution long term.
My truck had SL tires, and had to be inflated to max PSI when the camper went on. My plan was to run those tires until they were done, however, after putting some miles on them, taking a couple of trips, and doing some research I determined that it was worth it to me to move to E rated tires ASAP. I just did a weekend road trip that was close to 600 miles that included heavy rain, lots of mountain and canyon driving, rugged forest roads etc, and let me tell you … The investment in the E rated tires was worth EVERY PENNY. The truck handled so much better in all of those conditions, the feeling of body roll and squishyness was reduced significantly, and led to a much more comfortable and confident drive. I felt so much better on the forest roads which were quite rocky, just knowing I had a stronger tire. The tires are the only thing that I have done post camper install, and I would highly recommend doing that when and if you are able.
I believe the truck will benefit from some additional upgrades for more control and less sway, at some point I intend to make some additional suspension upgrades that I think will lead to a more controlled ride and driving experience.
Congrats again, and happy camping!
I am also new to the camper life, I’ll share a little of my experience and choices.
I had airbags installed at the same time as the camper, I have a Raven that comes in at 1300 lbs. The airbags have pros and cons that are well documented, good for adjusting to your prefer ride height, but I feel they are a bit bouncy and I’m not sure they’ll be my solution long term.
My truck had SL tires, and had to be inflated to max PSI when the camper went on. My plan was to run those tires until they were done, however, after putting some miles on them, taking a couple of trips, and doing some research I determined that it was worth it to me to move to E rated tires ASAP. I just did a weekend road trip that was close to 600 miles that included heavy rain, lots of mountain and canyon driving, rugged forest roads etc, and let me tell you … The investment in the E rated tires was worth EVERY PENNY. The truck handled so much better in all of those conditions, the feeling of body roll and squishyness was reduced significantly, and led to a much more comfortable and confident drive. I felt so much better on the forest roads which were quite rocky, just knowing I had a stronger tire. The tires are the only thing that I have done post camper install, and I would highly recommend doing that when and if you are able.
I believe the truck will benefit from some additional upgrades for more control and less sway, at some point I intend to make some additional suspension upgrades that I think will lead to a more controlled ride and driving experience.
Congrats again, and happy camping!
Attachments
Thanks! And sweet rig! Appreciate the insight! So I’m getting airbags and Goodyear duratracs XL’s( had them on my old Tacoma and they lasted a long time) installed on my truck next week. Can’t wait to see how it handles with those upgrades as I plan on driving up to Nova Scotia and down to the outer banks of North Carolina
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