1st gen Tacoma: is this leaf spring upgrade enough?

[wanderAround]

Hi everyone... long time camper owner, first time poster.
I've had a 2000 Tacoma with a Sunlight Skyhawk popup camper (1133 lbs wet) on it for 11 years now.
I just upgraded to a 2003 Tacoma, and the previous owner added a small lift and looks like he upgraded the leaf springs. I'm moving the camper over to it.
My question is: do I still need to get air bags? Or is the leaf spring upgrade enough? I've never done a leaf upgrade so don't know how much help they are with campers. I think I'll get Timbrens just to be sure, but maybe that's overkill.

New leafs on 2003 Tacoma


Leafs from my old 2000 Tacoma


And advice much appreciated.

Ben

 

[smlobx]

Hi and welcome!

I’m not familiar with Toyota’s but I would suggest installing the camper and take it for a drive to see how it does. Maybe you could get the rig weighed as well.
Then based on your experience you can decide how to move forward.

 

[knoxswift]

On a 2010 companies make heavy duty springs. I'm not sure about the 1st gens as I traded my 2002 for a 2010 for my camper install.
I have custom springs because even back in 2010 companies weren't on the HD spring band wagon yet. Now there are quite a few out there.
1. Get rid of the over load spring and add a pack of progressive leafs instead
2 Get rid of the bump stop and go with some sort of progressive bump stop. (I use hydraulic bumps).
3. Get something to assist with sway of such a heavy load in a small pickup.
Even with my HD springs sway is still an issue.
A sway bar helps but for extreme off road bags are not an option. Depending you your use case I'd say add Roadmaster Active suspension springs to help with the sway of such a heavy load. If mild or no off road is expected bags are just fine.

 

[wanderAround]

Thanks for the advice. It did dawn on me to put the camper on the truck to see how it sits, even though I don't have the camper tie downs installed yet so I can't take it for a spin just yet.

It's squashing the leaves down all the way, so looks like some additional support is needed.

Photo attached of the compressed leaves.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

First I know this original post is 2 years old. Still there might be someone out there with a first Gen Tacoma with a 4 cylinder motor thinking about buying a small camper shell for it.

When I bought the Eagle in 2012 I went to a suspension shop and had the rear leaf's replaced on my 1999 Tacoma 4WD to support 1800 pounds.

My camper is an improved shell. Weight empty about 1200 pounds. Including a picture so you can see how it sits.

Going to the desert for a week adding about 350 pounds of water, food, clothes still kept the rear higher than the front. After 9 months replaced the truck with a 2013 V6 4wd because the '99 had a 4 cylinder with stick. Had to climb hills in 3rd gear @ 55mph with hazard flashers blinking. No power over 60mph. Lousy gas mileage. Glad I had the "Flip-Pac for 8 years not the Eagle as at the time I couldn't afford to replace the truck.