Air bag and tire pressure

[ottorogers]

30 miles? New shocks or new truck?

Anyway, sounds like you have a plan.

i meant 30,000 miles

 

[ETAV8R]

I'll share some of my personal experiences. First off in regards to tires I ran three sets of General Grabbers and suffered two flats in and around Death Valley. Since having changed to E rated Goodyear All-Terrain Adventures with Kevlar I have had no issues during the two sets I've owned. A friend of mine runs the same tires and puts much more off-road miles on his and also has had no issues. They are great tires albeit not as aggressive looking as other options.

I tend to run my tires around 40-45lbs and air down to 30-35 for off-road travel. It makes a huge difference in the comfort of travel.

Before my FWC I had a Flippac and on one of the TRD Bilsteins the blue plastic shroud melted from the abuse I put those shocks through. They do heat up. I don't run airbags so have nothing to offer in that arena.

 

[ottorogers]

I'll share some of my personal experiences. First off in regards to tires I ran three sets of General Grabbers and suffered two flats in and around Death Valley. Since having changed to E rated Goodyear All-Terrain Adventures with Kevlar I have had no issues during the two sets I've owned. A friend of mine runs the same tires and puts much more off-road miles on his and also has had no issues. They are great tires albeit not as aggressive looking as other options.

I tend to run my tires around 40-45lbs and air down to 30-35 for off-road travel. It makes a huge difference in the comfort of travel.

Before my FWC I had a Flippac and on one of the TRD Bilsteins the blue plastic shroud melted from the abuse I put those shocks through. They do heat up. I don't run airbags so have nothing to offer in that arena.

thanks for sharing, all the information that people share is much appreciated, I’m going to try balancing my airbags separately, and see how that goes, then I’m going to go to leafspring upgrade, did you add any extra leaf springs at all?

 

[ottorogers]

I'll share some of my personal experiences. First off in regards to tires I ran three sets of General Grabbers and suffered two flats in and around Death Valley. Since having changed to E rated Goodyear All-Terrain Adventures with Kevlar I have had no issues during the two sets I've owned. A friend of mine runs the same tires and puts much more off-road miles on his and also has had no issues. They are great tires albeit not as aggressive looking as other options.

I tend to run my tires around 40-45lbs and air down to 30-35 for off-road travel. It makes a huge difference in the comfort of travel.

Before my FWC I had a Flippac and on one of the TRD Bilsteins the blue plastic shroud melted from the abuse I put those shocks through. They do heat up. I don't run airbags so have nothing to offer in that arena.

by the way, my General grabber X.3 tires are very highly rated, I have heard of Kevlar in tires before, don’t know if that makes any difference, the good news is I bought five General grabber X.3 tires, so I have a spare that’s the same if necessary, we are going to death Valley soon

 

[drewdown]

OttoRogers

For some reason it wont let me "quote" you...

I have the 2.5" OME. Even before I added my leer top and decked system, the truck rode 100x better than stock, felt like a luxury car on the freeway and nice and stable but not harsh on dirt roads.

When I added the Leer top and decked system I added the OME add a leaf. Amazing.

Stock I felt it VERY mushy and swayed a lot even stock.

Might be worth checking out. Just my .02

Its tough to find a happy medium.

I could be wrong, but I don't think youre going to be able to compensate for the entire weight of that camper with just the airbags.

My .02

FYI, I've built many Toyotas and used to be a tech editor for Toyota trails, I am fairly suspension savy and do pretty good dialing in all my friends trucks.

Happy to help if you have any questions.

I’m currently trying to decide which leaf pack to go with for my truck. 2014 Tacoma DCSB, OME lift. Will be running Firestone airbags and Daytar cradles. Camper won’t be on full time so I’m hesitant to run the Dakar leaf pack full time. Camper is a Swift. I was thinking a 300 lb leaf pack plus airbags will be adequate and still give me a good ride when not loaded down.

 

[ETAV8R]

I’m currently trying to decide which leaf pack to go with for my truck. 2014 Tacoma DCSB, OME lift. Will be running Firestone airbags and Daytar cradles. Camper won’t be on full time so I’m hesitant to run the Dakar leaf pack full time. Camper is a Swift. I was thinking a 300 lb leaf pack plus airbags will be adequate and still give me a good ride when not loaded down.

Why are you hesitant to run the Dakar leafs? Without the AAL it should be fine with the bags if the Swift is a shell model.

 

[abqbw]

thank you so much!!!!

Do you digest 2 full length extra springs? Can’t wait till April to go to Boise, I’m going to Valley spring in Phoenix, but it really helps to know what to tell them to do or what I want

From what you are saying I’m thinking 2 full length Springs may be what is needed.

I donor feel these trucks are a problem being overloaded with the right suspension at all. We just have to get it right

Do you have the 46 gallon gas tank??

Yes, I have the 46 gal transfer flow tank. I have two or 3 extra leaves and one of them is nearly full length. The main top leaf is factory.

 

[abqbw]

another point here is the airbags will be necessary if I am loaded heavier in one side, or do you feel the beefed up leaf springs will take care of heavier loads on one side??? I’m adding a 46 gallon tank, that’s 120 extra weight on one side when full

I don't pay much attention to where I have the truck loaded side to side. I suspect it is fairly even. I do have the 46 gal tank and haven't noticed a difference when it full or empty.

I'm no expert when it comes to springs and suspension. Not do I want to be. But seriously, I just stuff the hell out of my truck and haul-ass on pavement and dirt with no thought. I am glad I don't have to mess with airbags. Are you sure you can't wait till April to go to Boise Spring Works? Russ is the spring-whisperer. (I have no relationship with Boise Spring other than being a two time customer).

By the way, the 46 gal tank is amazing! Expensive but worth it. I go to remote areas often and stay there for a long time. Not hauling a bunch of extra fuel is wonderful. Not to mention being able to drive around town longer between fuel-ups and not having to worry about range to get to a station on the highway.

 

[ottorogers]

I don't pay much attention to where I have the truck loaded side to side. I suspect it is fairly even. I do have the 46 gal tank and haven't noticed a difference when it full or empty.

I'm no expert when it comes to springs and suspension. Not do I want to be. But seriously, I just stuff the hell out of my truck and haul-ass on pavement and dirt with no thought. I am glad I don't have to mess with airbags. Are you sure you can't wait till April to go to Boise Spring Works? Russ is the spring-whisperer. (I have no relationship with Boise Spring other than being a two time customer).

By the way, the 46 gal tank is amazing! Expensive but worth it. I go to remote areas often and stay there for a long time. Not hauling a bunch of extra fuel is wonderful. Not to mention being able to drive around town longer between fuel-ups and not having to worry about range to get to a station on the highway.

Deaver Spring in Santa Anna is fairly close to us, I need the spring upgrade badly, can’t wait till April

 

[Lighthawk]

I have a 05 Tundra with a Hawk. I am running 55 pounds of air in the back and 50 in the front I have E and D rated tires depending on the time of year. I am running 20 pounds in the Ride Rites. I am with the other guys that are saying you need to separate the air bags. When the truck leans the air goes from one side to the other. The Ride Rites take such a minuscule amount of air it doesn't take much to change a lot. I would separate them then adjust your tires.

Agreed.
06' Tundra/Hawk combo
45 front / aired down high speed 35 / low speed 25
55 rear / aired down high speed 45 / low speed 35
Airbags 45-60

 

[drewdown]

Why are you hesitant to run the Dakar leafs? Without the AAL it should be fine with the bags if the Swift is a shell model.

It’s not a shell model

 

[Piney]

Wow, lots of experienced opinions here, all 14 pages of it! We have a 2006 dbl. cab Tundra with a 2012 Hawk on it. On trips longer than a weekend, our rig is overloaded with too much swag, including kayaks/boards on the roof. I've always tried to keep things simple, but am tempted to add airbags, leafs, or beefier shocks when I read these blogs. Then, after seeing all the differences of opinion, I just hold tight on the upgrades.
On the truck I have only added Hellwig clamp-on overload springs, the blue and yellow Bilstein shocks/struts, and E rated tires, currently Cooper Discoverer AT3s. No sway bar, no airbags. I'm stoked on the tires, the best I've ever had, which include multiple sets of BFG AT KOs, and Michelins. The Coopers are great in the snow, quiet on the highway, and work better than the BFGs in soft sand when aired down.
I run about 60 psi in the front and 65 psi in the rear on the highway. If driving longer than 6 or 8 miles off-road, I will air down to about 30 psi all around. I carry a Viair portable compressor in the truck for easy airing back up.
I don't drive 75 mph on the highway, or haul a** on the Racetrack Road. Have put in thousands of miles off pavement in Mexico and western US over many decades, in various vehicles. I got all my high speed dirt road driving thrills out of my system in my teens and twenties. There is no need to hurry any more and risk broken equipment.
Slow down and enjoy the ride. Another 2 cents worth (or worthless!)

 

[Porkface]

added air pressure in airbags or tires seems to make no difference, so it has to be the springs, I’m going to get 2 extra leafs, and try it with 10 LBS in the airbags, I’m also going to separate the airlines to compensate for extra weight on one side and avoid air going from one bag to the other, but my gut feeling is the extra leaf springs will take care of everything, I’m at or about 2200 lbs, camper is 1480 from factory, wife and I are 360 lbs, water is 150lbs, all our food and gear is at least 200 lbs, we are going to add 120 more weight when the new 46 gallon fuel tank is full, I’m going with 2 new leaf springs, I’m not getting new shocks, they only have 30 miles on them, I will re assess after the new leaf springs

I have a 2004 Tundra with 2015 FWC Fleet. I've had the Fleet on (and off) the truck for about 2 years. I'm still going through ride/suspension upgrades but I think I'm fairly stable in my current config. Ride Rites w/ independent air lines, Bilstein 5100's front & rear, E rated BFG AT KO2's.The truck, with camper, drives well but I'm a pretty cautious driver on paved/gravel roads.

Everything suggested will improve your truck handling with the camper but unloaded ride quality will change. My Ride Rites hold the camper up very well. Extra/new springs would do better loaded. However, when I off load my camper, I can reduce air pressure in the bags, not so much springs. The Bilsteins control loaded suspension movement much better than my stock shocks but the unloaded ride is noticeably different. You may have noticed ride differences when you put the 10 ply tires on too.

I also suggest you re-examine your payload weights. I Googled specs for a 2014 Tundra and the highest payload capacity I found for a 2014 Tundra 5.7L 4x4 was about 1500 pounds. You're already at ~2200 pounds. When you add an additional 46 gal fuel tank it will add much more than 120 pounds. That may be the weight of the tank itself but 46 gallons of gasoline at 6 pounds per gallon weights 276 pounds. You may be adding 400 pounds (or more) with the tank. That would be about 1000 pounds over weight if my specs are correct.

 

[ottorogers]

Wow, lots of experienced opinions here, all 14 pages of it! We have a 2006 dbl. cab Tundra with a 2012 Hawk on it. On trips longer than a weekend, our rig is overloaded with too much swag, including kayaks/boards on the roof. I've always tried to keep things simple, but am tempted to add airbags, leafs, or beefier shocks when I read these blogs. Then, after seeing all the differences of opinion, I just hold tight on the upgrades.
On the truck I have only added Hellwig clamp-on overload springs, the blue and yellow Bilstein shocks/struts, and E rated tires, currently Cooper Discoverer AT3s. No sway bar, no airbags. I'm stoked on the tires, the best I've ever had, which include multiple sets of BFG AT KOs, and Michelins. The Coopers are great in the snow, quiet on the highway, and work better than the BFGs in soft sand when aired down.
I run about 60 psi in the front and 65 psi in the rear on the highway. If driving longer than 6 or 8 miles off-road, I will air down to about 30 psi all around. I carry a Viair portable compressor in the truck for easy airing back up.
I don't drive 75 mph on the highway, or haul a** on the Racetrack Road. Have put in thousands of miles off pavement in Mexico and western US over many decades, in various vehicles. I got all my high speed dirt road driving thrills out of my system in my teens and twenties. There is no need to hurry any more and risk broken equipment.
Slow down and enjoy the ride. Another 2 cents worth (or worthless!)

are you getting swaying on the highway? Mine is really bad, we are around 2200 lbs fully loaded, maybe a bit less

 

[Piney]

Ottorodgers, no swaying on the highway, unless there are really strong crosswinds, but again, with the truck that loaded, I'm not pushing it. I usually keep the speed at or below 100 kph. My payload is similar to yours, probably 2000 lbs or more with the wife and dog. The real noticeable swaying happens on rutted, off-camber dirt roads at slow speeds. Nothing unusual there, for any truck. We are still plagued with bucking or "porpoising" at highway speeds on certain road conditions or when passing big rigs with their wind blasts. I have mounted a second spare tire on a receiver in the front of the truck, and I think it has helped with that problem. Bottom line, and it has been discussed here in depth before, is the Tundra is a half ton truck, a bit lightweight for a fully loaded FW camper. We don't even want to bring up the subject of brakes with a panic stop.

 

[rruff]

We don't even want to bring up the subject of brakes with a panic stop.

You'll stop a heck of a lot better than the RVs and loaded Semis.

 

[ottorogers]

Ottorodgers, no swaying on the highway, unless there are really strong crosswinds, but again, with the truck that loaded, I'm not pushing it. I usually keep the speed at or below 100 kph. My payload is similar to yours, probably 2000 lbs or more with the wife and dog. The real noticeable swaying happens on rutted, off-camber dirt roads at slow speeds. Nothing unusual there, for any truck. We are still plagued with bucking or "porpoising" at highway speeds on certain road conditions or when passing big rigs with their wind blasts. I have mounted a second spare tire on a receiver in the front of the truck, and I think it has helped with that problem. Bottom line, and it has been discussed here in depth before, is the Tundra is a half ton truck, a bit lightweight for a fully loaded FW camper. We don't even want to bring up the subject of brakes with a panic stop.

yes brakes is another issue!!!!

 

[ottorogers]

You'll stop a heck of a lot better than the RVs and loaded Semis.

semi’s have phenomenal braking systems

 

[rruff]

semi’s have phenomenal braking systems

"A typical tractor-trailer or other large truck can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds by law. Most passenger vehicles are about 3,000 – 4,000 pounds. A passenger vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds, traveling under ideal conditions at a speed of 65 miles per hour would take 316 feet to stop (nearly the length of a football field). In comparison, a fully loaded tractor-trailer weighing 80,000 pounds traveling under ideal conditions at a speed of 65 miles per hour will take 525 feet to stop (almost the length of two football fields)."

Large RVs are about the same as the semi.

 

[Vic Harder]

Just saying here, not all vehicles take that long to stop. Be aware when following me in my 2002 BMW m3 from 60/80 mph = 112 ft / 200 ft.

My truck and camper take a bit longer, but I have been very pleasantly surprised at how well it accelerates/brakes/corners.