Hi, WjColdWater....
My experience with my Hawk on an '01 F150 and a '13 Tundra is that I didn't HAVE to add airbags but in the end I decided I wanted them. And I'm glad I decided to go ahead.
I had bought my Hawk used and as a rig (both truck and camper). The previous owner never had airbags and I used the camper for a year before deciding to add them. When I moved the camper to the Tundra, I again waited a year to see if I thought them necessary.
In the end, my reasons for adding the bags were (1) correct a side-to-side lean, (2) correct a very minor rear-end sag and (3) stiffen the suspension a bit.
Also- I'd take FWC's advice on this
Getting Your Truck Ready for Your Camper page and contact FWC for advice on your specific truck and your specific camper. I'd want to be ready to get the most out of that call or email by providing details on my truck (including its payload) and what I'll be taking with me (estimated weight of gear and passengers would be helpful, for example) and how I'll be using the rig. In making this contact, we have to recognize that FWC is probably going to say you'll need airbags (if not more). But the point would be you want to see what the reasoning is for the recommendation.
Also--
In the weeks you have left before picking up the camper, you might want to view (or re-view!) the
troubleshooting and how-to videos on the FWC web site and perhaps write down questions on anything that doesn't seem clear or needs more explanation. On pick-up day you'll have a lot of information coming at you and those can help you be ready for it.
.
