Prepare your truck for the camper

D

dadeger

Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
19
Hello all,

Want to ensure our truck is ready to receive the camper. I am thinking about upgrading tires and installing an air bag system. What tires rating at a minimum would be best? Also, it is my understanding that air bags may increase payload. What do the experienced FWC campers have to say?

Any other suggestions?
 
Dad,
My understanding is that airbags just make the ride height adjustable, they dont increase the payload. I'm sure the Toyota guys here know more about that than I do.
 
Look on the post on driver side of your Toyota.It should tell you what tire will give maximum payload and the actual payload.

Mine does.

robbie
 
Payload max is 1600 lbs. for our truck. Tires are rated at 2600 lbs. Have checked with our Toyota dealer and our local Les Schwab both have said the Firestone Ride rite system shold be all we will need to prep the truck. Tongue weight for our boat is 300 - 500 lbs. Hence we have 1100 - 1300 lbs for a camper and gear.
 
Air bags

Air bags won't increase your legal cargo weight rating, but from what I've read people really like the way they improve handling. Plus if you have them on their own air circuit, you can put different amounts of pressure in each bag to help level your truck.
 
Dad:

After talking with Stan and others here, I went with the supersprings instead of the airbags. Not adjustable, but install and forget. Improved handling and fixed the rear sag. Won't increase your load limit, but makes it more manageable. I'm just a little worried about air bags popping.....

dave in seattle
 
Air bags,failure? not!

I have never heard of a correctly installed air bag fail.That being said you have to use the CORRECT set for the vech. If you use ride rite air airbags (firestone)
you will not have a problem,when i hear of someone breaking a air bag they are using bags made for street use and they will fail with off road use. I have seen one failure with ride rites but it was caused by jacking up truck by bumper which stretched bag to where it tore loose from mount.(i think the instructions even tell you not to jack vech up except by jacking under axle)
Also with just added springs you will notice that if you measure the height side to side you will find that your truck will not be level,another reason to have air bags,i say this with the understanding that we are talking about a truck that has a camper,shell,etc,not a empty truck that is used on road only.
And if you are one who does not leave you camper on full time are bags give you a stock ride when truck is empty or full.
If you disagree or have a air bag failure i would like to hear about and see a picture of the air bag!
I do read about springs breaking,but this is part of the game,things do break.
Just my 4 cents worth(inflation!)
Drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"
Les Lqhikers
 
More air bag info.

I forgot to add in last post that if you do have to lift your rig as i have had to do using high lift jack you should make sure to have a limit strap on your axle to keep it from extending to where it will pull bag loose.As i do not have limit straps on my truck i use a rachet strap around frame and axle to protect bag.its a pain to do but works,some day i will add limit straps,But most late model trucks can not be lifted with high lift unless you have lift points front and rear.
Again just my 4 cents worth (inflation!)
Drive slow and enjoy "it the journey"
Les, Lqhikers
 
Thanks for the info on the limit strap.
For all that are thinking about the air bags here are the part #s.
2445 (HD air bags)
2178 (Compressor & dual gauge)
 
Truck Prep

Dad and all,

I have an 05 Tundra with Les Schwab installed Ride Rite air bags. They do indeed improve handling and ride. I've had them on for a couple of years now and within the last two months both sides have sheared off the bolts that hold them on to the leaf springs. I'm not sure why but in both instances, the bolts sheared under load backing up. Very hinky. The first time I had a load of firewood, the second 800 lbs of concrete. The loads were well distributed and was backing on a mostly flat surface.

Les Schwab replaced the first set of bolts and I have performed emergency surgery on the second set until I can get to town and have them replaced with suspension grade bolts.

So, beware. :mad:

Has anyone else experienced this??
 
it happened to me

I just noticed a dangling air bag bracket under my '02 Tundra..Bolt missing, sheered off I presume. Going for a warranty fix right now, will report back. I am going to try to upgrade the hardware down there while I'm at it.

As a longtime opponent of airbags, this worries me. If a failure like this(or worse) occured out in the boonies, the outcome could be horrible.

If I remember correctly, a member named Costeno experienced this well offroad in Baja. Luckily, he had spare hard ware to install..Something everyone with airbags should carry apparently...
 
Air Bag Hanger Bolts

Tomas and all,

Yeah, I just got done crawling underneath the Tundra and installing new bolts on one of the airbag brackets. I'm heading for Jellystone tomorrow to see some bears and havent had the time to deal with Les Schwab. Got to looking at their fix however and they just slammed in a carriage bolt and cranked it down so hard they bent the bracket. Am I impressed? Not really.

Let us know what hardware you upgrade to. Just the two bolts seems kinda cheesy to me although that seems to be the way its designed.

I, too, heard a good thunk when the bolt sheared. I didnt pick up on it when it happened the first time but the second time I had the presence of mind to check underneath and sure enuf there was the bolt just hanging there.

I am definitely carrying extra hardware from now on. I would not be a happy camper if this happened in the back of beyond. Good luck, time to hit the road....MH:thumb:
 
Wow..sorry to hear this, guys.

I went with supersprings as stan suggested and tossed 'em on yesterday. While it took me far longer than the "as little as 20 minutes" they said it would it wasn't a bad install @ all and anyone can do it. (I'm proof of that)

They definitely stiffened things up (no camper, yet) and raised the rear end a good 1.5 inches or so without any weight in the bed.

thanks for the rec, stan.

Pat
 
The fix

Just got my truck back from my 4by guru..He thinks he may have torqued the original (low grade) bolts a bit to tight.Also, the top end of the stock(coated) Firestone bolts are threaded to the top.A little bit of flex and shimmy and the coating falls off, corossion sets in, weekness and failure occure.New bolts are aircraft grade(grade 8 vs. grade 5 stock bolts) and no thread at the top. 160,000 psi break point vs. 60,000 psi break point on the stock bolts. I will carry extra, but don't expect to use them.

TT
 
sound like with the hd bag and the new bolts all will work. Thanks to all for the information!
 
I too have replaced mine for safety purposes (and piece of mind), the stock bolts when removed were mostly fine, but the left side bolts were bent slightly. No doubt they would have failed eventually. I've also got spares stashed for a worst case scenario.
 
What kind of hardware?

I had my airbags intalled at the toyota dealer, so I am kinda clueless about the hardware. Going to Baja and dont want to be stranded, exactly what kind of extra hardware should I bring with me?
 
I had my airbags intalled at the toyota dealer, so I am kinda clueless about the hardware. Going to Baja and dont want to be stranded, exactly what kind of extra hardware should I bring with me?

We've replaced the long carriage type bolts that clamp the bracket over the leaf springs. You should be able to look at your install manual to determine the exact size of the bolts, don't know the exact size off hand. Cheap security to have especially before a Baja trip.
 
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