When picking out a slide-on camper the last thing most people think about it how is this going to affect your trucks suspension. You look for size and shape, pop up or hard slide, Northstar or Arctic Fox, and other options like whether it's a wet or dry bath. But all these choices are going to affect the ride quality of your suspension. With the simple addition of a helper spring, airbag kit or Timbren kit, you can drastically improve the current and future ride performance.
Why You Need More Support
When adding a slide on to most pickup trucks, one will notice that the truck might lean to one side or sag in the rear. This is caused by the location of the water, gas and septic tanks which are usually located on one side of the camper but can certainly vary. Awareness of these components location can help you fix your sagging truck achieve a desirable ride.
Side to Side Load Support
With these factors in mind, let's break down some particular situations, and some solutions for the truck's suspension. Let's assume you have chosen a pop up camper with a side wet bath. This setup tends to be very side heavy. In a short amount of time, even a brand new 2012 pickup truck may start to lean. The simple installation of an air bag kit can prevent the leaning and sagging while the camper is installed and will also prevent any future sag when the vehicle is unloaded. With the ability to control each air spring individually, you will be able to counteract the additional weight added by the wet bath. By completing this addition, you will have a nice smooth, even ride with peace of mind knowing that you have enough suspension support.
Rear Load Support
Okay. So let's take a loot at another popular setup. Here we will look at an F350 with a hard slide and a rear dry bath. Most of the weight on this vehicle is going to be centered, thus many helper spring options will work for this vehicle. Many of our customers find the hellwig 3500 lbs helper springs? to work well in this situation. They are progressive helper springs that will adjust with the load of the camper, this way the driver can enjoy the same ride quality loaded or unloaded. There are also some other options. In a situation where you may need more than 3,500 lbs due to hauling a trailer with an automobile or something of that nature, you have the option of using something like the FR350SDE kit by Timbren. This will give you up to an additional 8,600 lbs. of level load support, while preventing your truck from sagging or swaying.
What Next?
So as you can see, the combination of your camper layout and your truck can certainly effect the quality of your ride. Preventative maintenance is always a good idea, especially in this situation. Adding a Timbren kit or something similar for around $200-$300 now can save a lot of money and frustration in the future if your factory leaf springs get worn out due to your camping. If you have questions or comments about your particular slide on camper setup, feel free to give us a call at 1 (877) 774-6473.
