Timbrens Vs. Airbags for truck camper?

[@jcf6597]

Were your air bags plumbed together or individually? I've had them both ways and my truck was far more stable with a load on it when plumbed individually.

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

Individually

[@SquarebodyTruckCamper]

great first hand experience with these products. Very helpful

[@gk9417]

Confusing you will put air bags back on But you didn’t like them 🤷 So timberlins are no good 🤷🙏✌️🇨🇦🇺🇸

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

It’s not that I disliked air bags, I just don’t like relying on a mechanical device that could fail so heavily by having to put 60-70 lbs in bags to level out so I thought timbrens would help. I ended up completely getting rid of the timbrens, stable loads and factory leaf springs and just put a heavy duty set of new springs on and now I never use the airbags even though they are there

[@sinner1452]

I did timbrens on my 03 f350 with a heavy Arctic fox 811. About 3500 pounds dry. They worked great loaded. Empty was a different story. On back roads and potholes at speed, the axel would hit like a ton of bricks. Upgraded the truck and camper to a 16 f350 and 16 Arctic fox 990. Thinking about a hellwig sway bar but still want something to help with the squat. Maybe air bags with sway bar when I win the lottery.

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

Yep, empty with those things was like riding on a constant washboard road.

[@davidanderson8469]

Get the Big Wig model swaybar. It'll dramatically improve highway handling.

[@stepdad12345]

Add Roadmaster Active Suspension, problem is solved, and the empty semi loaded ride is great! Not sure about off road though? Good luck!

[@charger7022]

do airbags and make sure you have dual zone. make each bag independent so air cant transfer from one to the other on bends that's how you stop sway.

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

Absolutely, I’ve always ran my airbags with independent lines.

[@craigbonson483]

I installed a hefty anti sway bar with the 7500 lb Firestone bags on my F250 single wheel with a10ft 2200lb camper and a 7x14 tandem trailer. It rides smooth and the ride in to corners are stable. 10 ply radial tires. One change I may do is a slightly wider tire.

[@davidanderson8469]

@@craigbonson483 Well,I've always had leaking problems with Firestone airbags. Ditto with my friend's Hellwig brand bags they have out. I know a guy who drove all the way back from Gonzaga Bay on the bumpstops as one of his bags popped down there. California nose high for 700 miles.

[@ibuildsheds5654]

what company in Washington sells the springs?

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

Gitt spring company in auburn, wa

[@TheSouthpawSharpshooter]

Great info thanks

[@bvernst]

what are your thoughts on the Torklift Stableloads...maybe in conjunction with the Timbrens. I feel like that would give the benefit of engaging the lower overload earlier with the timbren for stability? I've got a 2020 ram 3500 SRW that I'm setting up for a Northern lite 10-2 and really don't want the marshmallow effect of airbags, which I hear is super common even at lower psi like you're running. Plus, I can get the mentioned combo above for about the same price as bags. my only concern with the stableloads would be the potential for long term potential damage to the leaf from point loading the spring? any thoughts?

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

My sister actually works foe torklift and l love all of their products. My dad runs the stable loads in conjunction with Firestone bags to stay level with a 17’ Duramax and a 35’ fifth wheel. Northern kites are great, mine is a 9’6”. I think a lot of my issues With the way my truck looks loaded is stemming from my leveling kit in the front and the only way to really level yourself out with any load is bags but if your truck is stock the stable loads should work great to engage those overloads quicker and stiffen it up.

[@bvernst]

@@herefordvalleyhomestead6125 I’m down here outside of Portland so you know how popular torklift stuff is in our area. It’s amazing how opinionated that this subject is across guys I talk to. I’ve towed a lot of heavy stuff but never a truck camper and am fully prepared for the marshmallow effect from the camper but also don’t want to break the bank by buying and trying several products. Thanks for the input

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

@@OldRoute66 I definitely agree on the dually decision if you are going to have that camper on there quite a bit or full time. I know I feel a lot more comfortable with my dually now than I did with my SRW truck

[@philsprando3961]

@@herefordvalleyhomestead6125 We ordered a 2021 Ram 3500 DRW HO/ AISN Limited. We plan to haul a HOST Mammoth Triple slide camper. No factory air bags. Camper loaded will most likely weigh 6200#. Other than upper Stableload, what else should we add? Timbrens? Roadmaster Swaybar? Both?

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

@@philsprando3961 that brand new pickup will come with an incredible payload. Quite honestly the new heavy duty air lift air bags are very impressive on the new trucks. The truck I had bags on was a 1995 f350 SRW so very old technology. Now that I have upgraded to a 2007 DRW the camper I have feels much more stable as is, but as I said Timbrens do work, they just don’t don’t anything about sag, so if that 5th wheel ends up dropping your rear end a few inches the timbren will help support it but won’t be able to act like an airbag to level the truck. Quite honestly I do like air bags but I didn’t have a great experience with my SRW and the timbrens let my truck squat way too much for what they claim they are rated for. Torklift offers incredible products, my dad uses Firestone airbags and torklift stable lids on his 17’ Duramax and hauls a 38’ 5th wheel no problem. On something like a 5th wheel I would say air lift bags and stable loads would be your best bet. Your torklift rep will show you everything they offer, but you will most likely want the bags to keep your ride height level and smooth on something that large. My video was more pertaining to in bed truck campers

[@CatterlinRanch]

How did the new springs work out?

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

Kind of turned into a train wreck honestly, I contemplated cost and benefit and ended up going a different route with air ride bags and torklift stable loads front and rear. It was the only way to get a more stable suspension and still be able to level a load out

[@adeebihabibi]

How did it end up? Kind of a tough deal having a 1 ton that rides nice empty and loaded. I'm putting a Carli Backcountry kit with rear progressive add a pack leafs that are supposed to keep factory payload. Still thinking about adding air lift bags. Haven't loaded the camper yet cause I don't have it, but I'm guessing it will still sag. Its a 2700 dry northern lite. I was trying to talk myself out of bags and into sumo or timberens, but like you said, you pretty much have to be on the bump stops all the time which I'm guessing will ruin the ride completely.

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

I’m picking my new spring up next week and hoping for the best, but yea I would airbags along with the add a leaf. The timbrens and sumos are slick but they just left me wanting more. At least with bags you can throw a little more or a little less air in if needed but I’m sure hoping the new spring packs will work.

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

My camper is also a northern lite, they are great

[@adeebihabibi]

I just don't think a spring pack on its own will work. It will be a kidney buster unloaded if it works well loaded. If there is a way around that it would be amazing. I suppose you could use those torklift lock out things maybe. Im hoping I won't need to run much pressure in the bags and the ride will be ok.

[@herefordvalleyhomestead6125]

@@adeebihabibi the overload springs should act just like a factory overload or the timbrens... the unloaded ride should be unaffected if set correctly

[@adeebihabibi]

Right, I just think it still won't be level without some more assistance unless you do like a heavy duty deaver pack, but then it will be super harsh unloaded. I hope for both our rigs that I'm wrong

[@NomadicNorthwoods]

Timbrens

[@timtim1074]

Indeed! These are slightly compliant struts. They SUCK!,,,Slightly less than Firestone bags. The OEM camper package (auxiliary leaf springs and anti-roll bar) with rubber blocks on spring just contacting frame mounted pad is the only solution for truck mounted campers

[@jamesgray2955]

Sounds like missing your original spring pack is your biggest problem. I had an '05 Excursion with airbags that kept failing. I installed a set of Timbren SES and never looked back. I pull a 26' race trailer. I am getting a set of the Timbrens installed on my '19 G3500 Express van this week.

[@bestservedchill1489]

I put heavy duty leaf springs, coupled with Hellwig helper springs and timbren bump stop. I have the smoothest ride with my truck camper on. It handles very well.

[@schiedler1978]

What brand leaf spring ya running

[@bestservedchill1489]

@@schiedler1978 I'll be honest, I took them off of a chevy 3500 from a junk yard. On the 91 Chevy you can interchange leaf springs from 1500 to 3500