[hotwheels11]

I have a 4,200 pound camper on the back of a 2012 3500 dually and am thinking of getting stable loads installed on the suspension. Here's a you tube video link:

I assume they will stabilize the load, as advertised, when the camper is on the truck. My question is how do they effect the ride when the camper isn't on the truck? Are the overload springs always engaged and give a harsh ride?

Thanks for any comments you may have if you use stable loads with your camper setup.

 

[lapriester]

You would be much better served with air bags.

Larry

 

[hotwheels11]

You would be much better served with air bags.

Larry

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I have Firestone airbags.

 

[hemiplymouth]

Timbrens???????????:confused013:

 

[FF1063]

Hey hotwheels, I figured I put up a pic showing how an all OEM 98 Ram handles a TC. It's packed to about 4500 lbs in the pic. I'm dissappointed to hear that the newest Rams need help !!!

 

[hotwheels11]

Hey hotwheels, I figured I put up a pic showing how an all OEM 98 Ram handles a TC. It's packed to about 4500 lbs in the pic. I'm dissappointed to hear that the newest Rams need help !!!

Nice looking rig. I have the same Arctic Fox (990) TC. We love it and now will ride in style with our new dually.

 

[lapriester]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I have Firestone airbags.

If you have Firestones and real shocks instead of OEM you should not have a problem. Looking at the product it simply looks to cheesy to really be any help at all. All it looks like it does is put a spacer between your stock helper springs and their rubber bumpers putting them in play constantly. If Dodge had designed the OEM helpers right they would be in play as soon as you put a moderate load on the truck but, they didn't. Empty or barely loaded those things are going to make the truck ride like a tank in the rear. One of the things I recently noticed about Dodge Ram dually rear suspension, while I've been looking to buy one soon, is that those installed helper springs are rendered almost useless by the distance they are from making contact with the bumpers that actually put them in play. My first thought when I looked under there was, "wow, those are sure useless, the truck will be at a 20 degree angle nose up before the helpers even engage." They look like they are there for show and a false increase in GVW, not actual or legitimate use.

On my current Ford F250 truck they are about two inches from contact and come into play as soon as a moderate load is put on the truck. On the 2012 Ram dually they are about 5" from initial contact making them almost useless as helper springs. If your truck is porposing in back when you go over bumps add more air to the bags and go buy yourself some high quality adjustable shocks that will do the job. The original equipment non-adjustable shocks that came on your rig are useless garbage if you plan on hauling loads or a camper. I have Rancho adjustables and Firestones I put on my Ford many years ago that stopped all the bounce when I put the cabover on and haul my 22' ocean boat around. The bags get 100# and the shocks are set at position 9. When I haul the 33' 5'r, 30# and #5 position and no bounce. It's actually too stiff at position 9. Good shocks are the key, not a cheap fix that engages your helpers constantly. I can almost guarantee you won't like thet unloaded ride with those cheeesy things on your truck. If it looks too good to be true, it generally is and those look like something invented in someone's garage.

 

[NDanecker]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I have Firestone airbags.

Are the air lines tied together or separate? You will get more stability if they are not tied together and filled individually.

 

[hotwheels11]

If you have Firestones and real shocks instead of OEM you should not have a problem. Looking at the product it simply looks to cheesy to really be any help at all. All it looks like it does is put a spacer between your stock helper springs and their rubber bumpers putting them in play constantly. If Dodge had designed the OEM helpers right they would be in play as soon as you put a moderate load on the truck but, they didn't. Empty or barely loaded those things are going to make the truck ride like a tank in the rear. One of the things I recently noticed about Dodge Ram dually rear suspension, while I've been looking to buy one soon, is that those installed helper springs are rendered almost useless by the distance they are from making contact with the bumpers that actually put them in play. My first thought when I looked under there was, "wow, those are sure useless, the truck will be at a 20 degree angle nose up before the helpers even engage." They look like they are there for show and a false increase in GVW, not actual or legitimate use.

On my current Ford F250 truck they are about two inches from contact and come into play as soon as a moderate load is put on the truck. On the 2012 Ram dually they are about 5" from initial contact making them almost useless as helper springs. If your truck is porposing in back when you go over bumps add more air to the bags and go buy yourself some high quality adjustable shocks that will do the job. The original equipment non-adjustable shocks that came on your rig are useless garbage if you plan on hauling loads or a camper. I have Rancho adjustables and Firestones I put on my Ford many years ago that stopped all the bounce when I put the cabover on and haul my 22' ocean boat around. The bags get 100# and the shocks are set at position 9. When I haul the 33' 5'r, 30# and #5 position and no bounce. It's actually too stiff at position 9. Good shocks are the key, not a cheap fix that engages your helpers constantly. I can almost guarantee you won't like thet unloaded ride with those cheeesy things on your truck. If it looks too good to be true, it generally is and those look like something invented in someone's garage.

My helper springs don't contact the upper rubber stop because the airbags are inflated to 40 lb. with the camper loaded. This raises the rear of the truck about 2" which then puts the rubber stop about 2" above the helper spring. The stable loads would put the rubber stop back into contact with the helper springs (actually the stable load would replace the OEM rubber stop.) So my question is, when the camper is off the bed and the air bags are down to 10 lbs., will the stable loads still engage the helper springs and cause a harsh ride?

 

[hotwheels11]

Are the air lines tied together or separate? You will get more stability if they are not tied together and filled individually.

They are separate. The ride is very good, but still a slight bit of left to right sway, which is because the airbags lift the frame so that the helper springs don't contact the upper rubber stop.

 

[rick james]

I have the same truck as you with airbags and Stable Loads sitting in a box ready to be installed. I also have a Host Everest camper so I need all the help I can get. I will let you know as soon as I install the Stable Loads how the unloaded ride is.

 

[cpobst]

Not to get off topic, but why is this douche putting 3500lbs in the back on a 1/2 ton?

 

[KSC8850]

I have both Stable Loads and Airlift bags (w/wireless controller). The Stable loads have no effect when I am running empty (I keep min the 5lb in the bags as directed by Airlift). When I load my camper, the rear settles down and the SLs kick in the upper spring sooner than the stock bumpers do...that means less droop.

I primarily use the bags to level the camper side to side but have found that approximately 30 in one side and 40 in the other really does make going down the road feel much more comfortable (btw, I've found that those numbers are good on the highway but I usually change the pressure depending on the type of roads).

 

[FF1063]

Not to get off topic, but why is this douche putting 3500lbs in the back on a 1/2 ton?

You are off topic, this is a 3500 series thread.

 

[hotwheels11]

I have both Stable Loads and Airlift bags (w/wireless controller). The Stable loads have no effect when I am running empty (I keep min the 5lb in the bags as directed by Airlift). When I load my camper, the rear settles down and the SLs kick in the upper spring sooner than the stock bumpers do...that means less droop.

I primarily use the bags to level the camper side to side but have found that approximately 30 in one side and 40 in the other really does make going down the road feel much more comfortable (btw, I've found that those numbers are good on the highway but I usually change the pressure depending on the type of roads).

Thanks KSC8850. That's exactly what I was trying to find out.

 

[cpobst]

You are off topic, this is a 3500 series thread.

I am talking about the truck in the video. I tend to question the legitimacy of a product when they make claims like this. They are doubling the payload that the truck is rated for and then claiming their product makes it safer. I am not saying they do or dont work, but they should at least make a legitimate video.

 

[rick james]

I installed the Stable loads yesterday and the ride (empty) was the same without them. I have about 1 1/2" befoe the overload contacts the Stable Load.

 

[hotwheels11]

I installed the Stable loads yesterday and the ride (empty) was the same without them. I have about 1 1/2" befoe the overload contacts the Stable Load.

Thanks Rick. I'm going to go ahead and get the stable loads installed. I had the truck and camper out this weekend. It handled great, but swayed ever so slightly and bounced a little over bumps. So the stable loads should eliminate that completely.