What shocks and load helper spring to get for Taco?

[slooowr6]

Pick up a 06 Tacoma 4wd, long bed yesterday. It drives better than I expected.:D
The plan is to get a fourwheel eagle camper later. I'll need to get the truck ready to hadle the 900+lbs from the camper. It would be nice to get a set of DO or SAW but the damping on them are no adjustable from what I understand. I read in kcowyo's post on his camper he is using Air Lift with Rancho with positive result. Is there other options I should consider before making final decision? The camper will not be on the truck 100% of the time and when it's not on there I hope to keep the truck drives like a stock truck.
Thanks much for any info you can spare!

Alex :sombrero:
________
Yamaha XT660 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Yamaha_XT660)

[TACODOC]

Pick up a 06 Tacoma 4wd, long bed yesterday. It drives better than I expected.:D
The plan is to get a fourwheel eagle camper later. I'll need to get the truck ready to hadle the 900+lbs from the camper. It would be nice to get a set of DO or SAW but the damping on them are no adjustable from what I understand. I read in kcowyo's post on his camper he is using Air Lift with Rancho with positive result. Is there other options I should consider before making final decision? The camper will not be on the truck 100% of the time and when it's not on there I hope to keep the truck drives like a stock truck.
Thanks much for any info you can spare!

Alex :sombrero:

IMO, the stock rear springs are junk. For what you want to do, and carry, I recommend a custom set of Deavers. Let them know what your're going to carry and they can make a purpose built spring pack that will ride good and work great. Stay away from hokey add a leaf setups and other junk.

[slooowr6]

Dave,
If I'm going to keep the camper on the truck full time I'll go with custom but I want to have the option to not carry the camper to do some light camping or offroading. If I get a set of to fit the camper then without the camper it'll be too stiff. To have proper damping and spring rate for both activity is why I'm looking into getting a set of air bag and adjustable shocks.
Any suggestion on these items? I hope to do it right the first time so don't have the spend $ again later. I'm a cheapie...

Alex:smiley_drive:
________
Honda RC160 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Honda_RC160)

[kcowyo]

Congrats on the new truck. I haven't seen too many of the new longbeds so I'll be looking forward to seeing yours. You were a little vague on the color though.....:lurk:

I'm very happy with the adjustable set up I have with the camper and how it has performed on various 4WD trails and long road trips. Keeping things as adjustable as possible (removable camper, adjustable airbags, air shocks, air locker, etc.) is important to me because at different times, I need the truck to be a comfortable daily driver, a backcountry adventure vehicle and a toy hauler.

Two similar products are offered from Air Lift and Firestone. Their prices were similar as well, just match up your application to their product #. I went with Airlift because I liked their monitoring system. You'll need a good air compressor too. An ARB Air Compressor would be a good thing to consider. You can air up your shocks and airbags with it and inflate your tires too.

[oly884]

I too have a FWC. I have the airlift air bags.

Due to issues with it before, and continuing issues with the lower mounting bracket on the air bags, I am going to be deeply considering either purchasing the firestone air bags, or go for a set of deaver springs. Air lift makes a good product, but I feel that the design of their mounting system could be better. The only issue with the firestone air bags is this


NOTE:
Once the air helper springs are installed, it is recommended that the vehicle not be lifted by the frame, as over-extension
may occur, resulting in damage to the air helper springs. However, should it become necessary to raise the vehicle by
the frame, deflate both air helper springs completely.

What concerns me is that this might mean that articulating the axle is a bad thing and will result in the destruction of the air bags. I have to do some more reading, but if/when it comes down to it, I'll probably just get the deavers, and when I don't have the camper on, just put sand bags in back to make it ride better (the weight of the camper ~500-600 lbs doesn't affect gas mileage to a large extent)

[slooowr6]

Congrats on the new truck. I haven't seen too many of the new longbeds so I'll be looking forward to seeing yours. You were a little vague on the color though.....:lurk:

I'm very happy with the adjustable set up I have with the camper and how it has performed on various 4WD trails and long road trips. Keeping things as adjustable as possible (removable camper, adjustable airbags, air shocks, air locker, etc.) is important to me because at different times, I need the truck to be a comfortable daily driver, a backcountry adventure vehicle and a toy hauler.

Two similar products are offered from Air Lift and Firestone. Their prices were similar as well, just match up your application to their product #. I went with Airlift because I liked their monitoring system. You'll need a good air compressor too. An ARB Air Compressor would be a good thing to consider. You can air up your shocks and airbags with it and inflate your tires too.

I got a white one to with the future fourwheel camper. :elkgrin: j/k the truth is there is very limited 06 left and wanting a long bed make it even harder to get one now. So my choice is either red or white.

I recall reading you have Rancho shocks which model do you have? ARB compressor is $$ I plan to get the controler kit from Air Lift and use CO2 for tire inflation.
________
buy vaporgenie (http://vaporizers.net/vapor-genie)

[slooowr6]

I too have a FWC. I have the airlift air bags.

Due to issues with it before, and continuing issues with the lower mounting bracket on the air bags, I am going to be deeply considering either purchasing the firestone air bags, or go for a set of deaver springs. Air lift makes a good product, but I feel that the design of their mounting system could be better. The only issue with the firestone air bags is this



What concerns me is that this might mean that articulating the axle is a bad thing and will result in the destruction of the air bags. I have to do some more reading, but if/when it comes down to it, I'll probably just get the deavers, and when I don't have the camper on, just put sand bags in back to make it ride better (the weight of the camper ~500-600 lbs doesn't affect gas mileage to a large extent)


Good point on the firestone air bag. Getting custom deavers is not an option for me, my wife won't be happy to see sand bags in the back yard and I'm too old to load that much sand on to the truck. :peepwall:
________
SV650 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Suzuki_SV650)

[oly884]

haha, fair enough.

The airlift bags are good, it's just that you have to check the lower mount roughly every week to make sure that it's not "walking off" it's location. It's more than I want/like/have time to do, esp. the time it takes to "adjust" it and get it sitting properly again. This is just my .02, KC seems to have had great luck with the exact same kit, so I don't know why mine are being a PITA.

[kcowyo]

I got a white one to with the future fourwheel camper.....

I recall reading you have Rancho shocks which model do you have? ARB compressor is $$ I plan to get the controler kit from Air Lift and use CO2 for tire inflation.

Well the white ExPo afficianados will be happy to hear about your choice!

I have the Rancho 9000's with the in-cab adjustable controller. It's their older model with the 5 position setting, but their newer ones are a 9 position I believe. I like the in-cab control because who wants to crawl under the truck to manually adjust the shocks everytime the terrain changes? Someone less lazy than me maybe....:rolleyes:

Had I not already had the ARB compressor and a small backup compressor, I would have gone with the Airlift unit too. If you go with the Ranchos you'll need to stub in the airlines to some compressor. I have no idea if you can make that work with the Airlift product, mine run through the ARB . I use the backup compressor for the tires and airing up the airbags.

The ARB compressor is around $250-$300, not too bad. It's their lockers that are big dineros. If you have CO2 already that will take care of the tires and bags but not the shocks unless you get creative somehow....?

[slooowr6]

:mad: :violent-smiley-031:
Just check Rancho's site, looks like they still don't have a shock for 06/05 Taco......... doh......

What happens if I use OE shocks with air bags? I know shocks are VERY important on truck stability. Or is their any other shocks?
________
Ducati 999 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Ducati_999)

[erin]

:coffee:
I think the concerns with the Firestones could be eliminated by installing a set of limit straps. This way you could lift/flex, what have you, to your hearts content with no worries.

[kcowyo]

Considering how many times you'll actually have to raise the vehicle by the frame, I would say the minor inconvenience of having to let the air out of the bags isn't a really big deal. We're talking seconds here. And actually I forgot to do that when it was on the rack recently (raised by the frame) getting new balljoints before my trip to CA, but I had no problems even after that.

Regarding rear axle articulation, I can only offer that after thousands of off-road miles this year in UT, WY, CO, MT, CA, etc. I have yet to experience overextending the airbags. I have noticed after a day or two of hard off-road use, that they lose 10-15 pounds of pressure.

Regarding shocks, Bilsteins would also be an excellent choice and they're sure to have some for the new Tacomas. Your OE shocks, because they're new should be fine for awhile. There's no reason to scrap them just yet. As they fade and you're ready to replace them, especially with a camper, you'll definitely want to upgrade. I wouldn't be surprised to find though, that after a phone call to Rancho with your measurements in hand, they would have an adjustable shock to fit your taco.

You can't believe everything you read on the web, ya' know? ;)

[slooowr6]

You can't believe everything you read on the web, ya' know? ;)
:smileeek: Really?? :sombrero:
I've spent too much $ for now, new truck and future camper, I'm only going to put in what is 100% needed like a set of air bags.
Here is a pic of the truck, it fills my parking space nicely.
________
easy vape vaporizer (http://vaporizers.net/easy-vape)

[kcowyo]

Really?? :sombrero:


So I hear, but I read that on the internet....

That's a sharp truck! I think a FWC will look right at home on the back of it. So does it have the TuRD package? With Bilstein shocks? I'm not exactly up on what options are available on the long vs short beds.

I think you're on the right track with the airbags. They really helped control bounce, jounce, sway and understeer. There's nothing like riding on air. Don't count on that line about being able to deflate a bag to level you on an uneven campspot though. I tried it twice, doesn't really help.

[slooowr6]

Longbed does not have offroad package so no locker on it. I did get the limit slip diff that has to do for now. It has tow package so it got a bigger battery, 130 amp alternator and a trasmission cooler. I choice the truck specificly for the eagle. :wings:
This is what I use the level my vanagon, http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/tf-Browse/s-10101/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2008286/p-2008286/Ns-p_MIN_PRICE|1/N-111+600005683/c-10107
It's like giant LEGO, I can't believe how $$ they are but even at walmart they cost the same so I gave in and bought a set.

Now it's time to figure which Air Lift controller I want to get. I'm leaning towards to SureSet so don't have to run air tubes into the cab.
________
TTR250 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Yamaha_TTR250)

[kcowyo]

The SureSet looks good.

I was going to go with the Load Controller II and the Smart Air system, but I didn't want to buy it all with their compressor. So I just got the bags, which I manually fill. I found out later I could have bought the bags, LC II and Smart Air without the compressor. Wish I'd known, but manually filling them isn't a big deal.

It would be nice to have a system to monitor from the cab but I should probably be watching the road instead of gauges anyway. :smiley_drive:

[oly884]

Considering how many times you'll actually have to raise the vehicle by the frame, I would say the minor inconvenience of having to let the air out of the bags isn't a really big deal. We're talking seconds here. And actually I forgot to do that when it was on the rack recently (raised by the frame) getting new balljoints before my trip to CA, but I had no problems even after that.

Regarding rear axle articulation, I can only offer that after thousands of off-road miles this year in UT, WY, CO, MT, CA, etc. I have yet to experience overextending the airbags. I have noticed after a day or two of hard off-road use, that they lose 10-15 pounds of pressure.

Regarding shocks, Bilsteins would also be an excellent choice and they're sure to have some for the new Tacomas. Your OE shocks, because they're new should be fine for awhile. There's no reason to scrap them just yet. As they fade and you're ready to replace them, especially with a camper, you'll definitely want to upgrade. I wouldn't be surprised to find though, that after a phone call to Rancho with your measurements in hand, they would have an adjustable shock to fit your taco.

You can't believe everything you read on the web, ya' know? ;)

I was referring to the firestone air bags. The airlift bags are fine, and I've articulated my axle several times with no issues with the air bags. Since the firestone airbags are two piece I don't know what would happen if the rear axle is articulated.

[slooowr6]

oly884, I notice you have a 04, KC has a T100. I've a 06. I guess I'll be the genie pig to find out if the air bag walks on a 06.

Any suggestion on where to get the bags and controller? jcwhitney and summitracing both have it any other place I should check?
________
roor bong (http://roorbongs.org)

[oly884]

I got mine at summit racing with no problems.

[kcowyo]

I bought mine through my local RV Dealer. Figured it was a good idea to make friends with them since I might be in the market for little odds and ends.

I did end up buying a new vent cover and small solar panel through them and when I ordered the airbags, they sold them to me at cost as long as I let them do the labor. Seemed like a good deal to me.

So David, have you had a chance to get the camper out lately? I always enjoy your photos and Montana scenery....:lurk:

[oly884]

So David, have you had a chance to get the camper out lately? I always enjoy your photos and Montana scenery....:lurk:

The camper is going back on the truck tomorrow! I've been so busy with school and work that I have not had a chance to get out and put the camper in storage. Now that my second to last semester of college is almost over ( :wings: :wings: :wings: :wings: :wings: :wings: ) I am now going to get the camper back on for the winter break and get out and about!

How about yourself? Been out and about recently?

[kcowyo]

[hijack on]

Congrats David on being a nearly-grad! I see a lot of your stuff on YT (Mr. PO'd ;)) and I know you're pumped about finishing. Of course, then you're technically a grown up and the real fun starts.....

I just got back 2 days ago from a trip to Death Valley in California with a bunch of ExPo-maniacs (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3264).

As I recall you got the Arctic Pak with yours? That should come in handy. We had two nights of below 20 degree camping and the heater was a real bonus. Both mornings I was able to flip the thermostat on before I crawled out of my bag. I'd let the heater run for about 10 minutes till it was above freezing, then got up, made coffee, etc.

One night when it was particularly cold and the fire pit was small, we jammed about a half dozen people into the camper for warmth. An FYI, that I don't have a solution for yet - my water jugs froze overnight. Not the holding tank, (I don't use it) but a 2.5 gallon jug froze. Kind of tough to make coffee or breakfast with no water. I know you like the cold stuff, so keep that in mind.

Oh, and pull your heater's vent cover off and turn it over, so the hot air blows up instead of straight to the floor. It helps heat up the camper quicker. Don't know why the factory installs them blowing straight down...?

Another FYI that I was happy to discover is how long my battery held up before recharging it. I camped 54 nights before I put it on a trickle charge for the DV trip. I'm frugal with my battery but I was really impressed with how much use I was able to get without recharging. With your solar panels, you should be fine, but know that if the system fails for some reason, the battery will last a lot longer than you might think.

I hope you'll post up with some of your winter camping impressions and pics. Mine comes off next week till the Spring. The snow is here and it's time to break out the winter (Polaris) toys.

[hijack off]

[slooowr6]

:littlefriend: [hijack away]
j/k.
Great info, my wife does NOT like cold, she uses a -5 sleeping bag when we backpacking in Yosemite, I think the over night low is around 25.
Kc, is there a specific reason you don't use the fresh water tank in the camper? My plan for power to charge house battery is to get a Honda 1000w generator the thing is fairly quiet and weights about 25#. It cost about the same as adding solar to the camper. Do you have the power socket installed on your truck to charge the camper battery?

oly884, Congrats on getting close to graduate! Let us know how the artic pack works for you, I'm thinking about getting it.
________
Healthy living (http://www.health-forums.org/)

[kcowyo]

I don't have a good reason for not using it.

The guy I bought the camper from hadn't used it and I figured it might be prone to leaks from dried out parts. That and I travel solo, so 12 gallons of water is overkill for my needs and heavy. I use a 2.5 gallon square water jug that I lay on its side in the sink. It stays securely there while travelling and for a 4 day trip I may use half of it. If I cooked (and showered) more on the trail I would use more water and probably fill the tank.

I have an auxillary battery and the previous owner told me he put a trickle charger on it before going out for a few days. So I picked up a small one and a small solar panel. I have no other means in place to charge the aux battery. I haven't had to use the solar panel yet but it has a 12 volt plug, so if my truck battery dies out in the middle of nowhere, theoretically I should be able to plug in the panel to the cig lighter, throw it on the dash and after 3 or 4 hours maybe, have enough juice to turn the truck over. Theoretically....

I have an outside plug, where I can plug into an outside power source to power my interior sockets but not my battery. I've only used it once because I don't often camp where an outside power source is available. The only appliances I would plug into the interior socket is my laptop and camera battery re-charger. I generally charge them through a 12 volt adaptor while driving. Most nights I don't even use the overhead lights. I usually have a headlamp on in camp and with the big windows on the FWC, visibility even at night is good enough inside.

I like the idea of having a generator, but I don't carry fuel cans at this point, so no means to run it. Additional fuel and how/where to carry it are next on my list of must-haves. Too many close calls with the fuel light on this year out in the boondocks and that's with a 24 gallon tank in the T100. With the camper on, my range has dropped from about 450 miles to around 370.

[oly884]

[hijack on]

Congrats David on being a nearly-grad! I see a lot of your stuff on YT (Mr. PO'd ;)) and I know you're pumped about finishing. Of course, then you're technically a grown up and the real fun starts.....

Yeah, I'm pretty excited about finishing. May 12th '07 I'll be getting my BS in Biological and Chemical Engineering. I've got a job working for a wastewater treatment company here in Montana, so I'll get to stay around this great area.



I just got back 2 days ago from a trip to Death Valley in California with a bunch of ExPo-maniacs (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3264).

Looks like a blast, I'll have to try and meet up on a trip once school ends and I have actual free time in my future.



As I recall you got the Arctic Pak with yours? That should come in handy. We had two nights of below 20 degree camping and the heater was a real bonus. Both mornings I was able to flip the thermostat on before I crawled out of my bag. I'd let the heater run for about 10 minutes till it was above freezing, then got up, made coffee, etc.

Yup, I got that arctic pak and it works really well. When you first see it you don't think much of it, but once it's in use it's amazing. Went camping one night ~2 ft. of snow fell & 5-10 degrees out, the inside of the camper stayed nice and warm.



One night when it was particularly cold and the fire pit was small, we jammed about a half dozen people into the camper for warmth. An FYI, that I don't have a solution for yet - my water jugs froze overnight. Not the holding tank, (I don't use it) but a 2.5 gallon jug froze. Kind of tough to make coffee or breakfast with no water. I know you like the cold stuff, so keep that in mind.

I'm going to be building a water tank for the camper, and insulate it, and it will be inside the camper. Plus, when I sleep, I keep the thermostat at 60 or so degrees so freezing won't be too bad.



Oh, and pull your heater's vent cover off and turn it over, so the hot air blows up instead of straight to the floor. It helps heat up the camper quicker. Don't know why the factory installs them blowing straight down...?

I noticed that too and was planning on fixing it once I got some down time.



Another FYI that I was happy to discover is how long my battery held up before recharging it. I camped 54 nights before I put it on a trickle charge for the DV trip. I'm frugal with my battery but I was really impressed with how much use I was able to get without recharging. With your solar panels, you should be fine, but know that if the system fails for some reason, the battery will last a lot longer than you might think.

Good to know, thanks! The solar panel seems to do a great job at keeping the battery charged, and with the cold temps and sunny days, I get a good flow from the solar panel.



I hope you'll post up with some of your winter camping impressions and pics. Mine comes off next week till the Spring. The snow is here and it's time to break out the winter (Polaris) toys.

[hijack off]

I get a month of for winter break so I think I'll be getting out to snowboard (head up to Big Sky and Bridger Bowl) and I'll just stay over night at the hill. Then I'll probably do some more winter exploring with a buddy of mine.

I will say that, thus far, the camper is great! The only thing that I have to fix are the "covers" for the turn-buckles that are inside the camper, clumsy me broke a couple of the plastic guiders for the wood panels. So I'm thinking of making up something else that's a bit more firm and has a seal around it.