towpro
Compass PA
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first, if it does not have a sway bar at all, or maybe it does have a factory sway bar, I would get a BigWig HD sway bar.
I don't know what the ford spring pack looks like, but I am betting IF it has upper overloads, you have the air bags inflated to high and the upper overload is not hitting the spring perch that stick out from the frame.
also if you have 1 air input, as you sway the air transfers from one side airbag to the other which does not help.
One way to fix this is to (lower air bag pressure) and to replace the rubber bumpers on those spring perches with something wider (like a hockey puck), or torklift upper stableloads.
But the problem with this is it can stiffen up the ride even empty if the new stableloads are hitting the upper helper springs.
on my 2006 3500 ram SRW I was running Energy Suspension rubber blocks to replace the metal blocks for my helpersprings. this stopped the "bang" (both noise and shock vibration you felt in your back) from the suspension every time you hit a bump loaded and the overloads banged into the spring perch. Plus they were rubber with holes so they had some give under load.
I have also tried the Torklift lower stableloads on a 2018 Ram 3500 dually. I loved them. they added around 1" of additional lift (back to level) with the 990 loaded. They come in Stainless, and you can disable them when running empty.
I tried Rancho adjustable 9000 on the rear and rancho 5000's on the front of a brand new 2015 Ram 3500 dually 4x4 (after working on phone with Rancho). this was a mess. I could repeatably hit a bump in a road and the back would start with oscillation up and down (with camper on) and would not stop until you slowed down to around 35. We replaced the 9000's but it still did it. I ended up returning them all under the "try them out" warranty rancho offered and put the brand new Ram shocks back on.
I had a sway problem with a Mercedes motorhome. This is a perfect example of a vehicle that is running at its max weight! First keep in mind a MH is always loaded, you can't take the body off like you can unload a truck camper.
It already had the BigWig Sway bar. I ran timbren blocks both front and rear which helped with the sway some.
Than I put Fox 2.0 shocks on the motorhome that were revalved for this application by agile offroad: WOW what a difference. it solved my problems!
but I can picture how rough the fox shocks might be on a truck if you unloaded the camper and drove around empty.
* This post was
edited 07/08/21 01:49pm by towpro *
2022 Ford F150
Sold: 2016 Arctic Fox 990, 2018 Ram 3500, 2011 Open Range
Sold Forest River Forester 2401R Mercedes Benz. when campsites went from $90 to $190 per night.
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JimK-NY
NY
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jimh425 wrote:I don’t think there is any reason to assume 1000 for personal items. You can carry the same amount of stuff that you backpack … if you want. .....
Most of us with campers want to carry more than we would if backpacking.
Personal items might include:
generator and gas. I guess you could give up electricity and just use a flashlight.
outdoor chairs
compressor
tools
extension cord
clothing
bedding
towels
food....heavy, heavy
cooking gear, plates, utensils
toiletries, cosmetics
hobby gear, cameras, binocs
books, guides, maps
BBQ grill
Paper goods, including TP
RV toilet chemicals
bug spray
cleaning products
That is all I could think of in a couple of minutes. I am sure there is lots more. Food/drinks are one of the heaviest and can easily hit several hundred pounds.
Sure, you could leave it all at home. Or you could really cut back on the weight and leave the camper at home and just backpack.
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specta
utah
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![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
Kenny
1996 Jayco 376FB Eagle Series TT
1997 Jayco 246FB Eagle Series TT
1976 Ford F-250 4wd Mercury Marauder 410 - 4V
Regular cabs. The best looking trucks.
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towpro
Compass PA
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that is an 865. its 500 lbs lighter than the 990.
*Arctic Fox 865: dry weight, 3,236 pounds + 34 gallons fresh, 283.5 pounds + 6 gallon full hot water heater, 50 pounds + 2x 30-pound full propane tanks, 54 pounds + 2 batteries, 130 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 4,253.5 pounds
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jimh406
Western MT
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JimK-NY wrote:That is all I could think of in a couple of minutes. I am sure there is lots more. Food/drinks are one of the heaviest and can easily hit several hundred pounds.
Man, you guys eat a lot for a weekend. Or is that for a few weeks? If so, you could easily replenish your food/drink while on a trip. You don’t need everything up front.
But my point is that you don’t have to bring everything you own just in case. Sacrifices can be made if you have less carrying capacity. No, you don’t have to.
When I had a SRW with the same TC, I cut out what I carried. It wasn’t that big of a sacrifice. Of course, those days are gone with my F450 and same TC.
Btw, if I really wanted to bring everything with me, I wouldn’t be going RVing in a TC.
'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.
NRA Life Member, CCA Life Member
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jimh406
Western MT
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towpro wrote:
that is an 865. its 500 lbs lighter than the 990.
*Arctic Fox 865: dry weight, 3,236 pounds + 34 gallons fresh, 283.5 pounds + 6 gallon full hot water heater, 50 pounds + 2x 30-pound full propane tanks, 54 pounds + 2 batteries, 130 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 4,253.5 pounds
It’s the only TC on a truck. Over half of every Arctic Fox I see in the NW is on a SRW with the exception of the 11 1/2 foot models. Someone is talking them into it. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/wink.gif "wink") … not me.
Btw, I’d argue 500 lbs is insignificant on 4K plus lbs. You could carry less water, one tank instead of two, one battery instead of two, and less stuff in the 990. You don’t mention options, but that’s another way to lose weight. You could also add a few people, or tow something, and go the other way.
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JimK-NY
NY
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jimh425 wrote:
Man, you guys eat a lot for a weekend. Or is that for a few weeks? If so, you could easily replenish your food/drink while on a trip. You don’t need everything up front.
I typically travel for about 4 months. But not much would change with a trip of only a few weeks.
Replenishing on the road can be difficult especially if you are in a National Park many miles from a decent grocery store. Death Valley was the worst but there are plenty of other places where shopping was inconvenient and could mean a round trip that would take the better part of a day.
I usually stock some basic canned goods and dried foods to last for a couple of weeks and then replenish from there.
If you only take some weekend or short trips, I suppose you would not need to take much in the way of food, clothing or anything else.
Even so take a look at what you bring and store in the camper. The weight can really add up. I have even dumped a number of items due to the weight. Zero gravity chairs are really nice, but weigh too much. I don't carry a BBQ or fuel for it. I have stopped bringing most of my tools and misc hardware and supplies.
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jimh406
Western MT
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JimK-NY wrote:I don't carry a BBQ or fuel for it.
Fyi, consider a portable Weber Go-Anywhere Propane grill that uses small bottles or do a conversion. It’s worked well for us. They are very light. Do add a hinge for the lid so you won’t have to find somewhere to put the lid. I even use wood chips in mine. Makes a great steak and cools off fast for roadside meals.
I added shelves and store mine in an outside compartment.
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mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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JimK-NY wrote:Food/drinks are one of the heaviest and can easily hit several hundred pounds.
"Several hundred pounds?" There is no need to exaggerate.
I've packed food for 50 in my camper on numerous occasions over the years and it didn't come anywhere near "several hundred pounds." It all fit in a couple of coolers and the fridge. I could easily lift each cooler and carry what was in the fridge in my arms. Three trips total. Either I'm the Incredible Hulk, or it was nowhere near "several hundred pounds."
An average kitchen refrigerator doesn't hold "several hundred pounds" of food and drink. You're talking on the order of a 15 cubic foot chest freezer packed full of meat to have that kind of weight.
Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.
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towpro
Compass PA
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I bet most tool boxes come close to 50 lbs alone and everyone carries tools.
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