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Optimistic Paranoid

Optimistic Paranoid

Adventurist
Looking for some advice.

Planning to buy an Alaskan Truck Camper.

I have a 2012 F250 4x4 I want to put it on. The truck was bought used, and doesn’t have any kind of factory camper package. The rear springs are 2 leaves and an overload spring.

I want to beef the suspension up. I’ve had people tell me I should wait until I get the camper and see how it handles. But with Alaskans, there are no dealers. You have to pick the camper up at the factory in WA. I’m in NY, so that’s going to mean a 3,000 mile trip out, and then 3,000 miles back with the camper on, which would be a miserable trip – possibly even an unsafe one – if the factory suspension is too light for it, as I suspect.

I’m not wild about having some strange shop messing with my truck out west, I prefer to have my regular mechanic, whom I know and trust, do the work.

I don’t plan to pull the camper off, so I neither need nor want air bags. I hear they don’t hold up well to off-highway use anyway.

Deaver springs says my current factory springs are 2700 lbs. They offer replacement springs rated to either 3700 lbs. or 4400 lbs.

Alternatively, I could keep my factory springs and add either Timbrens or a pair of SuperSprings. Or maybe both?

Or maybe a set of junkyard springs off an F350?

Which option would you take, and why?

Let me just add that I have E rated tires, good to 3195 lbs. at 80 psi, so tires and wheels are fine. I’ll have 60,000 or so miles on the truck, so I’m planning to replace the shocks for sure. I’m thinking Bilstein 5100s? Oh, and selling the truck and getting an F350 is not an option.

Thanks
 
I would go to sdtrucksprings.com, buy the 3000 or 4000 lbs springs, ride them out there, put them on out there ( it's only like 8 bolts) ride the camper home. At worst your only out 300 bucks, at best the work great and all you may need are new shocks.
 
Jeff Knoll said:
Weight of camper?
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According to the Alaskan site, the 10' non cabover has a dry weight of 1705 lbs. and 1961 lbs. wet. And, yes, I know those published figures don't account for "options", like, say, an air conditioner. By the time we add in food, clothing, bedding, tools, recovery gear, etc., etc. etc. we may be looking at 3,000 lbs.
 
A couple of thoughts for you to ponder. I recommend you reconsider your, "regular mechanic, whom I know and trust", to do the work. I appreciate the relationship you've developed over time but seldom is any one person that diversely skilled in all aspects of vehicle modification in a variety of terrains. Simmer down now, I wouldn't say that without similar experiences and an offer of a solution that you can take on your journey to the camper vendor.

The rudder you got from friends that advised, "wait until I get the camper and see how it handles", is not bad - a conservative approach - and one that can be remedied on your trip back home from retrieving your camper, "not fully kitted". No sense throwing money at a problem you haven't even quantified yet.

Do some research - I know you enjoy that anyway. I recommend, Alcan Spring, in Grand Junction, Colorado. They have decades of experience equipping vehicles for on and off highway, from normal to heavy duty, including racing applications. I have used Alcan's on my Tacoma's custom suspension which were spec'd for specific parameters and load far above the stock rating and I have not been disappointed in the 8 years they've been in use. Go ahead, do your "due-diligence" and check out their nostalgic "90's era web page". I think you'll find their prices are consistent with other custom spring manufacturers like Deaver.

Here's a case that should resonate with you. In my former role, we've spec'd Alcans as a solution for other leaf spring failures including the much bally-hoo'd Deaver spring (Deaver makes a great product but time has proven to me that it won't tolerate heavy loads for extended periods). One such case was a custom modification, similar to your vehicle, a Ford F250 who put a FWC pop-up camper in the bed (plus Curries axles, Atlas transfer-case, front and rear bumpers, 16K winch, and quite literally a ton of other quality upgrades to build a truly off-road capable domestic truck). He spec'd an ICON/Deaver suspension combo and they failed him, ultimately on the road. I advised him (since he was in Utah using the truck as intended) to swing by Grand Junction and visit Alcan. He did and after checking out his vehicle, working with him on his desired use, load out, and weight, they fabricated leaf springs on-the-spot that precisely met his needs - I bet your regular mechanic just doesn't have the capacity to do that. Since that time he has used the truck vigorously throughout North America. In fact, he works boats with an extended on-off schedule and leaves his truck in GJ; flies in after a job (in all seasons), grabs the truck and travels throughout the west; returns to the next job, and rinse and repeat. Actually, @Dave and @Trump met him at Expo West in 2015 and have seen the maroon Ford with the memorably beast-like diesel. Like me, he's been a happy camper ever since.

I submit this course of action (COA) for you to consider:

Pick-up your Alaskan in Winlock, WA. Check out the "world's largest egg" just down the road from their shop and provide us a detailed report with images. Drive your truck with the stock suspension to detect its weaknesses, with the truck and dry camper configuration. Coordinate in advance with Alcan to schedule a time (since you're on the road) and have them review your truck and recommend a solution, to include shocks (I'm not a Bilstein fan), have them install them and take it for a test drive. Maybe incorporate some real-time off-highway test drives in that area, rich with well-marked off highway locations suitable for your truck-camper combo while you're out there to confirm your modification is satisfactory. I can even recommend some I4WDTA certified trainers who are also licensed guides for that region, if you so desire, to avoid getting into a location that might exceed your truck's abilities and maximize your enjoyment. Swing back by Alcan and have them do an inspection, check torques, then enjoy.

I promise you this isn't the first time this COA has been done and you won't regret it. Good luck with whatever strategy you select!
 
If the camper is going to be on the truck full time, a custom spring set up is absolutely the way to go. I'm an Alcan spring fan as well, ran them on my rock crawler YJ, even though National Spring was literally right down the street from me.

If the camper is not going to be on the truck full time, the truck is going to ride like crap with the heavier rated springs on it. In this case I wouldn't rule out air bags. I've got bags on my truck and they haven't given me any issues off highway. Admittedly, with 1000 pounds of camper and another few hundred pounmds of gear on board, my off highway travels aren't that extreme.

If you think you're going to get in some tough terrain you can either put limit straps on the rear suspension to keep from stretching/damaging the bags, or Daystar makes cradles for them.

http://daystarweb.com/productdetail.php?productID=1232
 
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TangoBlue said:
I submit this course of action (COA) for you to consider:

Pick-up your Alaskan in Winlock, WA. Check out the "world's largest egg" just down the road from their shop and provide us a detailed report with images. Drive your truck with the stock suspension to detect its weaknesses, with the truck and dry camper configuration. Coordinate in advance with Alcan to schedule a time (since you're on the road) and have them review your truck and recommend a solution, to include shocks (I'm not a Bilstein fan), have them install them and take it for a test drive. Maybe incorporate some real-time off-highway test drives in that area, rich with well-marked off highway locations suitable for your truck-camper combo while you're out there to confirm your modification is satisfactory. I can even recommend some I4WDTA certified trainers who are also licensed guides for that region, if you so desire, to avoid getting into a location that might exceed your truck's abilities and maximize your enjoyment. Swing back by Alcan and have them do an inspection, check torques, then enjoy.

I promise you this isn't the first time this COA has been done and you won't regret it. Good luck with whatever strategy you select!
Click to expand...

THIS!
 
First of all, thank you very much for the reference to Alcan Springs. I had not heard of them before. I've spent some time on their web site now, and they look like a class operation. I particularly like that they will do military wraps, that was one of the features I was looking for if I went for custom springs.

I was planning to run I-90 out straight across the country, both coming and going. When I looked at a map and saw how far south of that Grand Junction was, my first thought was that it was going to be way out of my way. But, I used Google to check the distances. From my home to Winlock WA is 2975 miles. From Winlock to Grand Junction is 1113 miles. And from Grand Junction to my home is 2055 miles. So those two numbers add up to only 193 miles more than going directly home from Winlock, certainly no big deal. I'm just still thinking about whether I want to drive 1113 miles with the camper on the stock suspension. I look at the current 2 leaf + 1 overload and I seriously suspect that the ass is going to be dragging with the camper on, possibly enough to attract unwanted attention from the highway patrol. I'm now wondering if there are any temporary, relatively inexpensive ways to beef it up for the trip to CO.

I'm still at least a year away from saving enough money for the Alaskan, (I've got 2/3 of what I need in the bank right now) so I'll continue to ponder it.

Meanwhile, I would still like to hear what the rest of you think.
 
And here's a follow up question: Rear anti-sway bar?

My truck doesn't have one. Extensive reading suggests that most truck camper owners consider them necessary. Also that they negatively impact articulation, and thus traction. I certainly don't plan to use this for hard core off road with the camper on it, but I am hoping to spend a fair amount of time in National Forests and BLM land. I'm also thinking that the Alaskan isn't tall like most truck campers, and so will exhibit less sway. I have also heard that Timbrens control sway very nicely without affecting articulation.

Thoughts on this? Do you guys with pop-up truck campers run rear anti-sways? Thanks.
 
Air shocks are probably the easiest "fix" for your trip. Sell them when you get home.

I still have a rock crawler/desert racer mentality, I pack heavy with (too many) tools most of the time when I'm on the road. I need to put a rear sway bar on my truck at some point. I'd recommend one...
 
Optimistic Paranoid said:
And here's a follow up question: Rear anti-sway bar?

My truck doesn't have one. Extensive reading suggests that most truck camper owners consider them necessary. Also that they negatively impact articulation, and thus traction. I certainly don't plan to use this for hard core off road with the camper on it, but I am hoping to spend a fair amount of time in National Forests and BLM land. I'm also thinking that the Alaskan isn't tall like most truck campers, and so will exhibit less sway. I have also heard that Timbrens control sway very nicely without affecting articulation.

Thoughts on this? Do you guys with pop-up truck campers run rear anti-sways? Thanks.
Click to expand...

My Ram 2500 had rear anti-sway so I can say yes, I am a fan. I'd hate to drive on the road with 3K worth of camper back there and no rear sway bar :eek:
 
Sway bar would be a must for you - based on what you describe you anticipate driving. You're right about loosing some articulation with a typical sway bar installation, however I can also attest to the benefits of Currie Enterprises Anti-Rock Sway Bar. Designed for off-road applications with no compromise in articulation; it's a stupid simple design using a torsion bar and the physics of a lever and fulcrum to keep things stiff. Give them a call and pick their brains for their experience with your truck and your application. The truck I mentioned earlier had Currie ARSB's on it from our installation. It would be a custom installation for your application but they have a Universal Kit that would easily work for your truck, requiring someone with the skills to install it. Might even be something you discuss over the phone with Alcan once you're closer to pulling the trigger for them to install, or ask their opinion... not their "first rodeo" in that domain.

I had a Currie ARSB on my Tacoma before the engine swap (had to remove it for the 5.3L swap). Man, do I miss it - the tall truck cornered like a sidewinder at speed, remaining firmly planted on all 4 tires. I'd probably be pushing up daisies if I'd kept it on there with the increase in HP.
 
A lot of good comments so far.
I have a F-350 srw diesel for my Hallmark camper so these comments are based on my experience.

1. I don't think you'll have any issues driving to the spring company with your stock set up. I also agree that if the camper is on full time a dedicated set of custom springs are your best bet. I have 5000# AirSprings and they have been great so far but my camper spends most of its time in my garage.
2. My understanding is that Alaskan campers are on the heavy side so I would suggest verifying the dry weight. Then add 1000 pounds to that to determine your actual payload. Keep in mind that payload includes everything in the cab including people.
3. The only difference between a 250 and 350 is the taller spring blocks and the weight rating on the door sticker. It is a DOT issue. Newer 250's don't have the same robust transmission as the 350 but that was not the case with your year.
4. The camper certification from Ford consist of adding a rear sway bar which is an easy fix and imho critical for driving down the road. I installed a Hellwig Big Wig sway bar and am very happy with it. If I ever decide to go down rough trails I think I could easily just disconnect one side in 5 minutes and be good to go.
5. I installed the 5100 Series Bilsteins on my truck and they made a tremendous difference.
Welcome to the big boys club!

PS what are you planning on using to attach the camper to the truck? I have Torklifts and feel they are the best.
 
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