The camp was absolutely beautiful but the drive back to LA county was a horrorshow. My truck has a 2" body lift, brand new bilstein shocks, stock springs, and brand new Toyo AT3 tires. Before the install, it was driving and handling the very best it had ever driven. After the install, between 60-65MPH the camper was shaking so hard that it was bumping into the cab. It felt squirrely, like it was being buffeted in a strong wind, even though there wasn’t much wind that day.
I had anticipated that the stock suspension would be inadequate. Because I don’t know a whole lot about suspension, I called around looking for beefier leaf springs. I had a conversation with Northwest Offroad. They’re a Southern California staple in Toyotas and have been for many years. The owner really clued me in, and told me his favorite solution for these little trucks - the Ride Rite 1130 kit from Firestone. Unfortunately, that kit hasn’t been made in probably a decade, so I had to make my own. Switch Suspension in Tucson sold me the bags, fittings, and fasteners, and I made a close copy of the 1130 kit in my prototyping shop. Here are some short clips on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CngkwmfhsZx/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoIGcjLpaP4/
Here’s what they looked like before install:
After some testing I can say that these Ride Rite airbags pretty much solved the ride problems. The truck is heavier now so it rides a little different, but it’s no longer cab-slappingly scary.
