Hauling a 3000 lbs truck camper on my new 2022 3500 ho aisin srw

[lpennock]

My 18drw with factory air needed the Roadmaster to get to the same sway control my 06 srw 3500 had with stable loads on the upper overloads. I wasn't impressed with the 18 for carrying a cab over until I added the Roadmaster.

 

[AH64ID]

My 18drw with factory air needed the Roadmaster to get to the same sway control my 06 srw 3500 had with stable loads on the upper overloads. I wasn't impressed with the 18 for carrying a cab over until I added the Roadmaster.

Curious. Did you notice a difference between ALT and NORM?

On my 18 I carried a couple of ATV’s above the bed rails a few times and noticed a big difference between the suspension modes. In ALT is was more stable than my 05 with the small hellwig anti-sway bar, some of which I’m sure is due to the frame improvements and some to the suspension.

While a higher than average CG, it’s nowhere near as high as a big slide in.

 

[Ozymandias]

The point is he does not want to compromise his empty ride, and that he will if he starts to add some goodies.
The AK roads are really really bad, I experienced it this summer. Frost heaves, Potholes, Cracks, you name it, they have it all. More then once I went Airborne at just 60mph - dooh.
A strong sway bar would kick your rear axle around all the time.
I drove around with a factory 1500 with full air ride and even that was somewhat rough compared to a passenger car. The '18 stock 2500 was bone breaking - tires were deflated as good as possible and that was just driving around in the Fairbanks area.

 

[lpennock]

The big difference was the stable loads on the 06 upper overloads. Prior to them the 06 and the 18 were pretty similar for sway. The stable loads moved the sway resistance out board of the frame and made a huge difference. The Roadmaster on the 18 did similar sway reduction. The problem with bags are they are inboard of the frame and will never control sway like a bar or the older upper overload stable loads which moves the forces further outboard.

I really didn't see much sway difference between alt and normal but I must admit I prefer the ride of normal so mostly use normal height.

 

[lpennock]

The point is he does not want to compromise his empty ride, and that he will if he starts to add some goodies.
The AK roads are really really bad, I experienced it this summer. Frost heaves, Potholes, Cracks, you name it, they have it all. More then once I went Airborne at just 60mph - dooh.
A strong sway bar would kick your rear axle around all the time.
I drove around with a factory 1500 with full air ride and even that was somewhat rough compared to a passenger car. The '18 stock 2500 was bone breaking - tires were deflated as good as possible and that was just driving around in the Fairbanks area.

Sway bar will not affect ride when the pavement disturbance is perpendicular to direction of travel. So there is no difference on speed bumps and such. For pot holes and other things that cause a different wheel height they will amplify the difference as they will attempt to minimize the difference in wheel height.

 

[AH64ID]

I drive a lot of nasty, nasty, roads. Lots of off camber and potholes. The airbags and anti-sway bar only improved the ride on the 05, empty or loaded. Articulation may have been effected but it’s a long wheelbase 3500, so I don’t expect much.

Pot holes didn’t have the wheel height difference, or duration, to cause a negative impact.

That was my experience with ~100K miles of use, empty to RAW’s of over 8K.

 

[NIsaacs]

If you have factory bags why were you looking at the lower stable loads?

With the auto-level I doubt your ride changes much with 300lbs, plus that’s hardly enough to have a noticeable difference on traction. For a decent improvement in traction you need enough weight to get to a 50:50 weight ratio, but then you also have to stop that weight.

300 lbs will make a difference, especially carried aft of the rear axle. For my first 20 years of driving, I never had a 4x4. Once I started logging, I didn't add any extra weight because I always had a bed full anyway. In all fairness, my 4x2's were in the 5-6k lbs range, so 300 lbs was the difference between chains and not.

With a 4x4, extra weight can be a con not a pro. Like you said, you have to stop that weight. I don't save my 4x4 like some people, I use it. Just like head lights, I don't save them either.

After reading your post again, I think your comment was geared for 4x4 use and not driving around in 4x2. If you have a 4x4 and drive in 4x2 with added weight it can help. but why?

 

[AH64ID]

300 lbs will make a difference, especially carried aft of the rear axle. For my first 20 years of driving, I never had a 4x4. Once I started logging, I didn't add any extra weight because I always had a bed full anyway. In all fairness, my 4x2's were in the 5-6k lbs range, so 300 lbs was the difference between chains and not.

With a 4x4, extra weight can be a con not a pro. Like you said, you have to stop that weight. I don't save my 4x4 like some people, I use it. Just like head lights, I don't save them either.

After reading your post again, I think your comment was geared for 4x4 use and not driving around in 4x2. If you have a 4x4 and drive in 4x2 with added weight it can help. but why?

In or out of 4wd, but yes the biggest difference is in 2wd. I use 4wd when needed, but will often drive in 2wd on snow/ice if the conditions don’t require 4wd.

I haven’t ever noticed much of a difference on these long wheel base high torque trucks until there is 1K plus of additional RAW, which might only take 700lbs aft of the axle (would have to do the math). On my light, short wheel base TJ 200lbs aft of the axle makes a huge difference.

I really would like to see an AWD/Full Time 4wd transfer case put in these pickups. It would be awesome for towing on dirt, rain, winter, etc.

 

[Turbo Terry]

So I’m a bit confused how auto level works . Must have a pro portioning arm or valve that senses the weight and pumps up the air bags. And let’s air off when empty. The first time I ever loaded the camper last late fall and hauled it home from my builder after some work I unloaded it in the driveway I could hear the pump running or at least a noise when the weigh came off. This time after being on the truck for four months I didn’t hear anything loading it or unloading it last week .And the trailer load switch on the dash makes no sense to me at all . I supposedly makes the rear of the truck go up or down about a 1.5 for trailer loading. I don’t see this happening on mine when I hit the switch

 

[Turbo Terry]

In Anchorage your in and out of four wheel drive a lot . Sometimes the main roads are dry and clear. Side roads icey and snow packed etc. John’s right a automatic four wheel drive might be nice in these trucks. My wife’s Lexus just takes control of all that for her. Traffic lights become very icey from the moisture drip out of exhaust and the heat of the cars etc. you need to be in 4w high to take off then the road could be dry. Over and over.

 

[AH64ID]

So I’m a bit confused how auto level works . Must have a pro portioning arm or valve that senses the weight and pumps up the air bags. And let’s air off when empty. The first time I ever loaded the camper last late fall and hauled it home from my builder after some work I unloaded it in the driveway I could hear the pump running or at least a noise when the weigh came off. This time after being on the truck for four months I didn’t hear anything loading it or unloading it last week .And the trailer load switch on the dash makes no sense to me at all . I supposedly makes the rear of the truck go up or down about a 1.5 for trailer loading. I don’t see this happening on mine when I hit the switch

Directly above the axle you see a ride height sensing arm on each side. The truck uses these for setting the proper pressure in the airbags.



In normal ride height you just ride on the two upper, thinner, leaves. This provides a great ride and the truck will add the appropriate air for this height.

When you had adequate payload alternate ride height becomes available. Ram claims ~500lbs but my ‘18 and ‘22 both need closer to 750lbs to enter alternate.

If you have sufficient payload and are parked on level ground press ALT TRAILER HEIGHT and weight. The dash should tell you “lowering” and once complete it should also intcate alternate trailer height. In this mode the suspension drops about 1”, or 1.5” at the trailer hitch” and engages the lower overloads. The lower overloads are massive and really provide great support for weight.

In norm



In ALT




I highly suggest trying ALT out with the camper before buying an anti-away bar.

 

[Turbo Terry]

I think I agree with that. It’s still is very drivable. The sway is just slow speed .So it’s very tolerable. I put my floor mount tool box in the winter and tail gate on. A few more winter items in the tool box all adds some weight .it rides pretty good now . You must remember the good old days when a one ton with nothing in it was almost un driveable especially on our rough roads.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Airing down the tires helps a lot also. 50 front 40 rear. Improves traction also.

 

[Ozymandias]

I drive a lot of nasty, nasty, roads. The airbags and anti-sway bar only improved the ride on the 05, empty or loaded. Articulation may have been effected but it’s a long wheelbase 3500, so I don’t expect much.

Aren't we talking about a '22 with factory air ride?
Maybe I lost track somewhere..
And I do not believe that a '22 with factory air ride will ride better aka. more comfortable if someone straps a heavy sway bar under it.
Again, he says he does not want to compromise the empty ride.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Yes it’s been a good discussion for me . Probably saved me from making a bad decision and also saved me money . Thanks to all.

 

[AH64ID]

I think I agree with that. It’s still is very drivable. The sway is just slow speed .So it’s very tolerable. I put my floor mount tool box in the winter and tail gate on. A few more winter items in the tool box all adds some weight .it rides pretty good now . You must remember the good old days when a one ton with nothing in it was almost un driveable especially on our rough roads.

ALT should help out considerably with low speed sway.

Airing down the tires helps a lot also. 50 front 40 rear. Improves traction also.

You can likely go lower. With my CC I run 45/35 most of the winter.

Aren't we talking about a '22 with factory air ride?
Maybe I lost track somewhere..
And I do not believe that a '22 with factory air ride will ride better aka. more comfortable if someone straps a heavy sway bar under it.
Again, he says he does not want to compromise the empty ride.

Talking in general, you referenced your 04 and I referenced the 05. Empty ride improved with the mods, so be reason it couldn’t be similar on the ‘22. It’s just expensive and not needed for me, and maybe Terry too since he hasn’t been using ALT ride height.

 

[lpennock]

Aren't we talking about a '22 with factory air ride?
Maybe I lost track somewhere..
And I do not believe that a '22 with factory air ride will ride better aka. more comfortable if someone straps a heavy sway bar under it.
Again, he says he does not want to compromise the empty ride.

When I added the Roadmaster to my 2018 w/factory air I didn't notice any difference in ride comfort when empty. I did notice a bit less body roll in turns such as winding mountain roads that I was probably going faster than I should anyway. When I loaded the TC I noticed a big difference in sway on winding mountain roads. I felt less sway at 5mph faster than I felt comfortable at without the swaybar.

 

[Ozymandias]

Talking in general, you referenced your 04 and I referenced the 05. Empty ride improved with the mods, so be reason it couldn’t be similar on the ‘22. It’s just expensive and not needed for me, and maybe Terry too since he hasn’t been using ALT ride height.

I mentioned mine as an example of a constant load, for this it was built and drives like a car. But take the Camper off and it would be barely drivable.

The point of that was that for a vehicle with a load pattern from empty to fully loaded it is hard to find the sweet spot and I believe that the engineers at RAM very likely did their best to accommodate that with the top notch rear air suspension.

But like you say, don't using ALT with a heavy load.... maybe using that feature would help, it's there for a reason.

 

[Ozymandias]

When I added the Roadmaster to my 2018 w/factory air I didn't notice any difference in ride comfort when empty. I did notice a bit less body roll in turns such as winding mountain roads that I was probably going faster than I should anyway. When I loaded the TC I noticed a big difference in sway on winding mountain roads. I felt less sway at 5mph faster than I felt comfortable at without the swaybar.

I totally get the point, it's just not for everyone, a sway bar always compromises comfort in potholes and other obstacles that hit only one wheel. But of course great in controlling sway with a high CG like a camper or a dump truck.

Give and take I call that. I did very heavy modification to my cars in the past and learned a lot through this. More then often it was a total waste of money and time... For example Heim joints are one of them, great for race cars, nonsense in a daily driver, same with PU bushings... and so on.

 

[Turbo Terry]

In alaska we have a 5 car behind you pull over let them pass rule on some roads. They are now starting have some nice pull outs on the busy curvy roads. I hate folks crowding on me from behind. Nobody wants to see the back of my camper very long and try some very risky passing sometimes. Scary at best. I’m a pull over kind of guy. I would rather have you in front of me so I can see what your doing then behind me. No controlling what’s behind me but in the front of me I have options. So just be patient I will let you pass as soon as I can safely get out of the way