Recommended Suspension Enhancement For A 2023 Ford F-350 XLT Tremor Edition Hauling An In-Bed Camper

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Question:

Hi, I have a 2023 f350 XLT crewcab SRW shortbed 4x4 with the Tremor package. I’m planning to purchase a truck camper in the next four months, and I’m interested in getting your recommendations for upgrades to the suspension. I want to plan for the full load to take the truck to just under GVWR. I’ve looked at all the products from Firestone, sumosprings, Hellwig, timbren, etc. I want to both level the truck under load, and reduce sway. And go as simple as possible. And not affect ride quality when uploaded. What combo of products would you recommend? Thanks!

asked by: Cory O

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Expert Reply:

Hey Cory,

Air springs are going to be the best at leveling your F-350 back out once the weight is added but they will most likely affect your unloaded ride quality, even when aired down. That being said, a majority of the unloaded ride quality complaints I've seen have all been on light duty vehicles with less stiff suspensions than your 1-ton Ford so you'd likely not notice the difference nearly as much as others. Air springs would definitely be a top contender for what you're trying to do since you're planning on having a heavy load and wanting an adjustment range for ride quality.

Timbrens are amazing for heavy-duty applications because of their high capacity but can really affect your unloaded ride quality in a negative way so I would only recommend going with them if you're hauling something heavy enough to get close to their capacity (8k and 8,600lbs). Their front springs are great if you're using a snow plow or have a front mounted hitch with some heavy cargo.

To help with stability you can also check the thickness of your front and rear anti-sway bars and swap them out if thicker ones are available. For your F-350 we offer a 1-1/2" thick front bar # RM-1139-180 and 1-5/16" thick rear bar # HE94FR. These help with side to side sway and help strengthen the frame rails so that you won't lean as much to one side when making turns.

Leaf spring enhancement like the RAS # RAS3611-SLHD, SumoSprings # SSA46, or Hellwig # HE89FR are great because they activate as weight is being added and the factory leaf springs compress so they won't affect your unloaded ride quality. The only drawback is these typically have a lower capacity (3k) so they could be a bit under what you really need depending on the load. When there isn't a load these would disengage, giving you a normal unloaded ride quality.

Since you're planning on hauling quite a bit of weight and want to be able to level the truck I recommend going with the Air Lift LoadLifter 5000 Air Helper Springs # AL79DQ. I would check out your anti-sway bars and install front SumoSprings # SSF-111-40 to help with side-to-side sway and cornering. These have a 1,000lb capacity so they're light enough that they shouldn't negatively affect your unloaded ride quality but you'll notice and immediate difference while turning and on bumpy roads. Even with the air springs your suspension is going to compress and decompress and that can travel forward and put the pressure on your front coils/shocks so having these installed will help fight that compression up front so it doesn't feel like you're bouncing up and down over every bump in the road.

If you have any other questions just let me know and I'd be happy to help.

expert reply by: Kevin C

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Answer 1

Great question, Kevin. The Onboard Scale system on your 2024 Ford F-350 Super Duty works by essentially measuring how low the bed is sitting and it gives an estimated weight based off of that. If you added a suspension enhancement then that would…

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Answer 2

It sounds like the purpose of getting the air helper spring would be to counteract the 1 inch compression you're getting in your rear suspension caused by the pin weight of your 5th wheel. If that's the case, I believe that the AirLift 5000…

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Answer 3

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

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Answer 4

I recommend going with the Air Lift LoadLifter 7500 XL Ultimate Air Helper Springs #AL89DQ for hauling around an in-bed camper with your 2024 Ford F-350 Super Duty. I really like this kit because it has the higher 7,500 lb rating (which you don't…

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Answer 5

To add a set of air bags to your 2024 Ford F-250 4WD, I recommend the Firestone Ride-Rite Red Label Extreme Duty Air Helper Springs item #F95FV. I really like the Firestone airbags because they use a crimp rolled design which is much more durable…

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Answer 6

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 7

Hello Bart, thanks for reaching out. I can definitely point you in the right direction, but I will need a bit more information on your truck before I can recommend the correct tie downs. Can you please answer the following questions for me? 1. What…

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Answer 8

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

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Answer 9

Lance does have a proprietary plug, but many customers see a standard 6-way or 7-way round and notice it doesn't fit their factory 7-way as well. I've attached an article to help if you have one of the 7-way or 6-way round connectors which we…

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Answer 10

There are two Timbren systems for your 2023 Ford F-350, like you said, with the best definitely being the following part number: - Timbren Suspension Enhancement System #TFR350SDJ The reason for that is the #TFR350SDJ is designed for standard pickups…

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Answer 11

Since the pin weight of your camper is 2.1k, I recommend going with the LoadLifter 5000 opposed to the 7500. While technically there is not reason you couldn't use the 7500 kit, it really is not necessary for a camper like yours. Generally the…

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Answer 12

To add a set of air bags to your 2024 Ford F-350 4WD, I recommend the Firestone Ride-Rite Red Label Extreme Duty Air Helper Springs item #F95FV. I really like the Firestone airbags because they use a crimp rolled design which is much more durable…

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Recommended Suspension Enhancement For A 2023 Ford F-350 XLT Tremor Edition Hauling An In-Bed Camper

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