Rear suspension support for towing (to eliminate squat)?

[Riding with Gladys]

Looking to eliminate squat when I hook up my 3000lb travel trailer.(listed at 400lbs tongue weight). Looking into air bags but also saw Jounce springs? Timbren makes a rear suspension enhancement system. Supposed to be easy to install with little maintenance and super durable. I get how air bags work but is this just a bigger bump stop that will change the unloaded ride? Only haul the trailer once or twice a month so don't need much. Squat isn't bad but you can see it. Anyone have any experience with either option for this scenario?

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[dcmdon]

The difference between bags and any kind of extended bump stop helper spring, including Timbren or Sumo springs is that the bags help right from the beginning.

The extended stops don't make contact until there is already some squat. That's kind of their reason for being. Normal compliance in the first part of travel. So they will reduce squat with a load, but they won't allow you to truly adjust all the squat out like you can with a bag.

 

[Riding with Gladys]

Thanks for the info. Thinking the air bags are probably the right call but thought I would try to be fully informed. This forum has been a great resource.

 

[Glad_he_ate]

Get yourself a weight distribution hitch! I believe the owners manual states anything over 2000 or 2500 lbs to use one ??
Might sound like over kill for a small trailer but they are worth every penny.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Get yourself a weight distribution hitch! I believe the owners manual states anything over 2000 or 2500 lbs to use one ??
Might sound like over kill for a small trailer but they are worth every penny.

Ya beat me to it - yes on the hitch, and IMO, air bags and not bump stops. All you do with the stops is soften the sudden stop at the end when you bottom out. I know people love 'em but why not get rid of the cause and not try to hide the issue to begin with - suspension bottoming.
Prevent the sag, don't just soften the blow when it does sag.

 

[Glad_he_ate]

Personally I wouldn’t even use bags. Just a properly set up weight distribution hitch. You payed a lot of money for that suspension. No use hindering the operation with bags and or sumo springs or anything like that. Just set the hitch right and tow on!!

 

[dcmdon]

Although I replied earlier, now that I'm looking at the photo my thought is "huh".

The squat is so small that I'm sure the truck drives fine. So the question then becomes, why do you want to bother?

Is it aesthetics? Is this something you tow 5000 miles per year?

Given the very very slight sag, I'd say do nothing in most cases. Or use a weight distributing hitch and leave the truck alone.

 

[Uparms]

Although I replied earlier, now that I'm looking at the photo my thought is "huh".

The squat is so small that I'm sure the truck drives fine. So the question then becomes, why do you want to bother?

Is it aesthetics? Is this something you tow 5000 miles per year?

Given the very very slight sag, I'd say do nothing in most cases. Or use a weight distributing hitch and leave the truck alone.

I don't know much about the weight distribution hitch, but I agree..... it is too minimal of a sag to go invasive/expensive. Take the least invasive most affordable option (when safety does not trump both affordable and least invasive). Great looking set up. Have fun!

 

[Uparms]

Question for all, did the Mojave get the Max Tow springs or even better?? Do you want to pick up a pair of rear Max Tow springs??? Affordable and not hard to install.

 

[Jaxmax]

I checked out that camper , pretty neat, real low profile it's even with top of truck, looks like a quality build ,by products used on it, Dry weight is about 2900 lbs. the Gross Vehicle Weight rating GVWR is 4200 lbs. with having a capacity of cargo at about 1200 lbs, stated hitch weight depending on load. is 435lbs. so with all you stuff and a tank of water you might be towing 4200 lbs. maybe and hitch weight will be getting up to 500 lbs. I agree with all these very good looking and knowledgeable members, get a good quality Weight distributing hitch and skip the bags unless needed., My WDH is a Blue Ox Sway pro with 500 lb. bars, according to Blue Ox it's perfect, Found on Facebook cheap, lot of like new hitches on Facebook
I also have a Mojave and my camper I'm picking up shortly, 2016 Vista Crusier 19ERD is dry weight of 2875 lbs. and hitch weight of 380 lbs. so we are very similar. I have a RSI cap which weights about 200 lbs on mine and noticed the soft Mojave rear suspension sagged a bit and felt soft, so I went the Max Tow spring route with short spacers to make up the difference in spring height as the Max tows were a bit shorter. ride is a bit firmer but still real nice ride, I don't think it would be as nice without the 200 lb cap. Again cool choice on a somewhat off road trailer.........Jack

 

[dcmdon]

I don't know much about the weight distribution hitch, but I agree..... it is too minimal of a sag to go invasive/expensive. Take the least invasive most affordable option (when safety does not trump both affordable and least invasive). Great looking set up. Have fun!

And there is the quandary.

The most affordable option is bags. You can get set up for under $150. A full setup for a leveling hitch will be several hundred dollars.

Question for all, did the Mojave get the Max Tow springs or even better?? Do you want to pick up a pair of rear Max Tow springs??? Affordable and not hard to install.

I'm not sure what you mean by "better".

Stiffer??

I'd suspect the springs are less stiff than the max tow.

The thing about the Mojave is that as somene who is a bit of a suspension geek, the Mojave feels the most sorted out. The back end doesn't step out on expansion joints if you are going around a curve.
Ride motions are well controlled and compliance is good.

It just so happens that suspension optimized for "desert racing" or whatever that means, creates a well sorted suspension that rides well and has excellent body control.

The Willys I test drove had a worse ride, like it was oversprung, and the Rubicon I test drove felt floaty. Like it was underdamped.

 

[Jaxmax]

Uparms, Mojave rear springs are taller then Max Tow and much softer, I swapped my Mojave. to Max Tow Springs with Mojave shocks and a short Icon spacer and love it there is more firmness there but ride is not really different feeling still great., but I have a 200 lb. cap on my bed, I think it might not be as nice a ride with no weight. Other Mojave owners (White Rabbit) have done the Max Tow swap and guided me along.......Jack

 

[Uparms]

And there is the quandary.

The most affordable option is bags. You can get set up for under $150. A full setup for a leveling hitch will be several hundred dollars.



I'm not sure what you mean by "better".

Stiffer??

I'd suspect the springs are less stiff than the max tow.

The thing about the Mojave is that as somene who is a bit of a suspension geek, the Mojave feels the most sorted out. The back end doesn't step out on expansion joints if you are going around a curve.
Ride motions are well controlled and compliance is good.

It just so happens that suspension optimized for "desert racing" or whatever that means, creates a well sorted suspension that rides well and has excellent body control.

The Willys I test drove had a worse ride, like it was oversprung, and the Rubicon I test drove felt floaty. Like it was underdamped.

Great education and I like hearing this feedback. I am still fighting with e ride on my max tow. Now I need to look at seeing what I might be able to swap over from a Mojave.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Although I replied earlier, now that I'm looking at the photo my thought is "huh".

The squat is so small that I'm sure the truck drives fine. So the question then becomes, why do you want to bother?

Is it aesthetics? Is this something you tow 5000 miles per year?

Given the very very slight sag, I'd say do nothing in most cases. Or use a weight distributing hitch and leave the truck alone.

The reason in my case is to prevent getting flashed by blinding after-market blue high beams when I tow. The LEDs are 100% correctly aimed. I checked using the process and then even had the dealer check and they are fine, but with a 500 pound tongue weight, coming back on a 3 hour drive after dark last fall I got flashed by roughly 1/3 of the vehicles coming from the other direction. when not towing I might get that 1 time every 3 or 4 months.
I wasn't even thinking about air bags and prefer to avoid any such things but it's crazy with these trucks the slightest drop in the back and you get people thinking you are purposely running high beams.
And that's with only 500 pound tongue weight.

As many here may know - I run max tow springs under the rear of my truck and I actually measured the tongue weight.

 

[dcmdon]

That would definitely incent me to do something if I were you. And if I recall, you tow cars to shows pretty regularly.

Do you have LEDs or halogens?

Which goes back to my original question. How often does he tow this rig, how far, and now that you've mentioned it, is it typically in the daytime or at night.

I have friends who rent a space on Hamonasset beach for the summer in CT. Every June they haul their 30 foot trailer 25 miles from their home. And every September they haul it back. Its hardly worth the hassle in that case.

Contrast that with someone like my dad who hauls a race car 10 weekends per year, often for 300 miles and often at night.

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