Adding Four Wheel camper -- some tire and suspension questions...

Just purchased a 2014 TRD Off Road V6 6-spd manual Access Cab with 6' bed (21K miles!). Plans are to add a Four Wheel Fleet camper (approx 1200-1400 pounds) this Summer for occasional four season use.

I've previously owned a gen 1 Tacoma, but have little experience with suspension upgrades/modifications to accommodate the on-and-off weight of a slide in camper. Approx 5-10% of the truck's use will have the camper mounted to the bed.

There will be a good amount of gravel and forest service road use, but NOT significant off-road use. I also live in Tahoe and drive in snow quite frequently during the Winter. I've always run dedicated snow tires on my subarus during the Winter, and have some concern NOT doing the same with my new Tacoma. I also plan on adding an Avid Off Road front bumper guard with no added lights, winch, etc.

https://avidoffroad.com/cart/index....12-2014-toyota-tacoma-front-bumper-guard.html

This is where you come in. I have a few general newbie questions. I'm not the most mechanically-inclined Tacoma owner, but have a really good auto mechanic at my disposal.

TIRES:

This vehicle is immediately in need of new tires. Stock tire size is 265/70-16. I want to put on Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT 265/75-16 C-load range. Four Wheel recommends E-load range tires for use with their campers. I've read many threads about these tires and their superior handling, traction and durability.

1. Any issue with running this tire size BEFORE upgrading the suspension and adding the camper?

2. Any issue with running C-load range AT3 LT's, instead of E, on this truck with the occasional (5-10%) camper use?

SUSPENSION:

I plan on adding airbags to accommodate the additional weight of the camper. Four Wheel recommends this. I also plan on upgrading the suspension to improve the ride quality with camper and, as a side note, in case of airbag failure. Lift is not my primary goal, although I think an inch or two of lift would better accommodate the taller 265/75-16 tires. My primary goal is to have a stable and durable ride/platform with and without the camper, ideally for the next five years of use. I add 200 pounds of sandbags to the empty bed for improved traction during the Winter. Also, I probably couldn't tell you the difference in function between a spacer kit and AAL and coil spring, so please feel free to school me.

3. Are the airbags and suspension upgrade a redundant modification to accommodate the additional weight of a camper? Would a suspension upgrade alone do the trick?

4. Any recommendation for a medium-duty suspension kit, that is both somewhat cost-effective and durable?

Your insight and comments are appreciated.

 

So.... no one replied to you? I'm dying to know what you ended up doing on your suspension chief. I'm about to do the same here with my TRD 6" bed, and I want to do the right thing, I just don't know enough about this stuff, yet. Clue me in on how it went, would love to know, PS, I got friends in Tahoe....