FOUR WHEEL CAMPER (FWC) THREAD!!

The matching gray color is striking.

Monty, Can you please tell me how much the 6' Norweld tray with 4 underbed boxes weigh?

 

I wouldn't think a stabilizer bar would be necessary with the highly capable BP-51s, since they were designed for heavy applications after all. The higher center of gravity of your rig likely creates significantly more body lean than a significantly lower slide-in camper would, so maybe I won't need it. Stabilizer also bars interfere with articulation when off roading, so I want to avoid installing one if I can.

Totally agree that Deaver springs are the only way to go for this type of constant load. From what I've read, Dobinsons are OK for occasional heavy loading, but not for a constant loading.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Sure thing. Not sure though if the flatbed is overall that much higher than the slide in. I have about 6” between the top of the truck and the underneath portion of the camper. I’m guessing the slide in is about the same. Mine has 2” spacers on top of the truck frame and the flatbed in order to have enough rear wheel travel. I think all 4wd tacos have a front anti-sway bar, with this weight you will not want to have the camper on without it. With 7,000 lbs onboard i don’t think serious 4wd tracks are smart to do with these rigs. Deep mud or deep sand? sure. Serious rock crawling? I wouldn’t advise it.

 

Little flashback from quarantineland

 

That's a fairly broad statement. Dobinsons makes 4 different leaf packs off the shelf ready to go, so it depends which packs are chosen, and how much weight is added to the vehicle. Going 1,000 LBS over GVWR really isn't recommended, like some others have got going on.

There are a lot of Tacoma's rolling around with full FWC builds and Dobinsons leaf springs, for the record. Take a look at MLO's instagram - pretty much every Taco on there with a camper is running Dobinsons.

https://www.instagram.com/mainlineoverland/?hl=en

I'd be more worried about your frames and rear axles not holding up under all the added weight for long duration trips, since so many are over the limits of what the truck is rated to.

 

Just because they use them doesn't mean they're good. They use them because they're the highest load rated off the shelf spring for that price range.

I don't think I've seen a set that didn't go flat or bowed within a year. Most of the installs I see with them end up relying heavily on the airbags for support because of that.

 

We have not seen any issues with Dobinsons Leafs when spec'd correctly for the camper weight. What dobinsons spring's are going flat? 110's 111's?

We recommend products based on experience in the field, we have previously used OME, Deaver and Alcan. Based on those experiences if Dobinsons has a spring that will adequately handle the weight, they are the best option, they have proven to be the most reliable and trouble free.

I would love to see photos with flat springs, and spring #'s and camper weights....(data) to back up your claim.

 

I agree with @friendlywithbears. Here's a photo under my truck with brand new Dobinson's, less than 500 miles. It shows the springs being completely flat.


This shows the Dobinson's spring model. This is the heaviest duty made for the Hilux. Its my understanding that its normally not even sold here.


Maybe my truck is heavier than most slide in models. I think Tacos with FWC slide ins where the owner intends to remove the camper regularly then Dobinson's with air bags would work really well, better in fact than my setup. My particular truck with custom leaf springs with the camper on works really well but with the camper off the drive will be excessively stiff.



Since my intention is to leave the camper on, I requested the Dobinson's be replaced with custom Deavers

 

Tacoma's w/ Flatbed FWC's will always need Air-bags with cradles and bracket extensions to to handle the weight. We would never send out a Tacoma flatbed build with just leaf springs alone regardless of brand Alcan/Dever/OME or Dobs, they need added support when loaded.

If someone is having 176R's go flat w/a slide-in that's a different story.

It is also a very fine balance when it comes to a flatbed + additional accessories (LRA tank, etc.) on a Tacoma. This is why you see more full-size trucks in combo with Flatbed FWC's, these allow more people hauling, gear and vehicle accessories to be added while staying within GVWR.

 

Appreciate your thoughts and advice. Wish I had those inputs regarding the springs when putting my camper together. If I was going to stay in North and South America I would have gone with a 3/4 ton with a flatbed. But i do love the Taco’s narrow dimensions

 

Its a give and take for sure! Its nice to get further into the back country with the Mid-size trucks!

 

Don't get me wrong I love my taco and how it is outfitted with the 4 wheel camper flatbed as it offers tons of room.

Just have to realize that it is heavy and should be driven accordingly.

Can't wait to get out this summer!

 

It's about the quality of the part and their ability to hold up over time. There are a ton of people in this site that HAD Dobinsons and then upgraded to Deavers when the Dobinsons failed. Their main appeal is price and off the shelf availability, not long-term reliability, and that's fine. They will work fine for a lot of people, but they're not great for carrying a constant heavy load over time...the evidence on here shows that.

 

So what are you running?
What have you run?

ZERO Dobinsons leaf springs have been warrantied in the 4 years they have been sold in the USA. No Dobinsons springs have failed. Perhaps some people overloaded them and lost any sort of lift they were expecting when adding 2500LBS to the rear end of their vehicle, but that doesn't mean the springs failed, it means the vehicle was too heavy for those springs and/or they were sold the wrong parts and probably didn't get the proper service from the people that sold them the parts.

 

Not relevant. I can read owner reviews and so can you. You can ignore those experiences if you choose, that's entirely up to you. I rely on real world reviews, not hearsay, to select what products I purchase.

 

I have Dobinsons heavy duty rear springs on my Tacoma. I've been running them for around 3 years with a constant payload between 550 and 650 in the bed, and have carried as much as 1425 lbs on several occasions. I have had no problems with them. They have carried the weight well.

 

Personally i think Dobinsons are fine springs for their rated payload. I’m guessing that maybe they’ve been oversold/overpromising by some people.

 

Thanks Jeff for your real world review. Glad to hear it's still working out well for you after all these years!!

 

That's great, but 500 or 600 lbs constant weight is just average and I suspect a lot of the available heavy duty springs can handle that. I'm talking about far heavier loads. For example, the camper I will be installing on my truck weighs nearly 1500 lbs and a lot of people carry even more than that. I'm not trying to shit on anyone's choice. It's all about finding a product that works for YOUR needs. That's all that matters.

 

just my 2 cents
Probably the heaviest here, 110 k miles 3+years later (full time) and they still have an arch. OME modified.