Greetings everyone ...

Please share your thoughts / views / experiences on this ...
I am new to this forum and I would appreciate your help ... I have a 2004 3500 "Dooly" (850 miles)... I will be putting a 10 foot 3000lb (dry) camper on it and will be towing a fairly large 22ft boat (expect additional 200 to 300lb tongue weight). As well of course I will have the added weight of a "crew cab" full of family and all their belongings packed into the camper or boat.

I talked to a fellow at a "four wheeler" shop who installs both airbag units and the Timbren Hollow Rubber Springs. His view is that the Timbren would be the best choice for me rather than the airbags - reduced sway / simple system which is less likely to fail & somewhat cheaper.

What do you think? Up until today I had never ever heard of the Timbren system. I had airbags on my 2001 2500HD and they seemed to work OK. I only wished I could have made adjustments to them from inside the cab.

Do I even need them on my 3500??

best regards ... rudy
see photos here (http://dieselplace.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=184&PN=1&TPN=20)Edited by: Rudyk

My apologies ... I guess I should have posted this in the 2500 / 3500 forum rather than this one. So I will try to repost this there.

thanks .. rudy

Like you, I have expereince with the regular air springs, but not the other. After having them on 3 different trucks, I have been happy thus far.

I've got the airlifts with the in cab adjustment and compressor.


Hauling the Lance 820 along with the bass boat is no prob.


I don't know jack about the Timbrens though.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Embarrased.gif

I have the timbrens in the front of my truck for plowing and put the rear timbrens in when truck pulling and in the winter as i have 3000lbs of salt in the box. When that pallet of salt gets dropped in my truck it maybe drops 1". Rides great when loaded, no sway, and no bouncing. Empty is another story. It rides rough, and i don't mind a rough riding truck and its too rough for me. Once you put 500 lbs in the back its awesome.


If you're gonna have some extra weight in the back all the time when unloaded they are the cheaper way to go than the air bags. If you don't mind taking them off when you don't need them, its not a big deal, only takes me 10 minutes to put both factory bump stops back on then i'd say timbrens. But if the above 2 things aren't gonna happen i would say air bags. I have no experience with the bags, just going by what i've heard.