We're the proud new owners of an Arctic Fox 811 camper. We've been wanting one of these suckers for about 3 years now so we're quite excited about the whole thing.

As signature indicates, it'll be riding on a 3/4-ton non-dually, long-bed, 4x4. I have E-rated tires on stock wheels and Firestone airbags. Aside from the short drive to get it home, I haven't had any time to drive the truck/camper combo around yet. The air bags were inflated to 40 psi on the way home and it still felt a little squishy.

I know, I know...I just need to experiment with the pressure to find out what I like best. But I'm curious to know what other camper owners on here are running for pressure. The bags are rated up to 100 psi but i seriously doubt i'll want to run that much??

 

40lbs should be more than enough. That is about where I am at when i haul cattle and hay and my 2500 srw doesn't budge. And that is with d rated bf goodrich at's.

 

Do you have the bags tied together vs individual fill? reason is tied together the air can move from one to the other. I use 35-40psi for 5th wheel.

 

With truck no 1 in my signature and my Lance Lite loaded (wet weight approx. 2,500) I run my airbags at 60 psi. I'm sure 40 lbs would be fine also.

 

Get some aftermarket shocks and springs designed for your load. Airbags aren't going to enhance your stability and control without new shocks. Put too much pressure in them and they'll be like giant bumpstocks and prevent articulation=hard ride. I'm running a Lorenz system w/Carli Long Travel airbags. Pretty nice.

 

With about 45 lbs in mine I don't get many requests to dim my lights.
The trailer weighs about 11,500 lbs loaded and is a tall two slide fiver,
with the pin about 3 in behind the third member.
Running empty I run about 10 lbs in the bags.
BCD
08 2500 Laramie

 

With my 90W Okanagan fully loaded out for a month hunting, I'll need to run about 75# in the bags, but without the leveling kit I only needed about 50#. Also, if you don't have a rear anti-sway bar installed yet, get one. My Helwig made a huge difference in stabillity. Also, load it up with all your gear, & run it across some scales. Make sure your tires are rated for the weight they are carrying. I even went as far as to call D/C about the rating of the rim, & got a BS answer, so I got some aluminum wheels rated for 3500#.

 

I have an arctic fox 990. I think it weighs in around 3770 empty. I run about 60 lbs in mine. The right side has a little more because of the added weight of the slide out. Rear tires maxed out at 80psi, overdrive button off

 

A lot of very good advice scattered over many posts.

I'm a 2wd so the chassis dynamics are a bit different from yours.

Dry weight on my camper is about 1,000 less than yours. I run no less than 40 psi driverside and 45 psi curbside. In side winds I have run as high as 20 psi higher on the leeward side. That's the reason for individual plumbing. The bag pressure is really determined by how much and where my gear is loaded. If I let my wife pack that means at least another 500 lbs and usually loaded in the tail.

I often tow trailers with the camper. The heaviest trailer needs about 10 psi extra in the bags.

I have Bilstein shocks all the way around. Hate em and really miss the KYB.

Park your empty truck on a level surface. Measure and cut a wood block for a frame to axle gauge. Use that block to level your truck with the camper loaded. Decide if you want it at that height and adjust accordingly.

ALWAYS keep 5-10 psi in the bags. If you run it down to zero, the bag will collapse with suspension travel.

 

I run my D-350 with bags at 60-70 lbs when towing the 5th wheel, basically just bring it back to empty level.

 

Well According to firestone a good rule of thumb is 1 PSI for every 50LBS. that is where I started on my last truck (03 QC SB 2WD 2500)I had it plumbed with individual gauges w/onboard compressor so I could make changes while driving. Never did I feel the need to go over 50 PSI. Our 5Th wheel weights in around 11500LBS loaded. So if you figure the 1 PSI per 50LBS rule we were close at a normal 20% pinbox weight. Hope this helps and always keep 10 PSI in them unloaded. If you go with an Onboard system you can get low pressure switches to put inline so the compressor keeps them inflated to 10 PSI at all times should they leak off or cold weather loss. Play around with the pressures till you feel good driving and remember the number's to go to when rehooking when your ready to go on the road again.


Just looked up the Artic Fox 811 the dry weight is 3090 LBS so I would guess you were a little low on air pressure at 40 PSI, I would try around 65 PSI when your loaded and ready to go.
Nice looking Slide in by the way, Looks like a very nice unit.

ENJOY

 

Congraulations on the purchase of the Artic Fox camper. I have a 990 which I bought in 2002, we spend a lot of time using it in Mexico and we travel yearly to the states to see family in the summer and live in the camper. It’s been a great combination with my dually. It wasn’t such a great combination on the 97 3/4 ton Dodge Ram Diesel I had when I bought the camper. Eventhough I modified the tires and springs with airlift overloads it was a scary ride. I was headed to Mexico from Phoenix the sway was so bad that I kept thinking about the roads in Mexico and how this sway could be real dangerous. I pulled into Campworld in Tucson, when the RV sales guys seen me sway into the parking lot they were on me like flies to crap. It took them exactly 2 minutes to convince me to trade my truck in on a low mileage 99 Dodge dually they had just receive on a trade. It’s been true love ever since.

 

Even in my dually I run about 60 psi in the air bags for my 3800 pound Lance. I air them up until the overloads are just touching the overload spring pads.

 

I run mine at 90 psi.

I also have a 4000 lb load on the rear axle, camper and trailer tongue weight.

It rides nicely in my opinion and the height is 1-2 inches lower than empty, which makes it level.

 

my last dodge was a drw and I had a heavy lance, 3200lbs. I would never even look at pressure, I would pump it until I got level again. ran it for three years never had any problems. I think it was pretty close to max rating though.