If towing - leveling kit okay or skip?

[Brewer]

I'm going to be picking up a 2018 1500 crew cab 4x4 big horn next week. I'm definitely going to be replacing the stock tires on it but am also considering a leveling kit / small (if any) lift.

However, I have a travel trailer and I don't want to negatively impact the ride/safety of the rig while towing.

Is a leveling kit okay? Or will that compound the sag in the back (rear vs front height) when connect to a trailer?

Thanks for the info!

 

[Fast69Mopar]

I'm going to be picking up a 2018 1500 crew cab 4x4 big horn next week. I'm definitely going to be replacing the stock tires on it but am also considering a leveling kit / small (if any) lift.

However, I have a travel trailer and I don't want to negatively impact the ride/safety of the rig while towing.

Is a leveling kit okay? Or will that compound the sag in the back (rear vs front height) when connect to a trailer?

Thanks for the info!

It will sit higher in the front with just the travel trailer and the leveling kit will make it worse. Getting too high in the front will cause the front tires to tramline which is the tires following every single groove in the road and the front end will wander in the lane. If you are going to be towing regularly and want to install a leveling kit in the front I suggest a set of air bags in the back to level things up.

 

[jaxx67]

I'm going to be picking up a 2018 1500 crew cab 4x4 big horn next week. I'm definitely going to be replacing the stock tires on it but am also considering a leveling kit / small (if any) lift.

However, I have a travel trailer and I don't want to negatively impact the ride/safety of the rig while towing.

Is a leveling kit okay? Or will that compound the sag in the back (rear vs front height) when connect to a trailer?

Thanks for the info!

I would also suggest a set of air bags in the rear if yours doesn't have the rear air suspension.
I have a 2004.5 2500 and a 2017 2500, have rear bags on both to keep the truck and trailer level.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[yoda]

Not trying to be a jerk, but I really don't understand the obsession with leveling trucks. They look fine the way they are, slightly higher in the back. Its a truck, meant to put some weight in the back, then it sits level.
I think if they came level from the factory people would want to raise the back.
From a guy who works on them everyday, leave it the way it was engineered from the factory.

 

[novelmike]

Not trying to be a jerk, but I really don't understand the obsession with leveling trucks. They look fine the way they are, slightly higher in the back. Its a truck, meant to put some weight in the back, then it sits level.
I think if they came level from the factory people would want to raise the back.
From a guy who works on them everyday, leave it the way it was engineered from the factory.

I HATE the factory rake that comes in most trucks. Some makes and models come close to level, majority do not.

They could sell trucks without the 2.5” of rake and still be able to put a load or tow without sagging in the rear. But that would cost 5x as much for the factory to solve that problem than it would for the owner of the truck.

 

[Rockhound]

I have bils at 1.4 I know that isn't much but i tow a travel trailer. I installed Timber grove airbags and you can just pump them up and the sag is gone. The Timber Grove airbags are heavy duty, easy to install and great customer service.

 

[rwhjr]

Not trying to be a jerk, but I really don't understand the obsession with leveling trucks. They look fine the way they are, slightly higher in the back. Its a truck, meant to put some weight in the back, then it sits level.
I think if they came level from the factory people would want to raise the back.
From a guy who works on them everyday, leave it the way it was engineered from the factory.

I disagree kindly good sir. I think trucks looks great lifted with a lot of the factory rake removed.

But it’s all just personal preference and some guys like 3” of rake. Some guys don’t. Some like trucks factory height, some like lifted and some even like lowered.

Oh and as someone said if you worry about rear sag there’s the great (and inexpensive) option of airbags.

 

[yoda]

I disagree kindly good sir. I think trucks looks great lifted with a lot of the factory rake removed.

But it’s all just personal preference and some guys like 3” of rake. Some guys don’t. Some like trucks factory height, some like lifted and some even like lowered.

Oh and as someone said if you worry about rear sag there’s the great (and inexpensive) option of airbags.

Yes its definitely personal preference. I just don't get it.
We have a young tech at work that is into the cars with hydraulics that bounce the front wheels off the ground as you drive. He is always showing and sending me videos on my phone, I told him that's cool but "why"
Maybe i'm just getting old

 

[rwhjr]

Yes its definitely personal preference. I just don't get it.
We have a young tech at work that is into the cars with hydraulics that bounce the front wheels off the ground as you drive as you drive. He is always showing and sending me videos on my phone, I told him that's cool but "why"
Maybe i'm just getting old

You must be. It’s what makes it fun. Of course we could all drive a factory spec truck but then this forum wouldn’t exist...or at least there’s be nothing to discuss if we didn’t change things up on our trucks.

 

[Fast69Mopar]

Just as some other had posted, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like them all. Lifted, lowered, leveled and stock height. I like them because I can decide to do what I think looks good. I have a couple of trucks that are leveled up as well but they have bags in the rear for when I am towing anything. I also have a lowered truck with a 3/5 drop and it had bags in the rear too in case I tow something. My daily driver rides on stock suspension and factory rake. Just keep doing what you're doing and if it looks good to you then more power to ya!

 

[E-rok]

I do not tow often but last year I toword a travel trailer (no idea on tongue weight), but with a WDH and air bags in the rear at 35psi, being leveled at 2.8" I was still level towing not nose high at all. The air bags really help.

 

[mtnrider]

What is the over all weight and the tongue weight of the trailer? That will dictate whether you will be able to tow safely or not? Whether your headlights will be pointed at the sky or not, etc....


.

 

[ram1500rsm]

You won't be impacting the weight trailering capabilities. It remains the same but lifted (when you add spacers to your factory rear coil springs) or you can increase the spring rate pressure with aftermarket coil springs or air bags or both, which would make the rear sag less with more weight. Only way to decrease it will be to add extra weight via mods (heavier spare, truck cap, tool box, rock sliders, heavy metal bumpers etc,etc)

 

[rmonty89]

Hey guys looking at doing the same thing. My question is would a weight distribution hitch solve the problem?

 

[crash68]

Hey guys looking at doing the same thing. My question is would a weight distribution hitch solve the problem?

You definitely want to use a properly set up WDH. A set of air bags will help firm/level up the rear of the truck.

 

[Flat black]

I would be worried u might get squirrly or hard to control ur steering, especially since u have the light gas engine instead of the diesel but that's just my opinion

 

[BWL]

The level will be fine for towing, but I'd add bags to the rear for towing to keep the rear at the unloaded height when towing so your headlights aren't pointing to the sky or adjust your headlights and rock the cali lean while towing.

 

[olyelr]

Even with a weight distribution hitch, chances are your rear end will sag several inches or more when towing a travel trailer. If the truck is level with no trailer, well, your going to be sagging ass when towing.

If you prefer a level truck when not towing, you are going to need some means of re-leveling for when towing, such as air bags. Otherwise your lights will be pointing to the sky and the truck will just generally handle poorly.

 

[novelmike]

Hey guys looking at doing the same thing. My question is would a weight distribution hitch solve the problem?

It will not solve the problem, but it’ll definitely help.
When I have my WDH on, my truck still sits close to level.

 

[novelmike]

I would be worried u might get squirrly or hard to control ur steering, especially since u have the light gas engine instead of the diesel but that's just my opinion

How much heavier is the eco diesel than a Hemi?