Rear load support method

Why this option

Passive load support - no compressor, no air lines, nothing to maintain or fail on the road. Rated to 6,000 lb, which is well beyond what a 6,500 lb trailer puts on the rear of this truck, and it sits on a rear that was returned to stock-rate OEM leaf springs after the collision rather than upgraded.

Trade-offs

Progressive rather than adjustable - it cannot be dialed down to zero for an unloaded ride the way air can, which remains the real trade against the Air Lift. Note the part number: the kit itself is FR1504E and the spacer is a separate purchase, not the combined FR1504ESPCR this page previously listed. Bought through a third-party Amazon seller rather than a Timbren distributor, which is worth flagging given Timbren told us directly that a distributor would beat buying direct.

Photography

As delivered.

Added after fitting

Added once it's been lived with

What it actually cost

Why this option

Remains the backup. Fully adjustable load levelling front to rear, which matters if the truck ends up towing loads that vary well away from the Airstream's 6,500 lb.

Why it wasn't chosen

The adjustability was real and the reason it stayed in contention to the end. Passed over on complexity: a compressor, air lines and another system to maintain, against a passive kit that does nothing but sit there. Still the right answer for someone whose loads vary widely - this truck tows one trailer.

Trade-offs

Adds a compressor, air lines, and another system to maintain — more complexity than the project's philosophy of preferring durable, simple components.

What it actually cost