FINALLY got a TRUE, removable towing solution..(see pics)

[GM3SF]

My first post, but thought I would chime in on the thread. Another success story here.

I purchased a Raptor to get me closer to the back country for technical hiking and adventure. Furthermore, I needed a truck for pulling my camp trailer. I didn't do my research before my purchase, as I quickly realized the truck was poor at pulling trailers. The suspension and design was more for off road vs. towing. Stock, I lost > 4" on a 820 lb. tongue weight. In addition, I hit the bumps continually while loaded. In essence, it didn't work.


I then explored the various options. I spent hours researching. I was not happy with anything I found, as I didn't want to loose 1-2" with an airbag kit for example. Then I came across this thread...

I was able to get with Izzy in California to install the kit. You are looking > $3k for install, the nitrogen fill kit and tank. When I put the shocks in at 280 psi I drop about 1" now as compared to 4" without, at 820 lb. tongue weight. At 400 psi, perhaps a 1/4" drop. I take the shocks out most of the time to leave the truck as "stock". I happily put them in when hauling heavy loads.

Best upgrade...well the only upgrade, I've made. Given how much I spent on this truck for all the capabilities, it was worth the extra investment. At least for me.

Congrats on the upgrade. Glad you found this post. Just FYI....I called Fox at one point and asked if the shocks would be damaged at all if I released all the pressure and just left them on when off-roading. They said no, it won’t cause any damage to the shocks. After that I pretty much stopped removing them unless I was going to be something more “involved”



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[Denvertaco07]

Does Dezert Labs exist anymore?

edit: found him at izzyfab.com

The kit is listed on his site.

 

[VegasRaptor18]

Just an update, 45k on my truck now, 20k+ miles at least with Izzy’s install done and I’m still really happy, towed my 8500lb boat many many miles without issue, also never remove the shocks I just air down when I’m done towing.
I also use for heavy bed loads not just towing, I have a Yakima bike rack that mounts on top of my retractable bed cover that holds 5 mountain bikes and with the bed fully loaded with camping gear it’s nice to air up a bit and stabilize the load. We do this quite often, we are a family of 5 and love the outdoors so this has been a great solution for us all around.


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[Slow6]

I understand why, but I would have probably gone this direction if it was possible to install myself. I went with springs and the SVC bump kit using Fox 2.5 bumps.


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[Mikee Martin]

I understand why, but I would have probably gone this direction if it was possible to install myself. I went with springs and the SVC bump kit using Fox 2.5 bumps.


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Best IMO..Ken Block tows a massive boat with SVC..Ikon makes a similar kit as well..

 

[mAtTyG04]

I love this setup. Just purchased a trailer. Loaded it's around 7600 lbs with 800 lbs tongue weight. I have a WDH. Only problem is I live and Canada (along with Covid 19) so me traveling to Cali do have this done is nearly impossible. Is there anything similar out there on the market I can have installed locally or myself? I've looked at bump stops paired with Deaver springs but I just like this route way more.

 

[Remi_]

I have an '18 SCREW and my wife has her heart set on a 8k camper. Looking for a way to (safely) make her happy I came across this thread. The solution looks phenomenal, but me living in Miami makes it a bit difficult to make the trek to SoCal for Izzy's mod. Ive seen other guys mention the RPG Stage 2 kit. If I only intend on towing once a month or once every other month, mostly in flat Florida, would the RPG be a viable option? A WDH is a must for the kind of weight I'm looking at, but I'm also looking for safety and comfort. Thanks in advance for you guys sharing your experience/knowledge.

 

[WOW]

I have an '18 Screw too. I tow a 2005 Desert Fox 17SV Toy Hauler. It has awful tongue weight, especially if the toys are not loaded. The trailer and toys max out around 8,000 lbs. fully loaded. I have a great (35 year old) Reese weight distributing hitch with 1200 lb. arms and the sway kit. I think you can still buy this setup new. Towing with the truck fully stock with the Reese WDH was no problem. When properly set up I towed from Spokane, WA to Las Vegas, then all around Utah, back to Las Vegas, then back to Spokane with no issues. Last year I upgraded my suspension. I added Eibach coils up front, Deaver +4 in the rear and SVC bump stops. I mainly did the upgrade to improve off road capability for future desert runs. But, wow did it improve the overall ride, handling and towing stability on the truck. It virtually eliminated wheel hop, is more stable and less squat in all towing situations. I almost don't notice washboard roads. the limited jumping I have done has not noticeably impacted the bump stops yet and nor has big dips in the road while towing. The extra ground clearance is good too. It was like getting a whole new truck. The only negative was gas mileage. I dropped 1-2 mpg across the board. The mpg loss is probably due to the 2" higher ride height. I still run stock bead lock wheels and stock BFG spec tires. I did add the actual lock rings at the same time. The bottom line; you can tow fine stock with the right hitch set up. Adding the Deaver springs in the back and eliminating the factory lift block probably made the biggest improvement. If you don't want to do the front springs, get Deaver +2 HD in the rear and tow to your hearts content. The SVC bumps are for that big dip in the road or jumps/whoops off road.

 

[kHaN]

Just an update, 45k on my truck now, 20k+ miles at least with Izzy’s install done and I’m still really happy, towed my 8500lb boat many many miles without issue, also never remove the shocks I just air down when I’m done towing.
I also use for heavy bed loads not just towing, I have a Yakima bike rack that mounts on top of my retractable bed cover that holds 5 mountain bikes and with the bed fully loaded with camping gear it’s nice to air up a bit and stabilize the load. We do this quite often, we are a family of 5 and love the outdoors so this has been a great solution for us all around.


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Not sure if you still have the truck, if so then how has it been treating you?

 

[bren5279]

Bump for an excellent solution. I reached out to the fab shop and he said they could sell a kit separately but would be strictly a no-support or warranty kind of deal, just the brackets. Which would be great, but still pretty pricy. However he never ended up getting back to me. I don't think it would be all that terrible to fab up. Currently looking at upping to an F250, but this may be the solution if not.