There are as many opinions about suspension setups on off-road rigs as there are stars in the night sky…maybe more. The truth is, the right suspension for your rig is the suspension that fits your intended purpose and budget. In this post I’ll discuss the suspension setup we’re using on our Ford F150 with a Four Wheel Campers Raven in the bed, why we settled on this setup and how it’s working out for us. We paid full price for all of the suspension components we’re using so rest assured, this isn’t a sponsored post to promote a product.
First, let me say this: if you’re putting a camper in the back of anything smaller than a 3/4 ton truck, you will need to upgrade your rear suspension. If you intend to use your truck off-road, you will need to upgrade front and rear suspension - unless your version of “off-road” consists of nicely graded forest roads. Suspension upgrades aren’t cheap, and if they are, you’re likely getting an inferior product that I wouldn’t trust to roll over a large curb, much less keep me rolling along smoothly in the backcountry. That isn’t to say that you have to spend thousands of dollars on suspension, which is very easy to do, but don’t cut corners for the sake of saving a couple hundred bucks.
The Toyota Tacoma is a perennial favorite of overlanders but it, and other mid-sized trucks, require compromises in comfort, cabin space and load capacity. The Ford F150 is a great option for those who prefer a larger adventure vehicle platform. When the F150 is properly equipped it is almost as capable as a smaller truck but offers none of the aforementioned compromises. I covered what went into our decision to purchase an F150 in the first post of this series, Part One: Building the Ultimate Adventure and Photography Vehicle - Introduction, so I won’t re-hash that here.
2015 Ford F150 Suspension, Wheels and Tires: The Basics
For those of you who just want to know what we’re running and couldn’t care less about the “why”, this paragraph is for you. Up front are a set of King Suspension 2.5” Remote Reservoir Coilovers w/ Compression Adjusters and Icon Vehicle Dynamics Tubular Upper Control Arms with Delta Joint. Out back are Bilstein 5160 Remote Reservoir shocks with an Auto Spring Add-A-Leaf kit and Air Lift Ride Control airbags including the Wireless One Compressor and Remote. This suspension setup lifted the truck approximately two inches front and rear, and with the camper in the bed the truck maintains a level stance from front to rear. For a little extra off-road traction and additional ride height I mounted a set of Nitto Ridge Grappler tires in size 295/70/17 to Method 701 wheels.
A driver negotiates the Burr Trail switchbacks in Capitol Reef National Park in a 2015 Ford F150 equipped with a Four Wheel Campers Raven.
2015 Ford F150 Suspension, Wheels and Tires: The Why
“Why” is highly subjective. I wanted they best suspension I could afford and it came down to two options: King and Icon. There are pro’s and con’s to each one and you couldn’t go wrong with either option. Performance, pricing and availability are nearly identical. I consulted several friends who know much more about suspension than I do, one of whom manages the shop that I trust with my vehicles, and he recommended King. He runs King on his own F150 and had nothing but praise for them. For the record, he could run any suspension on the market and he chose King. I was able to get a slightly better price on the King coilovers and given my friend’s advice, I opted for King up front.
I knew I’d need to replace the upper control arms (UCA’s) so the front end could achieve correct alignment but I was also interested in improving articulation. No fewer than half a dozen options exist for the F150 and after spending way too much time making comparisons I boiled it down to two: Icon or SPC. The SPC UCA’s cost less and have a stellar reputation but the Icon’s allow for a little bit more articulation. Given that my primary goal was to improve the off-road capability of the truck while maintaining a comfortable ride on-road, I purchased the Icon UCA’s.
I would like to have installed King remote reservoir shocks in the rear but my budget simply didn’t support it. Bilstein 5160’s are a well regarded and popular shock, and they’re half the price of the King’s. The weight we’d be carrying in the truck meant that we’d have to install air bags or spec a custom set of leaf springs as the stock F150 suspension isn’t designed to carry such a heavy load. I opted for a set of Air Lift Ride Control air bags with a compressor and remote to make it easier to increase or decrease air pressure. I decided on air bags over custom leaf springs solely because we didn’t have time to order and then install leaf springs before we’d pick up our camper. A couple months after picking up the camper it became apparent that the air bags I ordered weren’t up to the task and I purchased and installed the Auto Spring add-a-leaf, which did the trick…mostly.
Aftermarket wheels are certainly more about aesthetics than function, but the right set of wheels can offer some performance improvements over stock. A significant consideration for any overlander has to be the load rating of a wheel. Overland rigs are heavy and it isn’t uncommon for wheels to break under the weight of body armor, campers/roof top tents, camping and adventure gear, etc. The Method 701’s not only look good, but they’re built for off-road punishment and their Bead Grip technology allows the tires to be run at lower pressures. Each wheel is rated for at least 2,650 pounds which means they’re less likely to crack under heavy torque.
Overlanders can get awfully passionate when talking about tires and we’ve all got our favorites. The best tires I’ve ever used were the original Good Year Wrangler MT/R’s but the design has gone through several changes and today’s MT/R isn’t the MT/R of yore. A new breed of hybrid tires seeks to combine the benefits of an all-terrain and mud tire. There are several options but I opted for the Nitto Ridge Grappler because of generally positive online reviews, a more aggressive tread pattern and sizing availability. I chose tires in a 295/70/17 size, which is roughly 33.5” tall. These would give the truck a little higher and wider stance, while dramatically improving off-road traction.
Ford F150 and Four Wheel Campers Raven at overlanding campsite outside St. George, Utah.
2015 Ford F150 Suspension, Wheels and Tires: What Works, What Doesn’t and General Impressions
Overall, the suspension setup works pretty well. The front suspension leaves nothing to be desired. It’s bombproof and is comfortable both on- and off-road. The faster you go off-road, the smoother it gets, which is great except that I’m hesitant to rally down dirt roads with almost 2,000 pounds in the bed when we’re fully loaded for a trip. Going slower over technical terrain the front end is a little stiff, but I’ve also never had a rig that was cushy in rocky terrain. We spent some time dialing in the compression settings and the ride height and it’s pretty well optimized at this point.
The rear suspension is a little too soft, even with the add-a-leaf and airbags. It works and it feels good off-road but at highway speeds it can be a little disconcerting at times. I’ve never felt like the truck was out of control but it’s not as taut as I’d like. The Bilsteins work well but I believe the suspension would feel a little more balanced with King’s all the way around. The air bags are underpowered for the weight we’re carrying. If I had to do it over again I’d buy a custom leaf pack from either Alcan (first choice) or Deaver. The cost is essentially the same as air bags but air bags are really just a band-aid for a pretty important aspect of your suspension. And, with a compressor, bags that could be punctured or spring an air leak, it’s a more complicated system with a higher possibility of failure - something you definitely don’t want in the middle of nowhere.
I have no gripes about the Ridge Grapplers. Off-road traction is excellent, they’re not too buzzy on-road, work well in snow, ice, mud, rock and on pavement, and seem to be wearing well. I’ve had tires that wouldn’t balance well and these don’t have that issue. On the topic of tires, I wish I could run 35’s for additional ground clearance and approach/departure angles but without a bigger suspension lift it isn’t an option. When these wear out I intend to replace them with a 285/75/17 Ridge Grappler, which is 1/2” taller and 1/2” narrower. This will give me just a bit more ride height and, being narrower, won’t extend out beyond the fender flares quite as much. The Method 701 wheels have also been awesome. No issues, nothing I’d change.
All in all, Betty is about as dialed as she’s going to get. I’m already planning our next build, which will be the rig we take into retirement and there will be no corners cut. We probably won’t make any more significant modifications to the F150. The running boards are a liability off-road and if I can ever find a decent set of rock sliders I’ll buy and install them. We’ll need new brakes soon and I’m tempted to replace the stock ones with a set of Stop Tech brakes for a little extra bite since we’re carrying so much weight.
Perhaps the most common question I’m asked has to do with fuel economy. Fully loaded, as it sits right now, the truck averages between 11.5 and 13.5 MPG’s. If we stick to roads with speed limits below 65 MPH we’re closer to 13.5 MPG’s. Above 65 MPH the fuel economy suffers significantly. It’s the price you pay to drive a lifted truck with bigger tires and a camper in the bed, I guess.
Any questions? Leave ‘em in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them quickly.