Jetski's in bed or hitch hauler - suspension ideas

[bored&stroked]

I'm sure after a decade this guy figured it out. But seriously people. Get a full size truck. Lower it a bunch. Put helper bags in the rear. Be able to load and unload ski by yourself with tailgate touching water while being able to handle more weight in the bed then stock. Its choice.

 

[Mike Grafas]

I'm sure after a decade this guy figured it out. But seriously people. Get a full size truck. Lower it a bunch. Put helper bags in the rear. Be able to load and unload ski by yourself with tailgate touching water while being able to handle more weight in the bed then stock. Its choice.

If you're talking about me then no it did not take me a decade to figure this out, this is my first stand-up and first ski I ever put in the back of my truck, also I bought this ski and put it in the bed and never even had a trailer for it.

They sell kits just like this for about $1000 to $2000 if you bought one

I don't know anyone who is wants to put their truck in salt water, I don't care how much you hose it off it will still rust.

The only thing that touches the water in my truck set up is the extended lowered trailer hitch, and my truck is stock height

So for anyone willing to do this it is simple and cost effective, cheaper than buying a trailer, and I'm willing to walk anyone through on how to do it

 

[Vumad]

If you're talking about me then no it did not take me a decade to figure this out

Post number 31 bumped a 10 year old thread. That reply you are replying to probably didn't realize that the thread was bumped by a different person with a similar question. This thread was originally started in 2007.

@whit4300 deserves credit for using the search feature. Whit, Mike Grafas has a good solution. You can also look into a hitch hauler. I like my Versa-haul hitch hauler because it has a receiver on it. Once I unload the ski onto my bigfoot beach cart, I can connect the beach cart to the hitch hauler and tow it around. No bearings in a big foot, so I'm limited to idle.

Hitch haulers are bad for your suspension and I believe the hitch hauler and my toy hauler caused my front tires to wear prematurely (wore out at half their life with alignment in spec). Putting the ski in the bed is the better option.

 

[whit4300]

Post number 31 bumped a 10 year old thread. That reply you are replying to probably didn't realize that the thread was bumped by a different person with a similar question. This thread was originally started in 2007.

@whit4300 deserves credit for using the search feature. Whit, Mike Grafas has a good solution. You can also look into a hitch hauler. I like my Versa-haul hitch hauler because it has a receiver on it. Once I unload the ski onto my bigfoot beach cart, I can connect the beach cart to the hitch hauler and tow it around. No bearings in a big foot, so I'm limited to idle.

Hitch haulers are bad for your suspension and I believe the hitch hauler and my toy hauler caused my front tires to wear prematurely (wore out at half their life with alignment in spec). Putting the ski in the bed is the better option.

@Vumad, what about helper springs for the rear think that will work for the hitch hauler give it some good support for suspension ?? your thoughts

 

[Vumad]

@Vumad, what about helper springs for the rear think that will work for the hitch hauler give it some good support for suspension ?? your thoughts

Not sure. Not an area I'm very familiar with. I was going to look into airbags. My toy hauler weighs 6000# unloaded. We don't put anything in it right now so it's probably a lot more tongue heavy than the designer intended.

 

[BruceSki]

@Vumad, what about helper springs for the rear think that will work for the hitch hauler give it some good support for suspension ?? your thoughts

Airbag helpers work wonders. I run 20psi in mine with the ski on the hitch hauler

 

[BruceSki]

Hitch hauler with helper air bags

 

[AirJunky]

Airbag helpers work wonders. I run 20psi in mine with the ski on the hitch hauler

I run 5 psi in a pair of air bags in the rear coils of my 05 Chevy Avalanche 1500 when I tow a 5k lb wake boat. Their definitely not needed for the jetski hauler though as it barely effects how the truck handles at all.

 

[BruceSki]

When you have a leveling kit on the front of the truck, larger than stock tire diameter and then add a 350+ Jetski on the back sticking out 3 feet it absolutely effects the truck.

If I don't run a good amount of air in the bags I can set off my anti lock brakes when braking through a turn or bumps at highway speed. The bags require 5psi minimum on a leaf sprung truck so you don't damage the bags driving with them deflated. IMO the bags are a safety feature when towing with a leveled truck and a hitch hauler. I feel much more confident in the way my truck corners and drives with them aired up.


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[OCD Solutions]

I feel the same way. It takes 12lbs to level my truck with two skis and gear in the bed.

I know the truck can handle it without but it just looks better if the truck isn't squatted. Plus it keeps me off the overload springs and it keeps the stance stock so airflow and highway mileage isn't affected.

 

[Vumad]

Glad to hear several satisfied with the bags. I keep hearing set PSI. I thought I needed a compressor on my truck but I take it that I was mistaken? I saw kits for about $250. Any suggestions on a quality product at the right price? 07 Silverado 1500.

 

[BruceSki]

You can air them up at home or at a gas station. I put a T fitting in my lines and connected to a single air fitting sticking out of my rear license plate. That way when I add air it's even to both bags.

The volume of air is so small you can even use a bicycle pump to air them up. Compressor is not needed at all


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[OCD Solutions]

I've been running airbags in my trucks for over 17 years. The T fitting is the only way to go as it balances the airbags perfectly. I ran dual fittings for years before I learned the trick.

Not sure if cheaper options exist but I always get Firestones. I also move them from truck to truck so I only ever bought 3 sets but have had them on at least 7 trucks.

The compressors are slick but so expensive. You just about always know what your hauling so you adjust before you leave the house and stop at gas stations to adjust on the fly.

Since they are such a small volume, one could adapt a portable reservoir like an air soft tank far cheaper than a compressor. The cab gauge and control is expensive too though so you would need to be adjusting often to justify the cost.

Two of my buddies had the in cab controls and compressors and they used it to dial in their headlight aim more than the actual ride height.

 

[BruceSki]

My truck has a fancy knob to adjust the headlight motors up and down.

It's a cool feature when you need that slow poke in the left lane to move.


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[OCD Solutions]

My truck has a fancy knob to adjust the headlight motors up and down.

It's a cool feature when you need that slow poke in the left lane to move.

That is actually a pretty cool feature.

I replace my driving lights with Aircraft landing lights which come in very handy for those scenarios. They even get the job done in the daytime.

 

[bored&stroked]

Helper airbags are awesome. My truck is lowered 6" in rear, I have maybe 3" of travel and the more I load and the higher PSI the bags go, the smoother and softer the ride gets. I don't get it, but I'm ok with it. T-ing the lines is a terrible idea without one way valves IMO, when you go around a corner it lets the outside [loaded bag] air out and all the air goes into the expanding [as it unloads] inside tire. I run T-'s myself, but I have a total of 4 one way valves built into the system to keep the air from moving around on its own.

 

[BruceSki]

Hmm I never thought about the air swapping back and forth under a load in turns.

How do you release the pressure though with one way valves?


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[bored&stroked]

My setup goes like this: compressor in rear that T's into both bags, with 1 way valves after the T before the bags. I have another T at the bags, one line is the in from the compressor, the other goes up to a 3rd T to bring both lines together which then goes to my gauge in cab. Also have a release valve with the gauge in cab. I have a second set of 1 ways for the lines coming out of the bags before they hit the T to go to the cab. Nothing can move except from compressor to bags and from bags to gauge.

 

[OCD Solutions]

That's some good info for sure!

I haven't hauled anything big enough to matter yet so I have been getting away with it. Now that I have two skis sitting on top of the bed I may want to rethink my plumbing.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Split the thread.............