Deaver Mini Pack vs. Icon RXT

Has anyone run both the Deaver F85 progressive 3-leaf mini pack and the Icon RXT? I’m working on doing a budget suspension refresh, and these are my two finalists.
Everything on the Deavers seem to be about lift amount and weight carrying. I have a cap and a steel bumper, but don’t carry a whole lot of weight - I’m much more interested in ride quality. Also don’t want to lift a whole lot. I have the TC shackles, which give around 3/4” of lift, and really like that height.
The Icons give more travel which I like, and the stage 1 seems to not lift too high, but are more than double the price.
Any firsthand experiences?

 

I’m running icon rxt pack, while I can’t comment on the deavers I can relay my experience with said icon pack.

Good

the extra travel is very nice! they also ride smooth as butter.
The flexibility this unit adds is great as you can add and take away leaves to suit your specific needs.

bad:

the hardware included (atleast for me) wasn’t the greatest. In fact my pin that holds the pack together came cross threaded. Luckily icon included an extra
They can also tend to get a bit squeaky but I’m sure all packs can do this. Lastly I am starting to notice a bit of sag in mine as I keep a constant load of about 350-400# on my bed

hopefully someone can chime in with some dealers experience


Good luck op

 

Awesome summary, thanks! What stage are you running? 2? Any idea how much extra travel?

 

I've been running Leitner rack, Smitty XL RTT, full size spare (approx. 400lbs constant weight) for about 7-8 months on stock suspension and beginning to notice a little rear sag. Probably going to go with Icon RXT pack and run with option #2 or #3. Don't do any rock crawlin or crazy wheelin. Mostly fire/washboard roads, easy trails, beaches, snow.

I want to try and keep things affordable and put some money into lighting. Noticed on Icon site they recommend running their RXT leafs with their rear shocks, is this necessary? Cost goes up quickly and before you know it I'm refitting the entire suspension for $2k +!!

Anyone see an issue adding RXT leafs and keeping factory shocks?? Input and thoughts are much appreciated!

Stay loose and have fun boys!

 

Icon recommends running their rear shocks too because the RXT leaf pack is more arched as thus has more travel than stock leafs. The OAL of the RXT rear shocks is longer than stock shocks to account for this. If you’re not crawling or going too fast, it’s probably not a problem, but having the shock limit downtravel (or uptravel for that matter) is not ideal - they’re not built for that.

 

I know this thread is a month old, you may have already made a decision. But I should be able to help you out next week. I've been running a Deaver mini-pack for the past 100K. Lifted the rear about 1.5" unloaded and rides great. It's taken moderate towing, loads, and fast desert runs WAY better than I anticipated. It's been mated with a pair of Fox 2.0 piggybacks. The reason for changing is the "Tundra lean" after that long the driver side is ~1" lower than the passenger, it's gotten progressively worse over the past year since I went with a "house battery" and RTT on the back.

I'm in the processes of installing the RXT leaf pack in config #2 this weekend. First observations, it's got a lot more down travel, I'd guess 2-3" over the mini-pack, which goes along with ICON's claim of 20% more travel. I need to align and bolt everything up, but my Fox's may be limiting once it's all tightened up.

Next weekend I'm pulling our Teardrop to Central OR so I'll have some limited experiences to share. Feel free to reach out if you're still on the fence.

 

Wow that's perfect timing! I haven't made a decision yet, but it's coming soon. I had a lead on a used new-in-box set of the RXT's, but they sold out from under me so I'm back to square one. Roughly how much weight do you have in the bed regularly? Any shell or oversize spare or steel bumper or anything? Thanks for posting, really looking forward to the comparison!

 

My 100% always load has to be close to 200-250#. I have a Weatherguard tool chest at the front of the bed with misc tools, recovery gear, and a 80 Ah AGM battery. 5# Fire extinguisher at the back of the bed, Rago bed supports, and a 275-70-18 spare on an alloy wheel underneath. Bumper is stock for now. For part of the summer I'll throw on my Bed Bars w/ a FSR roof tent, ~250#. With the RTT mounted, the passenger is about 1" lift and the driver is 0-1/2" or so over stock.

 

I had the rxt leafs and only using Icon 2.0’s I loved the way it rode. Had it set on stage 1. Socked up bumps with easy.

 

I also forgot about (2) 5 gallon cans, also against the front of the bed. 5 gallons water and 5 gallons gas.

Springs are in and they always surprise me how high they are before settling. I gained 2" from where I started this weekend, should settle down 3/4-1" after a few flex/load cycles. I will say to take into account droop length of your shocks, as planned, they have about 2.25" more droop than the Factory main leafs with mini-pack combo. The mini-pack and my Fox 2.0 piggy backs rode great and matched lengths almost perfectly, now I need to go longer shocks or run limit straps.

 

I had a chance to put some miles on the RXT leaf pack over the weekend. About 500 miles towing our Teardrop over the mountain pass and into the desert. Then an afternoon trip to explore some caves in the brush. Overall, I really like the leaf pack. I'm at config #2 as mentioned above and it's settled down a little, maybe 1/2" from when I installed, but still holding solid. Compared to the Deaver mini-pack, it's a bit softer on initial hits then settles in very similarly once loaded. I did a few miles of desert access roads at speed and it held up great and felt planted.

I still think the Deaver mini-pack is a great deal if your stock leafs are in good shape, but these RXT's are overall a better pack for my usage and the 2" of added droop will occasionally come in handy.

 

This is exactly what I was looking for when I started this thread - thank you!
Do you have any pictures at option 2? Based on weight I should probably be on option 2, but really don’t want to get a whole lot of lift, so I’m tempted to try #1.

 

Not the best photos due to angle, but here's what I have. The driveway is right after installing and only driving 10 miles or so. The camping shot is 250 miles away, unloaded there, but had towed our teardrop there. BTW, this isn't TX, our new plates just haven't shown up.

 

I may have missed this, but is your truck lifted in the front at all?

 

2-3/8" lift with Camburg Coilovers. That's a true measurement based on Toyota FSM chassis measurements, not fender well gaps.

 

Here's another update on the RXT's. They've settle a little, but still holding weight really well. Thru the roof tent on the bed last week and loaded up a medium load of camping gear and it held the weight without squatting perfectly. Did a few more miles offroad to a dispersed camping spot and they continue to hold the weight and flex nicely.

 

I’ve had my RXT set up for 3 years now and have the middle spring setup. The back is about 3 inches lifted and it tows great.

 

I know this is a bit dated, but did you have to by extended bolts? Or were you able to reuse the same? Sorry if question seems ridiculous.

 

Do you mean U-bolts? Pretty sure the RXT's came with new ones.

 

Yes u bolts. I would assume the Deaver F85 would also need some.