Monroe or gabriel load adjusters w/coil springs. Any info on how these shocks perform with or without load. My main concerned is if these shocks give a rough ride when carrying no load.

You would likely see an increased rear ride height, and experience a rougher ride w/o a load.

Air bags are a good solution. you can adjust the amount of air easily, and keep your ride and ride height where you want it. you can even get the set-up with an on-board compressor so you can adjust on the fly from the driver's seat.

Or there's the old school way, air shocks. I use them on my old '71 p/u and they work just fine.




Jay

Put the monroe load adj shocks on last sat. I like the ride. Seems to be a little less smooth on small bumps but has improved ride on big bumps and especially wavey - roller coaster interstate areas. The rocking horse motion of regular old shocks are gone.
Should do great pulling boat this weekend.

What truck did you put them on? Let us know how they did with boat.

Installed on late model '99 chevy 327 silverodo xcab. Pulled 90 mi.x2 to Tawakoni 3000 lb boat/ single axle trl. Helped keep the trailer from pushing the truck to the right or left when I sometimes jerk the wheel to keep within the lines on the highway. Also it pretty much eliminated the rocking horse feel when crossing briges or going over wavey bumps. Shocks kept back of truck from sagging w/ tounge wt and 200 lbs of gear + 100 lb shell.
I really like the shocks for the medium load towing I do and it's plenty smooth enough for no load regular driving. I don't need to feel like I'm in a luxury car.
The back of the truck does sit an inch or 2 higher -no load. Also the truck doesn't sag lopsided to the left or right when parked anymore.
Monroe load adj are gas charged and $119.00 total w/tax per pair Oreilly auto. Auto zone sells gabriel load adjuster shocks that aren't gas charged for a little over 1/2 the price for same type application.
I ended having to put blocks under my floor jack and jack each side of truck up high seperately and finish one side before jacking up the other. Also had to compress shock w. a 2x4x8 to get shock in place. Made sure the truck was well suported so it couldn't fall on me. An accident prone person could get crushed installing these shocks.

That was 1/2 ton truck I used monroe load adj shocks, you can read consumer coments on the gabriel load coil shock on jc whitney site used on rangers to old buicks and camaroes