Camper loading incident major PRTJ!

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Well this must be an extreme case of pre rally truck jitters.
Actually a shameless plug at the near completion of Operation Gold Digger.
Thinking that the truck formerly known as Goldilocks was revolting the fact of having her fresh paint scratched.
Trying to get the camper loaded this morning before work, the camper kept wanting to twist on the jack stands.
After the 3rd attempt, the camper lurched around and fell back falling down on the left bed railing and scurffing the paint just above the tail light.
Also during the chain of events, the twisting caused some severe damage to the structural supports of the camper itself.
After getting help from a neighbor with a high lift jack and almost 4 hours of work, we got it back on the truck and repaired some of the damage.
Not sure how I'm gonna get the camper back off but it is now the main domicile for the little Butts for this weekends rally festivities.

Anyway here are a couple pics of the truck and the camper incident.
I'll be updating the link after the rally as time has almost run out and another morning of final work is needed to make the trek.

 

[Exekiel69]

Sorry about that, but at least You got to be the first one to make a scratch on it.

btw what happen to that hood?


Have fun at the rally (envy)

 

[h2odrx]

wow!!!!
what color is that?????

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

btw what happen to that hood?

Ez, the hood was only partially latched as I needed one of the batteries to move my wood hauling 85 ga$$er.

wow!!!!
what color is that?????

Tis Sonic Blue Pearl, the '05 Superduty color......
Looks better on these old trucks.

 

[h2odrx]

that it does!!!
i have always like a blue truck, and that one looks great!!!

 

[Exekiel69]

Looks better on these old trucks.

Yes, it does look great.

 

[yARIC008]

Yikes. We've had that happen before. It was a big more scarry though. We were at a camp ground and my dad had this great idea of putting these huge casters on the bottom of the jacks for the camper, well we lifted the camper off the truck and the jack stands and casters were in this loose dirt. We as we lowered it the casters just started to roll. So basically it looked about the same as your camper. I dunno what yours weight but ours was about 5,000 lbs and man it was pretty scary. We had to support the camper with cyinder blocks and stuff kinda like you did and take off the jacks and straighten out the brackets and buy new ones for the ones we couldn't fix. Surfice it to say, i hate the camper putting on/removing from the truck process. I just don't trust those little jacks to lift something so big so high.

 

[icanfixall]

From the looks of things I only see one jack on the drivers side and 2 on the passenger side. This will twist most every time. But gee, if its worked in the past maybe it was soft ground. BTW... Thats the new color of my truck sometime in the near future. Its that or the Dodge truck blue that came on the 2003 trucks.... It really is a nice color.

 

[sle2115]

So, while this might get this post moved to the refinery, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN THAT THING STARTED TO MOVE? You had to about be crapping bullets! That would have knocked years off my life, having that much work in the truck and seeing the camper going for a sideways ride. Glad the damage was minor (if I am reading correctly) but that had to be one tense moment.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

So, while this might get this post moved to the refinery, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN THAT THING STARTED TO MOVE? You had to about be crapping bullets! That would have knocked years off my life, having that much work in the truck and seeing the camper going for a sideways ride. Glad the damage was minor (if I am reading correctly) but that had to be one tense moment.

Wellllllll.
Just to keep it here it did give me a good scare.
It is pretty heavy and haven't scaled the truck with it on but the 3 jack stand concept mixed with 2" of rain the previous night and some not quite level ground were all contributing factors to the incident.
Not sure how were gonna get it back off the truck, but my neighbor came down with his Jeep(trail rated now camper approved) with a high boy jack and winch and we got it about half way on the truck then winched it on the rest of the way using 2 30' tow straps strapped high across the back of the camper and pulled it into place....... Now THAT was biting bullets time.
Took about 4 hours to get it stabilized then up and on the truck...NOT fun when under the guns.
PLenty of damage on the camper to deal with once I get it back off the truck but an airbrush gun and a little tlc will fix the truck.....Gotta keep saying she's a daily driver.

 

[rocketron]

Not to hijack, but, heres my sonic blue truck. Doesn't have my new wheels, but most recent pic I have. http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/teenie322001/my_photos

 

[argve]

Rocket - looks good man!

 

[TLBREWER]

Both trucks look great! Blue must be the flavor of the week. I just got done painting my daughter's truck blue this weekend. Although, just stock Dark Shadow Blue metallic. Still pretty nice. Pictures to follow after re-assembly.

Man I really like that Sonic Blue.

Tom

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Well I just can't win.
Got a few more jacks and beefed them up with some angle iron to take the extra weight.
We had 2-15ton jacks under the rear and the silly wind-up jacks on the front corners of the camper.
Got it unloaded off the truck without any incident.
Starting to lower the camper down, to the ground,so I can repair the damage on it at my convienience and WHAM! The dang thing fell again.
This time the front jacks went spread eagle and kicked out.
Prolly couldn't take much more abuse after last week.
Well when it hit the ground, it toppled over the blocks and boarding we had set up at the rear of the camper as we were in the process of placing the front supports underneath to slowly lower it down.
My father in law and I went back around the sides to make sure everything was all in place when it decided to let gravity take its course.
NOW there's plenty of damage to repair, heck the door wont even close now!
Think it might be time to repair it and unload it.
Good thing is, the truck was 50 ft away this time.

 

[TLBREWER]

Ron

My camper looks to be about the same vintage as yours. I'm tired of using those crank up tripod jacks as well. Takes all the fun out of going camping just loading the darn thing. My justification to my wife was that the old camper would look silly on my new truck. Her reply was I could not get a new camper while we have a truck payment. I haven't even made the first payment yet! But I do have the camper I want picked out... :Sly

Tom