Camper Loading

[Danielle]

I'm definitely planning on back roads and a loooong slow trip! I went to 2 camper supply places hoping for advice and puchase/order of better mounting etc, and both places were staffed by complete dbags!!!!
For this trip I'll only have the same set up as previous owner, but will definitely making inprovements.
What sucks is we still in same intolerant community and I have to keep it at my parents 40 min away and I just started new job 3 to 11, and home with the babies during the day, so the past month has been nuts.

 

[OLDBULL8]

I'm definitely planning on back roads and a loooong slow trip! I went to 2 camper supply places hoping for advice and puchase/order of better mounting etc, and both places were staffed by complete dbags!!!!

Yeah dbags. When I was in the RV service business, you can't believe how many people came to me right after buying a camper for advice. Dealers just sell them, out the door and good bye.

 

[Danielle]

Stake pockets a no go. They twisted the bed before we even had much tension on the turnbuckles
I don't know what to do.
Wish me luck haha

 

[laserjock]

Ratchet straps? That seems odd. I've helped set these before on these trucks. Maybe you are overestimating the required force? You can apply a lot of force with a sizable turnbuckle.

 

[OLDBULL8]

You don't need that much tension that it bends the bed rail. If your scared about it, get the tie down rail that goes under the truck frame rails, used only for front of camper, back still uses the stake pockets.

Acar cp50 Universal frame mounted tie down. About $190. Camping World probably carries them.

Edit: Look at catbird pic, post #13.

 

[franklin2]

I went on a 2000 mile trip with one. Use the stake pockets in the front with custom made brackets, and used chains with turnbuckles going into the rear bumper for the rear.

Did ok till 3/4 way through the trip I turned out of a parking lot onto the main road and it put a twist on the truck. Pulled the pass side front bracket right out of the bed. I had to use a ratchet strap on that side for the rest of the trip, and it didn't look too good when I got home. It was frayed pretty bad, the camper really moves around back there.

 

[gandalf]

...If your scared about it, get the tie down rail that goes under the truck frame rails, used only for front of camper, ...

When you say "under the frame rails" do you mean all the way across from one side to the other? That idea caused me immediate concern. While the idea is good, the implication might be problematical. I went out and looked under my truck ('92 CCLB in my avatar). Anything stretching all the way across, in the area of my front Torklift mounts, would run through the front fuel tank and the drive shaft. Both hang down 4 to 6 inches below the frame rails. That's on a 4X2, with the weight of the camper in the bed. Things might be a bit better on a 4X4, but even if things clear I'd worry about the drive shaft dropping down on bounces.

 

[Danielle]

I have to go in person to the camper places to get that "belly bar" if they even have it. Most of the frame mounts also use the hitches and this truck has only a heavy duty bumper hitch.
The bed on this truck has been used and abused and abused some more. We really only turned it twice after hand tightening turnbuckle and the seam of the front of bed by the pocket tore so we stopped.
I hate doing last minute crap like this. I wanted to drive it around a while way before this.
If I can find everything I'll be a day later to the rally. At least

 

[Danielle]

My dad thinks he can fabricate something for me using the existing holes from the 5th wheel and making a frame on the bottom. This would be in addition to everything else we choose.
I have to check under frame, I didn't look to see what the clearance is... so belly bar might not work
Arg haha

 

[gandalf]

I've heard of people bolting through the camper floor and the truck bed, in essence bonding them together. This is not something I would recommend. Keep in mind that these trucks are quite limber. I've heard that the tail end can flex 7 to 9 inches at a corner, out of horizontal alignment with the front end. If one rear corner raises 7 inches, think about what that would do to a camper firmly attached to it. These camper are not made to twist.

The better tie down systems are spring loaded, to an extent. All four corners of my Torklift system have springs in the mounting system. That allows for a small amount of twisting. Can it twist 7 inches? Not a chance. That means that I don't venture very far off the decent road. Therefore, I drive a 4X2 Highway Queen.

IF you must drive over rough ground with your camper, stop first and loosen the turnbuckles. Give the camper enough slack. Don't undo the tie downs, just loosen them. When you're back on the pavement you might have to actually drop the jacks, lift the camper a bit, and reposition it a bit in the bed.

 

[franklin2]

You have done web searches and have seen stuff like in this link correct?

http://www.torklift.com/index.php/products/tiedowns/tie-downs

 

[LCAM-01XA]

The belly bar does in fact cross from one side of the truck clear to the other, it hangs a few inches below the fuel tank and the driveshaft. Works fine if you stay on pavement, if ground clearance may become an issue at any point of the trip go with the stuff that bolts to the sides of the frame rails and exits like 1/4" below the bed sides.

Also 2 complete turns on the turnbuckle is a bit too much, we usually do ours to hand-tight then half a turn to a full turn on the fronts and just half a turn on the rears. When leaving nice and flat paved road surfaces we loosen the rear turn buckles completely and bring the fronts down to half past hand-tight. Do keep in mind that our camper is pretty well restrained in the bed via side brackets, realistically she can only slide towards the rear of the bed which is why we loosen the rear chains but leave the fronts semi-tight.

If you're pressed for time your best bet is fabbing your own torklift-style front bars. All you need is two pieces of large square plate and some 2x2 tubing - bolt plates to sides of frame rails so they hang down some, tack tubing pieces to the outboard side so you have like 1/2" clearance between top of square tube and bottom lip of bed side, pull the works off to for finish welding and add a triangular gusset between the plate and the top of the square tube (ours actually use 1x1 square tubes for this). Drill a hole in the top wall of the 2x2 tube where it exits past the bed side, drop an eye bolt in there. Done! I suggest using 1/2" hardware for both the plate bolts and the eye-bolts, just to be on the safe side.

 

[argve]

I second the belly bar. That is what I used when I has the camper on my dodge. Then in the rear I had bars that slid into the hitch cross tube. I used chain and turn buckles (spring/shock loaded type). Yes you will see the camper move a little in turns and uneven surfaces. Now for storage I used concrete blocks and 2x12 treated lumber that supported the entire floor. I then in it's spot in the driveway drove in lags with chain attached to chain it down so that when a storm came it wasn't going anywhere. This way I could also use it as a guest room in the event of company staying the night. If I remember correctly I had more in the turn buckles that the belly bar. The belly bar actually clamped to the frame rails with pinch brackets that stayed on the truck then all I had to do was slide the bar in place and install pins. But I don't remember drilling into the frame to mount the brackets.

 

[Danielle]

We good to go, just a day late!! Thank you to everyone who helped me troubleshoot this haha. Love you guys
Belly bar and frame mounts on order. Using stake for now

 

[mblaney]

I made my own mounts. The front I bolted 4 x 4 angle into existing frame holes; this angle has a square tube "receiver" to receive a longer bar that has a chain point for the turnbuckles. This basically replaces the "grader blade" belly bar. I welded this up so the bars just clear the body panel so I don't lose any ground clearance.

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For the back, see if you can get an steel angle that fits between the spare and bumper. On mine, a piece of 2 x 3 x 1/4 angle (unequal leg) slides right through the rear hitch supports and gives you a very secure place to attach to - without modifying or making anything permanent on the truck.

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