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> Old truck and old camper

TillamookB2
post Sep 12 2011, 01:10 PM
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Group: Members
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Joined: 12-September 11
Member No.: 5,613
Favorite Truck Camper(s): None
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1985 Ford F250 Diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: None
Truck and Camper Setup: I have the truck and I almost have a camper.



The guy I'm getting a camper from has no tie downs to go with it because he never used any. I have a basic understanding of physics, so I'll be getting tie downs. I'm absolutely new to the whole portable house thing.
I want to know about those anchors that go in the stake pockets in the top of the bed. Some people guarantee on their mother's life that those ones will rip your bed apart and your camper will fall out. Some people will say they're good for all trucks and all campers. I don't care to hear from either of them.
Obviously, securing an enormous yacht of a camper to a pickup via bedrails is not a good idea at all, as all the force is put on your bed mounts. The camper that I hope to be getting from a friend's dad is only as long as the truck bed and looks to be from the early 80s and has no restroom. Just a small counter with stove, small table/bed, and the bed above the cab. There is no restroom. The pickup is a 1985 F250 long bed. It is a diesel, but not a dually.
Whenever I'm towing or hauling, I drive like grandma. Slow acceleration, slow braking, gentle turning. I baby this truck. Like I'm driving on ice.
I do know that newer model trucks tend to have thinner metal to save weight. I have heard that campers have become significantly heavier the last few years. Do you suppose my truck has a sturdy enough bed and a light enough camper that I can get away with using the pocket stakes for my once or twice a year use?
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Spanky
post Sep 12 2011, 07:19 PM
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Posts: 320
Joined: 24-June 06
From: Silver City, New Mexico
Member No.: 144
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Lance 1030
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1999 F350 Power Stroke Dually SuperCab
Type of Tiedowns used: Torklift
Truck and Camper Setup: 1999 Ford F350 4x4 Super Cab 1 ton Dually Lance 1030 Torklift tiedowns



Since you do not want to hear from the one that says they will rip out and tear your truck bed and probably lose your camper, I will not respond...


--------------------
1999 F350 Power Stroke Dually Super Cab, 2003 Lance 1030
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jefybal
post Sep 16 2011, 12:26 AM
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Group: Members
Posts: 1
Joined: 31-May 11
Member No.: 5,494
Favorite Truck Camper(s): as long as it's on a Dodge!
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: Ram 1500 SRW
Type of Tiedowns used: Brophy Tie Down Anchors
Truck and Camper Setup: 1970sumthin Westways truck camper on a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 with tow package. No other extras. Just right for me and the hot blonde!



I have a 1970 something camper and a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500. My camper is under 1000 lbs with no bathroom, stove or A/C. I use the stake posts and was pretty nervous the first time but, they work just fine. Again I have a lighter camper but it doesn't budge. If your ok with drilling into your truck bed (I was soso about doing that) and your camper is on the lighter side...I'd think you should be ok.
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Torsten
post Oct 31 2016, 04:13 PM
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Group: Members
Posts: 26
Joined: 31-October 16
From: Germany
Member No.: 9,245
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Lance Model 780
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1985 Ford F250 Diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: Happijac
Truck and Camper Setup: 1985 Ford F250 Diesel with Lance Model 780



Hi,

i buy this ones

HappiJac 182910 Ford FT-UT9 Direct-To-Frame Tie Down Kit

to secure my Lance 780 on my 1985 F250 and it looks stable to me, before i look also at the anchors that go in the stake pockets in the top of the bed.

But it looks not trustfull to me so i walk away from this.

Best regards from Germany

Torsten
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SidecarFlip
post Oct 31 2016, 07:06 PM
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Group: Members
Posts: 472
Joined: 15-October 16
Member No.: 9,221
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Forest River Palomino SS
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1997 Ford F350 4x4 LB SRW CC 7.3 diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: HappyJac standard
Truck and Camper Setup: 1997 Ford F350 4 door 4x4 Crew Cab 7.3 Diesel, Lance 915 loaded, 2015 Palomino SS1500 Loaded



QUOTE(Torsten @ Oct 31 2016, 04:13 PM)
Hi,

i buy this ones

HappiJac 182910 Ford FT-UT9 Direct-To-Frame Tie Down Kit 

to secure my Lance 780 on my 1985 F250 and it looks stable to me, before i look also at the anchors that go in the stake pockets in the top of the bed.

But it looks not trustfull to me so i walk away from this.

Best regards from Germany

Torsten
*



I've always used the HappyJac tie down system. I used it on my big Lance which was a tank (full bathroom, air, full winter package and genny and on my new one, my Palomino Bacxkpack SS1500 which is also loaded but not as heavy... 1900 versus 2400 for the Lance.

I looked at the TorqueLift system but I already have the HappyJac on the truck and it works fine. I run offroad so I know it works. I get in off camber spots and never have had an issue.
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Nobody
post Oct 31 2016, 09:44 PM
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Group: Members
Posts: 124
Joined: 5-November 12
Member No.: 6,339
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Palomino
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: '99 Ford F-250 SuperCab long bed, 7.3L Power Stroke
Type of Tiedowns used: Blackstone Mfg Co Camper Clampers, looking for TorkLift
Truck and Camper Setup: 2003 SunLite 8.5 WTSB, modified roof lift to support roof air



Lots of forum member will disagree with me on this but, since the 1960s I've owned & used near a dozen truck campers, from my first, a basic 8' slide in box with cabover bed, icebox, 4-burner range & oven, & 10gal fresh water tank with hand pump, probably around 1K#, to a 1987 RealLite with 11.5 or maybe 12' box with side entry door, full dry bath (separate shower), dinette. large fridge, water heater, furnace, & most every amenity, probably more'n 3K#. I hauled the first camper on a '63 GMC long bed, V-6 half ton with auto trans, using stake pocket tie downs Between the two I owned several campers of varying size & equipment using various 3/4 ton pickups & tie downs from stake pocket type to 'J' hooks bolted to the sides of my truck(s) with steel backing plates of sufficient size/stiffness to prevent pulling thru or tearing of the steel bed sides. On the big RealLite camper I had frame mounted tie downs that clamped to the truck chassis & held the camper securely. I've not seen any like 'em before or since & have no idea who made 'em. We did the Alaska Hiway with that camper & towed a small Toyota P/U the entire 12K+ miles. My truck at that time was a 1985 F-250 with 6.9L IDI diesel engine & auto trans. It had 8600# GVWR & I'm pretty sure I was overloaded & well past the GCWR towing the Toyota. I'd added Air Lift brand air bags to the truck & a braking system to the towed vehicle & never felt I was in danger or that I was a danger to other vehicles on the road. After I sold the RealLite camper I used that truck for several pop-up type truck campers, specifically two 8' Skamper brand & one 8.5' SunLite Eagle with toilet. I was carrying the SunLite in Nov 2014 when an older gentleman made a left turn across my lane of travel & I couldn't avoid a collision. Totaled my truck & camper (& his car) but no serious injuries. That camper was held on the truck with steel turnbuckles to the 'J' hooks bolted to the truck bed. The impact straightened at least 2 of the hooks on my turnbuckles (5/16" or 3/8" hooks) but the 'J' hooks & bolts holding them on the truck bed showed no damage or sign of injury whatever. Also, the 'eye' bolt loops on the camper remained intact throughout the crash. The camper ended up upside down on the hiway but other than the straightened turnbuckle hooks there was absolutely no damage to the 'J' hook tie downs. All of my pop-up type campers weighedunder 2K#, & the steel bed material was very sturdy. On my current rig I'm using a set of Camper Clamper tie downs mfg'd by Blackstone Mfg Co. of Chicago. They clamp under the bed rails & appear to hold the camper securely. If I can locate a set of frame mounted TorkLift or HappiJac tie downs for a reasonable price I'll buy & use 'em. I have an extra set of the Camper Clamper tie downs that I used on my old truck with the first Skamper camper. The set I'm using currently came with my 2003 SunLite camper.

Depending on the weight of your camper I'd personally prefer a set of frame mounted tie downs, but I'd not hesitate to drill holes in that 1985 F250 truck bed & install good quality steel 'J' hooks, using automotive grade 5/16" bolts and a 12-14gauge steel backing plate at least 4" square behind each 'J' hook, or acquire a set of the camper clampers & use "em. I think they may be mfg'd by Brophy Machine Works instead of Blackstone now, & I'd use the heavy duty tie downs instead of their 'stake pocket' type. Think they may run around $125 on Amazon?? For a smaller size truck camper, especially on older vehicles with thicker, tougher bed steel, those things have held myriad 'slide in' truck campers for untold thousands of miles securely. At my age I have a preference for the added security of frame mounted tie downs but I've hauled lots of truck campers using 'J' hooks &/or stake pocket/bed rail type tie downs

My old truck at our deer camp not long before it was totaled. You can see the 'J' hooks
user posted image

My current rig showing a view of the Camper Clampers on one side of the truck
user posted image
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SidecarFlip
post Oct 31 2016, 10:55 PM
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Group: Members
Posts: 472
Joined: 15-October 16
Member No.: 9,221
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Forest River Palomino SS
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1997 Ford F350 4x4 LB SRW CC 7.3 diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: HappyJac standard
Truck and Camper Setup: 1997 Ford F350 4 door 4x4 Crew Cab 7.3 Diesel, Lance 915 loaded, 2015 Palomino SS1500 Loaded



I've never had an issue with the HappyJac units and the Cg of the Lance was way higher than the Backpack is, something I've learned along the way... Keep your Cg as low as possible, so no roof ac for me and no heavy items up high, the main reason I own a new soft side pop up. My genny goes on the floor, the chainsaw and tools go on the floor, everything of weight I carry as low as possible....

I could always 'feel' that roof ac and the microwave and all the high up stuff in the Lance going down the road or getting in an off camber situation. I don't 'feel' that now and that is a good thing.... I still have some rocking when negotiating a seasonal road or driving in a field and that is to be expected, but most times, I'm in 4L anyway so speed isn't a factor

My truck is a 1 ton SRW and it's 4wd and I run Firestone air bags on the back with a huge sway bar. I didn't set it up for the camper, I set it up for a gooseneck trailer. It just happens to work for the camper too.

I'd much rather haul a soft sided unit around anyday, than a hard side and I'm gonna open a photobucket account and post up some eye candy including the HappyJak tie downs and how the lower units mount to the truck....

I look at pictures of these huge campers with slideouts and side entry and all that and I wonder to myself just how safe they really are and just how overloaded the truck is. I never weighed my Lance on the 350 but I bet I was seriously overloaded more than once. The base camper weighs 2300. Add 30 gallons of water, 2 propane bottles, food, clothing, bedding and junk plus 2 adults and I bet I was pushing 3 grand easy. Going down the road is one thing. Making an emergency stop or an evasive manuver is another.

I'll take my Backpack. Even loaded up, I'm still within the safety margin of the vehicle.

Nobody... My truck sits about 8" higher than yours, maybe more. I actually have steps to get in the cab.... and getting in the camper is a real pizzer. My wife bought a retractable ladder to get in... it's that high.
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Nobody
post Nov 1 2016, 08:56 AM
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Group: Members
Posts: 124
Joined: 5-November 12
Member No.: 6,339
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Palomino
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: '99 Ford F-250 SuperCab long bed, 7.3L Power Stroke
Type of Tiedowns used: Blackstone Mfg Co Camper Clampers, looking for TorkLift
Truck and Camper Setup: 2003 SunLite 8.5 WTSB, modified roof lift to support roof air



Yeah Flip, I know those mid/late 90s F350 4X4s get tall real fast, even when you don't have any lift; & any 'lift' just adds to the height. I'm a 'shorty' (5' 9") & my wife is even shorter, & at our age we need/utilize the side steps/rails on the truck a lot. I even ordered a set of the Brophy scissor type folding steps/stairs for the camper so my wife would have easier entry. Still have to install the 'angled' side rail from the camper to the bottom of the steps. I was pretty careful measuring the height of the camper (on the truck), & selected the 4-step model. The 3-step model wouldn't have provided the necessary height without putting some kind of support under the bottom. When we set up I usually hafta dig a shallow 'trench' for the bottom 'rail' of the steps so they set level, but didn't do that in the back yard. Here's a pic of the steps set-up on the camper (without the side rail).

user posted image
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SidecarFlip
post Nov 2 2016, 08:35 PM
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Group: Members
Posts: 472
Joined: 15-October 16
Member No.: 9,221
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Forest River Palomino SS
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: 1997 Ford F350 4x4 LB SRW CC 7.3 diesel
Type of Tiedowns used: HappyJac standard
Truck and Camper Setup: 1997 Ford F350 4 door 4x4 Crew Cab 7.3 Diesel, Lance 915 loaded, 2015 Palomino SS1500 Loaded



Now I have questions... I looked at the steps but I'm nit sure if I can get a set that will work. My Backpack has a steel channel across the back to secure a set to...

I still need the ladder to reach the top latches anyway so maybe the steps are moot.

I wish the truck was lower, when I was young it was no issue, now, it is but I'm not going to or want to pull leaves and drop the height, I'm getting too old for that stuff.

I see you have the same style door I have. You have an inner screen door (I presume). I don't but I want and need one. Any idea where I can source the back door? I can pull the one thats on there and replace it, not an issue.

I see you have the manual RT jacks like I do....and a Teardrop too, thats neat. On your jacks, can you step down the legs and then crank them or do you have to crank them all the way?

My Backpack is longer than yours and my grey / black drains are under the drivers side in the back... and I have 2 propane bottles but I only run one.

I did switch all the marker / stop and tail lights to LED's
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Nobody
post Nov 5 2016, 10:15 AM
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Group: Members
Posts: 124
Joined: 5-November 12
Member No.: 6,339
Favorite Truck Camper(s): Palomino
Type and Brand of Truck(s) Owned: '99 Ford F-250 SuperCab long bed, 7.3L Power Stroke
Type of Tiedowns used: Blackstone Mfg Co Camper Clampers, looking for TorkLift
Truck and Camper Setup: 2003 SunLite 8.5 WTSB, modified roof lift to support roof air



Hi Flip - Sorry for the delay in response. On Wed my wife had eye surgery so only got a chance to check the forum late in the evening. On Thur she had appt with the opthalmologist to get her bandages/dressings off, & yesterday our grandson got married so we didn't get much chance to do anything else.

The Brophy folding steps are nice but few of them are of a height needed for most trucks & campers. They're either too tall or not tall enough. The steel channel on your backpack would make an excellent base to attach steps to. I had to fabricate a piece of 2x4 (ripped) & bolt it under the rear of my camper in order to fit the 'rail' that the steps hang on. It works & is sturdy enough but ain't the prettiest I've seen. I've gotten to the age that if things work as I intended I don't worry too much about looks.

The latches for the top are just barely within my reach if I stand on the bumper, & the front latches I can open the truck door & stand on the steps to reach 'em, again just barely. I used a small 2' step ladder to adjust 'em so they latch securely when the top is fully down. Previous owner (an engineering teacher) devised a new 'lift' system for the top after adding the air conditioner to the roof. The original aluminum & brass 'rack & pinion' lift kept stripping the gear when the extra weight was added. He used 3/4" 'all-thread' type rod (square thread top), cut off part of the geared 'racks', & bolted on threaded collars to the original 'X' bars of the lift, with an 'idler' in the middle. He just welded a wrench socket to one end of the all-thread rod & installed an access port on the passenger side of the camper adjacent to the rod. Works pretty well with my DeWalt 18vdc cordless drill but I hafta stand on the 2' ladder to reach the access port.

Yes, we do have a factory screen door which makes it nice along with the screened upper area. We just roll up the 'canvas', zip down the clear vinyl, & it's like living in a tent only better. We don't use the AC unless it's really hot and/or muggy. I haven't investigated where you'd be able to find/source a replacement door. I'll keep my eyes open & let you know if I find any.

My 4-corner Reico-Titan jacks don't have a 'step down', you hafta crank 'em all the way down. I owned one camper with hydraulic jacks that had the 'step down' secured with a pin. They were really handy when leveling or taking the camper on/off. I have a 12pt 7/8" deep barrel socket with a slot in the side that I use with my cordless drill to 'run' 'em up & down when needed. Sure would like to have a 'step down' feature tho...

I built the teardrop in 2006. I remember them from when I was a kid & in 2005 we were thinking about downsizing & I remembered them & started looking on the www & found the website tnttt (teardrops & tiny travel trailers). Most of the members had already or were in the process of building their own TD so I acquired a Harbor Freight 1800# trailer in the crate(s), assembled it and started work on the TD. Took me about 4mos of almost every day work but it was fun. We've towed it almost 30K miles & enjoyed every minute of it but it is definitely a 'fair weather rig'. Ain't much place to 'shelter' in inclement weather. We have an 8'X8' straight leg 1st-Up awning from WalMart that I erect over the galley hatch, & a Tex-Sun porta potti/shower shelter that we carry in the p/u for when we aren't able to snag a campsite near the facility. Wife uses that instead of the long walk in the middle of the night. Our TD is built over the 12" wheels & the cabin is 114" long x 60" wide, & about 50" high outside measure, & weighs around 1150# loaded for travel. The sleeping cabin is almost 'queen' size & we've enjoyed lotsa nights in it all over the USA. I installed a fantastic vent fan in the roof & when we open the door windows slightly with the fan on exhaust it's almost like having an AC 'cept it don't reduce the humidity.

We only have a single propane tank, & the toilet has a small (8gal??) holding tank. No water heater or shower (except outside shower, cold only). I have a small 5gal 'blue boy' that we use for gray water.

I've discovered that I'm having a grounding problem with my clearance/marker lights. They use the aluminum roof bottom trim piece as a common ground. I've never yet seen aluminum that didn't oxidize over time & cause a problem with 12v ground. I'm in the process of re-doing them with individual ground & have ordered led bulbs to replace the 1895 bayonette types. I'd go with all new led lights but they're pricey & we don't have unlimited funds. I have led bulbs to replace the tail, stop, turn, & back-up lights but haven't yet installed 'em.
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