Guys, anyone use the Brophy Universal Tie Downs?Says they are universal and fit in the stake pockets of the bed. Also a fraction of the price of the Tork Lifts. Are these any good or is TL the only way to go?

Haven't used them. Considered them when we got the first camper because they were cheaper.I'm sure they work, but I've found its pretty easy to bend the top lip and top of bed rail on newer trucks. Just the J bolts that attach tool boxes bend the top bed rail. I anticipated damage to the bed with these and went with frame mounts. Also appeared to not allow a long enough connection to get any sort of spring loaded connection in the turnbuckle/chain assembly.Older truck and/or small camper, maybe, IMO. New truck with fragile thin sheetmetal and a big camper, not so much.JMO.Similar with Happijacs. I'd consider the front Happijac mounts to be secure and would use them based on how they distribute the load, but I'd never use the bumper buttons if I wanted to keep my bumper straight. The old 86 Chevy we just bought has one side of the bumper tweaked from HJ mounts and it's a real bumper. Newer bumpers are tin cans comparatively.TL, while expensive also offer the best angle/location for mounting. The bed and bumper mounts require much larger angles between the camper and the tiedown, which structurally puts more/different stresses on the camper brackets AND is continually "pulling" on the truck bed vs the frame.I think in this case, you truly get what you pay for.

Happijac would be another option. https://happijac.com/tie-downs.htmlNot sure the Brophys adequate for weight of your Lance

I see you have Ram listed in your profile?I used Ram's bed from 2000's and that thing was cracking like crazy. Had to reweld it several times just to hold it together. Would I want my camper attached to it > NO WAY

For what they are, the Brophys are a decent product. They're definitely tempting at $173 for a set of 4. Key thing to keep in mind: the Brophys mount to (and are only as strong as) the thin sheet metal in the truck's bed. Might be an acceptable option for a very light in-bed camper.Torklift frame tie-downs are fabricated with 1/4" and thicker steel plates. Most importantly, they're mounted and secured directly to the frame of the truck. Another plus, you can remove the extensions (in seconds) so there's very little visible when the camper is off the truck. Downside, they cost $700-$800 for a set of 4.

this is great. yesterday while moving stuff around i found the similar tie downs. i had them on my first 3 truck campers, of course the TC in those days were much smaller, not nearly as heavy back then. i would never use them on todays, heavier TC. They are at least 40 years old. was going to throw them away, but who knows.

Brophy Tie Downs? | Good Sam Community

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Jun 03, 2020
I see you have Ram listed in your profile?
I used Ram's bed from 2000's and that thing was cracking like crazy.
Had to reweld it several times just to hold it together.
Would I want my camper attached to it > NO WAY
AnEv942
Nomad
Jun 03, 2020
Happijac would be another option.
https://happijac.com/tie-downs.html
Not sure the Brophys adequate for weight of your Lance
Grit_dog
Navigator
Jun 03, 2020
Haven't used them. Considered them when we got the first camper because they were cheaper.
I'm sure they work, but I've found its pretty easy to bend the top lip and top of bed rail on newer trucks. Just the J bolts that attach tool boxes bend the top bed rail. I anticipated damage to the bed with these and went with frame mounts. Also appeared to not allow a long enough connection to get any sort of spring loaded connection in the turnbuckle/chain assembly.
Older truck and/or small camper, maybe, IMO. New truck with fragile thin sheetmetal and a big camper, not so much.

JMO.

Similar with Happijacs. I'd consider the front Happijac mounts to be secure and would use them based on how they distribute the load, but I'd never use the bumper buttons if I wanted to keep my bumper straight. The old 86 Chevy we just bought has one side of the bumper tweaked from HJ mounts and it's a real bumper. Newer bumpers are tin cans comparatively.

TL, while expensive also offer the best angle/location for mounting. The bed and bumper mounts require much larger angles between the camper and the tiedown, which structurally puts more/different stresses on the camper brackets AND is continually "pulling" on the truck bed vs the frame.

I think in this case, you truly get what you pay for.

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