camper tie downs

Tom_Anderson wrote:
Speaking of Torklift customer service, they saw my comments here about their instructions and contacted me to ask how they could improve. That level of service is pretty hard to come by these days, and is worth a few extra bucks, IMO.

How they could improve? Just about everything in their manuals need to be improved. From the really bad type, that looks like it's been photo copied a dozen times prior to going to print, to the photos that make no sense as to what you are looking at, angle, distance, etc. and contrast that is either black OR white with little gray scale. Even the size of the instructions are too small. It's not a full page of paper, it's some sort of 1/4 page booklet.

I do believe they have instructions on line along with youtube videos, but if they don't, that would help.

I've bought a lot of their products. They all are the best money can buy. When it comes to my recreation, I do not want to cut corners or worry that I went cheap and risked a failure. I don't think anyone can state that there are any other products that will out-perform the torklift line.

Most recently, I got the 'Landing Gear' feet for my steps. Probably the best single item so far. Stupidly priced, they are a dream to use and makes getting in and out of my camper so much more safe than it ever was before.

Downwindtracker2 wrote:
Fastguns and electric jacks make sense for those for those who load Friday night for the weekend.

To make turnbuckles easier and quicker, use a shackle at the bottom, undo the jam nut, slacken, and undo the shackle. If you are worrier, use zap straps on the pin and cut them free.

Correction, Fastguns and Electric Jacks make common sense period. Electric jacks make loading and unloading quick and safe. Fastguns make securing the camper to the truck simple, safe and secure.

thanks for all the answers, I learned a lot

Fastguns and electric jacks make sense for those for those who load Friday night for the weekend.

To make turnbuckles easier and quicker, use a shackle at the bottom, undo the jam nut, slacken, and undo the shackle. If you are worrier, use zap straps on the pin and cut them free.

Anything is possible, I was told by my elders who snowbird that a dually was the best rig for a camper because they hear of SRW trucks getting blown over but not the camper blown off.

When we drove to a vantage point on the coast and I ended up going up a very steep, steep road I was glad I was tied in well.

I thought the dang thing would have just slid off the back end without those tie downs, probably not but you sure think about it at those steep angles.

northshore wrote:
Thanks for the info on the DeeZee mat, as far as tie downs go, so that I am clear on their primary purpose, they keep the camper from shifting in the bed, (is there a chance the camper could "blow" out of the bed?)

Funny you mention that, when I installed the load stops on my dually I think I sent them a message letting them know I work at a printing company and I offered to compose their manual for that product as I found it jumping back and forth quite a bit.

And the graphics might be nice on one page but unrecognizable on the next so couple that with an out of order set of instructions and it made me back track during the installation.

Your results may vary...

Tom_Anderson wrote:
Speaking of Torklift customer service, they saw my comments here about their instructions and contacted me to ask how they could improve. That level of service is pretty hard to come by these days, and is worth a few extra bucks, IMO.

Gripnriprod wrote:

GeoBoy wrote:
No research required, go with Torklifts and FastGuns.

X2
I have no affiliation with Torklift other than I have several of their products on may PU and TC.

X3. Don't have the fastguns....too much money for what you get. Turnbuckles work for me.

Thanks for the info on the DeeZee mat, as far as tie downs go, so that I am clear on their primary purpose, they keep the camper from shifting in the bed, (is there a chance the camper could "blow" out of the bed?)

Some people use brackets or a jig, must mostly to make it load easier and in the same place every time. I use a DeeZee bed mat, and it's fairly thin at 3/8 or 1/2, but kept the camper from moving around on washboard. When I had just plywood it move slowly keep moving back and to the passenger side.

ok so the tie downs are not meant to retain the camper to the truck in case of accident, so we are really trying to keep the camper from shifting in the bed, so that brings me to the question do you use some kind of "shim" or spacer to keep the camper centered? I have read that using a rubber mat bed liner helps keep it from moving also.