Fastgun tiedowns - tension vs camper weight

What if the heavier the camper the less bouncing around it does? Maybe they need less tension. I pretty much do as the other poster says, very little tension.

I hear ya. You'd think they'd be strong enough, but I've noticed a couple failures on here over the past year. One was a roll-over, so that's an extreme case. Perhaps the mounts are weak, perhaps some people go Medieval on their tension. I figure if the camper moves in the truck, two of the tie-downs will get tighter. Maybe that's no different than having more tension to begin with. Our camper is about 3,300 pounds and I try to follow the 1/4" rule. I certainly don't break out the micrometers every time I fasten the tie-downs, though. All in all, I guess failures aren't that common.

Carb Cleaner wrote:

... I also assume the makers of a much heavier camper are also going to cover themselves by making the tie down points strong enough to keep the camper in the truck.

What Planet are you camping on?

Planet Brazil right now as it happens but since the rig is from litigious USA, I assume manufacturers would cover their ass as best they can. In this case there is one product with a one size fits all setting despite camper sizes and weights varying by more that 2:1 ratio (or more) and presumably having proportional strength of tie down points. In this case duty of care by two different providers seems as if it might set up a conflict.

Was just a thought.

... I also assume the makers of a much heavier camper are also going to cover themselves by making the tie down points strong enough to keep the camper in the truck.

What Planet are you camping on?

Whenever I have a question about a Torklift product, I call Torklift and they answer my question and explain things until I understand. But I do believe you are overthinking it. The tension is what it is, I don't think more preload on the Fastguns makes a significant different. Just put em on. I don't have as much preload as they call for, in fact I barely have any tension at all.

Was just assuming that the manufacturers of the tie downs are going to cover themselves by making sure their setting isn't going to wreck the flimsiest camper, whereas I also assume the makers of a much heavier camper are also going to cover themselves by making the tie down points strong enough to keep the camper in the truck.
Logically that should make a difference of maybe an extra couple of hundred pounds per tie-down between the lightest and the heaviest campers and so a heavy camper should maybe use a 3/8" measurement.

Camper hasn't moved yet despite some pretty rough roads and topes that put anything in Mexico to shame, so maybe I'm just over-analysing the situation.

Tony, the tension is what it is so that the tie down points don't get ripped out.

I have a 3500 pound TC wet. I really don't pay any attention to the o ring. I look at where The tension starts when closing the handle. I want to feel tension when the handle closing is about 1/2 way across the locking hole. I think using the same tension on lighter or heavier campers is fine. The camper sits in the truck because of gravity. The tie downs are there just for the bumps of the road and stopping and starting. JMHO