For you truck campers--slow down heh

Some interesting quotes from the article:

Neil Calder wrote:
I had already noticed that the top of the left front turnbuckle was consistently loose.
It was a very steep and broken road
I should have stopped and checked the turnbuckles again because my rig was shaking a lot
The road got steeper and worse.
I had never been that far on that trail because my Range Rover had never made it that far.
I walked up and turned around and looked at my truck.
That's when I realized something wasn't the same.
The camper wasn't anywhere in sight.
Half a mile down the trail there she was in the middle of the trail.
We came to find that one of the air bags had blown.
The amazing thing is that I didn't hear or feel anything when my camper came off my truck.
I can't believe I got a free lunch!
The accident was my fault.
I should have been more diligent about tightening the turnbuckles given the off-road conditions I was traveling.

Some people aren't gifted with the any sense at all.

"Hold my beer and watch this!"

More than once on a very steep off road grade,I have stopped and put two ratchet straps from the front stake pocket to the rear jack mount for piece of mind..The back road to the Gospel Hump Wilderness is incredibly steep...

With three of us in the front seat of my old Mazda pickup,I was in second gear floored to make it up..

In 25 years, never used a rubber mat, never had either of my TC's shift or move even a little bit and I use the 'Old School' Happyjac tie downs and I really run off road most of the time and I don't mean pulling on the berm either. All I've ever did was run a Rhino lined bed. My personal opinion is a rubber mat is a waste of time and a moisture collector.

Of course when I'm in 4wd and negotiating an off road situation, I'm going slow (as in 4L).

Acting stupid off road will get you many things besides losing your camper and most of them aren't pleasant either.

Trails never look steep, until you have something to compare them to - like a house.
I think what the guy was missing was rubber mat under the camper.
I was with my heavy camper on 12-14% grades and watched my mirrors pretty carefully. Don't think the tie-downs could hold 5000 lb of camper without rubber friction.

Off road guys are out looking for an adventure. They got an unusual one here. I bet they talk about it for a long time.

That trail doesn't look all that steep in the photos.

I didn't realize those truck campers were sturdy enough to survive a fall like that.
Gee, I can see out the back window now, what happened?
Happy endings are always good.

Y-Guy wrote:
From Truck Camper Mag by the man himself.

Thanks for the story. Funny thing from his side of the story, “I slowly drove down the trail and made it to the bottom.” Ha ha. The pros said he dusted them.

From Truck Camper Mag by the man himself.

Ductape wrote:
Ran off and left his rescuers in the dust after loading?

You can’t fix stupid.

It used to be I would help anyone and everyone off roading. But after encountering too many drunks and stupids sometimes I just drive on by.

He was going downhill then so the camper stayed in fine. :)