When you get to where you are going to be camping for a few days;Do you unload your camper and use your truck for sightseeing shopping whatever? If you do, do you just use the jacks and lower the camper, and it is steady enough for general use?Or do you have some kind of support, like saw horses, or? What is the right way to use the camper off the truck?I am questioning this because I have Dually extenders on the front jacks and they can be just alittle wobbly

Take some blocks or jack stands and lower it onto them for stabilization.

I have saw horses and use a 4x8 plywood base from the bed of the truck then use it on the sawhorses. It's pretty sturdy but it takes a little back and forth to get everything level where the door closes and opens perfect.

I use Torklift Wobble Stoppers on my triple slide Chalet camper. When camper is dismounted from the truck, I attach the WS then lower the camper to the lowest position from the ground. Works good for me....not a lot of movement or sway.

There is more than one right way to do it, and everyone will tell you that their way is right. You should probably microwave some popcorn, because this conversation usually gets pretty heated. I will try to cover the main points.First off, if you're staying at a campground, check the rules and make sure there is nothing specifically prohibiting unloading the camper. Some campgrounds do not want you unloading, for whatever reason. Regardless of the reason, respect the campground owner's wishes. If you don't like a campground owner's policies, vote with your wallet and move on.Second off, ensure that your camper can be used off the truck. Some older campers were not designed to be used off the truck. Very few, if any, current model campers have this issue.Finally, if you do unload, it is quite common to lower the camper to the ground for stability and ease of access. Or leave it high. It's up to you. There have been dozens of threads over the years for clever designs of portable plywood stands that do not take up room, as well as commercial products (i.e. "Wobbl-Stopr") so you don't have to lower the camper to the ground if you don't want to.One final thing, the camper is NOT going to tip over forwards, even with you sleeping in the cabover area.

We don't take the camper off often but yes we do on occasion. We just lower the camper down as far as we can and use it like we do when it's on the truck. There are some wobble stop type product made but we haven't seen a need for them.Your post doesn't indicate what brand the camper is. Most modern campers are designed to be used off the truck with all weight being distributed by the jacks. You may want to verify with the manufacturer of your camper.

So, you are camping and you want to unload your truck camper

56 Replies

drhutch
Explorer
Sep 03, 2018
I generally take the camper off when I tow the boat as I don't like having to move the house to launch / retrieve the boat at days end. I just drop it to as low as I can which is limited by the APU exhaust pipe and all is well. If I were in a campsite that had sewer then it would need to be a bit higher but I don't recall that has ever happened. I have had this unit long enough so off takes less than 15 min and on less than 30 so it is no big deal. I have in the past experimented with X boards and screw jacks with 2x6s but don't really see the need for short term stays (less than a week) and not a lot of folks using the camper.
Happy trails
Hutch
mountainkowboy
Explorer
Sep 01, 2018
Kayteg1 wrote:
Well.... did you unload it when sightseeing? :h:@ :S
Fancy tent you have on it?

That's my Ranger, that's how we camped before we bought Red and the S&S back...
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Sep 01, 2018
Well.... did you unload it when sightseeing? :h:@ :S
Fancy tent you have on it?
mountainkowboy
Explorer
Sep 01, 2018
Kayteg1 wrote:

I might just get camper shell and put mattress in it. :D

Hahahaha...been there, done that.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Sep 01, 2018
Those replies show how big variety TC offer.
It is huge difference between 8-9 foot TC with no slide used for hunting or fishing and then 12-footers with sliders who not only weight 3 tons, but create parking and handling issues.
Having big camper for my family trips, I was thinking about getting another small TC for business trips to other states.
But even pop-ups are not that light or small when you seek one with water tank and space for porta-potty.
I might just get camper shell and put mattress in it. :D
Wagonqueen_Truc
Explorer
Sep 01, 2018
I’m from the East Coast. We don’t have much rocky/uneven terrain. Hahahaha. And forget about boondocking. There’s not much. If I were from out west, I probably would have chosen a different system.
jaycocreek
Explorer II
Sep 01, 2018
I think the Stable lift system is pretty cool and if I camped differently, I would buy it.. There just not for me and Rocky terrain..

I bought a smaller/lighter TC not to take it off in the hills but to be able to take it with me wherever I go. If I wanted to cruise around without a TC on my truck, I'd have a small travel trailer with 10X the room.
burningman
Explorer II
Sep 01, 2018
It handles pretty uneven ground. Probably about as uneven as you’d want to try unloading and reloading on anyway.
I’ve got a sense of humor... but hey, it was gettin’ dished out and I served it back!

Seriously these things work great.
It’s so easy to deal with, if I wanted to run a few miles down the street to the store and back I’d think nothing of dropping the camper for the trip. That’s actually easier than going inside and making sure everything is stowed away in travel mode.
mountainkowboy
Explorer
Aug 31, 2018
Wagonqueen Truckster wrote:
The other side has 2 motored poles. So it’s kinda like a tripod system. (3 toggle switches). There’s maneuverability, but the ground can’t be too uneven.

Got it!! ;) Then that system wouldn't work for us, we get into some pretty messed up out of level ground...ALOT. I try to level the truck as much as possible with blocks and digging holes for the tires. Then I use the jacks to level the TC on the truck in the bed while leaving as much weight on the truck as possible. We really get into the outback at times.
Wagonqueen_Truc
Explorer
Aug 31, 2018
The other side has 2 motored poles. So it’s kinda like a tripod system. (3 toggle switches). There’s maneuverability, but the ground can’t be too uneven.