Stable Lift question

I made a set exactly like the factory ones but I find them a bit too flimsy. I bent them a few times already. I've read others saying that too. Later on in gonna make a super-sized set.

I have the struts but never use them - I just lower the TC when its off the truck; it becomes plenty stable

Yeah, but I want to live the Stable Lift dream! I want to back up, press the buttons and be done. I'll do whatever it takes to make the camper hold together. Even if I have to run 200 rolls of duct tape up over the roof.
Just kidding. Well, sort of...

I've loaded a bunch of different campers onto a bunch of different trucks over the last almost 30 years and hated each and every time. Granted, I've always had older campers of iffy structural integrity, but after sinking a ridiculous amount of $$ into building the most ideal 2nd-gen Dodge diesel I could, a newer less rotted camper isn't coming anytime soon.
Having it be pushbutton-easy to load/unload will make a huge difference in how often I can actually use my camper. Also, I have a Kelderman air ride rear suspension setup that gets in the way of having rear frame tiedowns. I've had to clamp bed rail tiedowns on the rear every time.

Ever since my truck became my daily driver it's been even more of a goal to have the camper be that quick and easy to grab or drop.

I should make a whole thread about loading nightmares.

You do not have to use the Stable Lift to tie down your TC, you can use your existing tie downs. The Stable Lift can provide frame tie downs if prefer, but it is optional.

Please check your PMs.

Wayne

My Bigfoot is a 1988. I paid $1000 for the Bigfoot in 2004, and paid $2500 for my Stable Lift.

Wayne

Thank you!! That's exactly everything I needed to know!
I can make that.
I haven't got my lift installed yet. It's worth more than the camper is... my camper has rot and decay, it's an '87. I'm going to do a lot of reinforcing of the wings first.
My biggest concern isn't lifting the thing, it's making sure the lift doesn't yank itself off with its own weight (plus holding the camper down) while going down the road.
The guy I bought it from had a nice Bigfoot and he said his walls buckled when he tried to lift it by the wings with it. And his was in better shape than mine!

I do not think other stabilizers will work with the Stable Lift, certainly not as well as the Stable Lift versions.

As you can see in the photos, they are different lengths.






Basically each stabilizer consist of two 3/8" coarse threaded rods. One is right hand thread and the other is left hand threads. The rods thread in to a standard 3/8" turnbuckle. One end has a 3/16" hole drilled through to allow it to pin in the brackets which are welded to the lower part of the jack tubing.



The other end has a short piece of square tubing weldded to a piece of angle iron about 2" or 3" long. The square tubing is coupled to the threaded rod with a cotter pin through a 3/16" hole in the tubing and rod. This allows the angle to swivel a little. This end goes against the TC, with one side of the angle on the bottom of the TC and the other against the side of the TC.




Mine (OEM) are very crudely fabricated, but they work well. I can tighten them by hand and they will bow, which has not been a problem.


Wayne

Torklift sells an add on stabilizer. Not necessarily for the stable lift but for truck campers in general. It's called the Wobble Stopper. It may work for you right out of the box or take a little bit of modification.

This has some pretty good closeups. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOy5VoYg8Xk You might also try searching the archives here.

There are a few people with that system here, so probably one of them will chime in.