Tie-Down Placement

Question

I will be using Brophy clamp-on tie downs. Here's my camper hastily parked atop my truck. Yes, it's squatting. My question for the moment: where should the tiedowns go?

Clearly, the rear tie down has to go at the furthest-aft point I can anchor to - I made that red. But should the front tie down be placed to stop forward motion (blue position); or in the green position since the cab of the truck pretty much stops any forward motion....

As an aside - yeah - we were stunned at the 6" the truck squatted. The camper was 1200#; and I've removed the LP tank and water system; and at the moment there's not even a battery in it. Maybe this isn't the one (truck) we want to dance with - might go bigger so no alterations are required.....

tonymull · Answer

First I'd go to a scale fan find out what the real weight of the camper is.  Obviously it is made for a long bed truck, so center of gravity will be a big concern for you.  Air bags can help the squat but nothing will help the payload problem you seem to have.  I think either of the tie down points will be OK.  If you do change trucks go all the way to a one ton.  Just a few hundred more than a 3/4 and worth every penny.

deb_and_ed_m · Answer

Thanks, Tonymull.  We want to tie it down and take it for a ride, and see how it feels?  Ed found some airbags to level the ride a bit.

tonymull · Answer

As discussed on here many times, if you have a drop in bed liner you need to remove it. You want plywood, rubber mat, EVA foam mat or a piece of structural foam (pink or blue stuff from Home Depot) between the camper and the bed.  This protects the bed, but more importantly keeps the camper from moving around.  Tie downs keep the camper on the truck, but will still let it move around quite a bit in the bed which can damage the truck or the camper. I have used the jigsaw puzzle type stuff with no problems for a few years.

deb_and_ed_m · Answer

This particular truck has a sprayed-on bedliner; and I DO have a rubber mat :-)

I think the squat has a lot to do with the spring suspension, even as a 4 x 4 with a "camper package"?? (It has a lush, limo-like ride as a daily driver) Ed bought me a really rough Ram 1500 to use just as a "rolling camper cart" - and THAT ancient old thing doesn't squat very much under the camper. But it has leaf springs. We brought the camper home with an F-250, and of course that didn't squat at all.

I'll get the tiedowns installed this week, re-load the camper; and we'll go for a ride to the Cat Scales.

Ironically, with the truck squatting this badly - the camper is perfectly level?!

sharkman · Answer

Front tie down should go forward (blue), rear tie down should be straight down to rearward position just in case you have to make an abrupt stop, that way the Cabover doesn't slam the top of your truck cab, IMHO.

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