Truck Camper Struts - Good? Useless?
Lance model 880 (10'9") Extended. Ford F-350 Extended cab with Rancho 9000 shocks. Any reason I should pay $800 to have struts installed?
Forum Discussion
- In my very limited experience with TC's
1. A Lance owner, with struts installed, said it was very solid
2. I don't think I'd put them onto a TC that wasn't designed to handle the strain
3. Question? What kind of tie-downs do you use? I noticed the Canadian rental companies, whose rigs end up on Alaska Highway and other rough places, use beams that cross under the chassis. No struts on the TC itself. It seems to me, just from observation, that the better-looking tie-downs, attached to box and bumper, can't secure the TC as well as frame-mounted ones. Can't prove it, just saying... - I read the article, very informative. They may work but I wouldn't want anything absorbing that force that is just attached to some wood in the nose of the camper with 2 little screws. That part of the camper (except maybe for a Lance) doesn't seem designed to take force like the bottom and jack attachment points do.
- They will settle down the fore and aft jiggle from the camper working the bed of the truck. We get jiggles with no trailer. Hook up the bike trailer on the 2 ft extension and Air Safe WD hitch and the ride improves to eerie smoothness...
- I've never experienced any of the porpoising described in the Truck Camper magazine article, and I don't know anyone who felt that they needs the struts. The newer trucks are heavier duty than ghe ones from the 70's, so what was needed then may not be necessary now. I'd try the rig without them for now. If you have a lot of porpoising problems, you can always add them later for the same cost. If you find that you don't need them, you've saved a lot of money. I don't see any reason to add gadgets or fix things until I know that I need to.
- Interesting article. As the young baby boomer population got older they went to MHs & 5ers. They stay at RV parks instead of boone dock camping. In the 70s in CA you could put a motorbike rack on the back of a TC and not be limited to 55 mph. We all worked then and only had a weekend or maybe just a Saturday to camp. Desert camping in the winter and mountains in the summer.
Yes, those struts really worked. I had them on several TCs back in the 70s. A real necessity on a large cabover over a crew cab. If you get porposing on the highway struts will help take it out.
