2016 F-450 TC Prep?

[S_and_S_Peaches]

I have a 2016 F-450 crew cab that were going to use to carry a 2019 Northern lite 10-2 with. Is there anyone else with a similar truck and camper set up that might advise some prior truck prep before picking up our camper last of April first of May? Our camper is being built in April.

I'm adding Stableloads, and a SuperHitch Magnum with a 36" extension. I plan on pulling either a two horse trailer or a 16 ft. Fiberglass Trihull boat. I'm wondering if anyone with my setup had any clearance issues between truck cab and camper. Should I consider a bed mat addition to lift the camper up a little? All advice considered.
Thanks in advance.

[SoonDockin]

I have the plug in the drivers rear of my bed like yours. I just plug it in as the camper is loading and lay it over the wheel well. Mine is above the bed rails where it plugs into the camper, so I just drape it over the side until the camper is set.

Enjoy your new camper! We sure love ours.

[S_and_S_Peaches]

Greeno, TxGearhead,K Mac. I'm loving all the great suggestions. And good luck wishes. I'm not the only one to benefit from all the great suggestions based off what folks have learned. Those who read this thread in the future may be helped as well. I have my trade in loaded on the new truck for the first time. It's a 2004 S&S 8.5 Ponderosa. I have 3/8 rubber bed mat and made a four foot extension with male & female 7-pin, 7-wire for the old camper plug to reach the rear plug in. Test drove it yesterday and had clearance issues with the truck cab clearance lights making occasional minimal contact under the camper cab over. I'll jack the camper up and slide three 8 ft. 2x6 underneath and set it back down. That should give me the clearance I will need to transport to Portland Apache Dealer when I get word our new camper has arrived. The end of the month can not come soon enough. We are beginning to get excited!

[K_Mac]

I've forgotten to plug my cord in at the rear OEM plug a few times over the years, though a little difficult, I can do it w/out raising camper.Another thing to be prepared for is your tie-down might interfere w/ fuel door. A good reason to have fast-guns,quick n easy. Good luck with your new toys, enjoy!

[TxGearhead]

I'm probably overthinking it, but I wanted a flat floor for the camper to sit on. I covered my entire truck bed floor with 5/8" plywood. In front of and behind the fender wells also. The plywood is in 4 pieces and the rear 2 pieces are captured behind the tailgate opening so they can't slide out. I have a rubber bed mat over that. I think the Bigfoot, and I guess Northern Lite, are mostly supported by their sidewalls. I didn't want my sidewalls half in and half out of one of the bed corrugations.
I plug into the 7 pin on the bumper and secure it with a cable tie. I don't want to lift the camper to access the plug. I also think the Ram doesn't isolate the truck battery from the camper battery, so there is a chance of draining the truck battery if I'm somewhere with no hookups. Easy to just unplug from the bumper.

[greenno]

I purchased my 2019 AF 990 at Apache up in Portland and they were great to deal with. As far as a plug is concerned I installed a second 7 pin receptacle on the inside of the bed on the front of the drivers side fender well and plug in my cord before loading up camper and hang it over the side, back up to camper loading position and plug in right before lowering camper onto bed. Spliced into wiring harness under rear bumper so my 7 pin at the back is still there if I need it. Using a bed mat as well. Good luck.

[S_and_S_Peaches]

Grit dog wrote:
Sweet! Good times ahead!
I’ll be on the lookout for a 450 with a NL this summer!

Stubb Stewart State Park, Hares Canyon Horse Camp, 2016 F-450 Platinum trim, white platinum Tri-coat, 2019 Northern Light 10-2 SE LE camper, Two horse, Royal, straight load, space # 11 :C

[Grit_dog]

Sweet! Good times ahead!
I’ll be on the lookout for a 450 with a NL this summer!

[S_and_S_Peaches]

Kayteg & Grit Dog, I got ahold of the dealer and they are going to provide all the alternations at their shop at no cost to me. :>)) So far dealing with Apache Camping RV dealers has been a great experience. I've got a bed mat coming from online shopping, and Northern Lite has okay-ed my stainless steel spring loaded/dampend tie downs.I had the Torklift frame camper mounts installed and the dealer also advised me on the camper height so I now know the cab clearance of the camper cab over. ~ Y'all are really appreciated for helping/advising me on this Northern Light / truck prep thread. Thanks to all.

[Grit_dog]

Kayteg has a good point. As much as I thought it would be convienent to have an in bed plug in for the camper, I started out by making a long extension that plugged into the back of the truck with a Y for a trailer.
It's pretty much impossible to unplug a camper plugged in in the front of the bed without lifting the camper off and difficult in the rear of the bed on some/a lot of campers.
So for me the convienence of easily unplugging the camper from the truck when it's parked for a while makes plugging into the back bumper the best option.

[Kayteg1]

S and S Peaches wrote:
The 2016 F-450 has a factory seven pin in the rear of the drivers side bed that I was planning to plug in the new camper. I though I could easily make up or purchase a ready made extension if the camper plug-in cord is too short.

You are assuming it will work, when with variety of TC designs you never know.
I am die-hard DIY and I can make any plug that makes sense, yet my campers fit on my 2017 F350 with "hair gaps" only, so no matter where in the bed I would have the plug, I would not have a way to reach it. '
So as much as I hate extensions for bad connections - this it the only easy and foolproof way that works for me.

[S_and_S_Peaches]

KD4UPL wrote:

S and S Peaches wrote:

mbloof wrote:
Get a 7pin RV outlet installed in the front drivers side of the bed.

Enjoy.

- Mark0.

Thanks Mark, couldn't I just make up an 7-pin extension if needed to plug into the 7 pin in the drivers side rear?

If you're going to pull a trailer you will need the rear connection for the trailer lights. Or, you would need a Y adapter to plug both the camper and trailer into that rear connection. I would much prefer installing a 2nd plug up front for the camper.

The dealer said he would throw in a 7-pin extension cord to plug my trailer(s) into. I'm getting a really great deal on both the Torklift SuperMagnum Hitch and 36" extension I'm buying through the dealer. I'm not using the F-450 hitch 7-pin female to plug in the camper ... only my trailer(s). The 2016 F-450 has a factory seven pin in the rear of the drivers side bed that I was planning to plug in the new camper. I though I could easily make up or purchase a ready made extension if the camper plug-in cord is too short.

[S_and_S_Peaches]

"Do you have dimensional specs on the camper? If so, it's easy to measure and figure out clearance. Or ask the dealer or NL."

GD ~ There isn't any specs in the NL brochure or web site. I'm approx 200 mile round trip from the dealer or I could physically measure it myself. I now have emails to both dealer and NL regarding the F-450 cab clearance.

[KD4UPL]

S and S Peaches wrote:

mbloof wrote:
Get a 7pin RV outlet installed in the front drivers side of the bed.

Enjoy.

- Mark0.

Thanks Mark, couldn't I just make up an 7-pin extension if needed to plug into the 7 pin in the drivers side rear?

If you're going to pull a trailer you will need the rear connection for the trailer lights. Or, you would need a Y adapter to plug both the camper and trailer into that rear connection. I would much prefer installing a 2nd plug up front for the camper.

[Grit_dog]

S and S Peaches wrote:
I have a 2016 F-450 crew cab that were going to use to carry a 2019 Northern lite 10-2 with. Is there anyone else with a similar truck and camper set up that might advise some prior truck prep before picking up our camper last of April first of May? Our camper is being built in April.

I'm adding Stableloads, and a SuperHitch Magnum with a 36" extension. I plan on pulling either a two horse trailer or a 16 ft. Fiberglass Trihull boat. I'm wondering if anyone with my setup had any clearance issues between truck cab and camper. Should I consider a bed mat addition to lift the camper up a little? All advice considered.
Thanks in advance.

Do you have dimensional specs on the camper? If so, it's easy to measure and figure out clearance. Or ask the dealer or NL.