Almost finished my build, need help finishing up

[sasq40]

So our camping season is coming to an end but doesn't mean I need to stop working on the camper! I bought the truck in June and have been tweaking it to getting it just the way I want in. Right now I'm tying the camper down to the deck with some modified torkkift tie downs. The trucks a 2009 f550 that drives like a tank.

Now I'm looking so some help with a few things.

First thing, how's this hitch look for using a extension to haul a trailer with my jeep in it? I was thinking about getting my welder to weld a 2.5 receiver on the the hitch (I own the Reese 2.5x2 cut to 24") and building a extension similar to the torklift. My main concern is that the hitch only mounts to the side of the frame and not in top, but he truck was used as a hotshot truck so I'm assuming it towed some decent loads with that hitch.

[Bedlam]

I think you may be better off raising the camper a little higher so the boxes can be stuffed in more inboard. This would also help you deal with plumbing under the rear overhang.

Running a bar full length under the camper wings while attached to the camper tie down points would allow you to use turnbuckles forward and rearward of storage boxes.

[Kayteg1]

Don't know if that is illusion, or flatbed is narrower than camper?
Than giving camper 2" shimming would clear the sides on top of the bed.
Nothing that hard for metal fabricator, once he's got his mind set to it.
I still highlight the main point - moving the camper forward will avoid spending big money on superhitch + stinger and will avoid lot of potential handling problems in future.

[AnEv942]

Floor I gather is above deck. Appears the bumper wings could be trimmed, not removing bumper, drain easily moved, allow sliding camper forward several inches, without modifying the dump line.
Definitely need a forward stop for mass of camper.

The boxes be nice if front flush with camper, require re-trimming skirts to slide back. Which I don't know how much room behind the skirts or structure in yours.
Kind of of shown in one of your pictures but a full length piece bolted to or replacing existing tiedown points would easily allow fronts to clear boxes. Could also extend rearward to clear boxes, access? maybe door in skirt or panel to end of box. Be good place for quick release.
Room to slid hand under skirt to area behind?
Front anchors need to pull camper forward with some side to side angle, rears side to side more critical.
Edit: last post mentions-type too slow

[sasq40]

ticki2 wrote:
If you could make an attaching point to the front jack mount the tiedown would clear the boxes . In the rear add a new mount behind the skirt . Folks are always talking about the camper COG and it's relation the the rear axle , which is important but not the full story . Especially on a flatbed , where there is a lot of storage , where you load the heavy items can change everything . The overall COG of the truck and camper combo is the most important . Generally , if you a r e adding weight to the front axle when fully loaded you are OK . The wild cards are the holding tanks and in your case the aux gas tank which will not remain constant .

Hmm that is another option for sure. I may do a combination of moving the front mount forward and removing the bumper to move the camper forward. I have the equivalent to the torklift anchor relocate kit that I could use to extend the mounts. It may leave the tie downs going straight up and down which isn't ideal.

[ticki2]

If you could make an attaching point to the front jack mount the tiedown would clear the boxes . In the rear add a new mount behind the skirt . Folks are always talking about the camper COG and it's relation the the rear axle , which is important but not the full story . Especially on a flatbed , where there is a lot of storage , where you load the heavy items can change everything . The overall COG of the truck and camper combo is the most important . Generally , if you a r e adding weight to the front axle when fully loaded you are OK . The wild cards are the holding tanks and in your case the aux gas tank which will not remain constant .

[sasq40]

I wasn't planning much weight for the boxes, mainly my chairs and mat's etc, but I'll go looking around tomorrow how much work it will be to change out the plumbing to scoot the camper forward. I can probably handle losing a foot or so to save couple g. It's mainly the way it is now cuz we wanted to get out camping right away as we didn't get the truck till mid July, now I got time to get it right for next year's camping

Either way the way the deck is built the headache rack has sides that stops it from touching the cab, so my slip tank will alway have room, my future addition might not have as much room lol

[Kayteg1]

Camper COG alone is not an issue for your truck, but you will have to be careful with loading your boxes, to avoid heavy stuff behind the axle and you will have the stinger/tongue limits.
Do you really need 120 gallons of gas for your Jeep?
Anyway, I think you can move the camper even with end of the bed and still have cargo space on front?
You are the guy with tape measure?

[sasq40]

Id have to use all the tool boxes for fuel to make up for my slip tank lol. Moving it forward also leaves alot of deck space behind the camper that I don't know how I'd utizile.

If the cog sticker on the camper is right on the axle, then shouldn't it be fine? Or is there something I'm missing?

I'd most likely change plumbing around rather then cut a hole in the deck.

Good thinking about something to keep it from going forward. The wood is mainly to get it high enough to clear the headache rack and line it up. So far it's done a good job of keeping it in place tho.

I did look into running the ties inside the boxes, but it uses up so much room that it wouldn't be worth the hassle

[Kayteg1]

Frankly, with so many toolboxes I think you could put gas cans in them and with cutting hole in the deck, have sewer extender under the bed.
This way you will move whole COG forward and avoid the possibility of doing the job again, when you find you have too much behind rear axle.
This way you can also do some existing hitch reinforcement and with no need for stinger -save $2000 if not more.
Bare in mind that in frontal accident - campers move forward and tilt to crush the cabin. Some more than wood in front would be advised.
For the ties - can you run them inside the boxes?

[sasq40]

was thinking of mounting similar to this. I'd I move the camper any further forward I'd have to remove the build on bumper and change around the sewage dump and the water tank drain as it would be pointing into the deck.



I originally was gonna have it forward more but didn't want to mess with the plumbing, and since the center of gravity was over the axle I left it.

I'm the future when kid 2 comes I'm also thinking of building a bunk house in front and removing the cab window and making a little door ha

[Bedlam]

If you get any truck frame flex, that will be transfer into forces on your camper frame if directly bolted together. Although it is done, I would rather see a spring load device between the camper and truck for that reason.

If you could slide the camper farther forward so you have minimal overhang, then you would not need a hitch extension. This would allow you to use the existing receiver but you will need to find an alternate location for your auxiliary fuel tank.

[sasq40]

looking at the Douglass setups looks like the campers bolt to the boxes. Would there be any problems with me doing that?

[sasq40]

sounds like my concerns about that hitch were correct. The truck also had a 5th plate welded on so maybe that hitch was mostly for show. Safest bet would be for me to look into the torklift setup, just so hard to stomach the 2000$ bill its gonna be

[sasq40]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Looks like you are putting camper COG behind the axle, than you will have stinger, so putting boxes behind rear axle can stretch rear axle capacity even on dually.
Push the boxes as far up front as you can.

kinda of hard to see but in the first pic you can see the camper cog sticker is about a inch behind the rear axle.

I will be sticking a slip tank right against the headache rack to fuel the jeep when we camp off the grid and was thinking of making a cage system in front of the camper to carry fire wood or what ever.

This truck is just a camping truck so if i end up with a box configuration that the jack blocks i will just remove the front jacks. I have 4 48" boxes and 2 36". My ideal configuration is a 48 under near the cab, and a 48&36 on the deck(kind of picture 1&2 mixed together)

Mounting the camper tho is troublesome with the tie downs. I have thought about making a bar that would attach to both tie .down anchors, then go down to the deck and have this bar bolt onto the deck. Is there issues with have the camper mounted solid to my deck?

Bedlam you basically are setup how i want mine(other then the boxe sizes switched a bit) Its nice that your units tie downs are out so far. Mine dont overhang enough to clear the boxes