Arctic Fox 1150 is breaking my 2016 Ford 350 dually

[Avid_Fox]

Wondering if anyone else has this issue also:

2016 AF1150 mounted on a 2016 F350. After about 15000 miles with camper, I noticed stress cracks in the bed, at back corners. At 65000 miles, it's just still getting worse.

I have a bed mat since new. I've tried .75 plywood, but took it out again after it didn't help.

There is also a slight crowning of the truck's bed. Maybe about .5" to .75", most noticable right in front of the factory pin hitch location in the bed.

I think the AF is bending the truck badly. I don't drive like a dope. This is my 2nd camper, and my 6th rv.

[brholt]

I finally took my1150 off. Checked my bed. On my 2013 the bed still looks flat.

Brad

[Grit_dog]

I noticed the crown in the bed rails in your previous pics. Gonna say that’s not by design Have had a couple of that era super duty’s and the bed rails were straight. I’d notice that kind of thing. But I never checked the bed floors for a crown.

[mellow]

Not hard to switch out beds in these trucks if it gets to that point. The longest part is getting out the bolts that hold it down to the frame if they are rusted. Took me about 3 hours to get my bed off, but that was due to having to cut the bolts off. Putting the new bed on with a lift took about an hour, this is for a DRW.

[Avid_Fox]

brholt wrote:
I will take a look at the bed on my 2013 DRW next time I take the camper off, in a week or so. I’ I haven’t seen any issues with the bed or frame. I do see a fair amount of “flex” and I have always had “creaking” sounds with the windows down at low speeds on some “bumps” over the 9 years as I have carried a 1150. I have always assumed they were normal and have never been able to figure out where they are coming from. .

Thank you. This is the kind of thing you can look for, but maybe they're just made this way. IDK. The bed rails are show similar crowning. But no obvious stress buckles. It's odd. I'm thinking they are this way from new in that model.

Doesn't explain the stress cracks at the rear, but the crowning is another issue that allows for too much rocking. Argh.

[brholt]

I will take a look at the bed on my 2013 DRW next time I take the camper off, in a week or so. I’ I haven’t seen any issues with the bed or frame. I do see a fair amount of “flex” and I have always had “creaking” sounds with the windows down at low speeds on some “bumps” over the 9 years as I have carried a 1150. I have always assumed they were normal and have never been able to figure out where they are coming from. .

[Hemi_Joel]

The newer trucks are made of tin foil. I have a 2017 ram that dents if you breathe on it. That's one of the reasons why I'm sticking with my old 93 one ton.

[rickjo]

3 tons wrote:
Aluminum is kinda brittle and has no grain...Makes me kinda wonder if this would've happened with a steel bed - I donno??

3 tons

Nope. I do know. Read my earlier post on this thread.

rick

[3_tons]

Aluminum is kinda brittle and has no grain...Makes me kinda wonder if this would've happened with a steel bed - I donno??

3 tons

[Avid_Fox]

Kayteg1 wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
Torklift article sounds like written by 3rd grader.
They talk about "bed frame"
Have never seen such animal.
All truck beds I have seen are resting on truck frame.
Somebody missed his classes.

go look under your truck, there is the bed resting on a subframe (or crossmembers if you like) that is on the truck frame.

Steve

Sounds like we are saying the same thing?
Only I don't consider cross members a frame.

I don't either...

As the OP here, thanks for all the input. Some good and thoughtful as usual for this type of forum, some off base also as usual, but all interesting all the same.

Going on a trip next week. I'll follow up after some mods.

Cheers.

[Kayteg1]

StirCrazy wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
Torklift article sounds like written by 3rd grader.
They talk about "bed frame"
Have never seen such animal.
All truck beds I have seen are resting on truck frame.
Somebody missed his classes.

go look under your truck, there is the bed resting on a subframe (or crossmembers if you like) that is on the truck frame.

Steve

Sounds like we are saying the same thing?
Only I don't consider cross members a frame.

[StirCrazy]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Torklift article sounds like written by 3rd grader.
They talk about "bed frame"
Have never seen such animal.
All truck beds I have seen are resting on truck frame.
Somebody missed his classes.

go look under your truck, there is the bed resting on a subframe (or crossmembers if you like) that is on the truck frame.

Steve

[Lockport]

I see I forgot we’ve had our current camper on TWO F350 trucks. First one is 2000 long bed, SRW. That truck has 200,000 miles now, hauled lighter camper then 9 years/25,000 miles of Snow River. Bed on that truck is fine,we still have that one- had frame tie downs. On 2016 have Tork Lift and Fastguns. Camper on 2016 now, waiting to see if Canada will let us in this summer!

[joerg68]

The truck is a 2016 and still has a steel bed as evidenced by the pictures.
The aluminum bed was introduced with 4th generation Super Duty in the 2017 model year.
You can blame it on the bed, but not on aluminum.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Super_Duty
3rd gen - 2011-16
4th gen - 2017-

[ticki2]

jimh425 wrote:

Avid Fox wrote:
All builders use spring loaded FRONT tie downs, not backs.

Not true. My fastguns all have springs.

The sample size is so tiny that I don’t think we can come to a conclusion about the cause. We are left with guesses and a lot of variables.

I think GM was the first to have a report of crowned bed. I don’t remember any damage attributed to it though.

As they say “ the devil is in the details “ . The Torklift fast guns are used with frame mount attachments , which are fairly rigid , so the rears are also spring loaded . The Happijac system uses the rear bumper for the rear turnbuckle , which is fairly flexible so used a rubber bumper . The front turnbuckle is spring loaded because the mount is attached to the bulkhead and the frame making it fairly rigid . The Torklift equivalent of the Happijac turnbuckles are called Anchor Guard and are made the same as Happijac and only the front short one have springs , the long rears have rubber bumpers .

It also begs the question why Torklift made an exact copy of the turnbuckle that is only used in their competitors design :h