Are Dually Extension Brackets Unsafe?

[bobbolotune]

When I thought I had it figured out, now this...

Everyone is saying to get the biggest truck you can. Because even if you don't need it now you may want to upgrade to a heavier truck camper in the future, or add a tow (which is my case, that I want the ability to add a tow in the future).

Which means a dually.

This is the decision that Truck Camper Magazine came to with for their new truck (within the past year I think), and the opinion expressed repeatedly in this forum.

Now someone told me, don't get a dually. And this wasn't just anyone. It someone with extensive truck camper industry experience. What he said:

They are a problem for fitting into parking spaces. This one I already knew and accepted.

Duallys are terrible on snow and ice. This I didn't know. I would assume with 4 rather than 2 tires on the ground that a dually would be that much better for snow and ice. Not so? Although I didn't tell him that I am planning on a 4x4 dually, and possibly that makes a difference.

Then the big one. You shouldn't camp in a truck camper with dually extension brackets. The extension is a hinge that swings in and out. It isn't stable. It is ok for storing the camper off the truck, but you shouldn't camp off the truck in a camper with dually brackets.

I hope those with actual experience can please express an opinion about these topics. About the snow / ice issue, and especially about the dually brackets.

Specifically the camper being discussed uses Happijac jacks and dually brackets. Possibly those are not the best jacks?

He said to get a 1 ton SRW. That a dually is unnecessary. That a 1 ton SRW has enough carrying capacity. But what I read is the next thing people with a SRW do is a $2,000 upgrade to 19.5 tires. Where the dually option is (if I recall) around $1,500. And (at least in the specs for the latest model trucks) you get more payload from a dually than a SRW. Also the recent thread people saying duallys drive better loaded with a camper. But if I can't camp off the truck with dually extension brackets that is a killer problem.

[towpro]

Here is mine, sitting on dually brackets, with snow load. (after we opened up driveway with loader.)
Well it was a lot for SE PA. but wind kept it from pilling on top of camper to the full 36". Maybe this year I will build a support for under it. Just wish I had a level place to set it first.

[bb_94401]

You need to become better friends with the people that run the grader and loader.

[deminimis]

New setup, same place, similar situation, with stock tires. Had to winch myself out.

[deminimis]

Another day/night of snow after this pic. Blasted out with Duratracs.

[bobbolotune]

silversand wrote:
OP...I notice that your sig puts you in the Chicago area...lots of snow and ice there in winter :B

Are you planning on dedicated winter tires for the dually?

I had not thought about changing tires. I hope that the 4 wheel drive will be enough, or the next step would be to put some dead weight in the bed.

The truck isn't really my daily drive. Rather, it is the backup car for when my wife and I need to go to different places at the same time. And to take the truck driving regularly to not let it sit idle. But we also have a front wheel drive compact car that gets over twice the gas mileage of the truck and is easier to park, so that is the main car. So I do have some flexibility to not drive the truck in snow, but there will also be times when I need to get somewhere when there is snow so I am sure that I will have to do some driving in snow and ice. I just got the truck this Spring so I don't yet know how this will go. I hope it won't be a problem.

[silversand]

OP...I notice that your sig puts you in the Chicago area...lots of snow and ice there in winter :B

Are you planning on dedicated winter tires for the dually? If so, what brand and size?

The 1st winter rubber rated tire I ever had were BFG TA /Ko's Load Rated: E; these I had on the SRW for 3 winters. I used the truck (with camper off) occasionally for one winter (the truck has been stored indoors over winter all other years owned) on our mountain roads, in a salt-free zone. Pretty good with only 300LBS sand in bed (long bed, extended cab, but nor dually). Those tires met an early demise, and am now using Duratrac (LR: E 265/75R16). The Duratracs are less that 2 years old, however, have never seen snow as yet (with truck stored indoors over winter LOL!). However, we anticipate at least some severe winter driving between Quebec and Florida upon full retiring on way to snowbirding (very soon), thus the Duratracs. I currently use the winter rated Duratracs spring, summer and fall, and don't swap them out for dedicated summers (summers I call "all seasons").

If need be, the winter rubber rated Duratrac tires are studable.

oh, in closing: whatever ya do, don't hit black ice; I've seen studded tires on trucks (duallies and SRWs) do 360s on black ice in our neck of the woods :B I think that even razorblades wouldn't keep a vehicle on the road over black ice if one sneezes holding the steering wheel or touching the brake pedal LOL

[Bob__B]

I have had problems with the swing out brackets on both of my campers. The old camper had hydraulic jacks. I got swing out brackets when I bought my new dually and one of the Rieco Titan swing out brackets was not straight right out of the box.....it was tilted in. The unfortunate problem was that they sat around in a box for a while before I installed them since I was still using the camper with the old truck and it was to late to send them back. I took that bracket to a local welding shop and he couldn't figure out how to fix it, so I had to buy another one.

With my current camper, I have the heavy duty Atwood jacks and brackets, and one of them was slightly skewed in .... It was that way when I bought the camper used .....I thought at first the brackets on the camper were bent, but removed and re-installed everything ..checking level... and the swing out is not true. I manufactured a shim to make the jack level with the camper as a temporary solution, but am afraid I may have to replace that bracket also.

So ..... in my personal experience, problems with the swing out brackets is not at all unusual.

[towpro]

I have the rieco easy swing brackets. They cost more but look stronger than the others.

[54suds]

bobbolotune wrote:

54suds wrote:
"QUOTE" I can't see the comment someone made to me about dually extension brackets being unsafe which caused me to make the original post as being a valid comment. The brackets swing out only a short distance and are rock solid. The are well bolted on and kept in position with notches.

my post specifically referred to Crappy jack brackets not! other brands . Which I have had on two of my past campers with non HJ brackets and jacks and the difference was very noticeable 🙂 54Suds

54Suds: To be clear, to be sure that I don't offend anyone. I was not referring to your comment in what I wrote that you quote above. The whole story is that it was in a private conversation someone told me that dually extension brackets are unsafe for using the camper off the truck. It was that private conversation comment that first led me to start this thread asking about duallys and extension brackets. It was the original private conversation topic I was referring to in my words that you quote above, not discussion on this forum.

no offence taken !!!! this is the internet where mis undestanding /mis interpretation are the rule

[JoeChiOhki]

deminimis wrote:
But will the others fit happijac corner brackets and jacks? In the market. Almost lost my camper again.

Rieco-Titan makes a universal set that fits all brands.

[bobbolotune]

54suds wrote:
"QUOTE" I can't see the comment someone made to me about dually extension brackets being unsafe which caused me to make the original post as being a valid comment. The brackets swing out only a short distance and are rock solid. The are well bolted on and kept in position with notches.

my post specifically referred to Crappy jack brackets not! other brands . Which I have had on two of my past campers with non HJ brackets and jacks and the difference was very noticeable 🙂 54Suds

54Suds: To be clear, to be sure that I don't offend anyone. I was not referring to your comment in what I wrote that you quote above. The whole story is that it was in a private conversation someone told me that dually extension brackets are unsafe for using the camper off the truck. It was that private conversation comment that first led me to start this thread asking about duallys and extension brackets. It was the original private conversation topic I was referring to in my words that you quote above, not discussion on this forum.

[54suds]

1. go to a reputable welder they can advise you on how to reinforce 2. look into wobble stoppers form tork lift call them they are exceptional in helping .

Ps I have seen other brand brackets reworked to hold crappy jacks

[deminimis]

But will the others fit happijac corner brackets and jacks? In the market. Almost lost my camper again.

[54suds]

"QUOTE" I can't see the comment someone made to me about dually extension brackets being unsafe which caused me to make the original post as being a valid comment. The brackets swing out only a short distance and are rock solid. The are well bolted on and kept in position with notches.




my post specifically referred to Crappy jack brackets not! other brands . Which I have had on two of my past campers with non HJ brackets and jacks and the difference was very noticeable 🙂 54Suds