Are Dually Extension Brackets Unsafe?

bobbolotune wrote:

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?

Whomever you spoke with sounds like an old school camper salesman.

Stability isn't an issue with swing out brackets (although they tend to wiggle more when one is inside the camper off-truck.) For that reason one wants to lower the camper nearer to the ground.
Happijac jacks have a history of binding after a few years and needing expensive replacement. Newer, heavier duty Happijacs are now available on some newer campers - and complaints about them have tapered off.

History; as camper manufacturers made campers heavier over the last decade, more people have opted for duallies and swing out brackets. At first, some manufacturers failed to reinforce the camper corners enough and we saw camper frames pull apart at the front corners mostly. 2004/2005 Arctic Fox 1150 models in particular comes to mind with that problem.

Newer, heavy campers are built stronger and can take swing out brackets. (Manufactures have learned at our expense.)

Dullies - unloaded are terrible on wet grass, snow, etc. The tire contact surface is double, yes. But the pounds per square inch is halved.