Do You Use Centering Blocks/Devices?

[996Pilot]

My new truck (2015 RAM 3500 SRW) is a bit wider (the outside of the bed) than the old truck. When I placed the camper in the bed last weekend I was concerned that the space between the wheel wells and the camper base allowed for a total of about 2" of side to side movement. I only have 1" side to side clearance on the outside of the bed (fender flares) and the camper jacks. Too close for my comfort if things shift.

Question is how many people use something placed in the bed of the truck to center it between the wheel wells? What kind of tool/block/device is commonly used to guide and center the camper base to its final resting place in the truck bed? Anything sold or all devices fabricated?

Also, I'd feel more comfortable if I had something to space the camper back (just a tad) from the front of the bed. I know Torklift makes front bumper strips but at $50 I'd want to know if they are effective (and worth it).

I'm just really coddling this new (to me) truck and trying to set it up to keep it looking clean and fresh. Suggestions ???

[SoCalDesertRid1]

You may want to add some support under the tail of the camper on each side where it widens out beyond 4 feet. My current camper has a thick plywood screwed under it, installed by a previous owner. The sides are sagging where the plywood doesn't support them, since a 4x8 sheet was used. It doesn't look like the previous owner supported underneath the sides.

On my previous camper, which I also spaced up with a 3/4" plywood sheet, I also used 2 small pieces of plywood under the rear sides to keep the surface even and didn't have any sagging problem with the sides of that camper.

[NSP-Biker]

I found this plan on this forum about ten years ago.

[mkirsch]

JimK-NY wrote:

mkirsch wrote:
We're only talking about an inch of movement, at most. My camper will easily "wiggle" an inch in any direction sitting on the jacks.

Please explain this "wiggle" business. I notice a very little wiggle when the camper is raised really high. Mostly I notice some movement if I do not lower all the jacks at exactly the same rate.

What wiggles? My jacks don't seem to bend, flex, or wiggle. Certainly the brackets don't bend, flex or wiggle. Nor do the sides of my camper. I would guess you are bending the wooden frame of your camper. That may not be a great idea.

It's very simple: I push on my camper while it sits on the jacks, and it moves/sways/swings/wiggles in the direction I push it. Pushing with all my strength, I can get maybe 1-1/2", enough to clear a 2x4 on edge. The jacks flex; they can't help but flex, and maybe the camper frame does too, but there is no way I can push hard enough by hand to cause any damage.

[996Pilot]

Thanks for all of the suggestions/comments on this topic. The folks here never seem to lack support, opinions and a general willingness to help and for that I am very appreciative.

I like the setup shown by KKELLER14K above. It looks like it'll do what I need and it's cheap. I'm also going with a 1" thick piece of very dense insulation foam board under the camper (also cheap). I know it will slightly compress however several folks here have had good success with it.

I have my weekend project all planned now. Thanks

[Reality_Check]

JimK-NY wrote:

mkirsch wrote:

I have seen a description of V shaped blocks to guide the camper into position. I would think twice about using something like that. The jacks and brackets are not designed to have a strong force pushing sideways. I would be concerned about tearing the brackets from the camper or bending the brackets or jacks.

We're only talking about an inch of movement, at most. My camper will easily "wiggle" an inch in any direction sitting on the jacks.

Please explain this "wiggle" business. I notice a very little wiggle when the camper is raised really high. Mostly I notice some movement if I do not lower all the jacks at exactly the same rate.

What wiggles? My jacks don't seem to bend, flex, or wiggle. Certainly the brackets don't bend, flex or wiggle. Nor do the sides of my camper. I would guess you are bending the wooden frame of your camper. That may not be a great idea.

So they mean sway... don't let semantics get in the way.

Campers sway/wiggle/move. Steel moves, flexes, bends. Parts give and slop back and forth. Give the designers credit, these things can take quite a bit of juggling/swaying/bumping/wiggling without any damage. As stated; push on a camper that's up in the air...it "moves" a lot.

I'm sure some would shudder watching me slide into ours. Get it close and ram it home. I have zero clearance between my rails on the bed and the plates added on the camper; steel on steel as it slides into position. Without a doubt, I'm never as lined up as perfect can be which translates to pushing it one way or the other regardless. 20/30+ loads and unloads a year and I'm fairly confident it's all still good.

[Hemi_Joel]

I've driven over 90,000 miles with my last 3 campers in the bed of my 93 Dodge dually. I have never blocked the camper in place, and never had an issue. I do have a .060" thick piece of rubber roofing under the camper, that has more friction than if the camper was sitting on bare steel. I would not bother with any type of block system.

[AnEv942]

Add 'plastic' rub rails to camper, or dually brackets to jacks. Must be some fairly large "flares?
Space out the bump stops or longer ones.

[Bob__B]

If you run the jacks all the way up .... as I have to to get the camper on ... and push on the side of the camper, it is going to move.

There are a LOT of people using the centering devices of various type, and I have never heard of a problem resulting from it.

[JimK-NY]

mkirsch wrote:

I have seen a description of V shaped blocks to guide the camper into position. I would think twice about using something like that. The jacks and brackets are not designed to have a strong force pushing sideways. I would be concerned about tearing the brackets from the camper or bending the brackets or jacks.

We're only talking about an inch of movement, at most. My camper will easily "wiggle" an inch in any direction sitting on the jacks.

Please explain this "wiggle" business. I notice a very little wiggle when the camper is raised really high. Mostly I notice some movement if I do not lower all the jacks at exactly the same rate.

What wiggles? My jacks don't seem to bend, flex, or wiggle. Certainly the brackets don't bend, flex or wiggle. Nor do the sides of my camper. I would guess you are bending the wooden frame of your camper. That may not be a great idea.

[KKELLER14K]

Simple and cheep.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

I have noticed, from owning several Ford trucks of various years, that Ford truck left front springs sag out before any other spring on the truck. Doesn't matter if it's leaf springs or coil springs. All of my Fords have had the front driver's side droop.

[joeshmoe]

skipro3 wrote:
I've discovered that I prefer to run my camper right up against the driver side wheel well, leaving a 2" gap on the passenger side. This is because of the slide-out on the passenger side. When I have the slide extended, my truck sags just a bit on that side as the day wears on; not right away. With the camper slightly to the driver side, the sag doesn't happen enough to have to adjust for.

Same with mine except I have to run it up the pass side well. Most of the amenities are located on the driver side, including the fuel tank, but my spring pack is a little tired, so it sags, like yours. It leans pretty bad if not all the way over to the right. Add in a full gray and black tank, it looks like the Tower of Pesa.

[mkirsch]

I have seen a description of V shaped blocks to guide the camper into position. I would think twice about using something like that. The jacks and brackets are not designed to have a strong force pushing sideways. I would be concerned about tearing the brackets from the camper or bending the brackets or jacks.

We're only talking about an inch of movement, at most. My camper will easily "wiggle" an inch in any direction sitting on the jacks.

[Bob__B]

Thanks .... too late tonight and I forgot how to post a pic 🙂