Dumb question about truck camper tie downs

[pratmaster]

OK, so looking at all types of truck camper pictures, both on and off trucks I have noticed that most all truck campers are "tied" down to truck with the same type frame mounted system from various manufacturers, but basically the same concept.

I am referring to the type like the Torklift systems.

Every picture I see of a camper on a truck with this system, the mounting parts, happyjack, turn buckles etc. are all vertical. Straight up/down from the mounting point on the truck and camper.

So what keeps the camper from sliding out the back of the truck on steep inclines or any other situation where the truck would be pitched to where something would slide out the back.

With the "ties" vertical, there would be, what about 2 foot of room for them to slide backwards (away from the cab). The front of the bed keeps it from moving forward(toward the cab) but what keeps it from moving out the back?

Again, just looking at pictures it looks to me if you pulled off a little hard on a incline, the thing would slide back a few feet. So tell me why it wont.

[pratmaster]

RWDIII wrote:
.Get Photobucket and if you have windows 7,PM me and I will walk you thru it
Semper Fi and Happy Trails

I'll try photo bucket later this week, If I have any issues I will message you, but 1st I would have to figure out how to do that. I do not use forums much, usually search for info and join to ask some questions, then disappear until I have more questions..

thanks....

[pratmaster]

Butch50 wrote:


Yea but you are just a young feller, wait till you get my age and it is a little nicer to have some amenities. I use to backpack when I was younger and slept on the ground with a half length foam pad (darn legs don't need padding anyway). Now days if I tried that I would be trying for many days to try and get back up off the ground. 🙂

Age is how old you feel, or at least that is what I have been told.
I am knocking on 40's door, but its not the age, its the mileage. And I got lots of miles on me, years of survey work all over the country...

But I do have to agree that sleeping in a fancy camper sounds so much more appealing then sleeping on the ground. I never cared much for the tent type camping, I always slept in the vehicle. For some reason I do not like the idea of a snake snuggling up to me while I am a sleep...

[Mello_Mike]

pratmaster wrote:

Mello Mike wrote:

I love that color of your truck.

Does it not hurt the camper to hang over the rear like that? I would think it would put extra stress on the rear section. While leaving the tail gate on would support it,I think it would destroy the tail gate, I know mine angles upward slightly.

So I was thinking of building a support bracket that went into my trailer hitch to support the rear weight if I bought a camper that stuck out more then a foot past the edge of the bed.

By the way, I lived in Mesa for about 4 months last year while working in Queen Creek, I really like AZ, the desert is pretty cool, however I would not want to live there in the summer, way to hot and I miss my green grass, well until I have to mow it.

No, not at all. The WC 850 is a short-bed camper and works in any short-bed truck. Mine, like any other 8 ft long camper, is built to take that stress.

Yeah, the summers get pretty hot, but fortunately there are enough mountains and forests around here where you can escape the heat during the summer.

[dadwolf2]

Buzzcut1 wrote:
Pratmaster

the campers that extend past the bed such as Mello Mikes and mine are designed to handle being non supported. It is not an issue.

X2 Lots of truck campers designed for short bed trucks have floor lengths of 8 to 8'11" and long bed campers have floor lengths in the 9 to 11'6" range without any extra support.

[Buzzcut1]

Pratmaster

the campers that extend past the bed such as Mello Mikes and mine are designed to handle being non supported. It is not an issue.

[Butch50]

pratmaster wrote:

Butch50 wrote:
pratmaster,

I'm going to have to eat crow as I didn't think Ford was still making the fully manual hubs. I went to the Ford page and looked at the owners manual and it does show that Ford does still offer manual hubs. I also prefer the fully manual hubs but I like a little bit of the luxury also so I get the higher packages and they are not offered with that option of manual hubs.

My bad, no need to post pictures I have already seen it and read it for myself. 😮

LOL..
I eat crow and stick my foot in my mouth so much I just keep a bottle of BBQ sauce and mouth wash with me at all times....

See I am the opposite, I want a plain Jane striped down model, manual everything as its less******to break..
I used to get only standard shift trucks, but I have problems with my left leg from time to time and have a hard time walking, so I bought an auto this time.

My truck is actually a left over from the city, the Ford dealer ordered to many and I got a heck of a deal.

Yea but you are just a young feller, wait till you get my age and it is a little nicer to have some amenities. I use to backpack when I was younger and slept on the ground with a half length foam pad (darn legs don't need padding anyway). Now days if I tried that I would be trying for many days to try and get back up off the ground. 🙂

[pratmaster]

Mello Mike wrote:

I love that color of your truck.

Does it not hurt the camper to hang over the rear like that? I would think it would put extra stress on the rear section. While leaving the tail gate on would support it,I think it would destroy the tail gate, I know mine angles upward slightly.

So I was thinking of building a support bracket that went into my trailer hitch to support the rear weight if I bought a camper that stuck out more then a foot past the edge of the bed.

By the way, I lived in Mesa for about 4 months last year while working in Queen Creek, I really like AZ, the desert is pretty cool, however I would not want to live there in the summer, way to hot and I miss my green grass, well until I have to mow it.

[RWDIII]

pratmaster wrote:

Butch50 wrote:
pratmaster,

I'm going to have to eat crow as I didn't think Ford was still making the fully manual hubs. I went to the Ford page and looked at the owners manual and it does show that Ford does still offer manual hubs. I also prefer the fully manual hubs but I like a little bit of the luxury also so I get the higher packages and they are not offered with that option of manual hubs.

My bad, no need to post pictures I have already seen it and read it for myself. 😮

LOL..
I eat crow and stick my foot in my mouth so much I just keep a bottle of BBQ sauce and mouth wash with me at all times....

See I am the opposite, I want a plain Jane striped down model, manual everything as its less******to break..
I used to get only standard shift trucks, but I have problems with my left leg from time to time and have a hard time walking, so I bought an auto this time.

My truck is actually a left over from the city, the Ford dealer ordered to many and I got a heck of a deal.

X2
I built up a plan jane LX F250 on the build site,The only down side is you have to order it,and then you don't know what rebaits you will get,
It took me months to figure out how to post pics and another month how to do multiples.Get Photobucket and if you have windows 7,PM me and I will walk you thru it
Semper Fi and Happy Trails

[pratmaster]

kbaum wrote:
He probably didn't notice your truck was on blocks lifting the front end 2-3 inches higher than the rear end. I suppose I am really in trouble with the same camper as Butch50 with a 2012 SRW Dodge 3500. Why must every subject be re-directed to discuss truck/camper weight?

I am interested in further discussion on camper tie-downs

LOL size issues?:h:E

No I did not see the ramps its sitting on before I posted my comment...

part of the problem is that my preferences, and the huge campers just do not appeal to me. I have no need for a camper that size as it would just be me using it. If the girlfriend did happen to go along for a weekend, she is 5 5' and 90 lbs ringing wet, so I could stick her in the cabinets.

I have no use for all the storage space, I have been traveling for work almost 20 years, I have never had a camper. I have packed everything I need to stay out for months at a time, cloths (winter and summer) bed & bath gear, all my tools which entails 2 of each (OCD) cooler, hot plate, toaster oven, 2 lap tops (OCD again) and xbox 360 w/ games, maybe some other random******I cant think of.

I used Wagoneers for years, replaced with F 150 reg cab, (way cramped), then a 99 v-10 f350 until it started puking plugs, then a 02 Crown vic police car. I bought my truck to replace my 97 plow truck that was junk and not fit to drive across town and the E 350 van I bought to make a camper out of..

now most of the time I was not sleeping in my vehicles, but I had many a night and with the exception of the Waggys and my Crown vic (dang big trunks) it was cramped to say the least.

So in all reality a utility camper (topper) with ladder racks with cargo carriers would do me just fine, and I have heavily concerted going that route. But I would like to have something that I can stay in for long periods of time, even months at a time (see other post I posted). So for me and my needs y'all s campers look like a Holiday Inn in the bed...

But I am wanting a little more then just a bed roll in the truck, done that a few times, so I had started looking at small campers, single serving size.

And just cause my truck can haul XXXX size/weight camper does not mean that I want to get one like that. I am looking for some thing that would suit me just fine, be more comfortable then sleeping in the front seat of a police car and not even know its back there while driving. so a basic light weight, half or less of my cargo weight compatibilities would be fine with me, and I am a minimalist, I only what what I know I would need, which ain't much. And I also want to be able to haul a trailer with out having the hitch extension..

🙂

[pratmaster]

Butch50 wrote:
pratmaster,

I'm going to have to eat crow as I didn't think Ford was still making the fully manual hubs. I went to the Ford page and looked at the owners manual and it does show that Ford does still offer manual hubs. I also prefer the fully manual hubs but I like a little bit of the luxury also so I get the higher packages and they are not offered with that option of manual hubs.

My bad, no need to post pictures I have already seen it and read it for myself. 😮

LOL..
I eat crow and stick my foot in my mouth so much I just keep a bottle of BBQ sauce and mouth wash with me at all times....

See I am the opposite, I want a plain Jane striped down model, manual everything as its less******to break..
I used to get only standard shift trucks, but I have problems with my left leg from time to time and have a hard time walking, so I bought an auto this time.

My truck is actually a left over from the city, the Ford dealer ordered to many and I got a heck of a deal.

[JumboJet]

I keep the rear tiedown barely snug. Both of mine are at a decent angle. With a shorter length TC floor I would have a problem with the rear TC mount and the dually fender.

[Buzzcut1]

both my front and rear tie downs have a decent angle to them

[kbaum]

He probably didn't notice your truck was on blocks lifting the front end 2-3 inches higher than the rear end. I suppose I am really in trouble with the same camper as Butch50 with a 2012 SRW Dodge 3500. Why must every subject be re-directed to discuss truck/camper weight?

I am interested in further discussion on camper tie-downs

[Mello_Mike]

Thanks, Butch. I like the color, too, but as you say, it is hard to keep clean. Yes, the Ram short-beds are only 6'4" long while the Ford's are 6'7.5".