This is a thread to help others if they have an interest or are actually slipping over to the 'Dark Side".
Mine is for going to Moab and Colorado riding dirt biker and such. Maybe a crawler later in the future. I did all the work myself.
The trailer is a 30ft 14k Lamar lowboy. For a Gooseneck truck camper, one of the main issues is knowing how long the actual footprint of the camper is L & W. Then you need to make sure the trailer deck distance from the front of the trailer to the fender well has enough room. My 20ft 14k lowboy did not have enough deck distance to the camper to sit and not contact the fenders. Inside the fender is 88" and to outside rubrail to outside rubrail is 96", with outside fender to outside fender is 102".
The camper is a 2012 AF 1140. I went and inspected it before starting the mods to get it mounted on the trailer. I had already made one mistake on other TC and members here were very helpful lending some solid advice on that one. This Af 1140 looks like it has been well cared for and has many of the nicer add-on features. It was on consignment from a motivated seller.
The camper came with Reico-titan 2500lb wireless camper jacks, with the swing out brackets, and Fastguns. I had to make a set of 8" camper jack extensions out of some plate steel and angle iron. Since I was 300 miles aways I needed to reach out to many sources to confirm bolt hole measurements....and I did call Reico-titan but their bolt hole pattern measurements but in the end, the mechanic at the dealer helped most. The dealer was telling me it could not be done after first saying the would load it on the trailer with forklifts on each side then backing out once I left to return home to build the support pedestal for it to sit on. If I had known that I would have measured everything multiple times to machne out a set of extension brackets. In the end, they fit perfect and allowed the legs to slip past the outside of the fenders and tires.
I also had to find extensions for the Reico-titan jack electrical plugins. That was easy once I found a clear enough picture that showed they were SAE 2 prong plugs and I just got some 12" long extensions for like $10 for a pack of 5 shipped. They worked great.
I also spiced intot he Gooseneck trailers wiring to wire up an RV plug to plug into the TC make all the lights and such work on it while traveling. They worked really well. Heavy equipment trailer 7 blade connection and RV 7 blade connections are not the same. Different color wires do different things on each. But I got it sorted out and it was well lit up on part of the night drive home.
The pedestal that the camper was going to rest on was 48"x103 x 12" high. I had already made it for the other camper so I made it work for this one. Build out of 2x12 treated materials. I anchored the camper to the steel rub rails for the trip home. It was absolutely rock solid on the 300 mile interstate trip home. Never moved an inch.
Now once home, I lifted the camper up, unbolted the pedestal, pulled that out, braced under it with 6x6 timbers and built a new one that is much much lower. I also extended the length of the pedestal out to 120". I slightly re-routed the generator exhaust. In the photos in my driveway, the Fastguns are just to hold it steady before locking the camper down. I secured the new pedestal tot he deck with Timber Lag bolts.
I installed a Draw-tite hide a ball in my wife\s 2016 2500 Cummins. My 1-ton diesel 4x4 would have made it but we are taking hers on our vacation to Nova Scotia pulling this so I needed to set hers up. My 201 3500 diesel I have had since new. Good truck but I would not take it to Canada when her 6.7 diesel is basically new. The GN ball install was a job as the hole saw I had was not very good even though it was a name brand and $$. took me like 4.5 hours, I could do another one is like 2.5 hrs now that I have done it. I also installed Timbren DR2500D Suspension Enhancement System on her truck. Super easy and worth every cent.
Mine is for going to Moab and Colorado riding dirt biker and such. Maybe a crawler later in the future. I did all the work myself.
The trailer is a 30ft 14k Lamar lowboy. For a Gooseneck truck camper, one of the main issues is knowing how long the actual footprint of the camper is L & W. Then you need to make sure the trailer deck distance from the front of the trailer to the fender well has enough room. My 20ft 14k lowboy did not have enough deck distance to the camper to sit and not contact the fenders. Inside the fender is 88" and to outside rubrail to outside rubrail is 96", with outside fender to outside fender is 102".
The camper is a 2012 AF 1140. I went and inspected it before starting the mods to get it mounted on the trailer. I had already made one mistake on other TC and members here were very helpful lending some solid advice on that one. This Af 1140 looks like it has been well cared for and has many of the nicer add-on features. It was on consignment from a motivated seller.
The camper came with Reico-titan 2500lb wireless camper jacks, with the swing out brackets, and Fastguns. I had to make a set of 8" camper jack extensions out of some plate steel and angle iron. Since I was 300 miles aways I needed to reach out to many sources to confirm bolt hole measurements....and I did call Reico-titan but their bolt hole pattern measurements but in the end, the mechanic at the dealer helped most. The dealer was telling me it could not be done after first saying the would load it on the trailer with forklifts on each side then backing out once I left to return home to build the support pedestal for it to sit on. If I had known that I would have measured everything multiple times to machne out a set of extension brackets. In the end, they fit perfect and allowed the legs to slip past the outside of the fenders and tires.
I also had to find extensions for the Reico-titan jack electrical plugins. That was easy once I found a clear enough picture that showed they were SAE 2 prong plugs and I just got some 12" long extensions for like $10 for a pack of 5 shipped. They worked great.
I also spiced intot he Gooseneck trailers wiring to wire up an RV plug to plug into the TC make all the lights and such work on it while traveling. They worked really well. Heavy equipment trailer 7 blade connection and RV 7 blade connections are not the same. Different color wires do different things on each. But I got it sorted out and it was well lit up on part of the night drive home.
The pedestal that the camper was going to rest on was 48"x103 x 12" high. I had already made it for the other camper so I made it work for this one. Build out of 2x12 treated materials. I anchored the camper to the steel rub rails for the trip home. It was absolutely rock solid on the 300 mile interstate trip home. Never moved an inch.
Now once home, I lifted the camper up, unbolted the pedestal, pulled that out, braced under it with 6x6 timbers and built a new one that is much much lower. I also extended the length of the pedestal out to 120". I slightly re-routed the generator exhaust. In the photos in my driveway, the Fastguns are just to hold it steady before locking the camper down. I secured the new pedestal tot he deck with Timber Lag bolts.
I installed a Draw-tite hide a ball in my wife\s 2016 2500 Cummins. My 1-ton diesel 4x4 would have made it but we are taking hers on our vacation to Nova Scotia pulling this so I needed to set hers up. My 201 3500 diesel I have had since new. Good truck but I would not take it to Canada when her 6.7 diesel is basically new. The GN ball install was a job as the hole saw I had was not very good even though it was a name brand and $$. took me like 4.5 hours, I could do another one is like 2.5 hrs now that I have done it. I also installed Timbren DR2500D Suspension Enhancement System on her truck. Super easy and worth every cent.
Just some updates and photos
We have gone completely through the camper, we cleaned, lubed, tightened, secured, caulked, bug bombed, flushed and sanitized the tanks, serviced onboard Onan genny, replaced all of the lights with LED inside and out, and purchased as many of the needed items as we could think of. Many of this by lurking others posts on what they did or are doing. We are like 5 weeks out from out our Nova Scotia trip.
I have my satellite hooked up and working, added trailer steps, added tool boxes, added fuel bottles, and Honda Generator for next trip.
Rushing to try to get 300-400w solar system purchased and installed before we go.
Photos
We have gone completely through the camper, we cleaned, lubed, tightened, secured, caulked, bug bombed, flushed and sanitized the tanks, serviced onboard Onan genny, replaced all of the lights with LED inside and out, and purchased as many of the needed items as we could think of. Many of this by lurking others posts on what they did or are doing. We are like 5 weeks out from out our Nova Scotia trip.
I have my satellite hooked up and working, added trailer steps, added tool boxes, added fuel bottles, and Honda Generator for next trip.
Rushing to try to get 300-400w solar system purchased and installed before we go.
Photos
A couple messages about the brackets. I used the below as a pattern for what I made. Mine is almost like this except instead of welding it I used high strength bolts to bolt it together. I will photograph mine. I got the metal from a salvage yard and cut them with a chop saw and used my drill press to drill the hole. I have a small Lincoln flux welder but was concerned about getting depth penetration on the steel. So I went with drilling and bolting together. It worked great, gave me a total of 118 inches between the jacks.
Then just basics of pedestal construction. I have redone it since getting it home and it is much lower and longer. I worked great to get the GN Camper home. The camper sits on the marine grade carpet, not the 2x6s just laying on top. I took those off when I got down there and screwed them to the side to prevent lateral movement of the camper (Where the 2x4s are in the photo.) I used the 2x6s t go higher up for the trip home. Now I have 2x12s to really provide stronger side to side security. The internal part of the pedestal is double joists 16" on center. I had one of my son's who is an Engineer review my plans I made.
Then just basics of pedestal construction. I have redone it since getting it home and it is much lower and longer. I worked great to get the GN Camper home. The camper sits on the marine grade carpet, not the 2x6s just laying on top. I took those off when I got down there and screwed them to the side to prevent lateral movement of the camper (Where the 2x4s are in the photo.) I used the 2x6s t go higher up for the trip home. Now I have 2x12s to really provide stronger side to side security. The internal part of the pedestal is double joists 16" on center. I had one of my son's who is an Engineer review my plans I made.
MORSNOW wrote:d3500ram wrote:
Nice job!
My only comment/ question is why the Fast Guns placed almost parallel to reach other in the rearward direction? Unless there is some other method resisting, there is nothing to keep the TC from creeping backwards on the trailer surface. I would not rely on the Fastguns resisting that much force in the compression direction. It it were me, I would angle the rear guns in a different angle to simulate more how it would function if mounted on a truck bed:
That was the same thing I was thinking, it'll be able to slide rearward.
Like I said in the post, next to the last paragraph. In my driveway, after doing the new pedestal I just put the Fastguns on to hold the camper steady until I was finished and then would lock them down. We have been getting really high winds here recently and I just wanted it anchored for sitting there, not towing. I will anchor it correctly before going to weight everything.
"In the photos in my driveway, the Fastguns are just to hold it steady before locking the camper down."
d3500ram wrote:
Nice job!
My only comment/ question is why the Fast Guns placed almost parallel to reach other in the rearward direction? Unless there is some other method resisting, there is nothing to keep the TC from creeping backwards on the trailer surface. I would not rely on the Fastguns resisting that much force in the compression direction. It it were me, I would angle the rear guns in a different angle to simulate more how it would function if mounted on a truck bed:
That was the same thing I was thinking, it'll be able to slide rearward.
Nice job!
My only comment/ question is why the Fast Guns placed almost parallel to reach other in the rearward direction? Unless there is some other method resisting, there is nothing to keep the TC from creeping backwards on the trailer surface. I would not rely on the Fastguns resisting that much force in the compression direction. It it were me, I would angle the rear guns in a different angle to simulate more how it would function if mounted on a truck bed:
My only comment/ question is why the Fast Guns placed almost parallel to reach other in the rearward direction? Unless there is some other method resisting, there is nothing to keep the TC from creeping backwards on the trailer surface. I would not rely on the Fastguns resisting that much force in the compression direction. It it were me, I would angle the rear guns in a different angle to simulate more how it would function if mounted on a truck bed:
