How to put on camper

[jmacpolo]

I have a 2003 Lance shortbed camper. When putting it on the truck how far back should I move the truck? Do I keep going until the front wall of the camper hits the edge of the pickup bed or stop short? It seems like it would be bad to hit the camper with the truck bed when it is on the jacks. If I should be stopping short, how short?

Thank you,
John

[SugarHillCTD]

jmacpolo wrote:
It seems like it would be bad to hit the camper with the truck bed when it is on the jacks.

You will be backing in VERY slowly. VERY SLOWLY.

If anything you would lightly tap the camper on the front of the pickup box.

But a padded spacer is a good idea. We have a 2x4 standing on its 2" edge with rubber strips on the front and back.

[VintageRacer]

I lay a 2x4 flat on the floor of the bed, that acts as a spacer. I have about 1" between the camper and the lip of the bed that way.

Brian

[RWDIII]

realter wrote:
The front of the camper is supposed to always be higher than the back when on the legs, so I leave about an inch or two, then when the camper "comes down" it usually ends up sitting snug against the truck body. After a few years on loading and unloading, you will have scratches in the truck bed. The front of my camper has some type of hard plastic--a thin strip--which supposidely protects the paint job. good luck.

I am not the OP,but thanks for the tip.When I return to Ariz next month,it will be the first time I load the camper back on the truck

[brholt]

My truck has a little "lip" on the back of the bed. I "bump" the rubber stops into the lip then drop the camper straight down. I'm not sure if this is the right procedure or not as the stops are not against the camper bed. On the other hand if I put the stops against the bed they will run into the "lips" if I raise it too high.

[realter]

The front of the camper is supposed to always be higher than the back when on the legs, so I leave about an inch or two, then when the camper "comes down" it usually ends up sitting snug against the truck body. After a few years on loading and unloading, you will have scratches in the truck bed. The front of my camper has some type of hard plastic--a thin strip--which supposidely protects the paint job. good luck.

[trail-explorer]

I'd put a board like a 4x4 or something between the front of teh camper and the truck bed, to act as a spacer.

Most campers have bump stops on the front of them, though often times they interfere with the way the sheetmetal in the ruck bed is contoured.