Ideas from those of you who built your own hold downs

[GAR2]

Greetings. Sorry for the long post.....I have started getting material together for building my own camper tie downs. I have been looking at the products on the market to get ideas. I have all the equipment and am an experienced Boilermaker Welder so no issues there. I haven’t bought the camper yet but am looking at models around 2500# dry weight. My plan is to buy spring loaded turn buckles (fast guns) so all I’ll be doing is building the frame mounted, bolt on, no drilling hardware and rear extension tubes for the rear hitch already in place. I’m not going to pay someone over 1000$ for what I do everyday! So a couple questions:

The extensions with the bullet plate where the turn bucket hooks in, why do some of the manufactures have a “cut” from the outer edge into the holes? I found the same question and an answer on etrailer and it makes no sense whatsoever....... (artifacts left over from the plasm”. Sounds like poor CNC programming to me if that’s true.

Those of you that have built your own, any ideas, or thoughts of what you wish you had done, or changes you made to improve. Once built I will be having all the parts powder coated.

I have a 2002 F350 8’ bed dually and from pictures I’ve seen I thought something like the fast guns would be better than chains—don’t want anything hitting or rubbing on the truck. Am I correct on this or being overly cautious? Camper won’t be on a lot.....vacations, fishing/hunting trips.

Best Regards! Glenn

[mkirsch]

I use conventional turnbuckles and chains on my camper. The chain is attached to the Torklift by a "quick link." Neither the nut end nor the threaded end will pass through the hole in the Torklift plate, but the main cross section of the link slid quite handily through that slot you are complaining about, allowing me to attach the chain to the Torklift bracket.

There is enough "meat" around the hole that the slot isn't going to significantly compromise strength. The rest of the bracket will bend long before that fails.

[GAR2]

I think the white would look good- and even without the trailer the “Back Off” logo would be there when carrying the t/c

[GAR2]

ticki2 wrote:
Just a thought looking at you picture . I made some inserts like that to fit into the trailer hitch to mount cut down semi mud flaps for trailering . Really kept the trailer clean .

Good idea!

[ticki2]

Just a thought looking at you picture . I made some inserts like that to fit into the trailer hitch to mount cut down semi mud flaps for trailering . Really kept the trailer clean .

[GAR2]

[GAR2]

Been busy at work, then hunting season, cutting firewood, etc., etc, Lol! Finally got back to the task at hand. Fabbed out the rear hold downs yesterday, they will slide into the open tube on my Reese hitch. Welding a couple tabs to the hitch bar underneath so that turnbuckles will keep them from sliding out— and won’t require any tools. Next stop to the shop for powder coating.

[GAR2]

Thanks burningman, nice truck in your signature! I noticed you have an exhaust brake... something I might consider doing once I experience how my truck does on downhill steep grades— no experience there.... couple elk trips to Colorado but pretty much a flat lander here in the Land of Lincoln 🙂

[burningman]

Man your welds look nice. I can weld but I don’t do it for a living.
You can tell that you do when you look at those.

[GAR2]

I’m not going large on my T/C either, and since I’ve decided to go 2” tube on the “hold down bars” I will probably be running 1/8” wall thickness. I already have a plan to load test them for deflection in my shop. My square tubing bender will put a slight bend in the tubing creating “the weak point” along with the spring loaded turnbuckles, and if needed I’ll up a size to 3/16” wall thickness. I’m sure that from what I’ve read- the weak link will almost always be the attachment point on the camper itself. My off-roading will be mainly the family farms/hunting trips. I’ve done a ton of work (all myself) on this truck and am looking forward to a camper as opposed to tent camping. Nothing wrong with tent camping at all- but at 57 the ground seems a little harder than it use to 😉

[jaycocreek]

burningman wrote:
My hitch isn’t open at the ends so I just welded some 2” square tube to the ends of it, and I use 1 1/4” tube for the inserts.
I didn’t see the need or even want a plate on the end. I just drilled a hole and put an eye bolt in the ends. I did a belly bar for the front.

I’m with you, if you have a welder and a chop saw and maybe another tool or two, there’s zero reason to shell out what people shell out for extremely simple bits of metal.

If I ever got a bigger/heavier TC,this is the way I would do it,or close too..Right now I don't see a need to change from my Happi Jacks with this TC..

[GAR2]

ajriding wrote:
If you weld all day then you know why the Torklift mounts cost $700. They are well made and actually they make them to order often in order they don't have hundreds of different configurations collecting dust on the shelf (different brand trucks, different years all need different designs).

I am no pro welder, but came close to making my own, but opted instead to use the Torklifts. I have no regrets, though I typically do like to DIY for most everything.

The "cuts" or slots could be just the continuous cutting byproduct, but my theory is that this is a built-in weak link. Given enough tension this part might bend and let go before other components break. I could be wrong, and some TCs might have very weak toe-down points on the camper which would break first. You never want the truck frame to be the weak link.

Building these yourself often results in over-built, very strong braces, which could bend or damage the truck frame. I think most drivers would prefer the TC just fall off rather than anything on the truck become damaged.

Your Fastguns were a good choice.

A key thing to keep in mind is that the tie-downs (chains or Fastguns) oppose each other front to rear, where one chain pulls the TC forward and the other pulls the TC backwards. This balance of fore/aft tension helps keep TC in place and prevents it from sliding forward when braking or rearward when accelerating. The tie-downs should make and angle, not just route straight up and down.

Yes, the front of the truck bed will stop forward movement, but the bed is not necessarily made to hold a TC in place like that, better for the chains to hold it.

Good feedback. You are correct in your assertion that if I wasn’t a welder by trade I may have been better served by buying the available product, but as it is second nature I never really think about how much work is really involved. And looking at close ups on line wasn’t real impressed with the welds I was seeing in the images- but I know how production shops operate. I’m a maintenance welder (repair and fabrication) on huge equipment (for 27 years), overhead cranes, and lifting devices. It is nice doing everything by ones self— of course if I was rich I might feel differently ??

[GAR2]

Making progress on the frame mounts- one brand uses 5/16” plate, I went 3/8” and instead of a 2” receiver and 1-1/2” hold down extension I went 2-1/2” & 2”. Not that much difference in weight. Lots of cleaning, I’m considering a coat of primer, two coats of paint instead of powder coating.

[ajriding]

If you weld all day then you know why the Torklift mounts cost $700. They are well made and actually they make them to order often in order they don't have hundreds of different configurations collecting dust on the shelf (different brand trucks, different years all need different designs).

I am no pro welder, but came close to making my own, but opted instead to use the Torklifts. I have no regrets, though I typically do like to DIY for most everything.

The "cuts" or slots could be just the continuous cutting byproduct, but my theory is that this is a built-in weak link. Given enough tension this part might bend and let go before other components break. I could be wrong, and some TCs might have very weak toe-down points on the camper which would break first. You never want the truck frame to be the weak link.

Building these yourself often results in over-built, very strong braces, which could bend or damage the truck frame. I think most drivers would prefer the TC just fall off rather than anything on the truck become damaged.

Your Fastguns were a good choice.

A key thing to keep in mind is that the tie-downs (chains or Fastguns) oppose each other front to rear, where one chain pulls the TC forward and the other pulls the TC backwards. This balance of fore/aft tension helps keep TC in place and prevents it from sliding forward when braking or rearward when accelerating. The tie-downs should make and angle, not just route straight up and down.

Yes, the front of the truck bed will stop forward movement, but the bed is not necessarily made to hold a TC in place like that, better for the chains to hold it.

[Kayteg1]

GAR2 wrote:
Well...... I’ll try again 🙂


https://m.imgur.com/gallery/EfyCLHN

You can't link gallery in here, only single picture.
The RV link will have already in it, but if you use other imgur picture, you have to use picture inserting from menu on top of advanced posting window.

[zcookiemonstar]

With a older truck like yours I would look for a use set of tie downs on cragslist or facebook. You could probably find a use set for a few hundred bucks.