Loading Camper

I have a slight slant in my driveway too. I do what woodhog does with the blocks and it helps some.

Got me itching to go! I hope you have as much fun with it as most of us do.

jimh425 wrote:
I guess our bumpers on our Host are thicker than most. Interesting that there are so many variations on pretty basic stuff.

Yeah, they are worthless on the Snow River. Snow River did a lot for campers, this is not one of them, IMO I guess all trucks might be different. The steps were, AWESOME sturdy, light steps that are easy to throw out with a great storage compartment, and of course the camper slide. These Snow Rivers seem well built, totally happy.
As others stated, I need at least 2", i'm thinkin 2 1/2" to clear the tail lights too. I spent a LOT of time loading it today (by myself).
My problem is i'm not only dealing with North South slant, I have East West too, frustrating trying to load my TC, what a joke. Time to shell out some $$$ for leveling.

I REALLY appreciate all of the input! Took the wife out for lunch today with the Camper! We stopped down the street from our house for about an hour at our boat launch on the Puget Sound and had a couple of beers and enjoyed some rare NW sun. Put the slide out and turned up the radio, great day. Can't wait to go camping next weekend, camper is LOADED!

I guess our bumpers on our Host are thicker than most. Interesting that there are so many variations on pretty basic stuff.

Fisher Bill wrote:
So we have a 3500 GMC and the space between wheel wells is 50" then we have a 2000 AF and it measures 49.5" plus the hex head screws that attach the angle aluminum to the outside box of the camper so I have about one eighth of an inch or less on both sides.

What I found was to use the stakes of the pick up bed at the back or end of the bed to keep the unit square all of the way up to the cab then I set it on just so the camper touches the front of the bed.

What I cannot figure out is how to unload the unit without binding up the jacks, the truck holds the back end of the camper higher and my driveway slants downhill slightly so by the time I get the unit high enough to move truck the front jacks get bound up because of the attitude of where they were to where I need them to be changes as I raise the unit.


Anyone also have this problem? It's UN-nerving to finally release the weight to the saw horses and to have the base of the jack kick forward a couple of inches.

Bill

I fasten a few pieces of 6x6 to my jack bottom pads so they dont have to extend as far to raise the camper. You could measure the slope and just fasten some thickness of timber to the front jacks.. Make sure your tires clear them..

So we have a 3500 GMC and the space between wheel wells is 50" then we have a 2000 AF and it measures 49.5" plus the hex head screws that attach the angle aluminum to the outside box of the camper so I have about one eighth of an inch or less on both sides.

What I found was to use the stakes of the pick up bed at the back or end of the bed to keep the unit square all of the way up to the cab then I set it on just so the camper touches the front of the bed.

What I cannot figure out is how to unload the unit without binding up the jacks, the truck holds the back end of the camper higher and my driveway slants downhill slightly so by the time I get the unit high enough to move truck the front jacks get bound up because of the attitude of where they were to where I need them to be changes as I raise the unit.

Anyone also have this problem? It's UN-nerving to finally release the weight to the saw horses and to have the base of the jack kick forward a couple of inches.

Bill

I use a 2x2 across the front of the load bed and push the camper up against it.

To help centre the camper and prevent it moving around I added these:

Guide rails

Steve.

Well I cant add much more than Artum Snowbird with same truck and camper..
But as to the comment 'they' made, referring to staying back a couple of inches. When loading I stay back a bit, just enough so bumpers are not rubbing while lowering, maybe an inch. When camper is close to floor, then back up to make contact. Otherwise, bumpers wont slide against the coated bed, and Ive ripped them off couple of times. But when all is done, yes camper needs to be against front bulkhead.

On ours the camper bumpers extend 4", so camper can't hit the front bed rail. The SnowRiver bumpers are really that shallow? I also use a spacer due to Ford taillights will touch camper. I ended up removing rubber bumpers, install the spacer (1x4) on camper face then reinstall the bumpers.

On our 2000 f/350 we had to stop the camper a little further back to miss the trucks tail lights. We used 2 2xs to do it.

OK, thanks so far for the replies. So, something like this picture, but a longer piece of wood and not 1 1/2, close to 2" wide?