Mounting Truck Camper on Top Of 5th Wheel Hitch Rails

How much higher will camper ride than if directly on the truck bed?

The first dually pickup I owned came with fifth wheel hitch rails in the bed from the previous owner. It also came with a rubber mat in the bed with cutouts for the rails to poke through. I found that 5/4” treated deck boards were just the right height to allow the camper to clear the rails.

I attached them to the bottom of the camper, and also had the smart idea to place two of them so they landed directly in front of the hitch rails. They acted as guides for the camper when lowering it into the bed, and prevented it from moving backwards while traveling.

The first one is new because I had just replaced it. The first one developed a long split.



:):)

I used numbered 2 x 4's to get above the rails. I then attached the last 4 together so I didn't lose one 2 x 4 going down the road. After I got the wood in I used a 3/8" horse stall mat so I didn't get too tall.

Use enough wood to get good support. Plywood on top of that. Then the rubber mat on top.
Or....throw the rails away and install a gooseneck ball and get a Reese GooseBox pinbox.

Started with a camper and the full bed mat. Got a 5er, they cut the bed mat in half across between the wheel wells, and cut slots in each half for the rails. Still have a bit of rail height above mat.

Whenever have to carry 4 x 8 sheets in the truck, use three 8 ft 2x4s to clear the hitch rails

Then got another camper years later. Used the 2 x 4 boards under the camper same as when carrying 4x8 sheets. The camper hold downs keep it all in place. The back of the camper hangs down below the bed so no problem with boards coming out the back with no tail gate there.

I have the 5er rails in my F350. We transferred a Lance 1130 from Michigan to Minnesota on top of a frame of treated 2x4s flat and toenailed with screw. The camper ended up slipping back about 8" from the bumping down the freeway. The tiedowns were vertical so they did allow the camper to slide and the wood was slightly damp from a rain. I stopped a couple of times to readjust and retighten the tiedowns.
I purchased a rubber livestock mat and will be using it next weekend but I also plan to remove the 5er rails and reinstall them when we use the 5er again. There is only 5 bolts for each rail so it wont be to bad for meI did not like the camper sliding.

I used the high density foam board that is used under concrete for insulation. Get a 4ft x 8ft sheet that is 2 inches thick, cut out for the rails, and lay it in the bed. Used the same sheet for many years.

ryoung

MN Ben wrote:
I have the 5er rails in my F350. We transferred a Lance 1130 from Michigan to Minnesota on top of a frame of treated 2x4s flat and toenailed with screw. The camper ended up slipping back about 8" from the bumping down the freeway. The tiedowns were vertical so they did allow the camper to slide and the wood was slightly damp from a rain. I stopped a couple of times to readjust and retighten the tiedowns.
I purchased a rubber livestock mat and will be using it next weekend but I also plan to remove the 5er rails and reinstall them when we use the 5er again. There is only 5 bolts for each rail so it wont be to bad for meI did not like the camper sliding.

Do you mean the boards slipped on the metal truck bed? I can see that happening. Especially with the corrugated bed, less surface area.

On mine with the mat, the boards don't slip with the camper on. Maybe try it with the mat before going to the trouble of removing the 5er rails. Re-installing the rails each time could be a hassle if they need to be aligned just right to get the hitch on, and there is wiggle room in the rail bolt holes.

BFL13 wrote:

MN Ben wrote:
I have the 5er rails in my F350. We transferred a Lance 1130 from Michigan to Minnesota on top of a frame of treated 2x4s flat and toenailed with screw. The camper ended up slipping back about 8" from the bumping down the freeway. The tiedowns were vertical so they did allow the camper to slide and the wood was slightly damp from a rain. I stopped a couple of times to readjust and retighten the tiedowns.
I purchased a rubber livestock mat and will be using it next weekend but I also plan to remove the 5er rails and reinstall them when we use the 5er again. There is only 5 bolts for each rail so it wont be to bad for meI did not like the camper sliding.

Do you mean the boards slipped on the metal truck bed? I can see that happening. Especially with the corrugated bed, less surface area.

On mine with the mat, the boards don't slip with the camper on. Maybe try it with the mat before going to the trouble of removing the 5er rails. Re-installing the rails each time could be a hassle if they need to be aligned just right to get the hitch on, and there is wiggle room in the rail bolt holes.

Yeah, the treated 2x4 boards slid on the metal bed. They stayed in place against the bottom of the camper. The boards were only fastened to each other in a picture frame design.

I would rather have the camper as low as possible, but two ideas I like are the 5/4 decking (with maybe a rubber mat under or on top) or the high density styrofoam as I have 4 sheets laying around.

Lots of ideas for the OP. What do you think vwsportbug?

I’ll Probably use 2x10s across the bed to clear the 5er rails. Should my rubber mat be on top of the boards or under them? Don’t want them sliding.