New Truck, Soon new NL . How to prep the truck

[SoonDockin]

Finally got a truck. F450 King Ranch with everything but the Camper Package. Planning to get a NL 10-2 EX CDSE. Also plan to tow a enclosed 18-22 ft trailer that might weigh up to 8k. So extension hitch needed.

What do you recommend. I have a lift and can do all the work myself. Just looking for recommendations from people on what works well and what to avoid.

[mbloof]

Unless the 450 is built much different than the 250/350 you'll have to raise the camper to clear the cab. I used a sheet of 2" 8x4' styrofoam from Lowes. When loading be mindful of the camper centering in the tail gate opening and where your truck tail lights and the camper are - loaded all the way forward might cause them to touch.

- Mark0.

[SoonDockin]

Ok on the trailer hitch mod. I have some aged pressure treated 2x10s. I will cut one. Will have to get the camper to fine tune things. I plan to find a dealer, so I will have some support (i hope).

[burningman]

Just to be clear, stretching the trailer tongue is custom work, but really it’s easy.

Any approximately 3/8” thick rubber mat should be fine.

Every camper has its little quirks... on the 10-2, the set screws that hold the extra step just below the rear door really gouge into the aluminum step. If you epoxy-glue a coupe dimes on for the set screws to grind into, it helps with that.
I also stuck little clear rubber adhesive bumpers under my extra step so it doesn’t scratch up my back bumper where it sits on it.
Also, the big slide out tray in the rear “basement” storage compartment will bend and chew up the flange around the compartment hatch. The quick easy fix is to lay a strip of wood inside the rear storage compartment hatch for the tray to slide over as you pull it out. Make it just thick enough so the tray clears the lip on the access door frame.
It seems to pull in and out just fine when the tray is empty but once you load it up, you’ll see what I mean.

Oh!! Another truck-prep thing I think everyone should do is cut a pressure treated 2x10 or 2x12 to fit sideways across the front of your truck box. The front bed wall is actually pretty flimsy and I’ve bent several of them during unplanned hard braking with a camper on.
A nice big 2x12 across the front helps a lot to keep it from getting bent out of shape by the camper shoving against it.

You may find the black rubber bumpers on the front of your 10-2 make it sit too far back. I removed mine. It still has white plastic front bumpers (that the black rubber ones were screwed into) and it sits just right.
Your truck may be a little different (mine is a Dodge) but check that.

[SoonDockin]

Is the standard Ford rubber mat sufficient? I failed to request one as part of the deal.

It came with spray in liner and has a 7 pin in the drivers rear of the bed.

I will make sure to look into an extending trailer tongue. That sounds like a great idea.

You can bet I will be stopping every few inches to check everything for the first dozen or so times I load.

[Grit_dog]

Wow, agonizing over it at 5am. Home by noon with a new truck!
Congrats!

[burningman]

The Northern Lite 10-2 EXCD SE should clear the cab fine.
Northern Lite recommends a rubber mat under their campers.
I think they even require it for warranty purposes.
You can use a hitch extension, but I don’t like them.
I prefer to stretch my trailer tongue to reach the truck.
Benefits are many. No extra heavy junk to attach and remove whenever you load/unload your camper, and superior towing physics, mainly.
The Northern Lite has nothing has nothing hanging down under the rear so there’s plenty of clearance. You’ll want to relocate the tongue jack further aft.
A set of Torklift Fastgun tiedowns make life a whole lot easier loading and unloading.
Apache Camping Center near me (Seattle area) told me they’d throw them in the deal with the camper, ask (beat up on) your dealer. They’re expensive.
They sell locks to go on the Fastguns, so no one makes off with them.
I have a set but really some tall-shackle padlocks would work too.

Your F450 may not need any suspension help. I’d try it out first before adding anything.
Torklift seems to be the go-to for the frame-mounted tiedown brackets.
I made my own, it’s not rocket surgery if you can weld.

Get a 7-pin RV type connector in the left front of your truck box and you should be good to go.

Be really careful of the right rear corner of your truck bed as you back under the 10-2, that’s the tightest spot.

[d3500ram]

Just listing some free thinking items, you perhaps already have this in mind:

- Tie downs (Tork-Lift or Happi-Jac)
- Get rid on any factory plastic bedliner, consider a spray-in liner
- Rubber bed mat.
- 7-Pin in the bed.
- Take off and leave tailgate at home when you go to pick up the camper.
- Fords generally have a taller cab, expect to have the need to raise the camper to clear the cab.

Congrats on the new set-up!