I bought a new 2015 truck to replace the old 1999 and needed to prep it for the same old camper. I took some pictures along the way.First step was to put in the electric plugs. A new Ford has a pigtail for the "5th Wheel" plug, you can purchase the official Ford wiring harness, move the pigtail as far forward as it will go and install it as a camper plug. First drill the holes:Notice that I have a 7 pin trailer plug but also a 2 pin lift gate plug which will be used for high current charging of the camper battery from the truck. I am installing a drop in bed liner, in the past this has meant cutting a hole in it and then the plugs are always recessed back in the hole. This time I made a little bezel to stand them off the bed wall and make them accessible:I was going to 3D print that in ABS plastic, but the slicer said it would take 1 day and 7 hours to print (!), so I CNC machined it in aluminum and had it hard anodized (it took about 14 minutes of CNC time to cut the aluminum...).With that done and the bed liner in, I modified the plywood platform I had made for the old truck. This isn't really to space the camper up (though sometimes that is necessary) but just to block it in place so it won't slide around. It is a fairly tight fit between the wheel wells and tailgate, and the bed walls in front:It also provides a harder, stiffer surface than the bedliner. On top of that is a rubber bed mat, mostly to protect the plywood from the bottom of the camper. I made it overhang the bed by about 6" to ease the hard spot that the camper feels at the end of the bed.

That done, now the hold downs. My '99 had Happijac hold downs at the front and rear, but the rear ones are mostly a joke so I had replaced those with Torklift. I didn't care for how the Torklift front ones installed, and the rear ones from the '99 did not fit well on the '15 (and aren't supposed to). However they aren't rocket science, so I set to work. The rear ones just slide into the ends of the hitch torque tube. 2.5" outside hitch receiver tubing fit well once the welding flash was removed from the inside of the factory hitch (there's a trick to that...) so I bought two hitch receivers for $18 ea, then welded some 2.5" square tubing I had lying about at the right angle:These stay underneath all the time. Some removable extensions made from 1/8" wall 2" square come out to take the Torklift Fast Guns. The end plates are 3/8" steel to give the Fast Gun hooks some support:The finished fabrications ready for a little sanding and paint:

The fronts are more challenging. Torklift's version cantilevers out a long way from the frame, and access to the frame is poor due to the fuel tank. They also block the fuel filler door. The Happijac had been OK once I reinforced them, but they look a bit agricultural. If you look carefully at the Happijac on my '99, you will see the piece of channel I welded across the front of the bed between the two, which makes it much stiffer and stronger:I decided to fabricate something a bit more robust, mounted similar to the Happijac. Here are the main pieces in progress. It has some funny wiggles to follow the bed sheet metal stampings, then is bent back to take the Fast Gun hook rather than just hang out in the breeze like a boxer's ears:They were bent from 3/8 x 4" flat bar. I initially tried to use cold rolled steel, but it will not take the 90 degree bend without breaking. This is hot rolled, and takes about 20 tons in the press to bend the 90. Trial fitting to make sure the Fast Guns clear the fuel filler door:As a backing plate inside, I used 1/4" flat bar, and bent it around the corner to pick up on the factory bed tie downs. Those don't appear to be overwhelmingly strong, but tying them together could only improve both:This is what one end looks like, the bed is sandwiched between the two:And a channel, as big as I could fit, ties the two sides together, stiffening everything up:

The holdowns were painted black in back, and white on the front ones to match the truck. Here is the finished install on the front:And inside. This is hidden by the bed liner so you never see it:With the camper on, it all fit. I could have gone a little lower on the front ones and still missed the filler door. Next time....The back:And all ready to roll:

Next was the suspension. I decided the OEM shock absorbers where inadequate even when the truck was unloaded. I like the Rancho 9000 shocks, not that they are exceptional quality, but they do have exceptional adjustability. I set them on 1 or 2 in the back with the truck empty, and 8 or 9 with the camper in:That is a photo of the empty box that arrived in UPS. I guess UPS has a rear shock rolling around in a truck somewhere. The e-tailer replaced it and I installed all four. I loaded the camper, and it was pretty good, but in a 'lane change' type of maneuver, you could get the truck leaning plenty with the right rhythm. On the '99 replacing the sway bars with larger was the best mod I did. For this '15 2WD, only Hellwig makes a big front bar. Roadmaster makes a rear but it is really adapted from the pre '11 and doesn't mount properly IMO, so I went with the Hellwig front and rear. Here is the front 1.5" compared to the stock 22 mm version:It is so big you wonder if the links will break or maybe the frame just flexes. The front takes about 15 minutes to install, alright maybe 30 if you are by yourself working on the ground and beer is involved. The back one is 1 5/16" and also looks bigger than the OEM camper package version:It would take about 30 minutes because the links are also replaced. I say "would take" because actually it took nearly 2 hours just to get the one bolt for the drivers side link out and new one in. It is hidden behind the DEF tank, which must be unbolted, supported, and slid aside giving you a 2" gap to work through. Then using an odd combination of wrenches and much blue language, it can be done if you are persistent. The result appears to be zero body roll empty, and greatly reduced movement loaded with the camper. In combination with the astonishing power of the 6.7L, I find that I can drive enough faster to dislodge stuff inside the camper that never fell over before. The handling is quite good for something that weighs 12,300 lbs.Next project will be something to level the truck when the camper is loaded. It sags at least as much as the '99, in spite of an additional 2,800 in GVWR. There is very little room on the 2WD truck for airbags, most of the kits just don't fit properly unless you want to change the stock ride height. I will either need to fabricate my own kit, or do something more radical.

Excellent job on everything, it's nice to see custom made turn out better than what you can go buy off the shelf.

Preping the new truck for camper (caution: tedious detail)

sabconsulting
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
Very informative write-up and great fabrication skills.

Thanks for sharing.

Steve.
hedge
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
wow, impressive work. I wish I had your skills.
GeoBoy
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
Beagle, beautifully planned and executed work. A true craftsman.
dave17352
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
What are you some kind of a welding nerd!!!!! I Wish I was a welding nerd also but I cant even get jb weld to work for me!

That all looks mighty fine!
icanon
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
Wow that was really well planned out, nice work!
HMS_Beagle
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
Kayteg1 wrote:
Now, tell me more details. I am having 4200lb (dry) camper on my long base 2007 F350 dually and am planning to buy 2016 dually.
When the beefed up suspension on my present dually hold the camper with high comfort, your experience confirms my fear that new "regular" suspension dually will squat a lot and your need for stiffer sway bars is making it even harder.
How much your camper weights?

Last week I put it on this truck and weighed it at 4300 lbs, wet and ready to camp. I confirmed that by weighing off the truck. I weighed it when I first got it at 3570 lbs (which is about what the closet sheet says) but I must have made a mistake somehow. Not sure what I did wrong the first time, perhaps it was empty and no batteries - my notes are not very good - still that isn't enough to account for the mistake.

The springs handle it ok, but it does squat using a lot of the travel. Maybe on the '17 they will offer an air option like Ram? I have heard no rumors to that effect but I will start one. The large sway bars are just a good idea when the load has a CG that high.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Apr 11, 2016
Reddog1 wrote:
Really a job well done. I too have welders and welding/fabrication experience in my work history. I tend to forget that everyone has not the tools or experience to do these projects.

Wayne

Welding is a skill and just like driving - lot can do it, but only few with generic skills and patience will become good.
I become semi-professional welder being in my 30's and took me a while to figure out why people welding every day on the job for 20 years make welds that break.
Now I still can weld stuff on my truck or hitch, but not only cheaper welder, but a need for reading glasses combined with lack of daily practice makes me bad welder.
Hemi_Joel
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
Nice work!
I did the same as you for the rear mounts. But the fronts I mounted to the truck frame.
Reddog1
Explorer II
Apr 11, 2016
Really a job well done. I too have welders and welding/fabrication experience in my work history. I tend to forget that everyone has not the tools or experience to do these projects.

Wayne
BoonHauler
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
REALLY nice work, REALLY nice.

TIG too, REALLY nice.

I should get over to this sub-forum more often.

REALLY nice!