Torklifts & Fastgun's

[70GTO]

I just finished the purchase of a 10-2 Northern Lite TC & in another month, I will be driving a 2018 Chevy 3500 dually. Now I'm in the market for the tie-downs. When I look at Torklift products, it's a pretty much cut & dried EXCEPT for the Choice: Steel or Aluminum! I would like to ask those who have used or are are familiar with Torklift products, is it worth the extra "roughly" $200 for the Aluminum braces??? Secondly, my truck is Charcoal & Northern Lite Campers are white Fiberglass. Fastguns are offered in Stainless steel, Gray & Black & I've never seen them in person, SO what do you all think would look best with my combination?? Thanks for any information you folks can offer up - Bruce

[WyoBull]

I have the steel fast guns on mine and they are white. They came as part of the package when I bought my camper and I have no problem with them. My guess is they weigh a little more than the aluminum ones but probably not enough to make a big difference.

[jzell]

AND Fast Gun locks are a must, IMHO.

-jz

[Kayteg1]

I had Dodge bed on my older F350 and it had a million cracks on it.
90% of original spot welding had cracked around, while tailgate corners simply split. Had some welding jobs on it every year.
Don't think I would like to attach TC to it.
New truck has aluminium bed, where brackets holding on couple of bolts might not be strong enough.
Than you have mechanics behind all of this and I am not going to argue with engineers who figured out frame-mounted ties.
Extending the plate for getting fastgun out of fuel door is not much option on new trucks neither. Due to dual fill ups, the door is about 8" long, so you'd have to extend the plate a foot or more, what would keep the back door from opening.

[SidecarFlip]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Isn't HJ using bed-mounted brackets, that are determinate unsafe on modern beds?
I have TL set on my long bed Ford and do have to remove it for fueling. Don't see the way around it. Takes about 5 seconds to take down and maybe 7 to put back.
I am in favor of stainless steel whenever it can apply. I have chromed FastGuns and they do show some corrosion.
Also pay the attention to rod lengths. I hate using chain extensions.
As mentioned above - aluminium when sprayed with salty mud will corrode and the material doesn't flex as much as steel does, so I would rather buy steel and spend 99 cents every season for a can of spray paint.

Cannot answer the 'safety' thing. Deemed 'unsafe' by who? The same people that cannot answer your static pressure on a tie down?

Elasticity in stainless is entirely dependent of grade used, just like mild steel and aluminum.

The 'way' around it is add a longer tie plate to the end, exactly what I did for a friend's F350 with the fuel door issue. I wacked off the original plate CNC plasma cut a new one and welded it on. That spaced the tie down farther forward. Did the same on the other side to equalize the pull. Not only does it clear the fuel door, it increased the angle of pull on the front tie down set.

The other less intensive option is to add a length of heater hose, zip tied to the tie down rod so the door hits the hose instead of the metal rod and chips the point on the filler door. Either way works but not relocating the rod don't eliminate tedious fuel fill issue, jut saves the paint.

[Kayteg1]

Isn't HJ using bed-mounted brackets, that are determinate unsafe on modern beds?
I have TL set on my long bed Ford and do have to remove it for fueling. Don't see the way around it. Takes about 5 seconds to take down and maybe 7 to put back.
I am in favor of stainless steel whenever it can apply. I have chromed FastGuns and they do show some corrosion.
Also pay the attention to rod lengths. I hate using chain extensions.
As mentioned above - aluminium when sprayed with salty mud will corrode and the material doesn't flex as much as steel does, so I would rather buy steel and spend 99 cents every season for a can of spray paint.

[SidecarFlip]

The only issue I've seen with the TL tie down system is, if you have a short bed (with a Ford at least, the front drivers side tie down will be right over the fuel filler door. Makes it hard to fuel the truck without removing the tie down.

The other issue is less of an issue unless you plan on camping off road and that is, the frame mount tie down's stick out and are low so when traversing 2 tracks and unimproved roads (like I do), those tie down points can become rock and log catchers, why I don't use them. You hook one on a rick or log on the trail and that becomes a frame bending lever, not good.

HJ (LCI) now sells a quick load turnbuckle system very similar to the TL version that a whole bunch less expensive as well.

My 2 cents and it all depends on where you plan on camping actually.

[Yeti_plus]

I put steel tie downs on my truck. Up here where they put more salt on the roads to de-ice than a fast food restaurant puts on their fries, it doesn't matter. Steel rusts, aluminum oxidizes when they get in combination with winter road slop. I don't drive the truck much in the winter, but they are already showing signs of rusting after 3 winters, plus driving gravel roads in the far north where they use salt to control dust.
My truck is black, my camper white and my Fastguns are Stainless. Doesn't look too bad, especially when they get covered in dead bugs. They get washed off and a little scrubbing doesn't affect the stainless.
Brian

[Homeless_by_Cho]

I also vote stainless steel fast guns, they look good with anything. I have the standard steel black mounts don't need the aluminum because my truck should never see ice and snow.

[Faststreak]

2 me vote for stainless steel fast guns, they look good with anything. I have the standard steel black mounts don't need the aluminum

[GeoBoy]

Bruce, I store my truck for the winter, so I went with steel frame mounts. For the Fastguns you can’t beat the nice shiny stainless steel look.