Twisted Truck? UPDATE-Fixed!

[BFL13]

Update--21 May

In the photo you can see what is driving me crazy 🙂



Before I levelled it all ( I thought) the whole thing was low on the left and to the front. So I drove up on a Rhino ramp front left and fixed all that according to the levels back on the camper.

But now looking at it all from the front, it looks like the camper is leaning to the left, when in fact it is almost level, and the truck cab is leaning to the right.

So the truck must be twisted between the cab and the box? Is that possible? If so is it bad for the truck? Or am I going blind?

How should I be levelling it if that is bad for the truck? Use more Rhino ramps, set just so here and there, so it comes out right with the camper looking level vs the truck cab? What a PITA! Or does it matter?

Thanks.

[BFL13]

It was Grit dog at 0825, now showing on mine. Whatever works! 🙂

[Bedlam]

The Admin has put some Forum members on delayed posting due content of previous posts. This is most likely what you are seeing when a new message does not immediately show up. This is not something I do as a moderator but can over ride a delayed post.

[notsobigjoe]

That’s about the nicest thing anyones ever said on here.

[BFL13]

Note from OP --I see a new post came in this morning four hours ago, but it is not showing on my read-out yet. It might show up eventually. So in case somebody thinks I am ignoring him, that's not it. This seems to happen with certain posters for some reason. Area 51 thing?

[Grit_dog]

And to the folks that were like “you’re truck has a serious problem, check your suspension for broken springs…” ROFLMAO!

OP, not sure if you’re making “ramps” or using maintenance ramps, but suggestion, just cut a bunch of 2x6s or 2x8s the same length and you can stack them about 3 high at any wheel as needed.
Never gave this much thought when we had a tc. Just carried an assortment of scrap lumber cut up to build “ramps”. Sometimes they got used for firewood and replaced with more scrap lumber!

[BFL13]

No that is plugged into the inverter all inside. Converter unplugged of course.

You might be seeing the mess showing on page 3 of the Lance DC-DC thread scroll down

[notsobigjoe]

BFL13 wrote:
Not sure this will prove anything, but here are photos taken the other day when on a site where I found the bubbles on the left back corner of the camper showed level both ways, without needing any blocks/ramps. (Bubbles set using a carpenter's level)

Truck has no air bags or extra springs. We got it new in Oct 2002. It drives ok. Been a while since new shocks. On scales with loaded camper, two people in cab, got:

Front- 1620 vs GAWR of 2041
Rear- 2450 vs GAWR of 2760
Total 4070 vs 4173 GVWR or (8954 vs 9200)
Empty truck 2720 so camper weighs 1350 (2970)







I will play with levelling it other ways in the back yard later on to see what happens.

Looking at your pics and something "stupid" popped in my head. Are you sitting on your truck to camper cable? Umbilical cord?

[BFL13]

Used carpenter's level with truck sitting same as in OP photo. Confirmed the front of the truck is leaning to the right a bit while the camper is leaning to the left a bit. It was level front to back (on the left side anyway). Same as the camper bubbles say roughly.

(If you ever tried to put bubbles on an RV you know RVs are not built they way they ought to be, so if one place is level another place is off. I picked near the stove top for setting the bubbles outside, and that's that)

OK, so as suggested I drove back off the one ramp front left. Now the camper and truck were aligned above the cab--no twist. (Sorry, Chubby Checker!) Camper was low on the left and low to the front.

This time I used one ramp at the back left tire and the camper was level sideways, but even lower to the front. Still even up front no twist.

Put two more ramps down in front--had to try a couple times to get them the right distance out front of the tires so the front of the truck got to the proper height while the back rode up to its proper height on the left rear-- and Ta Da! The camper bubbles are good both ways and the truck is not twisted it seems.

I suppose the back right and left are not the same on their springs, no idea. That's as good as it is going to get.

Thanks very much for all the good advice everyone! 🙂

[Grit_dog]

JimK-NY wrote:
I does appear that there is something seriously wrong. First step would be to look at the rig on a hard, level surface. I suspect that will not fix the issue. Next step would be to determine the weight on each tire. I also doubt that is the cause. Next step, after visually inspecting the springs from every angle would be to take the truck to a spring/suspension shop and have it evaluated.

I am assuming you have already checked for the obvious such as a leaky airbag or and overload stop missing, broken, or incorrectly installed.

Say wut?
OP drive 1 wheel up on a ramp, left the other 3 on the ground. It’s going to flex the truck frame a little. That is all that is going on in that picture.
You mustn’t own a pickup truck either?

[Grit_dog]

KD4UPL wrote:
By putting only one wheel up on a ramp you have twisted the frame. Once you put the wheel back down on the ground it will straighten back out.
I always leveled mine by using blocks under the truck wheels to get it as level as possible first. Then I used the camper jacks to tweak it and take some of the weight off the truck so it didn't bounce so much.
I had electric jacks, don't know about hydraulic. Maybe you can't use them like that.

You, scooby and bigjoe understand.
Not sure how the rest of the bunch got off in left field, yet again…

[Grit_dog]

joerg68 wrote:
Without knowing all the details, that looks like more twist than I would expect to see in this situation, with an older camper on a 2500 truck. When you move next time, get the rig on level ground and see how it all checks out.
It would not surprise me if there was an additional mechanical issue - e.g. a broken spring, or a bed mount or cab mount rusted out or broken.
Frame damage could also cause this, but I think that is unlikely. But then I don't know what the truck has been through during its lifetime.

You have all the info needed. OP said he intentionally ran one wheel up on a ramp to level it and induced the frame twisting as a result. He was just asking if it will hurt anything. (Presumably in the long run)

[KD4UPL]

By putting only one wheel up on a ramp you have twisted the frame. Once you put the wheel back down on the ground it will straighten back out.
I always leveled mine by using blocks under the truck wheels to get it as level as possible first. Then I used the camper jacks to tweak it and take some of the weight off the truck so it didn't bounce so much.
I had electric jacks, don't know about hydraulic. Maybe you can't use them like that.

[BFL13]

Not sure this will prove anything, but here are photos taken the other day when on a site where I found the bubbles on the left back corner of the camper showed level both ways, without needing any blocks/ramps. (Bubbles set using a carpenter's level)

Truck has no air bags or extra springs. We got it new in Oct 2002. It drives ok. Been a while since new shocks. On scales with loaded camper, two people in cab, got:

Front- 1620 vs GAWR of 2041
Rear- 2450 vs GAWR of 2760
Total 4070 vs 4173 GVWR or (8954 vs 9200)
Empty truck 2720 so camper weighs 1350 (2970)







I will play with levelling it other ways in the back yard later on to see what happens.

[JimK-NY]

I does appear that there is something seriously wrong. First step would be to look at the rig on a hard, level surface. I suspect that will not fix the issue. Next step would be to determine the weight on each tire. I also doubt that is the cause. Next step, after visually inspecting the springs from every angle would be to take the truck to a spring/suspension shop and have it evaluated.

I am assuming you have already checked for the obvious such as a leaky airbag or and overload stop missing, broken, or incorrectly installed.

[JRscooby]

Before you started to level did the whole rig lean to left? If so I would put ramp under left rear to level. Because that lifts the axle with most weight it would put less twist in frame to get level.