I didn't realize how far the frame mounts stick out to the side. Seems like you could do something like that, but creating a lever arm to torque the jack may not be the best idea.
Did you get a chance to look for the interior plates? Seems like a pretty easy modification, with minimal time, expense, and reinvention of the wheel.
Speaking of which, I just got back from the auto metal fabricator's shop. We're incredibly fortunate to have a guy in Albuquerque who specializes in bomb-proofing jeeps and SUVs for crazy off-road applications. He drives a fully modified forerunner that could cruise through armageddon without spilling what's in the drink holder. We did a few laps around, inside, and under the camper, and with a few modifications we'll be going ahead with the plan I outlined above. The biggest differences are that the plates will not be as long as I'd planned (after a point the metal won't spread the force), and the interior plates will be bent upward not only on the edge along the lateral wall, but slightly on the edge toward the center of the camper (only a small fraction of an inch on that side since it'll be right under the seat cushion), which will give a lot of additional strength. We're going to gorilla glue plywood back into the holes to try to keep the structure from splintering more and to seal it. And (this I gotta see), he plans to put short adjustable springs (I believe designed for engine mounting) onto the lower mounting plates so big shocks won't be fully transmitted to the camper (that part is still in beta phase, and could be left out or reworked).
He's even got a test dirt track to take the thing out and make sure it works in simulated real-life conditions.
It'll be a few weeks before we've got a finished product, but I can sleep better now. Actually only a little better, because I'm pretty excited about seeing how this all turns out.
Edited by DoGMAtix, 06 December 2016 - 11:26 PM.