An FWC owner traveling mainland Mexico reported a problem with his aluminum, open hook factory supplied turnbuckles on the FWC owners Facebook page......
David Graves
Posted 19 January 2019 - 07:40 PM
An FWC owner traveling mainland Mexico reported a problem with his aluminum, open hook factory supplied turnbuckles on the FWC owners Facebook page......
David Graves
Posted 19 January 2019 - 08:13 PM
Edited by john cotterman, 19 January 2019 - 08:22 PM.
2014 Tacoma Prerunner V6 2WD TRD Off Road
2016 Fleet Shell
Posted 19 January 2019 - 09:08 PM
Edited by longhorn1, 19 January 2019 - 09:09 PM.
Posted 19 January 2019 - 11:09 PM
Had to check mine ... AL body with ferrous metal hooks.
When the guy on FB writes, "Aluminum turnbuckles" does he mean the hooks are AL?
If so then, yeah I'd replace/upgrade them. If not them maybe the "steel" now is not like what it was when the old OEM ones I still use were made.
---
What is too tight with a turnbuckle? That might be the problem. I tighten by hand and then 1/2 additional turn with screw driver inside.
That sounds reasonable to me. Personally, I generally only "hand tighten" but have good access to the turnbuckles so can get a good look at, and feel, for the tension. Also use a 1/2" thick rubber anti fatigue mat under the camper. I think it helps keep the camper from moving around so easily and adds some cushion for flexing. Don't really see the need to keep the TBs super tight. Jam nuts, like in the pic you show, prevent the TBs from spinning loose.
So far it's keep me off the (turnbuckle) fiasco list.
Posted 20 January 2019 - 01:45 AM
I have had loosening issues in the past when travelling graded dirt and worse roads. I check the turnbuckles frequently (daily) when driving off pavement.
We made a 7900 mile round trip to Anchorage this summer and all four turnbuckles remained tight the whole trip.
Same camper, same turnbuckles same truck.
I generally hand tighten as much as I am able. Even at 65 my upper body and arm strength is pretty good. It probably makes sense however to use a screwdriver and put an extra 1/4 - 1/2 turn on them as John Cotterman does.
Craig
Edited by ckent323, 20 January 2019 - 01:50 AM.
1993 Dodge Cummins W-250 Club Cab long bed, 2007 FWC Keystone
Posted 20 January 2019 - 01:55 AM
I also wondered if that poster was overtightening. The manual says (I think) tighten a half turn with a tool after hand tightening, and I kinda wonder if I'm overdoing it sometimes. I use a jam nut which has really helped. Now I check the turnbuckles using the wiggle test. If I can't wiggle them, they're good.
Tacoma/Fleet 2018.
Posted 20 January 2019 - 11:56 PM
Stan Kennedy --- Four Wheel Pop-up Campers
1400 Churchill Downs Avenue, Suite A
Woodland, CA 95776
(800) 242-1442 or (530) 666-1442
www.fourwh.com --- e-mail = stan@fourwh.com
Posted 21 January 2019 - 02:03 AM
A little air out the tires never hurts either..., Bizarre tho, the way I read it the fellow hit a speed bump at ~15mph and all 4 hooks bent open. I mean ... most of us have done that at least once. The other time was going thru a ditch .. again, BTDT, twist is possible and depending on extent, some damage may occur. That's understandable, fair enough.
Too bad we don't know which hook end of the turnbuckle bent - camper or bed end.
Been wondering if the bed attachment point is steel bar with a hole in it, the plane of the bar might - in the right condition - lever open the hook.
Pic of Taco bed brackets, posted here:
This eg uses a quick link, but imagine an install without. Compared to the hook attached to an eye nut like on the camper.
I don't have a pic of my set up but I have the TBs like post #2 and the truck bed tie downs are like this:
So a round rod hook in a round rod ring, same as to camper eye nut. At most angles of attachment the contact always stays at the apex of the rods (layman terminology) kind like a pintle hitch set up. The bar above would {EDIT better to say "could"] have 2 contact points - each face of the bar - and they "may" even put a stress point in the hook depending on how the hole edge is finished.
Also wondering about the angle of attachment. I know this has been mentioned before. I notice on the FB page a reply showing a Torklift solution. Fellow is very happy with.
Guessing this is also on a Tacoma. What stands out to me is the attachment angle. Presumably this is the rear and the fronts are similar but pulling forward and outward. Seems to me if the attachment were plum - the shortest possible distance between the camper and bed - there would be the least amount of available movement should 2 of the attachments come loose.
For eg if the fronts loosened, with this rear angle isn't there an arc of movement possible for the camper to move rearward if the vehicle hit a bump ?
Now, I understand there will be reasons for this design, min length to be practical among others. And I'm not suggesting it's a poor design. No doubt millions of miles, bullet proof etc. Just noting that there must be different angle of attachment for different applications and this might be a variable for why some owners never have any issues and a few report that they have.
Edited by klahanie, 21 January 2019 - 02:34 AM.
Posted 21 January 2019 - 02:50 AM
A more vertical orientation of turnbuckles, perhaps a two inch vertical offset from top attachment point to bottom.
Fronts offset forward...rears offset rearward...all can also be offset to the side.
All of this, of course, needs to take into consideration the installers truck bed and strong points to mount bed eye bolts.
David Graves
Posted 21 January 2019 - 03:15 AM
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