28 replies to this topic

[Bigfoot]

Bigfoot, are you planning to convert to a frame-mounted tiedown (the Torklift, I assume) because of bad experieces you've had with the box-mounted Happijac, or simply that you anticipate wanting the extra strength and peace of mind somewhere down the road?

I ask because one option we're still considering is to get AnchorGuard turnbuckles for our front Happijac box-mounted front system, and add frame-mounted Torklift tiedowns and Spring Load XLs or Fastguns for the rear. We could do the rest of the repair in a second stage if we still have concerns, in the mean time I think we can refrain from doing anything too crazy and see what happens.

The Happijac front tiedowns have worked okay but I don't like the very short distance for the turnbuckle and the need for a special mounting plate on the camper (to increase the distance). It just doesn't look like a clean installation to me. Also, from what I have read the frame mounts put less stress on the pickup box although I don't know if that is significant. My only reason for going with the Happijac originally was better clearance but now that I have driven the rig on bad roads I do not think that is a problem. 

[DoGMAtix]

Bigfoot, what's the special mounting plate on the camper you mentioned? I've got the same concern (it's 15 inches between the Happijac front tiedown and the turnbuckle attachment point on the front jack, which would be further shortened by the couple of links of chain necessary to provide a place to hook to). I figured the entire situation could be remedied by installing another mounting bracket to the underside edge of the camper for the forward tiedown attachment - that would allow for a standard spring loaded front turnbuckle, and would also provide a good angle for keeping the camper pulled forward in the bed. I called Bill at Hallmark yesterday and he said absolutely not to do that, as a plate attached there would "tear the camper apart."

I called Kyle at Torklift tech assistance and emailed him photos of our truck and camper. He's concerned about the angles, and although he was too diplomatic to say it, he basically made it clear that the Hallmark screwed up. Torklift frame-mounted tiedowns would not fix the problem as they would be positioned further back than the Happijacs, so he actually said he'd recommend sticking with the Happijacs. We'd like to get AnchorGuard spring-loaded turnbuckles for the front, but we'll have to devise some sort of new attachment point farther from the Happijac.

My plan at this point is to get some heavy duty angle steel and bolt it higher up on the jack bracket's rear side. Ideally I'd like to make it extend back at least a few inches to where the attachment hole would be drilled. I have a friend who's a metal worker so we'll just order up materials and I'll drive on over to his shop and we'll see what we can come up with.

 

By the way, I got the camper off the truck under the new car port and checked out the underside. Looks like the entire 2x4s can come off allowing the camper to sit directly on the bed mat. It's got a fairly flimsy plywood bottom, so we plan to attach diamond plate aluminum over it to protect it from the elements and help keep it from sliding around on the mat.

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[Bad Habit]

Here's what the front brackets look like on mine, I would assume Bigfoot's are similar.

 

It gives just enough length and angle so the turnbuckles fit nicely.  The Happijack tabs are close to the jacks, but as long as I get it centered, no problems.

 

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[DoGMAtix]

Thanks for the photos, Bad Habit.

I was thinking of something like that attached to the rear of the jack bracket instead of the front. It would have to be lower down to stay below the camper and extend further back to give adequate spacing for the turnbuckle (probably 5 or 6 inches back). Looks like the turnbuckle would fit between the truck and the jack bracket, but I guess we'll have to see when the turnbuckles arrive (I plan to order AnchorGuards). That would allow for at least some forward pull. I suppose if we can't come up with a configuration that would accomplish all that we could just go with what you've got (which looks like what Bill was trying to explain to me as an option for being able to install Torklift turnbuckles).

When I spoke with Kyle at Torklift I asked about going with just the rear Torklift tie downs and he said he wasn't concerned enough about the bumper mounts to recommend changing them out. His focus was really on the front end, which bears most of the force and determines how well the camper/truck combination performs, particularly on rough roads. He also said that the proper configuration is to have the front turnbuckles pulling in a slightly forward direction and the rears pulling in a slightly rearward direction. I suppose if the front turnbuckles are vertical, though, I can see that having the rears vertical as well would make sense. Just not sure it would justify the expense and extra weight of the rear Torklift tie downs.

How does your camper do on rough roads? Do you notice any shifting or other problems? Do the turnbuckles seem to hold tight?

[Bigfoot]

Our front setup uses the same plate as Bad Habit with a small difference. The attachment bolt is in the middle hole of the plate, and the quick link is in the bottom hole; the end result is similar. The plate looks like something they grabbed out of the parts bin and adapted.

 

The rear uses different attachments that angle forward. I'm surprised that Torklift says that the rears should be angled rearward. Maybe I don't understand the dynamics of a bed-mounted camper. 

[Bad Habit]

How does your camper do on rough roads? Do you notice any shifting or other problems? Do the turnbuckles seem to hold tight?

Since I've put the sprung turnbuckles on the front, no issues what soever. It's not like I'm rock crawling or bombing down desert washes but have dealt with some mildly rough spots.

 

By chance I'm going to be going through your neck of the woods next weekend.  If the stars line up maybe we could meet up somewhere and you can see the set up I have.  It's on a Ford but basically they're all the same,

[DoGMAtix]

I ordered a set of AnchorGuard turnbuckles off rvwholesalers.com (Durnell's RV in Lakeview OH) for $126.99. The closest competitor, Amazon, was $160. I had to get a dish drainer and some sikaflex to bring the total to $140 for free shipping, but we needed those things anyway. Seems like a reliable company, they get an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

I'm attaching a photo of a cardboard template of what I'm thinking of making out of steel. Will probably need to reinforce it by welding a second piece of steel onto the back side, and continuing that one over the side of the jack bracket facing the camper. With the attachment piece welded to 2 sides of the jack bracket it ought to be strong enough to keep the camper situated even on rough roads. We'll probably also want to make some brackets like the ones Bad Habit and Bigfoot have just in case we run into problems in the middle of nowhere.

Once the 2x4s are off the bottom of the camper and the brackets drop a couple of inches we'll end up with the same issue of the distance to the turnbuckle being too short - may have to after-market the turnbuckles for shorter reach (I've heard that's possible) vs use slightly longer brackets.

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Edited by DoGMAtix, 18 September 2015 - 03:15 AM.

[DoGMAtix]

Measured the camper box against the truck bed and it seemed like it would fit without any spacers on bottom. So we took off all the 2x4 + 1x4 spacers underneath, and lowered it onto the truck. Unfortunately, we only measured at the front, and it seems that the Dodge box is taller in back than in front. So now the camper actually sits on the top of the rails at the back end leaving about a half inch of space above the rubber bed mat back there. So I guess we'll have to screw some 1x4s width-wise across the bottom to bring it up off the rails. I'm guessing 6 of them would be about right (one per 16" or so). Wondering if those can be attached over the top of a sheet of diamond plate aluminum...

Now I see what Bill meant when he looked at the slight angle of the camper against the truck rails and said something like, "that's just Dodge."

[JaSAn]

I just used a 1 inch thick sheet of Formular® when mounting my Grandby to the Ram.  Also adds some insulation to the floor.

 

jim

[DoGMAtix]

Jim,

Is this what you used?

http://www.homedepot...-68WD/100320355

How did you fasten it to the bottom of the camper or keep it from moving around?

Do you use a rubber mat as well, or just the insulation?

Does it compact under the weight of the camper? I think 1 inch would be about right to fill the gap between the truck and camper as long as it retains its height.

Thanks.

- Dave