Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

Removal of Camper on a Slope?


  • Please log in to reply
18 replies to this topic

#1 canfindtom

canfindtom

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 17 posts

Posted 28 June 2019 - 07:27 PM

Any advice out there about the risk of removing my Grandby 4 wheel camper when my truck is on a slope.  I have never tried.  When the truck/camper is on my sloped driveway the front of the camper is about 6-8" lower that the back of the camper.  

 

My thought is that I would rise the lower end fist level with the hight end move the truck, and lower the camper down to the ground - and do the opposite to load it.  I just do not know if that would be too risky at the points that the camper is not level.  

 

Anyone knowledgeable about this, anyone any experience doing this?

 

Thank you so very much in advance for your expertise, advice.


Edited by canfindtom, 28 June 2019 - 07:34 PM.

  • 0

#2 longhorn1

longhorn1

    Ouch, that stings!

  • Members
  • 2,826 posts
  • LocationCarmel, Indiana

Posted 28 June 2019 - 07:34 PM

Any advice out there about the risk of removing my Grandby 4 wheel camper when my truck is on a slope. I have never tried. When the truck/camper is on my sloped driveway the front of the camper is about 6-8" lower that the back of the camper.

My thought is that I would rise the lower end fist level with the hight end move the truck, and lower the camper down to the ground - and do the opposite to load it. I just do not know if that would be too risky at the points that the camper is not level.

Anyone knowledgeable about this, anyone any experience doing this?

Thank you so very much in advance for your expertise, advice.

High risk, low reward. You will be putting a lot of weight on the the Jack's, not evenly distributed weight. Some say they can do it or have done it but I think the risks are too great. My 2 cents. jd
  • 0

http://texaslonghorns01.blogspot.com/

 

Ford F-250 Long bed, 2014 Grandby

 


#3 klahanie

klahanie

    Senior Member

  • Validating
  • 932 posts
  • LocationSW BC

Posted 28 June 2019 - 08:18 PM

High risk, low reward. You will be putting a lot of weight on the the Jack's, not evenly distributed weight. Some say they can do it or have done it but I think the risks are too great. My 2 cents. jd

 

Surely the reward, if the process is successful would be the removal/loading of the camper, which is the objective, yes ? or are you reading a different goal ?

 

Tom, I load/unload on a side sloped lawn ...with cable jacks ... and lift from the bottom of the camper using two narrow beams ... that's different but similarly not ideal. But, alas, we deal with what we have...

 

Agree you'll want to keep the camper as level as comfortable when raising/lowering. To reduce the starting angle I'd take air out of the rear tires  and maybe have the front wheels on blocks or pavers that you could drive off of.

 

For the jack feet I'd look at making some wedge shaped platforms with good grip on the grade side and so the feet sit dead level on the up side. Prob would secure the feet to each platform too.

 

To hep prevent the camper jacks from "walking" down the driveway, I'd look at bracing or tying the legs together and if a second vehicle is avail, anchoring the camper to it with a ratchet strap or similar.

 

Expect loading to be harder. You can do a lot when you you take your time. Worth it ? only you can say.


  • 0

#4 longhorn1

longhorn1

    Ouch, that stings!

  • Members
  • 2,826 posts
  • LocationCarmel, Indiana

Posted 28 June 2019 - 09:10 PM

Surely the reward, if the process is successful would be the removal/loading of the camper, which is the objective, yes ? or are you reading a different goal ?

Tom, I load/unload on a side sloped lawn ...with cable jacks ... and lift from the bottom of the camper using two narrow beams ... that's different but similarly not ideal. But, alas, we deal with what we have...

Agree you'll want to keep the camper as level as comfortable when raising/lowering. To reduce the starting angle I'd take air out of the rear tires and maybe have the front wheels on blocks or pavers that you could drive off of.

For the jack feet I'd look at making some wedge shaped platforms with good grip on the grade side and so the feet sit dead level on the up side. Prob would secure the feet to each platform too.

To hep prevent the camper jacks from "walking" down the driveway, I'd look at bracing or tying the legs together and if a second vehicle is avail, anchoring the camper to it with a ratchet strap or similar.

Expect loading to be harder. You can do a lot when you you take your time. Worth it ? only you can say.

I'm lucky to have a storage place that is level. I have a pretty steep driveway. Since we can't store in the driveway (homeowners rules) and no room in the garage so I don't have to even try. As I said others have done it. I think it is a risk, but that was my 2 cents[emoji846] jd
  • 0

http://texaslonghorns01.blogspot.com/

 

Ford F-250 Long bed, 2014 Grandby

 


#5 craig333

craig333

    Riley's Human

  • Members
  • 8,018 posts
  • LocationSacramento

Posted 28 June 2019 - 11:07 PM

I've done it twice on a mildly sloped driveway. Not ideal but it wasn't scary either. Take your time.


  • 0

Craig K6JGV_________________________ 2004 2500 CTD 4X4 FWC HAWK 1960 CJ5


#6 canfindtom

canfindtom

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 17 posts

Posted 28 June 2019 - 11:39 PM

All your replies are great - very helpful.  I think I have found a solution.  I ordered some good heavy duty steel truck ramps that I can drive one end of my truck up onto and it will add 10" to that end.  That will bring my truck/camper to almost level. I have air bags for I can adjust the rear high by a few inches in addition.   Then I lift up the camper, drive off the ramps, and lower the camper to the ground.  I think I just need to be sure I made some levelers for the feet of the camper jacks (not a big deal at all) so they will not move.  

 

Comments?


  • 1

#7 Andy Douglass

Andy Douglass

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 207 posts

Posted 29 June 2019 - 01:07 AM

I'm only an amateur physicist, but I don't think there is any more stress placed on the jacks as long as the feet have leveling blocks custom cut for the pitch of your driveway. If you don't use leveling blocks (wedges?), it would put more stress on the feet of the jacks since only part of the round foot will be contacting the ground.

 

I have unloaded our camper once on our sloped driveway, but I would estimate the slope as a 2"-3" difference front to back, so a lot less than yours.

 

I don't know how you plan on using the truck ramps in a manner that you will be able to drive off of them safely from under the camper. I normally unload our camper on a gravel section of our driveway, and if I don't rake out any moderate irregularities first, it makes it difficult because there is so little clearance between my rear fenders and the jacks (less than an inch on either side). I don't have bracket extensions, but they would alleviate the problem. I just can't see how you would have the truck on ramps, disconnect the camper, then drive off the ramps and out of the camper at the same time without that major movement of the truck bed being a problem. I also don't understand why you need them. The jacks will level the camper. Park truck, disconnect, lower jacks proportionally to level the camper while the truck is under it, then drive out slowly. I would probably want some decent clearance between the bottom of the camper and the truck bed because the rear of the bed behind the rear axle might not just go down parallel with the pitch of the driveway, and it might end up rubbing the rear of the camper as you pull forward (assuming truck nose is pointed down hill).

 

I think one issue you might have is running out of jack. Not sure how tall your rig is, but my stock Ram 2500 is tall enough that I get close to running out of jack on level ground. So if your front jacks are needing to be 8' higher than the rears, you might not have enough.

 

My diagnosis: Based on minimal information, it's theoretically possible to do it, but if you haven't loaded/unloaded a camper multiple times on optimal level ground, I wouldn't recommend it. There is a lot that can go wrong and you really need to understand all the variables in the process before coming up with a system to safely do it on the slope. Having to use special feet on the jacks adds another variable that you need to think about before doing. I wouldn't want the wedges shooting out from under the jacks because there isn't enough friction to hold them in place. And when you put feet on your jacks, then you have to make sure your rear wheels won't roll over them. If I were to put blocks under my jacks, they would have to be no larger than the stock jack feet because my rear tires actually kiss the front jack feet when I load/unload. 


  • 0

#8 DavidGraves

DavidGraves

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 1,267 posts

Posted 29 June 2019 - 03:18 AM

Comments ?

 

You are trying to damage your camper, truck, jacks or yourself.

 

Is there any level place to off load it ? Are you removing it just to access the bed ?

 

An FWC up on jacks high enough to remove your truck is a VERY slippery slope.....

 

Try to imagine how you will retrieve it and repair it if the whole process goes haywire....or FUBAR.

 

Have you off loaded the camper before ?

 

David Graves


  • 0

#9 CougarCouple

CougarCouple

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 1,376 posts
  • LocationLas Vegas

Posted 29 June 2019 - 02:26 PM

Morning canfindtom
I have a sloped drive and do remove from time to time. Higher in back lower in front close to your six inch, I think I'm closer to four. You must raise camper higher than on flat surface removal. I put flat pavers under all legs, one in rear two in front. It is high, but not bad,I think it is important to be super careful and continually check for clearance as you pull in or out don't take any guessing. I won't do it when it is windy. I made cubes from 12 inch 2x4's they are all same height about a foot. There is a 2x4 which goes across the rear stands, and a 4x4 across the front two stands. I do shim the leading edge of the 4x4. I try to distribute the weight between the floor stands and lifting legs, definitely more weight to the floor though. The most time consuming is lifting, I don't go crazy on any one corner, alternate lifting between front and rear. Also removal of almost everything from camper, holding tank, try to get weight to how it was when empty.
Good luck

Russ


Edit) rear of my truck raises as I drive out. (Don't understand their ramp thing either)when done make the measurements of front and rear so when you go to reinstall it's easier.

Edited by CougarCouple, 29 June 2019 - 02:30 PM.

  • 0
F250 extended cab, Cougar from ATC. You guys rock thank you!

#10 Old Crow

Old Crow

    Searching....

  • Members
  • 1,059 posts
  • LocationSouth Central PA

Posted 29 June 2019 - 03:52 PM


 

(For some reason I'm sometimes losing the quote border after an edit-OC)

 

--- canfindtom said- 

 

All your replies are great - very helpful.  I think I have found a solution.  I ordered some good heavy duty steel truck ramps that I can drive one end of my truck up onto and it will add 10" to that end.  That will bring my truck/camper to almost level. I have air bags for I can adjust the rear high by a few inches in addition.   Then I lift up the camper, drive off the ramps, and lower the camper to the ground.  I think I just need to be sure I made some levelers for the feet of the camper jacks (not a big deal at all) so they will not move.  

 

Comments?

---

 

Assuming you'd be backing up the ramps, I started a reply to say you'd want to be sure the ramps fit under the truck right where you need them.  But then thought I'd check mine.   And of course once I do that I may as well back up onto them and take a photo...

 

Tundra13onRamps.jpg

 

My ramps are 9" ones and fit easily.  As you can see I didn't go to the top (for my driveway angle).  The bottom of the tire went up about six inches. I had my door open to watch the tire back up the ramp but couldn't see anything because of the flaps.

 

My driveway slopes but levels off enough at the top to let me unload there on the rare occasions I need to take the camper off temporarily.

 

You may want to note where the ramps are in relation to the camper when you unload.  I don't believe it's a critical enough issue to need precise placement but I know my first thought at reload-time would be 'where do I put the ramps?'. 

 

Other thoughts-

 

- Some members have reported their local Home Owners Association doesn't allow them to keep their camper in the driveway.

 

- You don't want to just leave the camper on its legs so you'll also want to think through what it will sit on once off the truck.  Making something out of wood is easy enough but does it need to be stored when the camper's on the truck? Does it need treatment for weather protection?  Would the neighbors consider unsightly enough you should consider draping it?  How will you level your ladder or stool beside the camper for snow removal, applying UV protectant to exterior softsides, etc?

 

- Whenever I hear the words "sloping driveway", I'm reminded of this wheeled-dolly-on tracks blog post.  But the point there is to move the camper off the sloped driveway to a place which can't be reached with the camper on the truck. I assume that's not an option for you.

 

.


Edited by Old Crow, 29 June 2019 - 05:13 PM.

  • 0

'01 FWC Hawk shell on a '13 Tundra Double-Cab  + '19 Ford Transit van with Quigley 4x4 option





0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users