New member - How do you secure your Alaskan?
#11
Posted 25 August 2010 - 08:09 PM
I have decided I would like to use my stake pockets. I can easily fashion some super strong bolts which will hold the camper in this area, but my dilemma is that I don't know where on the underside of the camper overhang I can affix the eye bolts I will be connecting to. It would help greatly if I could see some sort of rendering of the camper frame underneath the skin. Does anyone know where I can find such an illustration?
#12
Posted 26 August 2010 - 01:22 AM
Hope this helps,
Kevin.
#13
Posted 27 August 2010 - 10:43 PM
I'm hemming and hawing over how I am going to secure my camper. I don't want to drill the bed of my truck for a number of reasons. It is pristine and the idea of poking holes in it does not appeal to me, I don't want to deal with the hassle of trying to line up the holes every time I want to put the camper in, I don't want rust to set in where I drill and, lastly, I don't want the bolts to bend the bed from the camper flexing.
I have decided I would like to use my stake pockets. I can easily fashion some super strong bolts which will hold the camper in this area, but my dilemma is that I don't know where on the underside of the camper overhang I can affix the eye bolts I will be connecting to. It would help greatly if I could see some sort of rendering of the camper frame underneath the skin. Does anyone know where I can find such an illustration?
Here's a plan B for you: My 2003 Ram 2500 had tie down cleats in all four corners of the bed. I took those out and bolted a 1/8 x 1" x about 18" steel strap to each. The rear ones angle forward, the front ones angle back. The straps area long enough that the upper ends are just accessible between the top of the truck bed and the camper shelf. I bolted the upper ends of the straps into the sides of the camper - not the shelf - so that the strain is in shear and doesn't want to flex the shelf down. I put thin rubber washers between the straps and the camper siding on the outside and fender washers on the inside. I also have 4x4 spacers in front of the camper on the truck bed. Nothing's moved in about 15,000 miles, but I drive mainly on highways rather than off road.
#14
Posted 15 September 2010 - 03:44 AM
#15
Posted 15 September 2010 - 05:01 AM
Best of luck mounting up your camper. I've never owned one but have stayed in them. They really are solid, warm campers.
Old, bum around in Ford and an even older FWC Grandby
New Mantra: "Everyday camping is just making up for lost time"
#16
Posted 15 September 2010 - 05:12 AM
mine started out as a bolt in the bed and that worked fine as long as you weren't taking it out....ugh
Mine is now tied in with happijacks and derringer quick releases....I use the reico titan jack plates but the more I see the tie down coming from the bottom half at the rear with eye bolts I'm thinking of changing...
Tieing it down using the jack plates puts a different torque and directional tension that the seat in the camper wasn't designed to take. The last correction I made to the jacks was to install a stainless steel plate inside the camper to sandwich the plywood....gives the tiedown tension something to bite on....but I take the camper off regularly and the system makes it easy.
2003 Ford 250 Superduty Crew.... 7.3L PowerStroke diesel 1970 10" NCO Alaskan Firestone airbags pulling a 18' Silver Streak runabout
#17
Posted 15 September 2010 - 05:49 AM
#18
Posted 15 September 2010 - 06:54 PM
Cheers,
Kevin.
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