installing an FWC w/ bedliner

[BaltoCharlie]

Hey Folks: I will be looking at one in the near furture(hopefully). If I decide to buy I will have to install it to bring it home. Is this easy. I have a bedliner. Should I remove it? Can I at least leave the liner to transport it home? My truck is a '94 Toy 4x4, reg cab and short bed(75"x60"). It has metal 'tie downs' in the corners shaped like handles. Looks to be in good shape(some surface rust) How different is this from a '95 Toy tacoma? The camper was originally one of these. Will I need extra support? 2x4s 2x2s 4x4??? One more question: I have the 2.4l engine. Is this too much wt. for the engine. Anyone here ride the small engine w/ FWC. Thanks guys, Charlie

 

[benburnett]

install

I have put that camper on your size truck before. Only problem with the small engine is that when you go up hills it is going to slow down on you.

I would not suggest leaving the bed liner in the truck. We won't install a camper at all over a bed liner. My question would be, why do you want to leave the bed liner in?

I also would not use the tie downs that you mention to hold the camper. They were not designed to hold a camper down to the truck. You should be able to see the way the camper is installed when you take it off the other truck. The eye bolt placement should be the same on your truck.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to call us at 800-446-1003 or give FWC a call at 800-242-1442

 

[DesertDon]

Another consideration is that bedliners, unless drained, hold water like a bath tub. Parked with the front on the truck downhill could result in a flooded camper.

 

[BaltoCharlie]

I have put that camper on your size truck before. Only problem with the small engine is that when you go up hills it is going to slow down on you.

I would not suggest leaving the bed liner in the truck. We won't install a camper at all over a bed liner. My question would be, why do you want to leave the bed liner in?

I also would not use the tie downs that you mention to hold the camper. They were not designed to hold a camper down to the truck. You should be able to see the way the camper is installed when you take it off the other truck. The eye bolt placement should be the same on your truck.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to call us at 800-446-1003 or give FWC a call at 800-242-1442

Thanks for the quick reply. I will remove the bed liner once I figure out how this is down. I haven't really looked at it. I wanted to keep it on the bed because I don't plan toalways leave the camper on the truck. The camper is in a different state. I would have to drive, look it over, decide whether or not to purchase. If I purchase THEN drill my truck, put in the eyebolts and transfer the camper and come home. This is a spooky proposition.
I just went to the FWC site(yours??) and read the FAQ. Very nicely done by the way. I guess the exact placement of the eyebolts onto the truck bed can be estimated. As long as they are just behind the wheel well and front of the truck. I would love to have the eyebolts in place before I go up there if that is possible. Charlie

 

[jimjxsn]

Hi Charlie,
I did a similar thing in that I live in Colorado and drove up to Idaho to buy my camper. I wanted to drill the holes before I left home as well just to cut down on the time when I went to pick it up. I asked the fellow I bought the camper from to measure the hole locations and what size hole to drill (assuming that it had been installed correctly). On mine it was 3/8" holes. The front two were in the corners leaving space for a large washer (2" or 3" washers). I had him measure back from the front rail to get the distance for the back holes. I just drilled them close to the edge at the measurement he gave me. Again leaving space for the large washers.

When I got there, he gave me the eyebolts and the camper went right on. I have a Tundra and a Ranger camper which is made for a small truck. The Tundra and T100 beds are slightly wider than the Tacoma’s and older pickup’s. On the rear I had to use a ring to give me a little extra length for the turnbuckle.

Hope this all makes sense!
Good luck,
Jim

 

[EdoHart]

Tie down straps not recommended

When I bought my Hawk used, I didn't have time to install the correct eye bolts, because there were others interested and I had to get there before 8:00 AM Saturday to be the first. Anyway, I used 2 1.5 inch ratcheting tie down straps hooked to substantial hooks I already had in the bed. I wouldn't recommend this method because, even at 50 mph the camper shifted about 2-3 inches to the rear before I completed the 200 mile drive home.

The helpful folks at FWC later told me to use 3/8 inch galvanized shoulder eye bolts with washers top and bottom and to re-check the tightness of the turn buckles occasionally. Occasionally, I find I can hand tighten the turn buckles 1/2 to 1 complete rotation.

 

[benburnett]

bedliner

Two problems with a bed liner in the truck. Some liners will not allow the camper to fit. If it does fit with the liner, the liners tend to give as you travel and the turnbuckles will loosen up on you. Again, bed liners were not designed to have a camper riding on them.

The FWC sight I am sure has been changed since I was at the company. I haven't really looked it over lately to see how much is still there from my days.

The eye bolts that we use are a 1" forged eye bolt with a 1 1/4" shank. The thread size of the bolt is 3/8". They eye of the bolt is 1". You should be able to find them locally somewhere. If not, you can always get them from FWC or us.