Need input on mounting, frame member in way

[pods8]

I was going to toss the front camper hardware on the truck tonight (waiting to put the rears on till I can verify dimensions on the camper) and in talking to Ben he was saying about 3" from the front of the bed and ~3" from sidewall.

However if you look at the pictures below you'll see a frame rail, of sorts, running right through this area (at least I won't have to worry about the bed peeling up ). Anyways I have the standard 1.25" long threads on the bolts so going through the member isn't happening unless I get longer bolts (I could see pro's and cons to doing this). Assuming I don't go through that member I have 2"x2" square washers which puts the hole right on the transition when the washer is butted against the member. If I was to go through the double layered pinch weld I'd need to trim down some off the washer. Or I could back off some just behind the transition the washer would overlap over part of the pinch weld and part of the body only. Or finally I could just back the washer off to just the body which would put the eye bolt around 6" back from the truck bed wall.

Whew... okay throw some thoughts at me. I need to drill these in tomorrow.

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Don't drill through the weld

IMO, you shouldn't drill through the weld.

Instead, increase the surface area of your 'washer' to cantilever over the edge of the frame rail.

Or, you can get longer forged eye bolts at Home Depot.

 

[pvstoy]

I would drill through the center of the flat beefed up area. Maybe cut you a piece of steel rectangle to spread out the load (not really needed). Put on a washer, lock washer and double nut. See attached picture.

 

[pods8]

IMO, you shouldn't drill through the weld.

Instead, increase the surface area of your 'washer' to cantilever over the edge of the frame rail.

Or, you can get longer forged eye bolts at Home Depot.

So are you saying drill in around 5 3/8" in the first picture and shim underneath the washer against the body the thickness of the weld?

I'll take a look at HD, not sure it they'll have the right length, dia, shoulder eye bolts but its worth a shot to check. It'd be a bit more work to make sure I get it all lined up but it'd be a definite solid placement.

 

[the fisherman]

I Agree With Mark

You don't want to position the hole on the weld, that's the weakest area to make the attachment, I can't tell, but if that's a spot welded, you really want to avoid it.

 

[pods8]

I would drill through the center of the flat beefed up area. Maybe cut you a piece of steel rectangle to spread out the load (not really needed). Put on a washer, lock washer and double nut. See attached picture.

In your scenario I can either grind down the washer some or I have some scrap bed frame steel in the garage which is hardened steel I can use.

I was leaning towards this but didn't know if it was a bad idea to drill that pinch weld.

 

[pvstoy]

IMO, you shouldn't drill through the weld.

Instead, increase the surface area of your 'washer' to cantilever over the edge of the frame rail.

Or, you can get longer forged eye bolts at Home Depot.

Mark you was thinking of this?...see below. Put a peice of steel under the plate to match the elevation.

 

[pods8]

You don't want to position the hole on the weld, that's the weakest area to make the attachment, I can't tell, but if that's a spot welded, you really want to avoid it.

I'm a tad confused how this would "weaken" things (but I'm open to knowledge) as I'm be sandwiching the truck bed body against the "flange" portion of that frame member with the bolt combo. I can easily dodge the specific spot welds if that was the only worry.

 

[EdoHart]

Where I mounted mine

I ground my washers to match the contour of the corrugation of the bed so that they would fit in the valley (as seen looking up, like in your picture) within the red square (my edit). It required several fittings to get it just right, but I've been pleased with the result on 2 trucks after lots of twisting, turning and bouncing. Although I might have reduced the total surface area of the washer (I never measured it), what is left is in a very strong and secure location

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

I like Ed's or either of Patrick's two methods.

pods8, I take it you've asked me to explain more about the way my eyes see the project...

If you drill through a weld, then you are necessarily removing some of the weld. Removing the weld weakens the bond between frame member and bed surface. One may assume that if the joint between the frame and truck bed didn't require as much of a bead, they wouldn't have called it out in the first place (Reverse $$/benefit analysis).

In general, it's a good idea to let every substructure stand on its own. (Call it modular design.) Thus, while I might be able to remove some of the weld and still hold that truck bed seam together by pinching it with an eye bolt, then I would be using the eye bolt to both hold the truck bed together and also keep the camper mounted.

A modular design approach lets the weld hold the seam and lets the eye bolt hold the camper.

If you can get an eye bolt that will go through the ovular hole closest to the 2-1/2 inch mark on your tape measure, I would think that location would be ideal, strength-wise.

Hope the above clarifies more than it obfuscates...

 

[pods8]

I ground my washers to match the contour of the corrugation of the bed so that they would fit in the valley (as seen looking up, like in your picture) within the red square (my edit). It required several fittings to get it just right, but I've been pleased with the result on 2 trucks after lots of twisting, turning and bouncing. Although I might have reduced the total surface area of the washer (I never measured it), what is left is in a very strong and secure location

Actually there isn't a corrugation there on this truck, they don't start till around 6-8" away from the sidewall. I was planning on fitting the washers into them when I ordered them (didn't have the truck yet) but upon looking at the truck its all flat there which will make for easier mounting.

Further explained the first corrugation starts at the red arrow, the green area is all flat.

 

[pods8]

If you can get an eye bolt that will go through the ovular hole closest to the 2-1/2 inch mark on your tape measure, I would think that location would be ideal, strength-wise.

Hope the above clarifies more than it obfuscates...

I get that theory on the let each system do their own thing from the aspect explained.

I briefly thought about that hole but I don't see a logical way of using it. If I were to use normal eye bolts and a socket extension to tighten things up I'd have to cut down a washer quite a bit to fit and then deal with trying to put it all together through that small hole or forgo the washer which I don't think would be wise. If I used a longer eye bolt through that hole it would allow the bottom side to potentially wander around since it wouldn't be affixed in one spot aside from the washer friction which I think would weaken and wear out all the components quicker. Plus that hole is about 6" from the sidewall (not sure if that matters) and there isn't a matching one on the other side.

If I were to go through the member at all I'd go a bit down from the hole so I got fresh metal and the bolt would be in a fixed position at both ends. Honestly if I saw this before ordering I'd be inclined to go this route as I think it would be very sturdy but I don't readily think its needed seeing as the normal bed metal only route works for most everyone else so I'm not sure its worth the effort trying to track down different shoulder eye bolts this evening (it has to be done tonight). About the only thing I could do quickly is use some of those crappier bent over eye bolts in the same shaft dia from a hardware store and just take it easy on things while I find/order in some one piece shoulder eye bolts to replace it.

 

[dsrtrat]

Mounting for Chevy

Here is what I did on my 2007 Silverado 1500. I drilled through both crossmembers with a long 1/4 inch bit for alignment and then drilled a 1 1/8 hole through the crossmember. You will have to fab up some 1 1/8 x 4 inch long "washers" out of 1/4 inch stock to slip in the holes. The rear crossmember is open on the end so you can use the large flat washers that come with the mounting kit on the bottom. I made some flat stock washers that fit into the bed contours for the top back bolts. Has held up fine for 2 years on some pretty rough roads.
dsrtrat

 

[pods8]

I might have tracked down the right eyebolt (ie a long shaft one), I'll see after work. If so I think I'll mount through member which should prove to be rather robust.

Anyone seeing anything bad about that I might be overlooking?

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Make sure your turnbuckles are long enough? (I've used chain links to bridge...)

 

[dsrtrat]

Mounting for Chevy

I thought about doing the same thing but didn't think I could get the proper torque on the eyebolts without having a spacer inside the crossmember. It is made of pretty thin metal and may be bent upwards if you put the proper torque on the bolts. I was afraid I might weaken the crossmember by drilling a larger hole but looked it over and the thing was punched out in several places already. It would be a warranty issue if something broke but I haven't had any problems. Mine was boxed in the end close to the hole and the 2500 may have a different configuration. If you can get to the end you might try and cut a pipe spacer to slip in to sleeve the bolt and support the crossmember metal.
dsrtrat

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Hey, dsrtrat--

 

[pods8]

Roger on the sleeve if I go that route.

 

[pods8]

Make sure your turnbuckles are long enough? (I've used chain links to bridge...)

Thanks for reminding me I was going to grab some quick links in case I needed some length.

 

[pods8]

Good to go

Was able to get the right bolts on the way home. Had some 1/2" galvanized conduit laying in the garage that I used to make a sleeve for inside the cross member. Used some poly pull cord to get the sleeve into place from the end of the member. Have a lock nut and double nuts on there. On the passenger side the ground was right about where I needed to put a hole so I just enlarged that and but the ground lug between the double nuts.

Need to throw together some tools and camper gear tonight and we'll be off in the morning.