97 F-350 CCLB build:

[Seabass]

It's a good day friends! After a few years of saving and searching I finally found a slide in pop up camper!! It's an eight footer that I can actually close the tail gate with. The canvas is in great shape- in fact the guy I bought it from told me it has winter canvas. I have no idea. I just know that as soon as I got to sellers house to see the camper it started pouring down rain- NOT A LEAK ANYWHERE! I was sold at that point. It's not perfect but it's solid. There's not many dents or dings. It needs a little cleaning and touching up. I've got a lot of plans for the camper: new house battery, led lighting, sink and freshwater storage work, ac, solar power, and a new stripe kit. And here's the traditional pics to keep us going.

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[pappawheely]

Looking good Seabass!

 

[Seabass]

Looking good Seabass!

Thanks Pappa- Do you have any suggestions on how best to anchor this thing to the truck? I hear some people talk about going to the frame- others to the stake pockets-while others say just use the anchor points in the corners of the bed down by the floor. Then I see people use springs in their chains to prevent twisting the camper with the bed when there's serious truck flex going on. It's all new to me. I want to do it right-simple-but right.


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[pappawheely]

I have the Happijack mounts. They are spring loaded and connect to mounts attached to the bed. I don't know what the best method is but they have worked well for me. They are rather expensive in my opinion. The frame mounted style does not look like it is practical if you are going offroad. I have a thick rubber mat between the bed and camper. It keeps the camper from sliding around, keeps it from squeaking and cushions it against the bed floor. Whichever method you choose, I recommend the rubber mat.

 

[98dango]

I second the bed mat.

 

[redthies]

X3 on the bed mat. If you are going to do a bunch of offroad travel with a lot of frame flexing, the spring loaded tiedowns are a good idea. I don't have them myself, but my dually is more of a base camp for the Jeep so it doesn't see much more than rough gravel roads.

You might also want to consider screwing an extra piece of 3/4" plywood to the bottom of your camper (thoroughly screwed off) as it will keep the original floor from getting wet and rotting, as well as giving you 3/4" more clearance for your cab while flexing. I had to do that with 2x6s on flat around the perimeter when I had the pop-up on my '05 Dodge just to clear the cab.

 

[Seabass]

Ok- I bought two 4'x6'x3/4" stall mats. I'll cut one in half and that will give me a 4'x8' pad. These stall mats are fairly soft. They are intended for shod horses to stand on so they are indestructible. I think they will work great.

I also have four of these stake pocket mounts. I'm not sure about them. I was looking through the camper last night and found them in a drawer.

I do have the heavy made rear bumper so I could anchor the back corners to it and use two of the steak pocket mounts on the front....? As always thanks to you guys for the help!

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[redthies]

The stake pocket things are probably fine considering you can close the tailgate. With a light pop-up like that, and the gate closed, I'd be happy with that.

It's hard to tell from the pics, but I'm guessing your running boards go wheel to wheel? I ask because if you use the stake pocket tie downs up front, and the bumper out back, if think you will be torquing the camper in off road situations. The bumper is essentially the frame, and the stake pockets are the body. If you want to frame mount for extra brawn I'd go bumper and "belly bars" (frame mounted too) up front, but your steps might be in the way. Can you integrate a 1 1/2" square tube into the step that could be tied solidly back to the frame? That would be best.

I went frame mount on mine, but then my camper is in a completely different size/weight class!

 

[98dango]

I would not do body and frame for the previously mentioned frame flex. The stall mats will work fin as will the stake pocket mounts for now.

 

[Seabass]

Thanks guys. This is why I asked for help. I hadn't considered the difference in the flex between body and frame. I've got 4 of the steak pocket mounts so that's what I'll use. Redthies- yep the steps do run wheel to wheel. They are welded on and fairly strong- but I'm not sure they'll make good anchor points. I put ratchet straps from them to the camper to get it home- but when I tightened the straps the steps gave a little. Since the camper only weighs 1400 pounds with water and gas it's pretty light. I think I've been over thinking this. The guy I bought it from had it on a bed mat with the tailgate closed and that was it. I'm not that brave- but I don't think it'll take too much with those nice thick grippy mats under it. I'll report back when I get it cinched down. As always- many thanks.

 

[Seabass]

The stake pocket things are probably fine considering you can close the tailgate. With a light pop-up like that, and the gate closed, I'd be happy with that.

It's hard to tell from the pics, but I'm guessing your running boards go wheel to wheel? I ask because if you use the stake pocket tie downs up front, and the bumper out back, if think you will be torquing the camper in off road situations. The bumper is essentially the frame, and the stake pockets are the body. If you want to frame mount for extra brawn I'd go bumper and "belly bars" (frame mounted too) up front, but your steps might be in the way. Can you integrate a 1 1/2" square tube into the step that could be tied solidly back to the frame? That would be best.

I went frame mount on mine, but then my camper is in a completely different size/weight class!

By the way- I want to compliment you on that rig! That's the first time I've seen it. The camper looks big- but the ole Ford looks like it carries it with ease. These old trucks sure are tuff!


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[redthies]

Thanks! I ended up having to sell it for a dually, which made me a bit sad, but I was 2000 lbs over my legal weight with it.

The new rig:

The Ford with its new owners and camper (currently in Guatamala enroute to Patagonia).

 

[Seabass]

Ah yes- you and I in a sense are on opposite paths. I sold a dodge identical to yours to buy my ford. That's funny. But- my dodge/cummins was considerably more truck than my ford. I've read your thread on the dodge build (I'm pretty sure that was yours-it was a flat bed with ford wheels, right?) It's well suited to carry that camper. Here's a pic of my old truck (eyes tearing up) lol

 

[redthies]

Yes, that is/was mine with the flat deck. My camper is worth a bunch more than my Ford was, so it made sense to go to a different truck. Your dually was a 24v? What year? It looks super clean! I wish mine were white. Black is so hot in summer and a pain to keep clean.

 

[Seabass]

Yes, that is/was mine with the flat deck. My camper is worth a bunch more than my Ford was, so it made sense to go to a different truck. Your dually was a 24v? What year? It looks super clean! I wish mine were white. Black is so hot in summer and a pain to keep clean.

Mine was a 24v. It had a smarty, 60hp injectors, TST Powermax, and a southbend single disc clutch. It also had Firestone ride rite air bags as well as two extra leaves per side on the back and coil spacers on the front. It had a NV 4500 5 sod and 3.55 gears. It would run! It wasn't a monster compared to a lot of the trucks with diesels today- but it was strong, fuel efficient, and fun. I had owned it since almost new and was just tired of driving a dually. The big hips don't fit in tight places and dually trucks don't do as well as single wheels in a lot of off road situations. But it was a great truck overall. But, when the block cracked at 145k I was less than impressed to say the least. I had a 53 block and that sucked! So after spending $3,500 on a take out engine from an 01 truck just like it I was back in business. I also got tired of obsessing about fuel pressure and constantly waiting on yet another vp44 injection pump quitting while I was away from home. I'm told that the new vp44's are fixed and that there's options in the way of lift pumps that free flow fuel even if they quit pumping. I've been told that a vp can pull as much as 30 lb of vacuum if the wrong style lift pump dies and won't free flow fuel. This is one of the biggest killers of the vp pump. If my truck had been a 12 v I'd still be driving- maybe. I've always been kinda partial to the ford. Not crazy- I've owned every brand truck made I guess. They all had good ones. They all had bad ones. It just seems like the fords are very durable. Just my two cents. But I like your current rig. I'm sure it will do anything you need it too for a long time.


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