Camper Tie Downs

[shays4me]

So after much groveling and tears, I traded off my beloved Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon last week. I needed one more seat than the Jeep offered and I knew that I wanted a pop up camper in the future, so I bought a Ram 2500 Cummins diesel. I hadn't planned to buy a camper so soon, but last night this Fleetwood angler just sorta fell in my lap for $2000. I managed to get it home with some ratchet straps at midnight and this morning I'm up early (couldn't sleep ) trying to figure out a way to secure it to the truck. As you can see in the pic, it's an 8' camper and my truck is a short box. What is the best method for securing this camper? The weight is 1400 lbs, but I would venture to say 2000 lbs load for safety sake. I looked at the brophy bed clamps and I really liked the simplicity but I'm not sure they'd work on the back. My ideal situation would be to not have chains going to the frame and I would remove the jacks for better woodland navigation, but that may not work out. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Umtaneum]

For 1400 lbs, or even 2k like you say for safety, I think you could add "D" rings to the inside box and use heavy duty ratchet straps. Most of the 2" ones are rated for more than 2000 lbs EACH, and you'd be using 4 of them. This assumes your Ram has cargo tiedown rings at all four corners, inside. Those jacks should secure with 3 3/8" bolts each, it doesn't take much to remove and/or put them back on. I do it every time I put the camper on, with my Phoenix.

 

[dtimms]

I have a camper that is lighter than yours but I have used the Brophy truck bed mounts and now have the Happy Camper setup. The Brophy was fine, I liked them but I never took the mounts off and drove around with these funny looking things sticking out the side. I also had to cut the plastic bed liner to get them to push against the bed properly. The happy jacks feel more secure and don't look so silly when the camper isn't in the truck. I haven't done any real off roading with a my camper but both mounts have done great on washboard/dirt roads and forest service roads.

 

[1stDeuce]

I put eye bolts at the bottom of the rear bumper, near the outside, where there was already a hole. I'd run the standard bumper tabs, but they're expensive. No, the bumper isn't that strong, but it IS stronger than the wood that the camper tie-down is screwed into.

My camper has access hatches at the front, so I do the front tie-downs inside the box. (I added eye bolts to the camper inboard from the factory front ones.) I used the factory box tiedown points at first, but then I felt guilty because they're "only" in sheetmetal, and I put eye bolts through a stronger part of the box. (It's all in the truck and camper build links below...) In hindsight, it was probably not necessary to add stronger box mounts... Once I saw how the camper eye bolts attached, it was obvious they'll rip out before the factory box tie down.

I've used turnbuckles with light chain, and I find that they require tightening from time to time. I've also used 1" webbing ratchet straps, which seem to stay tight. Most recently, I use turnbuckles at the rear, where they're easy to inspect, and ratchet straps in the front, where I do them once and forget about them.

If using ratchet straps, be careful. You don't want to crank it right down, you just want to take the play out. When you hear the wood crunching, you've tightened too far. If you plan to go offroad, loosen the back tie downs a bit... That will let the box and frame flex some, while the camper stays rigid. Failure to do so will eventually destroy the tie down locations in the camper. Or the camper itself...

The Brophy stake mounts (I think those are the ones you're talking about?) will probably be fine, but the stake pockets on modern trucks are getting pretty whimpy... And you'd be pulling way forward on the rear camper mounts, so not ideal. Could use the Brophy mounts in the front, and tie the rear to the bumper. Easy to check all four, and probably cheapest option.

Edit: The Brophy mounts aren't what I was thinking of... I guess they'd be OK, but you need to pull mostly vertical with them. Pulling rearward on the back ones would be less than ideal IMO... I'd go with Happijac bumper tie downs in the back...
Good Luck!!
Chris

 

[shays4me]

Thanks for the replies! The eye bolts idea is great! I spotted some bolts that go through the bottom of the bumper today and I was racking my brain trying to figure out where I could find some tabs to bolt up. The eye bolts will work great back there. I spent all day getting things up and running. I had to replace some plastic external parts, check all the appliances and look at the water system. I have a couple leaks due to a broken drain and one split pex drain pipe, other than that its all a go. That's not too bad for a camper that spent a blue mountain winter full of water. A good friend donated a used deep cycle battery as well so if all goes well I'll be within budget. I have to make a custom wiring harness next so I can plug the camper in and pull my Jeep and figure out a hitch extension. Thanks all!

 

[1stDeuce]

You may not need any sort of hitch extension at all... I pull trailers without any extension, and I have an 8.5' camper in a 6.6' shortbox.

Be aware that on at least some Dodge models, you can't get to the spare tire winch with the tailgate down... Check NOW, and if that's the case on your truck, you'll want to pull the tailgate when you have the camper in so you can get the spare down if you need it.

On further thought, if your trailer has a fixed tongue jack near the hitch, then you may indeed need a subtle extension, or to move the jack back. (Moving the jack back would be the better plan, if possible.) I flat tow my Jeep, and my other trailers have swing-up jacks, so no problems, but I did try to hook to a normal "utility" trailer once that had the jack at the front of the 'A', and it wasn't going to work.

Good luck!!
Chris

 

[Umtaneum]

I have a 9' 6" camper on a 8' bed, and most of my trailers will tow without an extension. I use a 12" extension for one of our boats, and a utility trailer that has a particularly short "A" at the front. Jeep flat tows fine with no extension, and most flatbeds are fine.

After a lot of messing around with wiring harnesses, I finally settled on adding an additional 7-prong receptacle at the front of the bed, like the fifth-wheel guys do. I tried making a "wye" extension cord, that worked for a while as a splitter. Then I tried wiring my trailers with 4-prong flat connectors and using the factory 7-prong as the camper hookup. That's ok as long as you don't have any trailers with electric brakes. Anyhow, a totally separate receptacle, located up front by the camper's factory cord location, has been the most trouble-free setup.

 

[35xj]

I had a set of the brophy mounts for about 20 miles. (Ram 2500' 4 wheel camper). Ended up feeling so sketchy to me. I ran a couple of ratchet straps over the top to get home. Replaced with the bed mounted style from happijac. Much, much better!

 

[brian90744]

happijac's are best

you can't go wrong with Happi-jac's, very safe. nice camper rig =enjoy.=brian

 

[shays4me]

Be aware that on at least some Dodge models, you can't get to the spare tire winch with the tailgate down... Check NOW, and if that's the case on your truck, you'll want to pull the tailgate when you have the camper in so you can get the spare down if you need it.

Chris

I never even thought of that. I just checked out your camper build and I must say that I'm inspired, but I'm glad I don't have that much work to do to the Fleetwood. I'm really liking your setup, it's exactly what I'd envisioned, even down to the GM truck. My dad would roll over in his grave if he knew I bought a six cylinder Dodge! He was always a die hard Chevrolet man, and I've been most of my life as well.

 

[shays4me]

Do I need to pull the bed to install the happi-jac tie downs?

 

[brian90744]

happi-jac install

No bed stays, however you must remove the camper so you can get to the bed bulkhead. you will be happy with happi-jac.=brian

 

[35xj]

Bed stays in place. Took me an afternoon. Pretty easy

 

[dtimms]

Here is what mine look like.

 

[Rusty Hooks]

Install the Happijacs and don't look back...I've had mine on a 10' Alaskan for 12 years and they are the greatest. Get the derringers for the cylinders...they make life alot easier and the camper goes in and out quickly.

If you're looking for an under the tailgate setup for steps/storage and an extension for a hitch...take a look at my gallery on Wanderthewest for a setup I built for mine. the tongue weight on the trailer is the key to what kind of extension you'll need. My boat has 310# at the tongue which worked out just fine on the 26" extension which is built into the steps. Good luck and get it out camping.