Post Pics of Your Hard Side Camper!
- Thread starter greg mgm
- Start date
Hahahah, no it won't. I've restored one, built another, and already thinking about building a third in a year or so. Nice canvas you have there.
What's your impressions of the CPT shell so far? Is that a 60" cabover? Do you have any photos of your securing method?
NOPEC
Well-known member
I have only had the camper for two days. So far, I really like it, it is a bit daunting with all of the bareness and "whiteness" inside but that is what I wanted, a blank sheet of paper. I had considerable input with their engineers into the design which was fun. OH inside bed area is 53x80 inches. CPT is an industrial manufacturer so everything has a solid, minimalist, no nonsense feel to it, what I was after.
I used a "tethered swivel pulley" system in order to avoid needing access to the front tiedown point on the camper when loaded. Using two pulleys per side and an adjustment at the back, the load on each tiedown is equalized. I used the factory inbox tiedown points, GM tells me they are good for 600 lbs. each. With a camper this light and my style of off-road driving, I feel comfortable using them, others might not.
I'll post some pictures later. You basically have a separate tie down system on each side of the camper. On each side, I tethered each of the 2 swivel pulleys to the corner truck bed tiedown loops, using quick links. Using pre-measured SS aircraft/ATV winch type cable, attach one end to the front tiedown point on the camper, bring it down and around the front pulley and take it back to the rear pulley, running the cable under the pulley and then up to the back tiedown point on the camper. Initially, I just used turn buckles to secure and adjust it for the highway trip home. However, in order not to over stress tiedown points, I believe you need to build in some stretch to any camper tiedown system.
So at the back, I will be either using a modified spring loaded camper tiedown or more likely, as a recovering climber, I want to experiment with putting in a section of nylon 1" hollow climbing webbing or even 11 mm rope. There are some great YouTube videos of the Italians testing these products to failure, this stuff is tough!! Of course, ratchets with flat synthetic webbing would work just as well and are being used by lots of folks now.
NOPEC
Well-known member
Yah.... Good thing I had my toes crossed when I made that statement.
What about some sort of support group on ExPo, something like CWA - "Camper widows anonymous"
NOPEC
Well-known member
Here a couple of driver's side pictures of my recent temporary, "getting home" setup. As I mentioned, the next version will have some "shock" value.... And include swaged connections.
Back pulley attachment
Front pulley attachment (the wad of cable is just extra length that I didn't want to cut until I get to a "final" design)
Did you sell the Kodiak? I imagine you got it of it what you put into it. Was a great restoration.
NOPEC
Well-known member
Thanks. Still using the Kodiak. I am a waaay slower builder than you, so I can't go "camperless" for too long......
Are you going to make a dedicated build thread? I've been watching CPT shells for a while and would love to see what you do.
The pulley tiedown system is cool. A thought about it is that even though it connects the camper and truck in 4 places, it is only 2 tie downs vs the normal 4. With 4 independent tie downs there is twice as much redundancy. If the 2 tie down system fails on one side, there is nothing to keep the camper for tipping out the side of the truck in an off camber or hard corner situation.
Could you keep the pulley system in the front and bring the cable back to an independent anchor point mounted to the rear of the box and have separate tiedowns for the rear?
NOPEC
Well-known member
Yes on the CPT build thread and more on the pulley system as soon as the weather changes for the worst!!!
Desert Rider
Observer
How is your camper working out? Is it heated?