Slide-in Camper Plywood Repair
- Thread starter MT-Camper
- Start date
rruff
Explorer
The Tundra will have a good amount of torsional twist, so tight straps will fight with the camper.
MT-Camper
New member
Interesting. So I should err on the loose side? I've got them hand-tight (which I know can be vastly different depending on the hands), but I didn't go at them with a wrench.
Also after days of downpour I found that the roof leaks a little. Of course the previous owner said "roof doesn't leak at all". What I noticed is that the roof isn't even slightly convex, so some water pools when it really rains. I'll need to get at that asap. It's unusual for it to rain so much here. But I'll take it as a blessing. Without this kind of rain, it likely wouldn't have dripped inside the camper and would have just slowly caused rot in the ceiling that I wouldn't notice for years.
Also after days of downpour I found that the roof leaks a little. Of course the previous owner said "roof doesn't leak at all". What I noticed is that the roof isn't even slightly convex, so some water pools when it really rains. I'll need to get at that asap. It's unusual for it to rain so much here. But I'll take it as a blessing. Without this kind of rain, it likely wouldn't have dripped inside the camper and would have just slowly caused rot in the ceiling that I wouldn't notice for years.
rruff
Explorer
I don't know what your tiedowns look like, and I have no experience with this sort of camper/mounting. I do know that the 1st Gen Tundra has a C channel frame that would twist, and a hard mount to the camper will twist it as well. Domestic campers had C channel then too, so it isn't an odd scenario.
Tudor Tanase
Active member
I always found it interesting how the German army secures their shelters to truck flatdecks to prevent damage due to chassis/flatdeck twist: they use chains with springs on them plus locating brackets on each corner. If/when the flatdeck twists in extreme offroad the springs stretch, the shelter lifts two diagonal corners, and then puts them down in the same position due to those locating brackets.
MT-Camper
New member
Isn't that what torklift tie-downs do? They seem to be the go-to for people with slide-in truck campers (and spare cash). At least based on how often I seem them on FB Marketplace, it's clear they're popular.
I have turnbuckles with chains. So there's very little spring, but they definitely allow twist.
I have turnbuckles with chains. So there's very little spring, but they definitely allow twist.