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After trying different heights, and testing the movement of the camper vis a vis the cab I now think we could get it even closer to nirvana with a sandwich of 2" block of high test foam board; 3/8ths indoor/outdoor plywood over that with the Factory Ford bed mat on top.
The plywood will distribute the loading more evenly over the whole foam block.
This is similar to what I assembled, but am undoing/ redoing today: I used a piece of 2" Foamular F250 (pink 25 psi foam board) and screwed it to the bottom of the camper, sandwiching it in between a sheet of 19/32" plywood, with drain holes where needed for the camper tank. Problem is that the foam board compressed on the edges when I was test rocking the camper. IMHO it won't hold up long term for this use: while it is strong if evenly compressed, it is the uneven compression that will be problematic. Maybe it'd be OK with a perimeter wood frame.
Today's project: remove the plywood and foam, rebuild a frame using 2x4 (standing on tall end, so 3.5" high) and that sheet of plywood, fasten it all to the bottom of the camper. That will provide a 4" riser of wood.
At some later time, I'll cut and glue in the foam into the gaps in this frame, for insulation. May as well use it.
This is similar to what I assembled, but am undoing/ redoing today: I used a piece of 2" Foamular F250 (pink 25 psi foam board) and screwed it to the bottom of the camper, sandwiching it in between a sheet of 19/32" plywood, with drain holes where needed for the camper tank. Problem is that the foam board compressed on the edges when I was test rocking the camper. IMHO it won't hold up long term for this use: while it is strong if evenly compressed, it is the uneven compression that will be problematic. Maybe it'd be OK with a perimeter wood frame.
Today's project: remove the plywood and foam, rebuild a frame using 2x4 (standing on tall end, so 3.5" high) and that sheet of plywood, fasten it all to the bottom of the camper. That will provide a 4" riser of wood.
At some later time, I'll cut and glue in the foam into the gaps in this frame, for insulation. May as well use it.
Old thread but new to me.
What hardware did you use to fasten the platform to the bottom the camper? Wood or aluminum frame?
Since I was mentioned above, I should clear up the foam issue.
It was a long process of try/test/improve with the riser issue with a Ford F-series and a truck camper.
I think the foam base under the camper can work with a sheet of plywood on top. The downside is the glacial speed that the camper, over time, starts to rock and round off, side to side.
If you do a lot of off road travel, that downside picks up speed.
This happened to me, so I searched for a more stable platform for the lashup.
With a cedar bracket base (see another thread) under the camper and locked into the bed, I get no rocking, even over time, fore to aft nor side to side.
The distance between the highest place on the cab and the lowest part of the camper overhang is 1 inch. The camper and cab roof have never kissed. Nothing moves: side to side or fore to aft.
There is a wide variation in vertical offset between makes of truck campers. Each needs a slight exchange of numbers.
