Good day. New to truck camping. Have a '25 F350. Have installed the Torklift frame-mounted tiedowns and bought (and assembled) the Torklift Original Fastguns (long range, 43" max range) to go with it. Do NOT have the TC yet. But trying to plan out everything so when I do find one to buy, I'll be ready.

I want to buy a ~10-20yr old TC, as big as I can go w/ that for my truck, most likely from private party (means no setup help/guidance from a TC dealer). Since not buying new, and since the Ford has the tallest cab of the big 3, and since I plan to mate a new truck w/ an older TC (built when truck cabs were not so tall), I expect to need a riser platform to get the cab clearance I'll want.

This riser will be at least a temporary riser to be able to get the truck camper home which might be hundreds of miles away. It will consist of a rubber mat, then two, 2" thick, 4'x8' foam (Foamular 250 pink) boards, and a rubber mat on top of that - giving 4.5"-5" of overall height to the riser.

QUESTION: Every inch of riser means another inch needed for the turnbuckle to reach up to the TC hooks. And just sort of holding my fastgun out by my truck (fully extended)....it doesn't seem like these have a lot of extra room to reach up (factoring in the expected 4.5-5" riser lift). Does anyone have a >=2017 Superduty, use the torklift frame tiedowns and fastguns, AND have a riser that tall, and know if these will even reach? (hoping I don't have to have some sort of homemade extension to get them to reach...worst case if they don't reach as-is)(if the 4" of foam looks like overkill, once I go and pickout a used TC, then I know I can back off and just use 2" of the foam, and that would make it much more likely the fastguns ARE long enough - i just won't know this until I find and go see the TC in person). Thanks in advance

 

I would go to Home Depot or Ace Hardware and get (4) 1’ lengths of chain and (2) shackles for each chain to attach to the frame mounts and just adjust the shackle up or down for the correct length.

 

This is what I used to add length to the fast guns with a short bed camper on a long bed truck.

 

350RECON + HYDRODOG - thanks for the tip. I hadn't even thought of that combination (short truck camper on long bed truck) - but can see where that would make it harder for turnbuckles to reach. In my case, I will have long bed TC and long bed truck, but if any issue, now I will probably look at this to extend them some. The instruction manual had mentioned that supplied quicklink but didn't give a clear explanation when it might be needed. I still would feel better if I could rely on only the stock torklift part....don't know why they wouldn't make a longer size.

If anyone else needed to extend theirs when using a long truck camper on LB truck, please post.

 

4.5-5" riser sounds excessive and makes your rig uneccisarily tall and top heavy. Get a measurement from the bottom of your TC to the bottom of your overhang before you load it in and you"ll know exactly what you need. As low and forward as possible is the goal. 2" riser keeps my Northstar around 3" from anything on top of the cab. There are a number of riser posts (including mine) regarding riser materials and construction. Fastguns fit fine with no extensions. No trouble after thousands of miles.

 

Thanks koolhandluke1 - I am in a predicament where I don't know the TC I will buy yet, not even the make/model - so can't go measure it/etc - it's all preparatory - in case I find one online to buy - I'll have what I need to drive out and get it. I do plan to use 2, 2" thick foam mats - this gives me flexibility to only use 1 of them if that's what it looks like is needed. I agree in trying to keep as low as possible (while not close enough to hit the cab roof).

 

I have a 3 inch riser under my 1997 Lance Legend 880, use Torklift Talon Fast Guns. No problem at all.

 

ERYOUNG - thanks - any photos you can share of your TC riser?