I was wondering how many of you had cabover campers and how hard are they to hook up? More specifically, how do I know where I need to install hooks for the tie downs for the camper? Do I need to install them at all? I am looking to purchase one out of state and would be going to pick it up without seeing it first. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ed

BTW - I have a '94 F-350 Crew Cab long bed and the camper is a 8 1/2 foot, so there isn't much hang over, if any. Thanks.

 

Each brand of camper has a preferred tiedown method. When I bought a used one, the seller and I transferred the tiedowns from his truck to mine. I would not drive at highway speeds with a camper loose in the truck. If the seller no longer has the truck, CAREFULLY drive to the nearest trailer/RV supply shop and get it tied down for the trip home. There is considerable wind pressure on a cabover camper in motion.

Jim

 

you absolutely have to have tie-downs on. someone just lost their camper on the highway here last week. didn't have it tied down apparently. most campers will have four brackets to hook into - one on each corner. they all must be hooked into. you need "belly-bars". that's what they call them round here. mine are 2" square tube steel about 6' long and bolt to the frame underneath. one near the front of the box and one near the rear. (some are only 1"). they have hollow ends and you insert "extensions" with chains into them (a pin and hole holds them to the belly bars like you would have on a hitch). the chains then hook onto the camper brackets with a turnbuckle. tighten em up and away you go. well you have to plug it all in first so the lights work.
happy camping!

Rusty.

 

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 22-Jul-02 AT 02:37 AM (EST)]On the campers that I have had experience with they have loops or chains that hang down at the corners that you hook to brackets that either fit in the stake pockets or in my case, I have the pins in rear quarter of the bed that the brakets hook to and plates that mount to the front of the bed and stick out about 3 in. that you hook the turnbuckle to.

Instead of puting a plug in the front of the bed, I wired up an extension so that I could plug into my camper and use my trailer plug on the bumper instead of running more wires under the truck to get messed up and shorted out, This way the long lenght of wire is alowed to set dormant with the camper and not get the wear and tear of being in the truck.


dj

 

The Belly Bar is a good Idea and if you are handy you can make it yourself. Think of 1 1/2" or 2" square tubing attached to your frame below the truck, you can use u-bolts and shim it downward with leftover pieces of square tube. This is for the front, you will need a slightly smaller 'od' square tube for the ends. The smaller ends will slide in and out of the Larger(1 1/2" or 2")tube. They will have predrilled holes to keep the smaller tube from escaping, use a bolt, 1/4-20 will do in most cases but you can judge that for your self. The smaller tube will have two sets of holes, one for when the camper is onboard(tubes fully extended)the other for when the camper is on the Jacks and you don't want to bust your shins on the tubes, they will be fully retracted. On the rear, square tubes again. If you have a factory tow hitch (not the bumper)you will note that it will be a square tube across the truck. Find the appropriate size square tubing to insert into this existing tube (the trucks hitch is welded to). They will be of a length that will allow you to slide them inward when not needed and long enough to be far enough past the sheet metal of trk bed to allow chains to reach square tube. Again the holes are drilled to keep them in place when extended (out to hold camper). On the ends I welded a piece of flat steel that has a hole drilled into it. This is where your chain attaches using a sturdy steel link. I use the ones that are shaped like a link but have a captured nut that screws onto the open end to make a complete link. You may prefer the D-ring, these are much sturdier and can be safty wired. Good luck happy camping.