questions about Flatbed loading/mounting

dfrank

Observer
I am getting a Bradford steel flatbed. It is 8' x 8-6.

It is going on '05 Ram Dually.

Presently have a Fleetwood Caribou that will sit on it.

I already use 6x6 blocks under the jacks on my sloping driveway. This part scares me. Might make a steel pedestal if I need more like 12" of bonus height.

The anchor points on the camper are failing and one corner is pretty rotted out. My short term plan is to use the stake pockets to shore it up, but I want to install some kind of storage box to use these spaces better.

I presently have 2" Blue Dow foam under it. Great for Warmer floor, but this may get removed to lower overall height and help with loading height.

Obviously I dump the air bags for loading, but has anyone used a cum-along or similar to squash the suspension further to assist loading?

I dont take it off very often, but want to keep the option.

How about tieing it down? Bed is 8'. camper is 7-9. The stock camper mounts are sketchy at best, the one is pretty much done.

I am wondering about connecting the jacks to the new headache rack or to the stake pockets.

I feel a ful set of Fast guns and torque mounts going for sale soon, or is there a good way to utilize these on the flat bed?

I had considered an alluminum bed, but the affordable ones didnt have a receiver hitch, and upgrading that is part of the justification for the bed, vs getting a super truss and super hitch combo.

Thanks for any (helpful) suggestions.
 

dfrank

Observer
Just dropped the truck at "Vital Parts" in Englewood CO for the steel flatbed install.

Planning to add some 5/8 nuts underneath to thread eye bolts for hold downs to the deck.

Anyone think it is worth running some angle iron on either side of the camper's middle to keep it centered, or something similar to guide it to the middle as it lowers?

I've been running 2" blue board under the camper with to insulate and shim it above my old bed rails, but I've always wondered how much this contributes to the sway of the unit. I may remove all of this, or just run 1/2" foam instead. Maybe some harder rubber mat.

I am looking for a fabricator to make some tool box faces, that will close off the stake side area, thought his may just start as a wood temporary system.
 

IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
I've been running nothing more than 1/2" bolts in each corner for years without any trouble.

4 years or so now, and upwards of 75k miles. And the camper is on and off the truck a dozen or so times a year.

Nothing more than a bolt thru the bottom of the camper frame, right thru the flatbed rails.

Never a worry. Camper doesnt move around at all.


I have recently upgrade to electric, remote control jacks. That made for a HUGE difference in loading/unloading.
And provides added safety for unlevel ground.

If you dont like how the thing loads and unloads, I suggest you address the jacks and mounts, or simply find a flatter location to load and unload.
 

Buckstopper

Adventurer
My Hallmark was bolted down and the next one will be as well. I used fender washers above the floor and below the deck of the flatbed to avoid a pull out issues. I also had some aluminum angle "clips" bolted to the flatbed at each corner "just in case". When the camper got hit it shifted towards the clip on the lee side but didn't go any further. See my post under pop-up campers about Hallmark Flatbed Camper for more detail on what happened to my old one. I will post some photos of the new camper and how it is bolted down there when I get it.

Buckstopper

ps. I have the aluminum Protech boxes that were on my flatbed. They are 6' long since my camper was for a short bed so they may be shorter than what you are looking for. I was planning on posting them for sale once I get the new camper. I will be going to Hallmark in Fort Lupton sometime soon to get the camper and can bring them with me. If interested PM me.
 

dfrank

Observer
Thanks. Does it seem like a good idea to bolt the low floor down solid?

Seems ike thats asking to serrated he floor from this old, tired camper, not that I trust the original mounts any more, either.

I am wondering about Maybe adding angle iron to the front edge, with lots of smaller screws into the front wall, then bolting down though that.

Maybe attaching the fro jack points to the new headache rack if they line up well. Maybe add a bracket to the headache rack then something akin to a pipe clamp to the jack posts up a bit higher.

Ether way, I think this camper is in it's twilight year or maybe three if I'm lucky.

I'll PM you about the boxes. I feel like no one makes a box that fills the void under the side overhangs (what are these called?) I have 23" in width, (24 to the flat bed) and 20" of height. Seems like everything I look at is only 18", and not cheap to begin with.
 

dfrank

Observer
Thanks, Idasho, I don't see that working in my traditionally shaped camper.

seems I need to grab it higher up. If I just bolt through the 4' wide camper floor, that sounds like it would let the upper part sway too much and beat itself up.

Presently have it strapped to the stake pockets, but these mounts will conflict with my eventual side wall covers.
 

dfrank

Observer
The Flat bed link up has treated us pretty well over the summer, aside from no actually using it enough.


I build a wooden case clad in sheet metal around the missing areas where the old truck bed was for copious storage lockers.

Having all this built on the camper instead of the truck makes it easier to mount and demount, and offers up the full flat bed for hauling, when the camper is off.

I added a flush mounting point on the bed to keep the original camper mount so the force holds it forward and laterally. It uses up a little bit more space in the hatch the I'd have liked, but seemed worth the trade.

Still working on some added lighting and a removable rear bumper with some swing racks.IMG_0456.jpg
Here it is getting ready to provide tail gate support at Redrocks Amphiteater.
IMG_0456.jpg
 

boxcar1

boxcar1
I've been running nothing more than 1/2" bolts in each corner for years without any trouble.

4 years or so now, and upwards of 75k miles. And the camper is on and off the truck a dozen or so times a year.

Nothing more than a bolt thru the bottom of the camper frame, right thru the flatbed rails.

Never a worry. Camper doesnt move around at all.


I have recently upgrade to electric, remote control jacks. That made for a HUGE difference in loading/unloading.
And provides added safety for unlevel ground.

If you dont like how the thing loads and unloads, I suggest you address the jacks and mounts, or simply find a flatter location to load and unload.
A good idea if your camper is designed for it. On your old school unit though it would not be advisable as the floor of the camper is more than likely stapled to the sides of the slide in portion. If it were me...... I'd repair the corners of the camper then use them for the tie down points as well as the jack mounts. As IdaSHO mentioned. 1/2" hardware is more than enough.
The electrics he's now using are to die for. I am envious IdaSHO . I only remove my coach from the deck on rare occasions so I have never been able to justify the cost. I have more than 1 truck. ( Call me Mr. Hoarder.....) I do see the advantage though. My brother runs a set of auto leveling corner jacks. Just WOW!.
 

IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
The remote controlled electrics are pretty fab.
More and more, this is how we do it.... camper off the truck... provided we are planning on being in one spot for more than a few nights.

A few silly benefits as well, beyond the obvious. More than once one of us has had a head-cold on a trip.
**Elevating the pillow side of the camper (camper is set up to sleep East-West) makes for a world of a difference.
**Very handy when draining/flushing tanks. Tilt the camper to the drain side and you can get the tanks nearly 100% empty.
**sloppy heavy snow, we tilt the front of the camper up a bit, to aid in drainage.
The sloppy stuff slides off easier, and makes it less of a mess to pop the hatch to clean the PV panels.

And did I mention that they are remote controlled?? :)

30414148518_fe549040cc_b.jpg
 

andy_b

Active member
The remote controlled electrics are pretty fab.
More and more, this is how we do it.... camper off the truck... provided we are planning on being in one spot for more than a few nights.

A few silly benefits as well, beyond the obvious. More than once one of us has had a head-cold on a trip.
**Elevating the pillow side of the camper (camper is set up to sleep East-West) makes for a world of a difference.
**Very handy when draining/flushing tanks. Tilt the camper to the drain side and you can get the tanks nearly 100% empty.
**sloppy heavy snow, we tilt the front of the camper up a bit, to aid in drainage.
The sloppy stuff slides off easier, and makes it less of a mess to pop the hatch to clean the PV panels.

And did I mention that they are remote controlled?? :)

30414148518_fe549040cc_b.jpg

Are the mounting points for the jacks on the bottom of the camper? Is that how these jacks are designed/spec'd, or is this a custom thing?
 

IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
Camper is custom.

Mounting points are down low.

I did have to modify the jacks to work. Just a matter of welding provisions for the attachment points lower on the jack tubes.
 

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