Alternate uses for jack brackets

[rando]

For an 8 foot span I'd be concerned that the 1" 80/20 wouldn't be rigid enough w/o adding some structural features that turn them into a truss. If a single extrusion is what is desired I'd go with one of the bigger sizes.

For a 6 foot span it would be more dependent on how much weight was being attached and where it was being attached. If the weight is near the jack brackets it's likely not an issue. If the weight is attached mid-span then it likely either needs to be bigger or it needs a constructed truss too.

Very good point. I should qualify my experience as working well for traction mats, which are a distributed load, over a 6' span. If you have a heavier load, particularly as a point load in the middle of an 8' span, then you may need beefier extrusions. They do make a 1x2" profile which could work well if 1"x1" isn't up to the task: https://8020.net/shop/1020.html

 

[camper101]

My familiarity is solely with the 1" square size. Drill a hole why? We only drill holes for the blind fasteners. Everything else gets a t-nut or a t-bolt. Most of the tabs for the 1" stuff are 3/16" thick so bolts/screws in the .500"-.625" length range work the best with those and their t-nuts. For there you should be able to extrapolate an appropriate fastener length for the thickness that you're going thru.

Thanks, my brain is now starting to figure out that you don't need to drill through if you use the t-nuts and appropriate length bolts. That makes it even easier. I ordered a few different bolt lengths, so we'll see how it goes. None of the bolts on the 80/20 site seem to be aluminum, so I assume you can get bolts locally as well (and that you don't need to aluminum bolts). Thanks again.

 

[Mthomas]

this will help with deflection questions
https://8020.net/deflection-calculator

 

[MountainSufi]

Forget my stupid idea of having a drop down table on the driver's side, so it will be closest to the LP tanks. Absolutely a bad idea.

1. Mounted on driver's side, when up, it will cover the heater vents. You'd always have to put it down to operate the heater (+ heater vents stick out out far enough it might touch the table!).
2. On a 2 lane road, in muddy dirty crappy conditions, the driver's side table/ski rack will get exponentially more grit and grime from oncoming traffic than passenger side.

Shoulda looked at my rig and meditated on it before posting.

Cheers!

 

[MountainSufi]

Here's an 80/20 video on a fold up table (not our fold down). I like the table top attachment with beveled edges:

80/20 may be more expensive than other brands, but I doubt if anybody else matches their instructional vids.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

I first saw 80/20 at an early Overland Expo, possibly Amado, AZ. An archaeologist had used it to build out cabinets in his 4X4 van. Some guy next to me was so excited he almost did a backflip and declared that he was going to build a pop-up camper with the material.

Agreed...great product.

 

[Yubaman]

Prototype $35 single ski rack, can add another. Superstrut. The angle brackets needed to be cut down.

 

[camper101]

I like it!

Is anybody concerned about adding something rigid in between the jack brackets (front to back)?

I'm wondering if it might spread or pull too much when things are bouncing around, but I have no clue if that's a risk. There's plenty of aluminum running front to back in the camper's frame, but I don't know if the "flex-frame" aspect works differently from what we're adding here on the exterior.

My 80/20 arrived a few days ago (still haven't opened the box), but soon...

 

[Yubaman]

I like it!

Is anybody concerned about adding something rigid in between the jack brackets (front to back)?

I'm wondering if it might spread or pull too much when things are bouncing around, but I have no clue if that's a risk. There's plenty of aluminum running front to back in the camper's frame, but I don't know if the "flex-frame" aspect works differently from what we're adding here on the exterior.

My 80/20 arrived a few days ago (still haven't opened the box), but soon...

Actually one could have a couple of these on each side.

 

[rubberlegs]

Is anybody concerned about adding something rigid in between the jack brackets (front to back)?

Good question and good on ya for thinking about it. If the rails were very rigidly connected to the brackets, and a lot stiffer than the aluminum frame, then it would stiffen up that part of the camper. That could fail the brackets or the camper frame where the brackets attach over time, especially if a fatigue crack starts. However, I'd guess that the 8020 attachments are kinda "soft", but haven't really looked at it carefully. You could avoid the whole problem by using rails that are not too macho, and attaching them in such a way that they are somewhat flexible.

 

[PaulT]

Some truck cabs are mounted to frame with rubber mounts as are engines. Some exhaust systems are mounted with something like a section of a tire with fibers for strength and rubber for resilience. Some here put rubber horse stall mats between the camper and the truck bed.

Why not use a similar approach for mounting the 8020 to the jack brackets?

Paul

 

[Yubaman]

Good question and good on ya for thinking about it. If the rails were very rigidly connected to the brackets, and a lot stiffer than the aluminum frame, then it would stiffen up that part of the camper. That could fail the brackets or the camper frame where the brackets attach over time, especially if a fatigue crack starts. However, I'd guess that the 8020 attachments are kinda "soft", but haven't really looked at it carefully. You could avoid the whole problem by using rails that are not too macho, and attaching them in such a way that they are somewhat flexible.

I am not sure I understand why this is an issue, but the superstrut is pretty darn flexible.

 

[ntsqd]

There's a range of things that could go wrong with a rigid connection between the brackets. Thermal expansion/contraction, flex in the camper's frame, flex in the connecting parts, etc., etc., etc.

I'm not to inclined to worry about it, the whole of the system is flexible enough that some considerable distortion, enough so that you've probably got other problems by that point, would need to happen before it would be a concern.

That said, it is easy enough to fix one end of the strut(s) rigidly to a jack bracket and allow the other end to have some float. The floating end could be simply that there is a spacer such that, it the case of 80/20 extrusions, the bolt into the t-nut can't completely clamp the extrusion when run down tight. That would allow the extrusion to slide on the t-nut at one end only.

 

[Yubaman]

There's a range of things that could go wrong with a rigid connection between the brackets. Thermal expansion/contraction, flex in the camper's frame, flex in the connecting parts, etc., etc., etc.

I'm not to inclined to worry about it, the whole of the system is flexible enough that some considerable distortion, enough so that you've probably got other problems by that point, would need to happen before it would be a concern.

That said, it is easy enough to fix one end of the strut(s) rigidly to a jack bracket and allow the other end to have some float. The floating end could be simply that there is a spacer such that, it the case of 80/20 extrusions, the bolt into the t-nut can't completely clamp the extrusion when run down tight. That would allow the extrusion to slide on the t-nut at one end only.

I see now.

 

[Taku]

This is just a simple one, but I bolt on two "U" hangers on the bottom hole of each rear bracket. It works great to hang packs, hunting and fishing vests, jackets, etc. while in camp. I do like the table idea.

 

[rando]

There's a range of things that could go wrong with a rigid connection between the brackets. Thermal expansion/contraction, flex in the camper's frame, flex in the connecting parts, etc., etc., etc.

I'm not to inclined to worry about it, the whole of the system is flexible enough that some considerable distortion, enough so that you've probably got other problems by that point, would need to happen before it would be a concern.

That said, it is easy enough to fix one end of the strut(s) rigidly to a jack bracket and allow the other end to have some float. The floating end could be simply that there is a spacer such that, it the case of 80/20 extrusions, the bolt into the t-nut can't completely clamp the extrusion when run down tight. That would allow the extrusion to slide on the t-nut at one end only.

We have 2 ~6' lengths of 80/20 running between our rear jack brackets, with both ends secured tightly. No issues in the 3 years it has been on there, so I agree that this is likely nothing to worry about.

 

[jimjxsn]

This is just a simple one, but I bolt on two "U" hangers on the bottom hole of each rear bracket. It works great to hang packs, hunting and fishing vests, jackets, etc. while in camp. I do like the table idea.

Yeah, I like hanging things from the brackets when camping. Here are the eye bolts and awning brackets I'm using currently...

 

[kmacafee]

On my flatbed, I utilized the jack brackets to store a number of things since the jacks are always left at home.





Bikes will go up there as well.

 

[Scott81621]

Rando -

Are you using the 1' or the 1.5" 8/20? I like what you have done!

 

[kmacafee]

If that is directed to me, it's 1 inch by 3 wide.