Another Turnbuckle Fiasco Averted ....FWC facebook page

[DavidGraves]

An FWC owner traveling mainland Mexico reported a problem with his aluminum, open hook factory supplied turnbuckles on the FWC owners Facebook page......

David Graves

 

[john cotterman]

I saw that, too. I had never heard or seen this issue. The hooked end of the aluminum TBs bent and opened enough to slip off. See pix.

Has anyone experience such a failure? The discussion also talked about using 2-ton canvass ratchets instead. Any opinions here? It might be easier to reach in those narrow spaces and tighten using the ratchet rather than the turn buckle.



I also hear of folks doing redundant fastening -- ratchet webbing or chain as backup. Just how much should we be concerned here?

One last question. What is too tight with a turnbuckle? That might be the problem. I tighten by hand and then 1/2 additional turn with screw driver inside.

 

[longhorn1]

Not had a problem yet and we have done some pretty washboard roads. I just purchased some chains and 4 cable locks for the front. Something just doesn't add up. Wondering if there are some things that the OP is doing different. Does he have a rubber pad? Is the camper centered in the bed?. I have wedges in the front of the bed and rigid 1-1/2" insulation between the rear of the camper and end of the bed. My camper can't move side to side. When the camper moves side to side there is a better chance for the turnbuckles to loosen and then bend at a bump in the road. If they come loose when the truck hits a bump the camper has room to lift bending the turnbuckles. My 2 cents.

 

[klahanie]

Had to check mine ... AL body with ferrous metal hooks.

When the guy on FB writes, "Aluminum turnbuckles" does he mean the hooks are AL?
If so then, yeah I'd replace/upgrade them. If not them maybe the "steel" now is not like what it was when the old OEM ones I still use were made.

---

What is too tight with a turnbuckle? That might be the problem. I tighten by hand and then 1/2 additional turn with screw driver inside.

That sounds reasonable to me. Personally, I generally only "hand tighten" but have good access to the turnbuckles so can get a good look at, and feel, for the tension. Also use a 1/2" thick rubber anti fatigue mat under the camper. I think it helps keep the camper from moving around so easily and adds some cushion for flexing. Don't really see the need to keep the TBs super tight. Jam nuts, like in the pic you show, prevent the TBs from spinning loose.

So far it's keep me off the (turnbuckle) fiasco list.

 

[ckent323]

I have had loosening issues in the past when travelling graded dirt and worse roads. I check the turnbuckles frequently (daily) when driving off pavement.

We made a 7900 mile round trip to Anchorage this summer and all four turnbuckles remained tight the whole trip.

Same camper, same turnbuckles same truck.

I generally hand tighten as much as I am able. Even at 65 my upper body and arm strength is pretty good. It probably makes sense however to use a screwdriver and put an extra 1/4 - 1/2 turn on them as John Cotterman does.

Craig

 

[rubberlegs]

I also wondered if that poster was overtightening. The manual says (I think) tighten a half turn with a tool after hand tightening, and I kinda wonder if I'm overdoing it sometimes. I use a jam nut which has really helped. Now I check the turnbuckles using the wiggle test. If I can't wiggle them, they're good.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

If the truck suspension is not dialed in correctly, that might cause it too.

I’ve see customers with over inflated air bags and the truck bounces too much (too stiff) where the shocks can’t dampen the ride like they should.

Not sure in this case, but one of a few thoughts that comes to mind.

Add ratchet straps in extreme conditions is probably not a bad idea.

 

[klahanie]

A little air out the tires never hurts either..., Bizarre tho, the way I read it the fellow hit a speed bump at ~15mph and all 4 hooks bent open. I mean ... most of us have done that at least once. The other time was going thru a ditch .. again, BTDT, twist is possible and depending on extent, some damage may occur. That's understandable, fair enough.

Too bad we don't know which hook end of the turnbuckle bent - camper or bed end.

Been wondering if the bed attachment point is steel bar with a hole in it, the plane of the bar might - in the right condition - lever open the hook.

Pic of Taco bed brackets, posted here:

This eg uses a quick link, but imagine an install without. Compared to the hook attached to an eye nut like on the camper.

I don't have a pic of my set up but I have the TBs like post #2 and the truck bed tie downs are like this:

So a round rod hook in a round rod ring, same as to camper eye nut. At most angles of attachment the contact always stays at the apex of the rods (layman terminology) kind like a pintle hitch set up. The bar above would {EDIT better to say "could"] have 2 contact points - each face of the bar - and they "may" even put a stress point in the hook depending on how the hole edge is finished.

Also wondering about the angle of attachment. I know this has been mentioned before. I notice on the FB page a reply showing a Torklift solution. Fellow is very happy with.

Guessing this is also on a Tacoma. What stands out to me is the attachment angle. Presumably this is the rear and the fronts are similar but pulling forward and outward. Seems to me if the attachment were plum - the shortest possible distance between the camper and bed - there would be the least amount of available movement should 2 of the attachments come loose.

For eg if the fronts loosened, with this rear angle isn't there an arc of movement possible for the camper to move rearward if the vehicle hit a bump ?

Now, I understand there will be reasons for this design, min length to be practical among others. And I'm not suggesting it's a poor design. No doubt millions of miles, bullet proof etc. Just noting that there must be different angle of attachment for different applications and this might be a variable for why some owners never have any issues and a few report that they have.

 

[DavidGraves]

A more vertical orientation of turnbuckles, perhaps a two inch vertical offset from top attachment point to bottom.
Fronts offset forward...rears offset rearward...all can also be offset to the side.

All of this, of course, needs to take into consideration the installers truck bed and strong points to mount bed eye bolts.

David Graves

 

[klahanie]

Agree. On my current deck I went ~2.5" offset for the bed point, being both outward and fwd/rwd from the camper point. Has worked well.

For tbe fails ? Bending, movement or loss, IDK.

 

[klahanie]

... and IDK what the attachment points are like on the fails. Does FWC still use eyenuts on the camper ? or maybe now a fabricated loop (I think I've seen posted).

It's so often the case, in choosing not to provide many details - perhaps in the interest of brevity ? - the poster limits the usefulness of the report beyond the shock value of a pic.

 

[klahanie]

The OP (DavidGraves) asked me to post this pic of "a forged clevis style turnbuckle".




I'll leave comment to him ...

 

[DavidGraves]

Thanks Klahanie....

for posting the image of the forged, clevis style turnbuckles with lock nut that we use.

I think these came from Tractor Supply but can be found elsewhere.

They are the correct length to work with our Hawk in two different trucks.

The clevis style allows a thru bolt w/ lock nut to secure to attachment eye bolts on truck and camper.

I tighten all four sequentially and equally and then lock the nut on the threaded portion....I added the lock nuts.

They can be checked visually and a tap with any tool on the body of the turnbuckle gives you an idea of tension.

They are heavily galvanized.

The truck attachment point is a separate topic.

David Graves

 

[trikebubble]

We have had our camper on full time for 1 year now, and appx. 20K km of travel. That includes a 6500+KM trek up to Tuk and back, along with multiple off-road (as in 4-Lo uphill-overhill-downhill rough terrain type stuff) and have not had any turnbuckle related issues at all. About a month after getting the camper home, I checked the turnbuckles and one was a little less-tight than the other,s probably just from settling in. I added a jam nut to each turnbuckle and since then they have remained totally tight. I check them on regular basis (this past weekend actually) and they are as snug as the day I installed the jam nuts.

 

[Edgewood]

Are the turnbuckles less strong if the hook/eye bolt are more extended?

I'm using SS turnbuckles that are almost all the way extended.

 

[patrkbukly]

We have had our camper on full time for 1 year now, and appx. 20K km of travel. That includes a 6500+KM trek up to Tuk and back, along with multiple off-road (as in 4-Lo uphill-overhill-downhill rough terrain type stuff) and have not had any turnbuckle related issues at all. About a month after getting the camper home, I checked the turnbuckles and one was a little less-tight than the other,s probably just from settling in. I added a jam nut to each turnbuckle and since then they have remained totally tight. I check them on regular basis (this past weekend actually) and they are as snug as the day I installed the jam nuts.

I have had the same experience as you. My Granby was installed and only taken off twice for a few weeks. Since then after 25,000 miles knock on wood only a tiny bit loose on one after Big Bend and after some Colorado BLM excursions here otherwise even though I check at least once a week they are always tight.

I do however like your additional nut idea as a 2nd safety.

Also at this point I never take the camper off and I wonder if there is a more permenant bolting possible right to my frame through the bed eliminating the eyebolt and threaded turnbuckle altogether.

 

[larryqp]

I bolted my Eagle shell thru the floor of my 2009 Ford Ranger, it has been on for almost 3 years. It is my everyday driver, we are full time RVers and tow the ranger/Eagle combo behind our motorhome plus its been on numerous 4WD trips into places like Big Bend Ranch State Park. It hasn't moved a bit.

I will say after reading about the one that fell off, I'm thinking about adding a set of safety chains.

I had purchased it used, so I called FWC and they told me exactly how to mount the camper.

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

I had this issue big time. I checked them often offroad and it was like clockwork 2 were ALWAYS loose, usually 2 different ones,

I upgraded to some heavy duty forged units and added some jam nuts in between the hook and the center of the turnbuckle.

Not a single issue wince with 1000s of miles offroad and most of Moab.

Highly suggest upgrading to beefier turnbuckles and using jam nuts and enjoying the piece of mind.

my .02

 

[JHanson]

As a long-time fan and two-time owner of FWC campers, I think their standard turnbuckle securing system is the worst feature of the company. They use hardware-store turnbuckles that were never meant for the kind of stresses to which the camper can be subjected. I replaced ours with forged steel versions after the incident recounted here.

 

[buckland]

Is this galvanized forged steel 5/6" turnbuckle that we are looking for?
https://www.mcmaster.com/steel-turnbuckles

J, was wondering, as I read your incident report, I went to the link for the turnbuckle and it listed it as having a clevis pin on one end and a closed loop at the other. How do you attach this to the eye bolts?