Bolting camper to bed ??

[Marc]

Was curious if anyone has bolted their camper down and done away with the turn buckles ?? My camper stays on full time and was thinking of doing this. Any suggestions on placement and size of fasteners to use ??
Thanks.

marc

 

[Scootr74]

I bolted mine.

I don't take the camper off (for fear of being asked to "move" everybody and their mother). I used 4ea 1/2" x 2.5"L hex bolts and nuts with flat washers and lock washers. There's one near the door under the furnace, one two under the seat on the passenger side and one under the driver's side window. My camper interior was changed a bit by the P/O so you may not be able to hide everything, but I haven't had any problems - so far. If I get around to it I suppose I could replace them with Grade 8, but I think the bed floor or the camper floor will give before any of the bolts I have.

 

[DirtyDog]

Patrick was describing his setup to me but I didn't catch it all. Wouldn't mind seeing some details from his bolt job. A bit more complicated that applying a sticker I'm guessing

 

[pvstoy]

Patrick was describing his setup to me but I didn't catch it all. Wouldn't mind seeing some details from his bolt job. A bit more complicated that applying a sticker I'm guessing

LOL

Here is a picture of what I use. Plate steel inside and outside sandwich. Inside has the corners radius and painted white. Bolt, washers, lock washers, and double nut. You can use any plate size you need.

Don't forget to look under the bed for the easiest place to put them, I.E. don't put them ontop of the gas tank and you can't even reach them. Make it a clear shot and you wont be pissed later. And don't drill through anything.

 

[Marc]

Patrick, Scootr74. Thank you very much That is what I was looking for.

marc

 

[keith]

I would try to make the top and bottom washers a little different size to help spread the stresses over a larger area.

 

[Marc]

I would try to make the top and bottom washers a little different size to help spread the stresses over a larger area.

I think the plates will take care of that.

 

[masterplumber]

Mine's been bolted down for 5+ years with no problems. Well, only one problem, I wanted to take the camper off to do some maintanance after about 3 years & had to cut the nuts off with a torch as they had rusted & the original bolts that the factory used to supply had a large washer built in with no hex head to grab. No big deal until some slag hit the air line from my air bags - now that got my attention LOL I just have 3\8 grade 5 bolts with large fender washers. I was always going to change them to steel plates like PVSTOY but haven't got around to it & what I have seems to be working so why fix it? One thing I did that greatly reduced the flexxing & sway was to put closed cell foam between the bed rail & the lip of the camper. Mine sits just under an inch above the bed rail so I just glued 2 layers from an old sleeping pad to the camper - makes a huge difference. I learned this trick from the Wescots who bolted the Turtle IV down with 8 bolts (4 per side) & steel plates. If I recall Gary did say that the bed on the Turtle III rippped around the washers in South America which is why they went to the larger steel plates.

Doug

 

[Marc]

Thanks plumber.