Camper mounting options for Tacoma

[Skeeter]

After fruitless efforts on searching this fourm, can someone shed some light on the different methods of mounting your camper to your truck? I am curious on how other Tacoma owners mounted their campers. I am thinking of mounting to frame and avoiding the turn buckles altogether.

Pics soon to follow as soon as I can drive it out of the garage! It looks like I have to remove the Fantastic fan just to clear the #$*@! door! Thanks-

 

[pods8]

After fruitless efforts on searching this fourm, can someone shed some light on the different methods of mounting your camper to your truck? I am curious on how other Tacoma owners mounted their campers. I am thinking of mounting to frame and avoiding the turn buckles altogether.

Pics soon to follow as soon as I can drive it out of the garage! It looks like I have to remove the Fantastic fan just to clear the #$*@! door! Thanks-


Some of the folks with composite beds rigged up a few different methods. Look up davejohnson and lqhikers threads, they both did custom tacoma brackets.

Other folks have bolted through the floor with metal backing plates.

Edit: Here is dave's http://home.comcast.net/~david.johnson11/CustomMounts.html He still used turnbuckles but they are connected to the frame rather than bed.

Here's lqhikers http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/618/ He also is still using turn buckets but tied to the frame more.

 

[BSS]

I bolted mine right through the floor using plates and grade 5 hardware. I got a long strip of 3/8" plate steel, 4" wide and cut it into 8 squares. Put the camper on, set the plates where I wanted them (as wide and long a footprint as I could get), marked with sharpie, drilled, and bolted them down. I used locking nuts and lockwashers also. I check them about every six months or so but they've never slipped any.

Some folks might think this is unsafe just bolting the camper to the sheetmetal of the bed, but if the plates are big enough and the holes are drilled on the top of the bed ribs rather than the low spots, there really is no leverage available for anything to pull through. I'd have to get hit by a semi to tear the bed and even then I think the camper itself would separate from the floor before the metal failed.

I thought about bolting straight through the bed and frame, but the amount of work it would entail just isn't necessary IMO.

 

[Skeeter]

Thank you so much for the great ideas/links. One more dumb question, which way do the turnbuckles pull? Do they pull in the same direction or opposite? For expample; \ \ or \ /? Left being the front of bed. They pull towards the front if I remember. Thanks again guys!!!

 

[pods8]

Thank you so much for the great ideas/links. One more dumb question, which way do the turnbuckles pull? Do they pull in the same direction or opposite? For expample; \ \ or \ /? Left being the front of bed. They pull towards the front if I remember. Thanks again guys!!!


I think mine are /\ off the top of my head. Stan has make some posts on it before. If I recall right if they are // the camper can jump forward/up some (opposite for \\).

 

[BSS]

Just as an FYI kind of thing, the tie-down points on the first series tacomas aren't the strongest out there, specifically the rear ones when loaded with no tailgate. The bed will flex inwards considerably when you crank down the turnbuckles.

 

[jcfly]

Skeeter: Could you get the camper out of the garage by just airing down??

 

[Skeeter]

Tried that, our garage is just to dang small! I removed the fan for the time being and right now Im just focusing on getting the camper mounted. I decided to have a local shop fabricate some mounts that will be welded to the frame. I dont want to worry about the bed skin being pulled apart. I should have a good idea when I can pick up the mounts tomorow. I have to split out of town Sunday for 2 weeks and all I want to do is get this camper/truck finnished so I can get out of Dodge!!!!! Thanks for all your help Pods and BSS, your advice really help me save time.