Fitting a 70’s Alaskan to a 2008 F150XL

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karsonb

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Will there be any issues other than the need to place spacers under the camper when it comes time to fit it into my pickup? I have a plastic bed liner in the truck, will that I terrero? Or would it be recommended to remove the plastic bed liner? Thanks in advance!
 
I answered the questions myself. No, he plastic bed liner did not interfere with the installation of the camper. It slid in nicely. Had to raise the camper by 3”” overall using a cobination if 2x10’s and 2x4’s. I secured it temporarily from all 4 corners of home made ríe down loops to the truck with cargo straps. I may do the floor through bolt method as it is cleaner. I need to devise my own jacking method for removal bus since I need to use it for now, it stays out. I am very happy with it. I am a proud Alaskan owner of a 1979 8’ NCO built in Lacombe Alberta. Has a ice box, furnace and 3 burner cook top. The bed is a lay larger and more comfortable than I initially imamgined it to be. The F150 though a v6 4.2 L acts like the camper is not there. The suspension with the timbrens is awesome. No sway no sag on the truck at all. I need to get some gas on Monday and calculate the mpg hit, I don’t think it is more than 2-3 mpg over unloaded. Overall, the Alaskan is where it is at!! New or old they are the “bees knees”! Needs some customizing and a little repair on the back upper but I think it will be good. Also, will be replacing the o rings on the 4 cylinders. Bryan Wheat at Alaskan, was so kind to give me the exact size required. I will get them Monday as well and get that done. Then I will get after a wood repair needed on the left rear upper which will help the raise lowerto be smoother. Going down is good, going up needs a little assist to keep things level on the rise. The wood is dry rotted probably from smoke leak around the door area in back, could also be from exposure to the heater vent for years. The aluminum panel shows sign of exfoliation and inter granular corrosion which I am certain is from the Heater vent as well A probably years of exposure to road grime. But for amistad 50 years old, a keeper for sure!!!
 
Be sure to check the back width of the camper. I believe the older Alaskan Campers have a very wide rear--they fit snugly into the back of older trucks, but not for many of the newer trucks with narrower tail gate openings. The Alaskan camper I had, a 1972 CO, had a butt-ectomy where the asymmetrical right side was trimmed inboard about 4 inches, and re-skinned, so that it would fit into a modern truck. It was done well, it took me about a year to realize the trim on that side was different that the left side, plus I saw photos of other campers with the larger width, and being asymmetric, in the back. I suspect many of these older (pre 1990's) campers had this done to them, as the truck's tailgate openings became narrower. At least, that was true for the Fords--the 1997 and earlier F250's were wider back there than the later models.
 
Back in the day, one question that Alaskan asked you was about the truck bed; is it a Fleetside or a Stepside. While my '88 F-25 is a "Fleetside" style bed, my Alaskan was made to fit a Stepside since you can't access any plumbing or electricals that go through the side of the lower section of the camper due to the narrower bed of the Stepside.

This is at least one way to understand why there are differences between units made at the same factory sitting side-by-side waiting to be installed.
 
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