Flatbed Owners: Anyone Using External Turnbuckles vs. Through-Bolting?

[MaxStar]

Hey everyone. Been lurking for a while...

We’re in the initial planning stages of a FWC flatbed setup and I’m curious if anyone is using turnbuckles from their jack brackets to the bed instead of through-bolting the camper. If so, what are you using for attachment points on the bed itself? On a bed with a rub rail and external stake pockets, anyone have experience with stake pocket D-rings like these?

https://www.etrailer.com/Tie-Down-Anchors/Packem/PK-SPTD.html

Thoughts?

I ask because I foresee the camper being loaded/ unloaded frequently as the platform would be a work truck as well. We’re thinking of using FastGuns...

Thanks all!

 

[longhorn1]

Hey everyone. Been lurking for a while...

We’re in the initial planning stages of a FWC flatbed setup and I’m curious if anyone is using turnbuckles from their jack brackets to the bed instead of through-bolting the camper. If so, what are you using for attachment points on the bed itself? On a bed with a rub rail and external stake pockets, anyone have experience with stake pocket D-rings like these?

https://www.etrailer.com/Tie-Down-Anchors/Packem/PK-SPTD.html

Thoughts?

I ask because I foresee the camper being loaded/ unloaded frequently as the platform would be a work truck as well. We’re thinking of using FastGuns...

Thanks all!

Most Four Wheel Camper flatbeds are fabricated to fit the camper, flush around the perimeter. I believe through bolting is the only option. I would contact FWC. Rocky Mountain FWC in Denver and Mainline in PA might also provide answers as they do a lot of Flatbed builds. Good luck. The jack bracket might work, but unless you have a larger flat bed, not sure how that will work.

 

[MaxStar]

Thanks for the reply. The FWC guys in Woodland told me it’s been done by a few people, but I haven’t spoken to Mainline or RMFWC. Good idea, I’ll give em a shout.

 

[rando]

I have a flatbed, and agree that if you want to remove and reinstall it often (which I don't) that lining up the bolt holes would be a pain. Seems like external turnbuckles to the jack brackets could work fine in the front, but the rear jack brackets are a foot or so behind the rear edge of the flatbed, so that might not be the best. If you are starting from scratch, I wonder if you could come up with a more elegant solution - maybe brackets for some Destaco pull clamps: https://www.destaco.com/pull-action-latch-clamps.html ?

Or maybe just some guides on the flatbed to align the camper easily and then install some weld nuts under the tray so it is easy to bolt it down from inside the camper.

 

[MaxStar]

Rando, both great ideas. Thanks for your input.

 

[kmacafee]

I use Fastguns and they fasten directly to the flatbed. No movement at all on the road or off.

 

[MaxStar]

Awesome, Kevin. Thanks again!

 

[Dirtroadsavant]

I am a long-time user and first-time poster who finally joined up to respond to this thread. Thanks to all in this community who have given us so much help.

For now, we are going to stick with the bolt through method for our 2017 flat bed hawk. Our two biggest challenges in working the nuts and bolts are cleaning the sand and grime off the threads so that the nut will turn and getting a wrench up and under the bed into the very tight space. To remedy this, a change I am working on from the initial install is to weld bolts to plates and feed the bolts up through the bed rather than down. That will keep the threads clean. I will probably put some sort of handle on the bolt plates so that the person under the bed can easily hold them in place while the other works the nut from inside the camper. This change, plus making some small location marks on the camper and the flatbed will help a lot.

Always open to other ideas but that’s where we are for now.

 

[rando]

There have been some discussions about this previously:
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/13599-fwc-flatbed-discussion/page-4

I have not had to remove my Fleet flatbed, but someday I will have to. My thought for when I have to do this is to install studs up through the flatbed deck and then install the nuts inside the camper. My plan is to cut some ~4" x 4" x 1/4" aluminium plates and tap an M10 hole in the middle. I would thread the 4 hold down bolts through the plates, then epoxy (JB weld) the plates to the underside of the tray with the bolts sticking up through the existing holes. Aligning the camper holes to these 'studs' would still be a pain, but easier than trying to align holes-to-holes, and once it is aligned tightening the nuts would be simple as it all could be done from inside the camper.

If you need to use the tray as a tray, removing the bolts would leave you a flat tray with threaded holes. Given the issue that seem to arise with turnbuckles loosening, hooks bending etc, the bolt down solution seems to be the best option. I have checked my bolts (with nylock nuts) a couple of times and they have never shifted or loosened.

 

[kmacafee]

Out of curiosity, why is so much energy being expended on very creative ways to bolt a camper to a flatbed? Everyone who has written up a new idea admits that repositioning is going to be a royal PITA. Trying to line up 4 small contact points while balancing a 1000+ pound camper over it on jacks is like eating soup in the rain - sure you can do it but why?

I am in no way saying my method is the best but it is certainly the easiest. I have run this camper/flatbed down some fairly gnarly tracks and it moved 1/8 of an inch once - the truck bounced down into a wash and the camper shifted that small amount. I was most likely going a little fast because since then, watching my speed has resulted in the camper not moving at all. And I have been using it a lot of tracks all over the Southwest.

I don’t mean to offend anyone and if I have, my apologies. I’m just a curious individual.

Cheers

 

[pvstoy]

You by all means do not offend me as there are different ways to mount the camper and there are many different abilities of the person to accept or fight the process. I have had 3 FWC and all of them have been bolted through the floor. For me it has never been a PITA process. The latest one we bought is a 2015 FWC Hawk flatbed. It has 6 bolts through the floor.

I did need to separate the camper from the truck to do some electrical wiring. As I have done with the other campers I use a sharpie and make a series of reference lines bed to camper. Upon getting the remount close, you don't need to be perfect just get the reference lines somewhat close back. Don't drop full weight down and that allows bolts to be dropped from the inside. If some are off a little just nudge the camper that direction will drop into place.

You ask why do it this way? I accept this is the way I want it and have extreme patience for going slow. It is not that any way is better or you have to do it this way and your way is wrong, it is more up to who is on the other end of the tool doing the task.

 

[kmacafee]

Well put. Given you are an experienced camper and flatbed owner, you obviously understand the mechanics and physics of the bolt thru method. My concerns are now that flatbed campers are becoming more popular, new owners might not have the same success you’ve had given your experience.

I came from a FWC Eagle on a Tacoma and always hated the internal turnbuckle method they use. I was very surprised they used an internal bolt process with their flatbeds which is one of the reasons I went with a different manufacturer.

Cheers


quote name="pvstoy" post="212880" timestamp="1551651951"]
You by all means do not offend me as there are different ways to mount the camper and there are many different abilities of the person to accept or fight the process. I have had 3 FWC and all of them have been bolted through the floor. For me it has never been a PITA process. The latest one we bought is a 2015 FWC Hawk flatbed. It has 6 bolts through the floor.

I did need to separate the camper from the truck to do some electrical wiring. As I have done with the other campers I use a sharpie and make a series of reference lines bed to camper. Upon getting the remount close, you don't need to be perfect just get the reference lines somewhat close back. Don't drop full weight down and that allows bolts to be dropped from the inside. If some are off a little just nudge the camper that direction will drop into place.

You ask why do it this way? I accept this is the way I want it and have extreme patience for going slow. It is not that any way is better or you have to do it this way and your way is wrong, it is more up to who is on the other end of the tool doing the task. [/quote]

 

[rando]

To me, the bolt through mounting is just a mechanically superior solution to turnbuckles. However, everyones requirements are different, and if I were frequently removing my camper, I might consider turnbuckles.

It seems that most folks with flatbeds have the mounted pretty much permanently, and for this application the annoyance of the alignment is far outweighed by the security of the bolts. With four (or six in the case of larger campers) bolts, you have a multiply redundant way of securing the camper. With the turnbuckles you really don't. If one turnbuckle were to loosen or break, you may be okay, but if two were to loosen or break then the camper can shift, releasing the tension on the other two in which case they can pop off. There are at least two recent threads where this actually happened, so this is not just a theoretical discussion.

Ask me again, this summer after pulling my camper on and off and I may be singing a different tune.

 

[kmacafee]

I completely agree that turnbuckles are an inferior way to attach a camper. I’m using Fastguns which are much stronger and are used to mount campers weighing significantly more than mine.

To me, the bolt through mounting is just a mechanically superior solution to turnbuckles. However, everyones requirements are different, and if I were frequently removing my camper, I might consider turnbuckles.

It seems that most folks with flatbeds have the mounted pretty much permanently, and for this application the annoyance of the alignment is far outweighed by the security of the bolts. With four (or six in the case of larger campers) bolts, you have a multiply redundant way of securing the camper. With the turnbuckles you really don't. If one turnbuckle were to loosen or break, you may be okay, but if two were to loosen or break then the camper can shift, releasing the tension on the other two in which case they can pop off. There are at least two recent threads where this actually happened, so this is not just a theoretical discussion.

Ask me again, this summer after pulling my camper on and off and I may be singing a different tune.

 

[No longer here]

Throughbolts on mine done by Mainline. Big honker grade 8 or 10 bolts. Figure that if and when I take it off I won't cry if I have to take 30-45min trying to line up bolts. For the weight of this camper I am NOT interested in it falling off in the places I wander off to.

 

[nico]

Hey everyone. Been lurking for a while...

We’re in the initial planning stages of a FWC flatbed setup and I’m curious if anyone is using turnbuckles from their jack brackets to the bed instead of through-bolting the camper. If so, what are you using for attachment points on the bed itself? On a bed with a rub rail and external stake pockets, anyone have experience with stake pocket D-rings like these?

https://www.etrailer.com/Tie-Down-Anchors/Packem/PK-SPTD.html

Thoughts?

I ask because I foresee the camper being loaded/ unloaded frequently as the platform would be a work truck as well. We’re thinking of using FastGuns...

Thanks all!

Maxstar,
I am curios what you ended up doing with your camper as it sounds like we are/were in the same in terms of use. I have a worktruck that the camper is on and I intend to take it off quite frequently. Its a flatbed grandby and its bolted through with 6 bolts. I have not taken it off yet (only had it for a few weeks) but i am realizing the bolts are not the way to go if you are taking it off frequently. I am srongly considering the fastguns method that macafee does. Curios where you ended up ?

 

[MaxStar]

Hey Nico,

I never got around to coming up with a way to quickly remove the camper; it’s been bolted on since we got it. Good luck!

 

[nico]

Hey Nico,

I never got around to coming up with a way to quickly remove the camper; it’s been bolted on since we got it. Good luck!

Ok. Did you end up getting a new truck? Im gonna try the fastguns method and I will report back to you how it goes. Hoping i dont hae to buy another truck, at least for now.

 

[MaxStar]

No, I just have a smaller commuter. It would be super nice to be able to take the camper off easily, but I also don’t have a place to store it when it’s off the truck…