FWC Fleet ok to sleep in off the truck?

[Kerschbaumer]

Like the title says - anything to worry about or a bad idea?

I hate to break camp everytime I want to go somewhere in the truck (ie to trail head for a mountain bike ride)

I built the plywood 'X's from one sheet of plywood that I use to store it on int he winter and could bring that along to set the camper down onto but worry about it tipping over???

Do you think I would need to support the upper front edge of camper?

 

[PJorgen]

I'm no geometry genius but I would not be comfortable putting an adult human at 175-200lbs in the cabover bunk without securing the rear of the camper or supporting the front. Just seems that the lever arm would be enough to tip it forward.

 

[BFH4N]

Mine sits on a kind of pallet made of 2x6's when it's off the truck. It just supports the bottom of the camper. I have slept in there when it's on the pallet and it didn't tip. I weigh 275.

 

[PaulT]

Something here may ease your mind. May take adapting for a FWC.

https://www.etrailer.com/search/Fifth+Wheel+Support

Or just fabricate something from wood.
Paul

 

[Wallowa]

Put on platform [your design to desired height] and once all weight on that support, extend the 4 jacks until they just contact the ground and tighten just a little....jacks provide stability and platform support.

 

[camper rich]

On one of our Baja trips, I took along the plywood X's and we took the camper (Grandby) off the truck. What I did to keep the camper from tipping forward when we crawled into the upper bed was to put stakes into the ground and tether the back of the camper to them using cam straps that I attached to the jack brackets. I did have the jacks down and plywood pads under them so the didn't sink in.

After that one trip I never took them again because it was too difficult getting the camper lined up when we put it back on. We were camped in an aroyo and the sand (more like decomposed granite) made it hard to back the truck perfectly straight. I don't think you could do it on soft sand.

 

[Kerschbaumer]

Thanks All,

Yes I figure it would be smart to secure it especially if there are 2 of us. I lust for a truck camper that comes off as easily as a trailer would.

 

[Gussie]

Thanks All,

Yes I figure it would be smart to secure it especially if there are 2 of us. I lust for a truck camper that comes off as easily as a trailer would.

I just returned from a week of camping with my All Terrain off the Tacoma. Lowered it down nearly to the ground onto a couple of 4x4's to support the floor. I went to the front (cabover) and performed a 'pull-up' - I'm about 200lbs - the camper didn't even budge.
I noticed the camper actually was more stable than when actually on the truck! I slept well