Opened Turnbuckles

[JHanson]

Having 25 percent of the fittings holding the camper to my truck fail completely was enough to convince me to upgrade them. I used these.

Given the documented failures we've seen in just this thread, I could envision a scenario - say on a long, rough backcountry route - in which one turnbuckle broke unbeknownst to the driver, and the resultant loss of tension caused extra stress on the remaining three, and a potential cascade effect. Do I think it's likely? Absolutely not - but it's a possibility. In any case, having one break was all I needed to switch.

 

[fish more]

The tension on the Torklift Fast Gun Derringers is adjusted with the length of the j-bolts. After you adjust the length, you only have to tighten the lever. They stay at the same tension all the time. You do not want to over tighten, as it will stress the bed eye bolts as well as the eye bolts on the camper base.

At first setting up the proper length is a timely process, but when done you mark what Fast Gun fits each corner, i.e. r/f l/f r/r l/r. Each unit has a pin that prevents them from opening. Like anything else, you can over or under tighten a turn buckle, as well as the Torklifts. Taking the time to properly adjust makes sure that no camper damage will happen. I had to remove j-hook from each unit and cut material off then install and see if I had a correct fit. But once done, no more worry. At this point, I would never go back to turnbuckles.

I am surprised that more people have not gone to this method of tie down. Alot of camper owners who have exterior tie downs, use the larger units from Torklift. As far as pounds of force, not sure. Just adjusted them to a point where I feel they are not allowing too much force being applied.

 

[longhorn1]

Having 25 percent of the fittings holding the camper to my truck fail completely was enough to convince me to upgrade them. I used these.

Given the documented failures we've seen in just this thread, I could envision a scenario - say on a long, rough backcountry route - in which one turnbuckle broke unbeknownst to the driver, and the resultant loss of tension caused extra stress on the remaining three, and a potential cascade effect. Do I think it's likely? Absolutely not - but it's a possibility. In any case, having one break was all I needed to switch.

Jonathan, How are yours installed on your truck/camper? Does the jaw end and pin attach to the camper and the eye to the truck bed? How are you attaching the the turnbuckle eye to the eye bolt? Which model number did you use? Longhorn1

 

[JHanson]

Longhorn, I should have been more specific. The model I used is here. On the closed end I used a suitably sized carabiner-style steel link to attach the turnbuckle to the truck. Installing them in the front of ours was a long, blind, curse-filled procedure.

 

[longhorn1]

Longhorn, I should have been more specific. The model I used is here. On the closed end I used a suitably sized carabiner-style steel link to attach the turnbuckle to the truck. Installing them in the front of ours was a long, blind, curse-filled procedure.

It is hard enough with the normal turnbuckles in our 2014 Grandby. Numerous cuts on the back of my hands, sweat, and I agree some colorful language. I now take the front dinette table and set it on the other side so I can move as far to the front as possible. I wonder if it would be easy to install to the camper first and rig some string to keep them out of the way while loading and then attaching to the truck with the carabiner-style link. I don't plan on a lot of rough road travel, so I will have to think about this. I like the idea, and especially after reading all of the posts. thanks for your quick response. Longhorn1

 

[PaulT]

Assuming you have one, have you tried putting your smartphone in selfie mode, laying it strategically on the truck bed and watching what your hand is doing with the turnbuckle on the phone display? The phone works better in poor light than does a small mirror.

Paul

 

[longhorn1]

Assuming you have one, have you tried putting your smartphone in selfie mode, laying it strategically on the truck bed and watching what your hand is doing with the turnbuckle on the phone display? The phone works better in poor light than does a small mirror.

Paul

Nice idea. May have to try it in the spring.

 

[JHanson]

Paul, that's a brilliant idea.

It would be easy to attach one end of each turnbuckle to the camper loops before you installed the camper, then tie them out of the way.

 

[longhorn1]

Jim, I think I'm going to purchase the Crosby Turnbuckle E & J 5/16X4-1/2". I found a Yoke Triple Lock Steel Carabiner - ANSI Z359.12 - 3600 LBS Gate Strength, Min Breaking Load of 5000 LBS. That should be plenty strong. I know when I picked up my camper Sean Dempsey said that the thread had to be in a certain direction, showed me and had me take the other 3 and tell him which side was up, and then he marked the upward end on each with an arrow. You stated previously that the "Jaws" end is the up end that will attach to the camper, correct?

My idea with the string to hold them out of the way is one way. A bungy cord could also be used by pulling the turnbuckles into the camper through the open turnbuckle door and using a 2' bungy to hold them in place while loading or off-loading. Longhorn1

 

[longhorn1]

What determines the upward side on the stock turnbuckles? This is the first I've heard of this, and mine have always stayed tight.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Wander The West mobile app

You would ask me that. Sean Dempsey said they had to be installed with the thread in a certain direction. This side topic sounds like something that could use some in put from others. Longhorn

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

What determines the upward side on the stock turnbuckles? This is the first I've heard of this, and mine have always stayed tight.
Sent from my SM-G900P using Wander The West mobile app

You would ask me that. Sean Dempsey said they had to be installed with the thread in a certain direction. This side topic sounds like something that could use some in put from others. Longhorn

I'd be interested in learning about this too. Tomorrow, I am meeting Jay from FWC at Woodburn, so will ask the question (if I can remember that long).

 

[PaulT]

One end of the turnbuckle has some grooves/serrations ground into it to identify the direction that allows installation of all four turnbuckles the same. One end is "righty tighty, lefty loosy". The other is the opposite. With all four installed the same, there is no experimentation/"oh crap" experimentation about which way to turn to tighten each one.

Without going out to the camper to look, I believe that the grooved end is normal threads and should be installed towards the mount on the camper. Please check your units & make them consistent. Due to their location & conditions when you need to tweak the tightness the same, you don't want to guess which way tightens the turnbuckle.

Paul

 

[PaulT]

Say Hi to Jay. He really knows the product and is great with responses when peppered with questions. He installed my Hawk in Medford & handled the lift strut recall in Woodburn.

Paul

 

[ski3pin]

The turnbuckles have a standard thread on one end and reverse thread on the other. I install mine with the standard thread (righty tighty ...............) on the top (or camper connection). This makes sense when you are reaching in a hole while laying on your back - what way to turn the turnbuckle to tighten and what way to turn to loosen............and they are all the same.

 

[jha6av8r]

I haven't had, to date, problems with my turnbuckles loosening. When I do check them before a trip, I actually loosen them first, then hand tighten and finish by inserting a stubby screw driver to get 1/2 to 1 more turn. Over tightening is as bad as being too loose.

Personally I don't want to camper to move except in unison with the bed. If the camper and bed have any opportunity to move in opposite or lateral directions, the acceleration from that movement will put a lot of stress on the attachment points.

Also I would personally prefer the turnbuckles to fail before the camper.

This video is slanted to show off Ford, but it's interesting to see how the the truck bed flexes:

 

[billharr]

I have all my turn buckles set to tighten by turning clockwise looking down.
I carry an old lathe wrench to tighten 1/2 turn after hand tight. Flat handle fits in middle of turn buckle.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

John, very interesting video. Thanks

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Indeed "slanted". At Snopes you'll find that this video was staged by Ford motor company as a way to discredit competitors and boost F-150 sales. I believe there was also an associated lawsuit over it.

I always get a laugh when it surfaces yet again. People (including me) will believe just about anything that appears real.

Could you send a link to the snopes article. I could not find it using their search engine.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Brrrr, it's 37º and raining cats and dogs here in Northern Oregon. I just got back from having Jay at FWC install my eyebolts in the new truck, and both Jay and I are soaked.

PaulT, Jay says howdy right back.

Per Jay, there theoretically is no right or wrong way to put the turnbuckles on, but for consistency, he recommends putting the RH threaded end at the camper, with the LH threads to the truck. That way, like Mr. 3Pin said, it's always righty tighty.

Saw a very nice brand new Hawk Silver Spur delivered to some folks in Sisters. Beautiful camper.

 

[Riverrunner]

Now I'm no engineer, but all this talk about forged eye bolts and reinforcing things on the tie-down points has me worried...

Shouldn't there be a failure point, or something you can more easily check (keep track of) as well as more easily replace in the event of a failure?

Reinforce the tie-down straps and you could be looking at a more significant failure that would take considerably more time to replace/repair.

Am I the only one thinking this way???

<---- clicky

I agree with you completely. I wouldn't be replacing those turnbuckles with stronger ones. Being a half @$$ed engineer, you're just moving the failure point somewhere else like truck bed mount, the bed itself, or the camper. In a pinch you could use a tiedown strap if you had to if you lost a turnbuckle to get home or to the next hardware store. After reading this thread, I like my external torklift tie downs better all of the time.