Raising the Hawk to clear the Cab on a F250

[Beach]

Truck bed to cab top is 45". Camper bottom to cab over is 46", leaving 1" clearance(not enough). I would like to keep clearance to a minimum to reduce windage(sp). Going to mount 2x4s(flat) to the camper bottom which should raise camper and give me approx. 2 1/2" of clearance. Is 2 1/2" sufficient? Thanks

 

[Ace!]

I have a Hawk mounted on an F250 without anything to raise it additionally. I don't understand why you need to raise it.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Truck bed to cab top is 45". Camper bottom to cab over is 46", leaving 1" clearance(not enough). I would like to keep clearance to a minimum to reduce windage(sp). Going to mount 2x4s(flat) to the camper bottom which should raise camper and give me approx. 2 1/2" of clearance. Is 2 1/2" sufficient? Thanks

That should be sufficient. You can also pack the area with insulation to keep your feet a bit warmer.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Used camper?

Start with the 2 1/2" and work down from there once you get the camper home, and still feel the need.



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Truck bed to cab top is 45". Camper bottom to cab over is 46", leaving 1" clearance(not enough). I would like to keep clearance to a minimum to reduce windage(sp). Going to mount 2x4s(flat) to the camper bottom which should raise camper and give me approx. 2 1/2" of clearance. Is 2 1/2" sufficient? Thanks

 

[Beach]

Stan, you seem to indicate that 2 1/2" is plenty and I can get by with less. What is the minimum recommended?
I was worried that at 1" clearance the camper might hit the truck roof when the cab and bed twist a bit off road.

 

[wuck]

I used flat 2x4's under my Hawk on m '15 F250, resulting in 1-1/2" clearance. With 4-5 weeks spent in camper last year, Including several days off-road, I had no issues. I think the truck twists around on the long axis, the roof top is crowned so the camper doesn't get too much closer.

 

[Ace!]

I'm still not understanding the point. Is it that much lower on a newer truck. Mine is a 2005 F250 and 2015 Hawk and I've taken it on the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route where there are hundreds of miles (I only did the first hundred or so) of rocks, ruts, ditches, etc. and never had a problem. My truck was so twisted up I had tires (34") off the ground in places.

 

[wuck]

Hawks are built to fit the original purchaser's truck, so they can be a bit different. Mine was built to fit a Super Duty, but it had a utility bed on it, so it wasn't the "Standard" Super Duty built camper. My cabover bedboard was saggng a bit, so all that added up to a camper that "kissed" the truck roof when first installed, hence my spacer.

 

[Ace!]

Huh. I didn't realize there was that much variation. thanks.

 

[Beach]

Thanks Wuck, that is the same set up I was planning on but will fasten 2x4s to the camper bottom. Same truck I've got except mine is a 2012

 

[agate]

Interesting, I purchased a 2010 Hawk for a 2008 Tundra. I purchased a 2012 F-250 in 2014 and moved the Hawk over to it. It is tighter fitting to the top of Truck cab, maybe 1 1/2" now (vs. more like 3 1/2" on Tundra) and like others I have never had any issues baja and back to MN 2x, Pipeline road, Utah, CO, ID, etc......that set-up that wuck has looks like it is simple, cheap, and effective!