Securing Grandby

[bmk]

Hi everyone,

First post, hopefully will be a owner of a new Grandby soon, I am currently trying to save money and do a lot of research. So my question is regarding the process of securing a Grandby to a truck. I own a 1 ton single rear diesel truck, it has airbags, the truck is made to haul. I have noticed some posts of people thinking that the system that Four Wheel Campers installs at the factory is maybe not be bomb proof. I want bomb proof, I have access to welding equipment and the ability to make something more substantial, so I was hoping to get some input on what you all think I could do to have something prepped ahead of time. So, is there a standard location approximately of where attachment points should be made? What kind? It sounds like Four Wheel Campers have four corner tie down locations and typically attach with just plates into the sheet metal of the bed and not into the frame. Then they use some kind of turnbuckle system to tension it all. Thanks for any and all input, pics are definitely appreciated.

Brandon

 

[natjwest]

I have Tork-Lifts installed on my truck from a previous hard-sided heavy camper. I use them with chain up to the jack brackets via turnbuckles. I also have the heavy spring dampeners on the Tork-Lift side.

I consider this "bomb proof". Theoretically the jack brackets could rip off, but that's a lot less likely than the plywood blowing out like the standard install. My only niggle is that I have Tork-Lifts sticking out under the bed which might theoretically catch on rocks and other road debris.

 

[K7MDL]

I have a 2005 RAM 2500 long bed and Grandby. FWC supplies instructions on where to place the eyebolts. The RAM uses continuous sheet metal on the sides and floor so the lower sides are radiused, not the traditional 90 degree spot welded/crimped joint. This makes placement of your drill hole more difficult, especially the rear one as they fall immediatly behind the wheel well and thus have 2 curved surfaces merging in a corner - the rear side of the wheel well and the truck bed side.

The sheet metal WILL flex up some and it is possible with enough flexing over time it will eventually fatigue and pull through and rip. I have been watching mine and not abusing it too much and have not needed to reinforce it yet, but it is on my to-do list. There is definately deformity going on, not enough to be a major problem yet. If I were to do some serious bouncing around offroad, then I am sure I will need to install some plates under the bed that tie into the bed cross members or even the frame.

Ths also raises the issue of beefing up the eyebolts area on the camper itself. It is plywood and can benefit from a large metal backing plate to prevent eyebolt pull through. the newest campers come from teh factory beefed up now. Ideally a plate that wraps around the frame edge and down to other parts of the structure and distribute max load.

Having both top and bottom eyebolts beefed up is probably all that is needed, but now the twisting forces of the bed vs the camper are going to find the weakest link and that will now move to the camper frame and/or the turnbuckles. I like the idea of the Happijac spring loaded (or rubber damped) turnbuckles I had with my full size camper. Not much room to fit something like that (off the shelf) inside the truck bed so complete custom fabrication (that I have seen anyway) is needed. Probably not needed, but if you like to really nail the possible problem areas well...