The FWC and ATC aluminum frames are designed to flex. However, wouldn't a stretchable turnbuckle, and perhaps putting the camper on a mat/pad of some sort, allow for a lot more stretch/flex?
One reason I am asking is that the factory D-rings mounted in the bed of my Tacoma are pulling out of their mounts. I have the turnbuckles of my ATC Bobcat connected to them in the back.
I have seen the really long spring type turnbuckles, but not ones that would work for truck campers attached to the bed via turnbuckles. The ones from Happijac are too long.
Does anybody have any thoughts on this? I thought of building a turnbuckle that utilized a valve spring (from an automotive engine valve) so that you would maybe get one inch of flex with a lot of pull, they are very stiff. Another option would be some type of rubber bushings on each end of the turnbuckles that would compress.
The benefits would be:
-My d-rings would not pull out
-They likely would not loosen because they would be under constant load
-They would take stress off of the camper during frame flex.
The drawback(s):
-If you hit a speed bump the camper could "slap" down. If the springs offer very little flex and are very stiff, I think they would be less responsive than the truck's suspension, so you probably would not get "slap".
Thanks
One reason I am asking is that the factory D-rings mounted in the bed of my Tacoma are pulling out of their mounts. I have the turnbuckles of my ATC Bobcat connected to them in the back.
I have seen the really long spring type turnbuckles, but not ones that would work for truck campers attached to the bed via turnbuckles. The ones from Happijac are too long.
Does anybody have any thoughts on this? I thought of building a turnbuckle that utilized a valve spring (from an automotive engine valve) so that you would maybe get one inch of flex with a lot of pull, they are very stiff. Another option would be some type of rubber bushings on each end of the turnbuckles that would compress.
The benefits would be:
-My d-rings would not pull out
-They likely would not loosen because they would be under constant load
-They would take stress off of the camper during frame flex.
The drawback(s):
-If you hit a speed bump the camper could "slap" down. If the springs offer very little flex and are very stiff, I think they would be less responsive than the truck's suspension, so you probably would not get "slap".
Thanks