Story: The Camper That Fell Off

[longhorn1]

I purchased two safety chains with quick links install on both ends, and after installing the turnbuckles I will be installing the safety chains to the same eye bolts and camper tie-downs. Turnbuckles will continue to be checked.

 

[DavidGraves]

I used forged turnbuckles with lock nuts at the rear and have the front thru bolted to existing holes down thru Chevy truck bed mounts and frame...also with lock nuts.

Try to keep gentle tension on rear turnbuckles and check ever so often.

David Graves

 

[yovik]

These are my turnbuckle backup chains. I sheathed them with an old bike tube, and I zip tie them so they're not rubbing on the turnbuckles. The connect from the camper to a tie down bracket in the truck bed (not the eye bolt for the camper).

My turnbuckles are modified few ways as well:
1. There are lock nuts on each of them.
2. Each one is zip-tied to the eye bolt in the truck bed.

I still check the buckles once before we get moving.

Too much? Perhaps.

 

[Wallowa]

I guess you all think that the issue was stronger turnbuckles? Or secondary security chains/straps?

#1 When was the last time you read a report of a FWC sliding out of a vehicle? Seriously, never in my experience.

#2 He HAND TIGHTENED the turnbuckles and even after having one repeated loosen he never correctly tightened them.

#3 It doesn't take long nor does it require a lot of research to know that locking nuts prevent the turnbuckles from loosening.

The OP was a stand-up guy and acknowledged that it was his error that caused the camper to "escape"; for the camper to leave the bed of the truck all of the turnbuckles had to have come loose and come free from the camper/truck not just one.

Anyway he is one lucky guy and for the rest of us the sky is not falling...turnbuckles correctly tightened and locked work; and yes, periodic inspection of the turnbuckles makes sense.

 

[camsf]

Amazing story. Brings up something I'm considering for my slightly damaged Eagle. I purchased it early last year (already with a bent frame) and have been using it with no issues and no further bending of the frame). It's pretty clear the camper was dropped at some point although I'm not sure exactly what happened. There is still clearance between the camper and the left side lip of the bed wall where the camper frame is bent inward. In order to support the frame on that side I have thought of shimming along that side between the bed wall and the camper (perhaps with rubber or some other soft but durable material) in order to support and keep the camper frame from bending further (the shim supporting the camper on that side). However doing so would add a small weight load to the Tacoma bed wall on that side and I'm concerned that it might cause some structural issues with the Tacoma. I'd like to run my rig at Cerro Gordo and other offroad sites which is why I'm considering this hack. Love any feedback.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

My Eagle is bolted down. I explore about 200 miles a year off - road and after 55,000 miles all nuts are tight. If you consider this course of action you will need to have a welder weld plates to the front of the frame frame (doesn't void your warranty). We located existing holes on the rear to bolt the plate to. You will need the plates if you have a Tacoma as the bed is composite NOT steel. We never take the camper off.

 

[knoxswift]

Also, if you read the article I'm pretty sure the blown air-bag lead to some if his issues. More stress on the turnbuckles as he bounced around?

My 2c with a FWC and extreme off road people should move away from airbags.

I completely customized my suspension to be without airbags because I knew I'd be going extreme. Yes, the suspension, might be a bit harsh if I have the camper out, but fulltime camper install and desire to go extreme I think air bags are more a failure point than turnbuckles.

 

[camsf]

@Knoxswift do you think the Daystar cradles protect the airbags enough for bigger offroading? I've got them installed on my Taco with billstein springs at this point (and no other suspension mods). Happy with the performance but haven't yet been in an environment where there will be huge articulation (enough to potentially rip a bag). Cradles are supposed to mitigate this issue (at least to some extent).

 

[knoxswift]

Cradles are an interesting solution, I've seem some YouTube videos. I think they are to re-gain travel so removing the tear issue of over travel but does it protect against blowout? I think it would open up more to a slam down type of blowout?
The side to side sway of rock crawling with a heavy payload also gives the over pressures on a single airbag when bouncing along?
Sort of like low-riders hopping, those pressures kill the air-bag off road. (Let alone all the other possibilities of tears for other reasons).
I guess Cradles will support the sides to a point because they act like a Cup...but like you said how much still a question?
I think they are really meant to just regain some travel?

Don't get me wrong, bags are a good solution for many reasons, specifically if you don't install the FWC full time and want a better unloaded ride, it's my opinion not the optimal solution for extreme off road.

People need to really think about how they intend to use the FWC setup and be honest with the payloads and how much stress the bags can really take with the payloads under off road conditions.

My guess is that most Tacoma PUs are at or over the GVWR with a FWC...and that's the risk we accept with our mid-size trucks...There are plenty of threads on this topic on this forum in fact...

When I was designing my suspension I was looking for BAJA action with 1100+ payload and hard rock-crawling with the same payload and travel to allow for 33" tires. In my research I just couldn't find myself trusting airbags. Every airbag manufacturer calls out never overloading and only for leveling to GVWR, assuming on-road use only. In fact Air Springs even states it voids warranty to install on a modified off-road vehicle.

I live by Lone Pine and know Cerro Gordo RD. I wouldn't do it with street tires and/or airbags...LOL...there are sections that will get that payload swaying and tire eating rocks...

So, my build, rear suspension, I went with Custom 9 leaf no overload progressive Spring Pack (Working with a local spring shop), sway-a-ways (for roll), hydraulic bump stops and detachable sway bars.

I've done AK wilderness, Moab Rock crawling, desert open tracks at ridiculous unsafe speeds, Smokey Mountain Muddy Forest, and miles of on-road crazy weather driving with my FWC installed and with the stock aluminum turnbuckles no lock nuts. Never had a problem.

(However, since being a part of this forum and reading about several issues with turnbuckles, I've upgraded and added lock nuts just this year... )

All this is just my opinion... putting this out there, I found it very interesting the article called out the loss of an airbag, and I've read many times on forums of loss of airbags...I'm sure on that road the Tacoma was bottoming out with the lost airbag putting added stress on those turnbuckles...

 

[klahanie]

I'd be buying 649 that day (lotto ticket) ...

I get that the guy would have been concentrating on the road ahead but still find it bizarre he didn't notice sooner. But then again, I've seen full tilt ambulances driving on the shoulder for ages, hoping the obstructing driver in front might just check his mirrors.

Anyhoo, stuff happens.

Too much? Perhaps.

No, don't think so. You have to be happy with your own set up what ever it might be or look like. If the access to the turnbuckle and safety chain area is awkward I might have used a carabiner on one end. Great idea !

 

[klahanie]

All this is just my opinion... putting this out there, I found it very interesting the article called out the loss of an airbag, and I've read many times on forums of loss of airbags...I'm sure on that road the Tacoma was bottoming out with the lost airbag putting added stress on those turnbuckles...

I don't be surprised.

The guy wrote,

"I got up to the half way point, which was about eight to nine-miles from the start of the trail. At that point I should have stopped and checked the turnbuckles again because my rig was shaking a lot, but I didn’t. I continued on."

You know, if it sounds like a duck and walks like a duck... you ought to check it out. Because it doesn't usually get better the further in you drive.

 

[klahanie]

All this is just my opinion... putting this out there, I found it very interesting the article called out the loss of an airbag, and I've read many times on forums of loss of airbags...I'm sure on that road the Tacoma was bottoming out with the lost airbag putting added stress on those turnbuckles...

I don't be surprised.

The guy wrote,

"I got up to the half way point, which was about eight to nine-miles from the start of the trail. At that point I should have stopped and checked the turnbuckles again because my rig was shaking a lot, but I didn’t. I continued on."

You know, if it rides like a duck and sounds like a duck... you ought to check it out. Because it doesn't usually get better, the further in you drive.

 

[rubberlegs]

I've been happy with Sumosprings instead of air bags. They can't leak.

It's funny we were on the same road within a week of this incident. Glad we didn't run into a bunch of vehicles on the shelf road, because my backup skills need work.

Anyway, our turnbuckles have loosened a lot, which of course I didn't notice until we were on pavement and could really feel stuff shifting in the back. They weren't just a little loose. They were a lot loose, not far from unhooking. Reading about jam nuts here seems to have fixed it so far, but not a lot of trail miles yet, so can't comment. But I think if one of the four gets loose, then potentially the other three can also.

Meanwhile our camper has shifted all the way left in the truck bed. Haven't tried to center it yet. We don't have jacks.

 

[ntsqd]

With our new to us Cuchara XL came some dubious hook/hook turnbuckles with aluminum adjuster bodies. Those got me home. I replaced them with these: https://www.mcmaster.com/3082t34
Fast forward to NY's when we take it to Lost Wages to meet up with family. No dirt, pavement only. The LR turnbuckle was completely unthreaded and dangling. This in spite of there being a lock nut on each side that were snugged.

First lesson: Snug isn't good enough, stripped and a 1/4 turn might be.

Second lesson: Take all turnbuckles apart before using them and start what will be the top clevis at least 5 turns into the middle piece before starting the bottom clevis. This so that if it does work loose there's a better chance that all of the parts will still be there when you discover it.

 

[trikebubble]

This. And This alone.
The guy does seem like a stand-up character, with a sense of humor, and who accepted his responsibility so I don't feel the need to rub it in further. Having said that, I put jamnuts on my turnbuckles and we've off-roaded the truck pretty hard, we've driven The Dempster, bounced around the South Canol Road, and many other places this past year and the turnbuckles have not even come close to thinking of loosening. Anyways. live and learn.


#2 He HAND TIGHTENED the turnbuckles and even after having one repeated loosen he never correctly tightened them.

 

[trikebubble]

#2 He HAND TIGHTENED the turnbuckles and even after having one repeated loosen he never correctly tightened them.

This. And This alone.

The guy does seem like a stand-up character, with a sense of humor, and who accepted his responsibility so I don't feel the need to rub it in further. Having said that, I put jamnuts on my turnbuckles and we've off-roaded the truck pretty hard, we've driven The Dempster, bounced around the South Canol Road, and many other places this past year and the turnbuckles have not even come close to thinking of loosening. Anyways. live and learn.

 

[DavidGraves]

Hi Rubberlegs

You comment "not far from unhooking" suggests you have a J hook on one or other end of your turnbuckles......

Many use a thru bolt style forged clevis turnbuckle instead...it cannot "unhook" even if the turnbuckle itself loosens or becomes longer.

FWIW

David Graves

 

[rubberlegs]

Yes, both ends are hooks on our stock turnbuckles. So can the thru bolts come loose for the style you describe?

 

[klahanie]

Meanwhile our camper has shifted all the way left in the truck bed. Haven't tried to center it yet. We don't have jacks.

I posted this on another turnbuckle thread, fwiw . ..

I've been able to have the camper move over by tightening the turnbuckles "a bit" more on the side that I want the camper to move to and loosening the turnbuckles "a bit" on the other side. Repeat in steps as necessary.

By "a bit" I mean bit more than what I normally do. I'm a hand tighten guy so I'd do that then maybe 1/4th turn more with a tool thru the turnbuckle. Likewise for the loosen side. The idea being that the camper will centre itself after some bouncing. Note I have a rubber mat underneath the camper, which might make the difference.

Oh, and I use 1 jam nut per corner. Done that for at least 10 years, can't remember beyond that... I figure the idea is the nut stops the turnbuckle from rotating, so if I set it up loose it stays loose. Tight, stays tight. Been working for me over thousands of KM off highway. But might not work for anyone else.

Oh yeah, this with the 21 year old OE hardware, complete with aluminum turnbuckle body.

But a safety is good. Mine is a tailgate.

 

[DavidGraves]

I use locking nuts on the cross bolt of the clevis.....I am sorry I don't know more about posting images here.

David Graves