Tie down options

[breeves2245]

Looking for options to secure my new Cari Cowboy? I have a step side truck, so I had to go with bolt down because the usual turnbuckle system would not fit in the step side bed. Bolt down works fine, but does take some effort to get the bolt holes lined up. I did get a welder to weld a plate with the nuts affixed on the underside so I don't have to jack with that but it would be so much easier if I could use straps of some kind but not sure how to go about that. One more option is to enlarge the 3/8" holes in the camper floor to say, 1" to get more room for error to drop the bolt down to the nut. I would need some type of spacer to fit in the hole to keep it from moving but that would be easy enough to figure out.

My motivation for this question is my difficulty backing up my boat. I'm good with backing up any trailer, don't even have to think about it. But even though I put a window in the front of the camper and I keep the back camper door open, it's not enough of an overall view to see what is going on and becomes very frustrating getting out of the truck multiple times, etc. Not to mention the on lookers are I'm sure thinking I can't back up a trailer, that really bugs me!

So my work around is to drop the camper at the campsite and then I'm free to launch the boat or park it in a tight camp site next to the camper. But would really like a more convenient load/unload option. The camper sits very tight in the bed with maybe 1/2" or so to each side for clearance, so it ain't going forward, left or right. Only way out is to slide out the back. Picture a box in a box and that is how it sits in my bed since I do not have any wheel wells, just a rectangular truck bed.

Camper loaded weighs about 1,000 lbs.

Would really like to just strap the back using the mechanical jack plates for securing the strap.

Any thoughts? Am I adding too much risk given the way it fits into my truck bed?

 

[DavidGraves]

Howdy

Interesting to hear your camper is thru bolted to the bed.

On the issue of backing to launch your boat remember the cardinal rule for backing any trailer.

I am sure you know this but remember to get the entire rig in a STRAIGHT line to the ramp before starting to reverse.

Then slowly reverse while watching in your mirrors any steerage by the trailer.

I drove a professional auto racing transporter with a 43 foot trailer and a 38 foot Toter Home....more or less the equivalent of an articulated city bus.

It sometimes seemed as if I needed a 1/2 mile to get the rig in a straight line, but once straight, it was pretty simple to reverse in a straight line for at least two lengths of the rig.

Good luck !

David Graves

 

[breeves2245]

I can back a trailer up going about 15 mph for as long as I need and make a 90° turn into a boat ramp first try every time. But when I get in a tight area I can't see other obstacles like trees, bbq pits, picnic tables, etc. I'm not saying more practice with this limited vision would not help, but no amount of practice is going to allow me to see other obstacles trying to fit a boat into a tight camp site without getting out multiple times and making small adjustments.

It's just very frustrating knowing I could back the boat into most any spot needed, but can't without a better field of view.

 

[DavidGraves]

Howdy

Back to your original question I would not trust a strap to hold your camper in.

Perhaps some delrin or other hard glides either side of truck bed will make it an easier fit to locate the camper over your
threaded bolt holes.

I would enjoy seeing a photo of your bolt down arrangement....have thoughy of doing the same.

David Graves

 

[breeves2245]

Bolt down method is not much to show. I watched the installer at Capri Camper get a 3/8" drill bit and drill through the camper floor and thru the truck bed. That's about it. As mentioned above, got a local welder to permanently mount the nut under the truck bed. So I just line them up and bolt it down with a fender washer to top.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

One solution might be getting a wireless rear view camera. Maybe a little pricy for starters, but it would save you a lot of work taking the camper on and off. Flags on the back of the boat might help, too.

 

[Bigfoot]

I second the rear camera suggestion. Either wired or wireless would work.

Given how low and wide your rig is I can see how normal tie down systems might not work. You are probably best off with the bed mount you have. I might still call Torklift to see what they have for that truck; the frame-mount system is fairly versatile.

 

[LuckyDan]

Yessir, can't tramp the rodeo circuit without a Capri. If anyone is still checking this thread, either a Torklift or Happijac system, maybe a combo. I'm thinking Torklift in the front and Happijac buttons on the rear bumper. Something attached to a hard point, will clear all the bed flairing and not lower the ground clearance any more than it already is.

I fully understand you dilemma, good luck.