Tore Out Mounting Tiedown on Camper

[M1010 Mike]

Well, we took out our new Ram truck and FWC Grandby for it's first shakedown run. Did a little over 200 miles total, of which about 40 of that was offroad. Had a good time and enjoyed the camper.

I did find when I got home that the front pass. side turnbuckle was laying in the bed. Curious I stuck my hand up to see if the camper mounting point was still there and was greated with torn wood and the mount loop at an angle. The turnbuckle was still adjusted (not loosened) as I use a jamb nut to prevent that. I haven't taken the camper off yet but I know I have some serious repairs to do. Kind of a bummer for our first trip out.

So, has anyone got any great ideas on repairing this type of damage and what can be done to prevent this from happening again? I know I wasn't hardcore wheeling as the truck is bone stock, with only 285/75-16 tires adding a little height.

I was surprised that the mounting loop is not attached to the actual frame and is just in the wood.

Open to ideas. Thanks!

 

[BSS]

Yeah, I observed the same problem with mine.

It happened right before I decided to bolt the camper down thru the floor instead.

 

[pods8]

Were all the turnbuckles snug to limit how much the camper can bounce?

Back it up with a metal plate to repair it.

 

[SunMan]

This happned to me too, I used aluminum reinforcement plates to back up the elevator bolts, haven't had any problems since.

Some old posts that touch on the subject here:

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2456/page__st__20

 

[M1010 Mike]

Yeah, I had the turnbuckles set per FWC specs. I do think that corner might have already had some damage as I do recall it sitting at a slight angle. I'll have to get it off the truck and repair and then reinforce the mounts.

Also need to come up with a way to keep the screws holding the L brackets in, from coming out. Found a half dozen inside the bench storage area that were not loose before the trip.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Do you have any pictures of what it looks like ?

(example: can you lift the couch up and take a pic from the top)


It sounds like the previous owner might have over tightened the turn buckle at some point.




The good news (maybe), depending on how bad it ripped through, it is usually an easy fix.

I will post some details shortly.

Over the years we have been making the eye nuts in the camper stronger & stronger to keep this for happening.



More to follow . . .


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Yeah, I had the turnbuckles set per FWC specs. I do think that corner might have already had some damage as I do recall it sitting at a slight angle. I'll have to get it off the truck and repair and then reinforce the mounts.

Also need to come up with a way to keep the screws holding the L brackets in, from coming out. Found a half dozen inside the bench storage area that were not loose before the trip.




.


.

 

[M1010 Mike]

No pics yet. I think from the inside it's just a hole but underneath it feels like splintered plywood. I'll know more once I get the camper off the truck.

Any ideas you have would be great. I am very surprised the mounting does not go through any metal on the frame. I would think a corner plate welded to the frame would be less likely to ever pull through.

Also Stan, any thoughts on directly mounting it to the bed? This is not going to be removed unless I am selling the truck or the camper. Down the road I am thinking of building a custom flatbed for better use of the space.

Thanks.

Mike

 

[rotti]

No experience with the turnbuckles but I do have 20 some years of trouble free experience with the bolt through the floor system. This was how the factory used to do it and mine was a new factory install: 4 bolts through the floor back in 1983.

A lot of gravel, wash board, and four wheeling and never an issue. After reading several of these threads I think I'll stick with the old system on my new rig.

 

[Crickert]

I had one starting to pull out, so I came up with this a fish-plate idea. 1/8 inch stainless steel metal on both sides sandwiching the damaged wood. I'll try to find a picture for you.

 

[M1010 Mike]

I snapped a couple pics of the damage. Sorry for the one out of focus but I was shooting thru the access hole with the camera on the bed floor, shooting up.

 

[pods8]

If it was me I'd either try to glue the piece back in or fill the divot with structurally thickened epoxy. Then do a metal plate sandwich that extends some beyond the damaged area as previously mentioned in the thread.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

samples for the moment

 

[M1010 Mike]

Thanks for the pics Stan. That is basically what I was thinking of but I am going to sandwich a plate top and bottom. Then I am using Grade 8 bolts to hold the eye.

My plan is to reinforce all the mounts. 3 of them I can get to with no problems but the rear driver side is located inside the galley cabinets.

On this '04 Grandby X model, it looks like the front of the galley unscrews. If I pull this large panel, will I be able to access that one mount? I can't tell if it's below the heater or to the rear of the heater. Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

 

[Alex]

Thanks for the pics Stan. That is basically what I was thinking of but I am going to sandwich a plate top and bottom. Then I am using Grade 8 bolts to hold the eye.

My plan is to reinforce all the mounts. 3 of them I can get to with no problems but the rear driver side is located inside the galley cabinets.

On this '04 Grandby X model, it looks like the front of the galley unscrews. If I pull this large panel, will I be able to access that one mount? I can't tell if it's below the heater or to the rear of the heater. Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

One thing to consider after you fix the mount it to get spring loaded tie-down to help to ease the stress on the mount.

 

[M1010 Mike]

One thing to consider after you fix the mount it to get spring loaded tie-down to help to ease the stress on the mount.


I had thought about that as well but I seem to only find the Fastgun 45's which won't go short enough. I measured the one that came off and it's 11.25".

Any recommendations on ones that would be short enough?

Thanks.

 

[pods8]

I had thought about that as well but I seem to only find the Fastgun 45's which won't go short enough. I measured the one that came off and it's 11.25".

Any recommendations on ones that would be short enough?

Thanks.


Check the fastgun derringers, they might work out for you, I believe a couple folks are running them around here.

 

[M1010 Mike]

Check the fastgun derringers, they might work out for you, I believe a couple folks are running them around here.


Looking at the manufacturer's website, I can't really tell, are these "spring loaded" to absorb some shock or are they just quick disconnects? I don't need quick disconnects as the camper is not being removed from the truck unless I am having to do a repair. I would like something that will keep the camper in the bed yet not tear it apart like currently.

I am thinking of contacting Phoenix campers about their ratch strap method, since the strap would have a little give to it.

Keep the ideas coming.

 

[Desert Rancher]

I have my Granby mounted with bolts through the floor. Have done this with two trucks that see a fair amount of dirt roads.

I use four 3/8 #5 bolts and a nylok nut. A large fender washer on the topside. On the bottom, I made a 3x5x3/16 steel plate along with a piece of 1/4 rubber (old bed liner) between the plate and the truck bed.

I have a rubber bed liner under the camper

I also placed foam pipe insulation on top of the bed rails, which helps eliminate sway and seals the wheel well space from dirt and water.

This has held up very well.

 

[natjwest]

...
I also placed foam pipe insulation on top of the bed rails, which helps eliminate sway and seals the wheel well space from dirt and water.
...

Interesting that you have such tight tolerance on the bed rails. I know different trucks have different heights, but that sounds very close!

 

[Desert Rancher]

Interesting that you have such tight tolerance on the bed rails. I know different trucks have different heights, but that sounds very close!


I have about a 1" gap on the Ford. My old Power Wagon had about 2".

The black foam, 1/2" pipe insulation compressed very well, http://www.homedepot.com/Plumbing-Pipe-Insulation/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbuy9/R-100550644/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053.

I used a bead of RTV on the underside of the camper to hold it in place, otherwise it will work it's way out.

A buddy of mine had a large gap, about 3" and used some bigger diameter pipe insulation with good results.

It is really nice to keep the elements out of the wheel well space, which I use to store spare truck parts, seldom used items plus my house battery.