Torklift Camper Mounting

[SageRoamer]

Has anyone used the frame mount torklift system with the torklift XL spring turn buckles on their fwc hawk?

 

[Atlin]

I have torklifts on the front of my ATC. Drilled an extra (needs to be slightly larger than the jack bolt) hole in the jack brackets to accommodate one end of the tiedown hook. I made custom tiedowns for the back.

 

[SageRoamer]

What is your opinion and experience of using this setup with the external turnbuckles and would you recommend going this route?

 

[Atlin]

It has done well for 5 years now. I like the ease of taking off the turnbuckles without having to deal with the internal ones. I have put a bit of foam material on the turnbuckles because I have the Ford "suicide doors" that open backwards and would get dented if they hit the turnbuckles very hard. Not an issue unless you have similar rear-opening doors. Overall, it feels very secure on the truck. I think it's stronger than the internal tiedowns. Also leaves some storage space outside the camper and inside the bed in front of the wheel well, if one wanted to use that space. I have actually put my (removable) battery and management system in there to free up space inside the camper. So I guess that I would recommend this kind of setup.

 

[heinphoto]

I think the main concern with external turnbuckles is the possibility of them getting exposed to potential damage when offroad (rocks, branches, etc.). So, I suspect it will depend on your intended use.

 

[HughDog]

I have been using frame mount Tork Lifts and Fastguns and attach them to my jack mounts. I think they are fantasctic, but they do add a little bit of extra perimeter to the outside of the bed - does not impede my ride !

 

[SageRoamer]

Thanks for writing about your experiences with this setup I believe I am going to take this route I have a new truck with an older hawk and I didn't want to drill into the bed for mounting the camper

 

[HughDog]

Thanks for writing about your experiences with this setup I believe I am going to take this route I have a new truck with an older hawk and I didn't want to drill into the bed for mounting the camper

SageRoamer - Yeah, other than the $pend and the bulk on the outer perimeter with the Tork Lift setup, I think there is a lot of upside, . .If you put yourself in a door jam and brace with your feet, seems like sway force east to west up top is greater than if you brace at a higher point (i.e. elbow level) . . . This is not to say that huge bumps at speed wont compromise either setup, but there is some logic to it as you won't see a Bigfoot or any other heavy cabover secured to the bed/floor. Its also cool that you are ready to go with any other cabover should you choose to defect!

To be impartial, if you want to save a ton of $pend, and keep it simple, drilling into the bed floor is obviously an acceptable way to go. I had to cut 4 x 4.5" holes for my fifth wheel puck mount and it really has no effect on anything (other than having to cover the holes when putting in gravel or something - BTW, they do make quick remove eye bolts for bed mounting if needing a flush bed). Other than the cost of the bit, turnbuckles and eye bolts, the cost of quality hardware for bed / floor mount is super cheap.