Who camps in their FWC off the truck, and do you use a underbelly support?

[hpcbmw]

My wife and I are headed to Yellowstone for a week in our FWC. We are visiting friends that are working there temporarily and will be parking/camping next to their employee housing. We expect to be driving around Ystone for 3-4 days and are thinking it would be easier to unload the camper, pop the top and leave it setup at our friends place while we tour Ystone in the truck.

I'm not comfortable using the FWC off the truck with just the camper jacks, but am not sure what to use to support the camper. I was thinking of bringing four 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot and using one on each corner of the camper for support, in addition to the camper jacks. Is this a good or bad idea? I've seen people cut plywood that they slot together into an "X" to put under the camper, but since I have 2" fifth wheel mounts in my truck bed, the plywood would not be able to lay flat under the camper when it's loaded. I currently use a number of 1x2 boards to raise the camper above the 5th wheel mounts.

Ideas and photos would be great!

 

[Alley-Kat]

How about 2 smaller "X's"?
One "X" for the front half of the camper and one "X" for the back half of the camper.
Would that size of plywood "pieces" fit under your camper and not be near the 5th wheel mount?
If not 2 "X's" then maybe 3 "X's", centered down the center of the floor?
And, in all cases, still using the jacks for extra support.
Certainly try it out before you go, if nothing else to check if the weight of people in the cab over bed section won't tip the camper forward (where you'd need one of those 5th wheel front end support poles).

 

[hpcbmw]

Good idea AlleyKat. I realized that I really didn't need long pieces, since I don't want to be that high off the ground. I cut a 4x8 sheet of plywood into 4 16" x 48" slotted pieces. The pieces are short enough to fit between the fifth wheel rails since they are only 16".

After reading a lot of posts about people taking the campers off, and saying it' s not really worth it, i'm not sure I'll take it off. It will depend on how solid and level a spot we have to camp on. My camper only has about 3/4" clearance on each side of my truck bed, so if it's not perfectly level, it's a pain to load the camper.

Having the pieces double as a spacer to get the camper over the fifth wheel rails means they won't take up any space if I decide not to use them.

Thanks for the idea!

 

[LuckyDan]

You definitely want to support the floor of any FWC if you plan to use off the truck. The "2X" approach is one way. 5 gallon buckets are another, though on a 8ft FWC I'd opt to use 6. Another is either 3 sawhorses or 2 sawhorses and some 8ft 2x4's or the like. I suppose for a few days if your jacks go low enough you could just set it on the ground. The thing to remember is the floorboard part of the floor pack is mainly just attached to the side boards forming a simple L joint. It's only attached to the frame on the ends. Thus the need for support. Another consideration is your stature(s) and a balanced load. FWC used to recommend tethering the rear of the camper if using off the truck.


Sent from my iPad using Wander The West

 

[Bill D]

My wife and I are headed to Yellowstone for a week in our FWC. We are visiting friends that are working there temporarily and will be parking/camping next to their employee housing. We expect to be driving around Ystone for 3-4 days and are thinking it would be easier to unload the camper, pop the top and leave it setup at our friends place while we tour Ystone in the truck.

I'm not comfortable using the FWC off the truck with just the camper jacks, but am not sure what to use to support the camper. I was thinking of bringing four 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot and using one on each corner of the camper for support, in addition to the camper jacks. Is this a good or bad idea? I've seen people cut plywood that they slot together into an "X" to put under the camper, but since I have 2" fifth wheel mounts in my truck bed, the plywood would not be able to lay flat under the camper when it's loaded. I currently use a number of 1x2 boards to raise the camper above the 5th wheel mounts.

Ideas and photos would be great!

I keep my FWC on full time. Popping the roof up and down only takes 2 minutes. Vs. 1/2 hr unloading, 1/2hr loading and the damage that can happen during this process.
We love having the camper with us on day trips. Cold drinks, a place to change, nap if needed. Shelter from a storm. A shower, emergency toilet. We can get in 2 or 3 day trips without feeling the need to return to "camp".
I also feel more secure knowing my FWC is safely with ME at all times.

Just thought I'd give you a little food for thought. Again, we love having access to our FWC during day trips.

Whatever you chose... enjoy your trip. I'd love to visit Yellowstone. The Autumn colours should be wonderful.

 

[longhorn1]

It takes my wife 5 minutes to clean up inside and I take about 5 minutes to lower the top and latch it up and then we are on our way for the days sightseeing.

The big issue about removing a fully loaded camper is the weight of the water tank, supplies. The floor isn't supported. The stress put on the camper is a big concern. jd

Sent from my SM-G900V using Wander The West mobile app

 

[Bill D]

http://www.clevermade.com/collections/clevercrates/products/collapsible-crate-32-liter-solid

Here's a product pop up fans may enjoy!

We just picked up 3 of these (in blue). $10 each at Costco.
We also carry a small tent. Items that we don't need on a day trip get stored in the crates and then into the tent.

BTW, we don't like to carry a lot of extra junk, so I questioned if I should get the crates.
We used them on one (2 week) trip so far and absolutely loved them. (Wood, food, dishes, shoes, jackets)
I turned one upside down and used it a small table.
They stack extremely well. I had them stacked 3 high and unsupported while driving and they didn't budge. I was very surprised.

 

[cannuk]

http://www.clevermade.com/collections/clevercrates/products/collapsible-crate-32-liter-solid

Here's a product pop up fans may enjoy!

We just picked up 3 of these (in blue). $10 each at Costco.
We also carry a small tent. Items that we don't need on a day trip get stored in the crates and then into the tent.

BTW, we don't like to carry a lot of extra junk, so I questioned if I should get the crates.
We used them on one (2 week) trip so far and absolutely loved them. (Wood, food, dishes, shoes, jackets)
I turned one upside down and used it a small table.
They stack extremely well. I had them stacked 3 high and unsupported while driving and they didn't budge. I was very surprised.

Added those to my amazon camper list, thanks!