Truck bed camper tie down

[idahoruss]

Hi.. What is the correct, safe way to tie down a truck bed camper? I have the 8 foot bed and the camper will be 8-9 feet long when I find one.

Thanks, Russ

[MORSNO]

The two most popular tie down systems are Happijac and TorkLift. I use a combination of both for my rig, I use the Happijack system on the truck and TorkLift Fastguns for the tie downs.

 

[jake111]

(Sorry for a late reply but I only log into this site every few months...)

 

I use the Happijac front mounts, just like in MORSNO's picture above. They're the little "ears" that stick out the front of the bed on each side. Back in 2007, so I don't know if they changed, the Happijac rear mounts were just to the bumper. Bumpers are so flimsy these days (or at least on my 2004 3500 SRW) that I couldn't bring myself to use them. Instead, I bought just the rear Torklift frame mount. With the Happijac ears and the Torklift mounts in the back, I never have to remove/install them when it's time to load the camper because they don't stick out much and aren't really that noticeable.

 

Torklift makes very sturdy mounts but the front mount on the driver side, for some trucks, blocks the filler door. Those people then have to use a quick-release tie-down so they can release it every time they fill up. Seems like a pain!

 

I just use the Happijac tie-downs that I bought with the camper. Turn to snug them and tighten the lock nut. The front tie-down MUST be spring-loaded to allow a little flex in the mounting system.

[MORSNO]

Good point on the rear tie down connection. The new Happijac rear bumper tie downs include a support that goes from the frame out to the bumper near the connection point. The Torklift system is direct to the frame and this would not be an issue on the rear, however the front tie down will block your fuel door, and installing the front mount with the new 36 gallon fuel tank makes the installation a pain without removing the rock shield from the tank.