Avid Fox
On the road often.
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Yes, the bed is cracking at the back. The front tie downs are the only questionable area in my mind. As they might allow more movement than they should. I'm still hung up on the spring loaded fronts though, and can't see how WHERE they attach makes a difference, as they all allow for movement.
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Kayteg1
California > Nevada
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All ties allow for some movement, but it is your truck bed bending.
I think you look in wrong direction.
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n0arp
FT
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Kayteg1 wrote:All ties allow for some movement, but it is your truck bed bending.
I think you look in wrong direction.
And in this case, the truck bed is bending because it is the tie point. Just because the damages aren't at the connection doesn't mean that the forces don't originate there. The forces are distributed throughout the bed, and the weakest areas will show damage first. It'll just compound as time goes on. The bumper ties have nothing to do with it.
If you strengthen one area - in this example, by sandwiching the bulkhead between steel plates - the damage will just occur somewhere down the line.
* This post was
edited 04/14/21 05:32pm by an administrator/moderator *
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3 tons
NV.
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I think some of this may be related to the CG of the camper and the locations of the water tanks...Not saying Ram is any better, but my Eagle Cap’s 60gal fresh tank (500#) and black are located in the front of the basement...Just another thing to consider...
FWIW, On both my 14 and 16 dually’s I’ve run Torqlifts with a EC 995 without an issue...
3 tons
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Bert the Welder
Van. Island
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Just fro some clarification and maybe correcting my thinking if it's off but;
If a TC is gonna rock in the front to back direction, would not the pivot point be the front edge of the camper base? Given that the cabover is hanging out front sort of as a counter to the rear weight (not that it's as heavy as the rear). Hence why I'd think, based on that thinking, that if you only have one set of sprung turn buckles, you'd want them on the back so that it allows for some dampening of any rocking at the a fore mentioned front pivot point?
Like I said, if wrong thinking, please correct, but just looking at a TC, rear pivot/hinging (front of the camper base coming up off the bed) seems like it would take quite the heave to accomplish.
Blast away...... ![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
"> 1998 GMC 2500, 10.5 Okanagan, My better/smarter half, George and Finnegan(APBT), all I need.
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Bert the Welder
Van. Island
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And I'm definitely gonna lay my 8' straight edge in the back when I get the new truck cause I gotsta know.... ![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/grin.gif "grin")
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Reality Check
North Bend
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jshupe wrote:Kayteg1 wrote:All ties allow for some movement, but it is your truck bed bending.
I think you look in wrong direction.
And in this case, the truck bed is bending because it is the tie point. Just because the damages aren't at the connection doesn't mean that the forces don't originate there. The forces are distributed throughout the bed, and the weakest areas will show damage first. It'll just compound as time goes on. The bumper ties have nothing to do with it.
If you strengthen one area - in this example, by sandwiching the bulkhead between steel plates - the damage will just occur somewhere down the line.
This...^^^^^^
very well articulated. Stresses don't always 'happen' where one thinks. The bed is a box, a lightweight box (aluminum or not) and reactions to stresses (the cause) will result in an effect.
What a great explanation Jshupe.
'16 F550 CC, 4x4 with Link Ultraride air suspension, '18 AF 1150. Just so we can play with our snowmobiles, dirt bikes and fishing boat. And new 20' tag along...kayaks, bikes, mc's and extra water and food!!
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Lockport
Michigan
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We have a Snow River 8 ft on 2016 F350 long bed SRW. The wings of the camper clears the side rails and camper sits in the bed on two layers of 3/4 inch plywood so it clears the cab and obviously bed rails. We’ve put at least 50,000 miles in the 14 years we’ve owned it including 3 trips to Alaska from Michigan. Nothing damaged on our truck. No off-roading unless you count Alaska Highway!
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Avid Fox
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Bert the Welder wrote:And I'm definitely gonna lay my 8' straight edge in the back when I get the new truck cause I gotsta know....
I used the 8' 3/4 ply to check the level straightness, and it was crowned by about half an inch or a bit more. It's a smooth crown, not a buckling, but most evident just in front of the factory inbed 5th hitch pin mounts. It is unclear if the 2016 beds are this way from factory, or if this is damage.
The pivot point for any camper is going to be the CG point of the camper, which is just aft of the rear axle on most campers.
Mine is definitely rocking and cracking the back corners. However,
if the hj bed frame tiedowns and resulting bed flex were the specific problem from their design, I'd see at least some buckling at the bed's front also, but there isn't any.
I'm thinking that for the last 5 years, maybe I didn't have the front turn buckles torqued down quite enough to meet the mfr spec'd 300#. Which would limit rocking F-B. Although I thought I did... Maybe not enough every time. I'll make sure they're right going forward.
That's the plan for now...
* This post was
edited 04/15/21 08:38am by Avid Fox *
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Avid Fox
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Lockport wrote:We have a Snow River 8 ft on 2016 F350 long bed SRW. The wings of the camper clears the side rails and camper sits in the bed on two layers of 3/4 inch plywood so it clears the cab and obviously bed rails. We’ve put at least 50,000 miles in the 14 years we’ve owned it including 3 trips to Alaska from Michigan. Nothing damaged on our truck. No off-roading unless you count Alaska Highway!
Perhaps next time you have your camper off, you could check your bed flatness and report back?? Might be a factory mfg spec rather than damage...
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