Team Lien
Idaho
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Does anyone know how steep of a grade you can drive up on a rough 4x4 road before your camper will slide out of the back of your truck? I think I remember reading once that, due to the friction of the weight of the camper on your truck bed, you couldn’t drive up something steep enough to cause the camper to slide off the back without rolling the truck. I have a Dodge dually 4x4 with an arctic fox 10 foot camper. The camper is on the truck bed without a rubber mat.
Thanks, Mike
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ppine
Northern Nevada
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You must secure the camper to the truck bed. You can use turnbuckles and cables. The best way is to use adpaters to secure it to the frame.
Counting on friction to keep in place is a huge potentially very dangerous mistake.
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LouLawrence
Traveling the US fulltime since 2000.
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Aren't there also toggle screws holding the shell to the pickup bed?
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Too many variables to give a firm answer. How fast? How rough? Coefficient of friction? Tie downs? Etc...
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
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DWeikert
York, PA
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No tie downs?
A photo from the Torklift site showing the tie downs holding the camper to the truck even after a rollover.
![[image]](https://www.torklift.com/images/gallery/tiedowns/6.%20Torklift%20Tie%20Downs%20Save%20Lives.jpg)
* This post was
edited 05/05/23 01:03pm by DWeikert *
Dan
2008 Chevy D/A 2500HD ECSB
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wnjj
Cornelius, Oregon
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The friction in the bed isn't going to help, particularly without a rubber mat. What will cause the camper to move is the vibration and/or bumps. The only thing that will really make sure it stays are good tie downs.
Even with a rubber mat and Torklift tie downs, our camper has crept forward enough to make the front tie downs completely loosen up after driving several miles down a fairly steep, washboard gravel road. I dropped the jacks and repositioned it once we were back on the pavement.
Make sure your front tie downs are angled and not pulling only straight down if you want to minimize rearward movement.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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LouLawrence wrote:Aren't there also toggle screws holding the shell to the pickup bed?
Huh?
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
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jimh406
Western MT
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I’ve gone up a lot of steep terrain with a TC loaded with a rubber mat and Line-X. I’d add a rubber mat if I was you because it also protects the bottom of the TC a bit.
I think it’s pretty unlikely to make a 4000=5000 lb TC to slide out.
'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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If the camper is on a greased cookie sheet (IE sitting on steel truck bed) you could slide it backwards easily with just a good boosted launch on a flat surface.
If it’s on a bed mat with or without bedliner you’d be hard pressed to launch it out the back with anything you’d be able to reasonably tackle with a dually with a 3’ long 8’ wide 5000lb tail.
Presuming of course you’re not planning on goin all Whistlin Diesel on it…IE no full sends!
How steep you can go is a function of friction, tie downs and common sense/skill.
I’m sure I pulled some 30% or so grades with the ole AF in the back of the ole Dodge without issue.
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Team Lien
Idaho
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Thanks everyone! I have the torque lift tiedowns at a good angle so that should help but it sounds like I need to get a rubber mat. How thick do you think I should go on a rubber mat? And as tempting as it is to send it, I will make sure to creep along.
Best, Mike.
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