Summer is Here Time to Camp!

This article will tell you all you need to know to install a truck bed camper on your vehicle successfully. Learn the fundamentals of installing a truck camper, sometimes called a slide-in or cab-over camper, on the back of a pickup truck right here! You may also learn what you’ll need to bring to attach the camper and enjoy your travels safely. To learn more about any of these camper add-ons, click on the corresponding labels below.

Setting Up a Camper with a Slide-Out

General procedures for putting a truck bed camper in a pickup vehicle:

1. Raise the camper until it is roughly 6″ above the bed of your vehicle. To gradually raise it, start with only a few inches. Raise the front of the camper first, then the rear, until they are both at the same height. Keep lifting the camper until you can drive beneath it with your pickup. Keep in mind that if you put more weight on the rear wheels than the front ones, the camper might easily topple over.
2. Just park your pickup below the camper. If you want to take a camper on your vehicle, you need to be sure it won’t hit the wheel wells. It would be best if you also took care not to damage the camper by driving over the jacks.
3. Connect all wires before you fully back your vehicle under the camper. The time to accomplish this is just before installing the camper when everything fits together well.
4. The fourth step is carefully reversing your vehicle until the camper is level with the front of your truck bed or the shims. The front of most campers can touch the truck bed without damaging it, but you should check to make sure it won’t touch the bumper or tail lights.
5. Fifth, load the camper down into the vehicle bed. Drop the camper into your truck bed by lowering the rear first, then the front, a few inches at a time.

Make use of turnbuckles to fasten the camper to the vehicle. Turnbuckles should be fastened to both the camper’s anchors and the truck’s tie-downs. The standard torque for tightening turnbuckles is 300 ft-lbs. Turnbuckles are available with built-in torque indicators that make it easier to get the right setting. Be cautious not to overtighten the turnbuckles, as this might cause damage to the tie-downs or pull out the anchors on the camper, which could be costly to repair.

Keep the camper steady by pulling the front and rear turnbuckles in different directions. It would help if you positioned your truck’s front tie-downs in front of the camper’s anchors so that the latter may tow the trailer forward. The truck’s tie-downs should be positioned behind the camper’s rear anchors so the vehicle may tow the trailer backward. The turnbuckles might loosen if the camper shifted to one end under the combined force of the front and rear turnbuckles.

1. Camper Tie-Downs

Camper attachments may only be made with the help of tie-downs, which must be installed on your vehicle. A camper van calls for four tie-down points total, two in the front and two in the back of the truck bed. Some tie-downs attach to the truck’s bed and those that attach to the frame. Since the sheet metal of a truck’s bed is weaker than the frame, tie-downs attached to the frame are preferable.

1. Bed-Mounted Tie-Downs

Truck bed tie-downs are normally installed on the bed rails. The front tie-downs may be affixed to the truck bed’s front wall. These tie-downs are safer and more reliable than those attached to the bed rails. Bed rail tie-downs may either be bolted into position or clamped onto the rails by dropping the appropriate hardware into stake pockets. Bolt-on tie-downs for a bed rail is more durable, while clamp-on tie-downs may be quickly taken down if they’re not in use.

1. Tie-Downs that attach to the bumper

These rear tie-downs mount to your vehicle’s bumper and provide you a secure place to secure your camper at all times. These front tie-downs are compatible with both bed and frame mounting options.

1. Tie-Downs Attached to the Frame

Tethers attached to the camper’s frame are the most stable option. Another benefit is that they prevent your arrangement from becoming too top-heavy. This is because your vehicle’s structure is lower than the bed, where the tie-downs are often attached. Because the weight is being supported at a lower position, the rig is more stable and easier to control.

Tie-downs for the back of your vehicle should consider whether you want to pull a trailer with it, as well as whether or not you plan to carry a bicycle rack or baggage carrier. A trailer hitch is required for any towing endeavors. It would be best if you kept in mind that the hitch on your truck may be the attachment point for the rear tie-downs you find rather than the frame.

Remember that a hitch extender is required to allow the receiver aperture to fit over the camper while towing. If you’re trying to decide whether or not your vehicle can tow a trailer or hitch-mounted equipment, you should know that most hitch extenders cut your total weight capacity in half.

TRADEMASTERS HAS ALL THE CAMPING GADGETS YOU NEED!

Are you aiming to construct the ideal truck camping setup? In case you need assistance, Trademasters has you covered. Our knowledgeable technicians provide full-service installations of the industry’s finest camper accessories to the residents of Chilliwack and the surrounding areas. We are pleased to provide thanks to our partnerships with prestigious manufacturers.

You may rely on the following when placing an order with us for vehicle accessories:

1. We will recommend the finest camper attachments on the market. It helps you choose the one that will work best with your setup.
2. We take pride in offering clear, accurate, and market-competitive pricing for all of the items we sell.
3. For the convenience of our customers, we provide comprehensive installation services for the products we sell.
4. After the installation is complete, we may go for a spin in your camper to verify sure everything is working as it should.
5. If you have any difficulties with your camper, our crew is here to assist you in figuring them out and get back on the road as soon as possible.