If you are looking for a recreational vehicle. truck campers are an excellent way for one or two travelers to enjoy the great outdoors and still have a comfortable place to relax at the end of the day. These rigs are designed to rest in the bed of a pickup truck and they are also known as cab-over campers and slide-in campers. There are many perks of getting a truck camper and many RVers wouldn’t trade their unit for any other type of model. But before you embark on your journey, you need to load your rig. This isn’t a difficult task, but there are some essential steps you must take for traveling safely.
Here at S.C.A.T.T. Recreation, we value your safety. That’s why we have put together an easy-to-follow guide to properly loading your truck camper. If you need additional information, or you’re still in the market for a recreational vehicle, visit our dealership in Roseville, California.
THE BENEFITS OF A TRUCK CAMPER
There are some advantages to having your RV actually on your truck. The biggest perk is the driving experience. Towing can be difficult because the hitch creates a sort of hinge point, which makes turning more complex. It’s not always easy to see what exact path the rig will follow. On top of that, RVs can sway in the wind when you drive and can become very unstable, even if the tow vehicle is perfectly stable.
The more manageable size of a truck camper allows for a more intimate camping experience. Truck campers don’t feel like RV homes, instead, they feel like more comfortable tents. Your sleeping area is elevated off the hard ground, you have a mattress, and you have insulated walls. But space constraints offer coziness to the whole experience that you can’t get in larger RVs.
LOADING
If you are doing it for the first time, installing a truck camper can be somewhat daunting. It can be particularly overwhelming for new owners when it comes to lifting all that weight high enough in the air so that you can back your truck under it. However, you have the right equipment and a spotter to make the process easier, loading a truck camper shouldn’t be tough.
The first step is to jack your truck camper up until it’s around six inches above the bed of your truck. Consider investing in a rubber bed liner for your truck to prevent unnecessary wear and tear. Plus, it will provide grip so that should your ties come loose, your camper will still stay there in the truck bed.
Next, you’ll want to gradually back up under your truck camper until you are lined up. Just keep going until you actually touch the camper. It probably won’t do any damage if you go slowly and it will help you get the best connection with the camper.
Put your truck in park and then go hook up all of the electrical connections for brake or turning lights. Once these are hooked up, lower the camper down, dropping the front first and then the rear. It’s time to start the tie-down process when the camper is fully held up by the truck.
TIE DOWNS
Tying down a truck camper can be a bit tricky because there are no existing anchors on many trucks to which you can tie your camper. That’s why you’ll have to buy tie-down anchors that can attach to the bumper of your truck. Remember that the most secure anchor location is the frame. You’ll find that some anchors will bolt around the frame with a bar that extends out past the truck’s bodywork.
To ensure a stable tie-down, you’ll need at least one on each corner of your truck’s bed. A device called a turnbuckle will connect your anchor to your tie-down. These sometimes feature devices to record how much tension is being applied, which will help you keep the camper firmly in place without risking damage to your vehicle or your camper.
We hope that this guide to loading your truck camper has been useful. If you need additional help, or if you’d like to check out some of the best truck campers for sale, visit S.C.A.T.T. Recreation in Roseville, CA. Our friendly and experienced staff will be happy to help you with all your camping needs. We welcome all our patrons coming from Rocklin and Citrus Heights.
