Homemade Truck Camper Riser / Platform - The Camper Stays Put!!
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- An often forgotten aspect of our Truck Camper setup, The Bed Riser! During the research phase of our Truck Camper build, it came to our attention that we would need to lift the camper a couple of inches off the bed to clear the bumper. Alternatively, I could slide the camper back a couple inches, after a lot of thinking, keeping the camper all the way forward seemed to be the best option.
I set out to build a riser to accomplish this and only had a couple of days. What started out as a temporary fix, turned into a long-term solution. 35k miles later, the riser has held up far better than I could have ever expected! Check it out!
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We are a travel couple and explore full time in our NuCamp Cirrus 920 Truck Camper. The camper rides in our Ram 3500 Dually Diesel CrewCab truck. We love our camper and we are excited to share our life with all of you!
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Nice work and the proof is how well it’s held up. In today’s dollars that’s about $500 in lumber costs😂.
HAHA, that’s so true! It was cheap a couple of years ago 🤑
We have an F350 SRW that required a riser for the 820 we bought from Bill at Truck Camper Warehouse in NH. Bill installed the factory aluminum riser which worked fine for the cab clearance but like you we found that the camper can move side to side when traveling and that puts the ties downs too close to the pickup bed panels for me. I chose to add 1"x3" wood strips to each side of the aluminum riser with a 60 degree taper on the front of the wood to help center the camper when I back in. This leave me with about 3/8" of an inch each side for the camper to possibly move. Now I don't worry about the ties down. To help with alignment on such tight tolerances I placed some reflective DOT tape in the center on my floor mat and the front of the camper which gives me an alignment mark I can clearly see with the back up camera in the bed of the truck. Works every time.
Keep posting, we love hearing from someone else from NH.
We just drove past TCW today on our way back to NH. I used a sharpie for my center marks, but the reflective tape would be much easier to see on my cargo camera. Next time I take it out, I’ll have to put a couple strips in there, thanks for the idea! We continue to see more and more truck campers on the road, its almost like they are getting more popular!!!! Or, maybe we are just more tuned into them 😉
Well done great video. Just for the fact the camper doesn’t move is a good reason to build it.
Thanks, it’s been working great for us!
Looks like a perfect solution and better than factory.
Thank you!
Thanks for the video. I have watched others where they warn you not to put anything in the bed, even a mat. Otherwise the camper can't be properly clamped. Obviously, this works for you.
I have heard the opposite, that you should always use a rubber mat! If you can share where you read that, I'd love to see what they are talking about. info@stonyboot.com if you can find a link to share! Thanks.
@@Stonyboot I heard it on a video. Now, searching for this on the net you get the distinction between a plastic bed liner, which is supposed to be bad and the rubber mats that are considered effective. I like your wooden structures even if you did not have to build it up for the very reason that the screws bite into the wood, However, and I am just asking here, the camper is pretty heavy and most people are supporting them only on the edges. I would think that I would want more support throughout the camper's floor. Dunno.
I would have never thought to use cedar, great share.😁
Me either, I did some reading about pressure treated wood and found that it would react with aluminium. It was also heavier. Lastly, these boards were exactly 1 inch thick, which allowed me to get the 2 inch lift without any complicated cuts. It’s all dry and ugly now, but no rot or other problems. Cedar is pretty amazing stuff.
GREAT CUSTOM Modification that works !!!!!
Thanks for checking it out, works pretty well for a rush job. 🧐
You built a pseudo-Froli rig for your NuCamp!
Excellent material choice re: cedar
Always impressed by your work, Scott
This made me laugh!!! We wanted to make sure our camper was comfortable in bed bed 🛏Thanks for watching!
I know who to come to for help... Safe travels to you both!
I’m glad to hear that it’s helpful!
Nice job Scott. Worked out nice that those screw heads bite in as they do (thought having them stick out like that on the bottom of the camper does seem a bit dumb)
Our new NL requires full support under it plus a 3/8" bed mat. I need a 3"+ riser to get over the new F350's cab. So I'm going 2" rigid 20psi foam board, sandwiched between two sheets of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood. It will sit on top of my 3/4" stall mat and the bed mat will sit on top to give good grip to the camper bottom. The sandwich will be in two 2x8' halves for ease of handling. Gonna cut the stall mat into two 4x4' pieces. It a pig to wrestle.
I agree on the screws, they should be recessed or countersunk. However, they do state that it should be placed on a mat. Either way, works for us with a side benefit!
I’m glad to hear you’re making a sandwich, so many people just use the foam and it compresses unevenly over time which can cause stress on the camper.
Sounds like you have a good setup and a great camper. I love those Northern Lites!
Thanks Scott for another good informational video, yours are always to the point and well done!
Thanks for the kind words! 😊
Excellent - thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Well done. Thanks for Sharing! Christian
Thanks for checking it out!
@@Stonyboot Would you be interested in coming on our Saturday Live Stream to Talk about Truck Camper Life?
Awesome!!
It’s worked well so far 😎
I went to pick up my new to me truck camper not even realizing that GM put a curved support gusset where the bedside meets the floor. The dealer quickly made a box out of PT 4x4s to get me home. Now I am researching solutions because I don't want it sitting 3.5 inches higher than it needs to.
Yes I have. I have a 2016 F350 and a 2001 Northern Lite 10.2 , I had to raise my camper 4.25 inches.
Wow, that’s a lot! I wasn’t happy about my 2 inches. What is your overall height?
Nice job!! :)
Thank you ☺️
I'm buying a truck camper built for a 1/2 ton to fit into my Ram 3500... this video is a perfect way for me to brace the camper.
Congratulations on the camper :) Wood is easy to work with! Aluminium is lighter and stronger, but I sold my welder and tools when we downsized, so that wasn’t an option. I’m really shocked how long its lasted without any signs of falling apart.
@@Stonyboot // I like your wood solution! It's smart and it's the type of thing you don't have to think or worry about when it's installed.
Thanks, it’s worked out really well. I’d like to build some kind of fancy centering contraption, but it’s just not high on my list of tasks. Cedar is awesome stuff, maybe I should have stained it?
@@Stonyboot // My fence blew down and I'm going to have a bunch of cedar planking. I think we should just re-use it and DIY vs scrap it.
Thx for the idea, I'm just building it in my truck bed bed today. I had some cedar in my shop.
I’m glad to hear that it’s helpful. It was a quick fix that turned into a great setup. Cedar is a wonderful material, and much easier to work with than aluminium, especially when you don’t have a welder near by. Good luck with your build!
I just picked my 820 up and they used pink ridgid construction foam that will not crush and put it under the rubber mat. We put a 1inch piece down 1st and had to go to a second piece making it 2inch higher we could of gotten a 2inch to begin with but that's what they had on hand. Now here's what I think I'll do is when take it off I'm going to do exactly what you did because I like the way you used the blocks to guide it into the truck bed. It took us twice as long to get it on. Your device it too notch. Now that's it's on I really like it. When I drove from Palm Coast Florida to Jacksonville it's about 70 miles on the way up my fuel economy Guage said I had been getting 18.8mpg after it was on and driving home it went down to 16.9mpg and it was very windy. I have a Ford Powerstroke 6.7 which is a great setup. When I build my rack I'll send you photos. This weekend I'm going to hit the local estate sales to pick up cooking pots and pans I always get great deals on that stuff.
It sounds like you’re getting everything worked out! It’s fun chipping away at such a multifaceted project. Where will you go first?
I am toying with buying a 3/8 mat tonight . 2003 f 350 dually and Northstar 10 1/2 tc . Currently I have 2 2x4’s nailed together , 6 of them crossways on the bed 4 foot long and a piece of 1/2 osb laying on top , which gives me 3 3/8 lift to help clear the cab clearance lights . I was thinking I might be able to reduce one 2x4 height if I add a mat and put some carpet on top of the 2x4 that is left and also carpet on the osb or screwing it to the bottom of the tc , since it is open to the floor and framing . I never saw a tc that was open like that on the bottom . There are no screw holes so I assume it came that way , maybe to access a couple water lines and a gas line . I carried my Lance like this but it moved time to time . Thanks for the video , it gave me food for thought .
Great job on the platform. We do not need a platform for ours but it would be nice to have a system to line it up easier.
I’ve seen several nice systems for alignment. Becareful of system that push the camper to the side because it will put extra stress on the jack legs. I take an extra couple minutes to line the truck up before I back under. However, a set of rollers or guides would be REALLY nice!
Thanks! God's blessings!
Thank you! 😊
Great video Scott and a great mod! Do you suspect that it would just fine from a money-saving standpoint, to make the first layer from pressure treated pine and then simply use cedar fence pickets or other cedar for the top layer? Or would there be a reaction on the screws going through into the pressure treated that would negate any cost savings?
That sounds doable to me. I’m be curious to see the results.
Scott Terry Old Navy Photog here I just got back home on my first short trip and the 820 did shift I believe from going over concrete bridge deck which are not smooth at all. When it shifted the passenger side jack at rubbed on the truck bed side causing minor damage. I drove 2300 miles from Wednesday to Saturday. The other issue was the right front jack leg bent while trying to recentering the Camper. I forgot that the Jack's swing our to give clearance. I hadn't did this before I only helped them put it on the truck and forgot that step. This week I'm going to build your rack for mine. I ordered a new jack leg and that's going to cost me 350.00 shipped. The other thing was the passenger side large window blew off and hit a Semi's widow. Replacement is 450.00. This was expensive mistakes Newcamp might warranty the window because it looked like the latches failed.
Wow!!! It sounds like you have some bumps along the way, but got it done. I hope you get everything fixed soon without it costing too much 💰
All fixed window $450, bet jack leg $350. I won't make the same mistakes again.
Would you happen to have a photo of the build in order to replicate the design?
I just purchased a 820 2019 barely used and waiting get it installed and there have been a few delays. I bought this from a dealer in North Carolina ( I'll there name to you later) Nucamp referred me to this dealer after I almost bought one from a private party in Michigan and he misrepresented it to me and glad I didn't get that. So the dealer in North Carolina hooked me up with this 2019 unit. I've been waiting for them to replace the Heating system controller which they got installed today but then the Fiama awning wouldn't work so now there working on that and it sounds like a wire is broken and they have fix. I told them to take there time which means I'll have wait a few more days. I will tell you this they want it to be right before they deliver it to me. It's very involved because it was delivered to Jacksonville Florida and this is just a small shop that does the install and all the parts have to ordered from Nucamp. I know I'm long winded hear but my point is they are good people to deal with and extra time has given me time to look at what improvements you have made. My 820 is going on a 2014 F350 which is a short bed with Rhino liner which was in it already and I have 1/2 inch thick rubber matt . I'm not sure if I will need to make that platform You've come up with. I'm going to forward this video to them. I will let you know what they think about it.
Every year and model combination of truck and camper creates new issues. You probably don’t need anything except the mat. If you ask that question in the Cirrus group on Facebook I’m sure someone has the exact same configuration and could give you some ideas.
@@Stonyboot thanks I pick it up on Wednesday so I will let you know. I forwarded the info to the installer. Maybe we'll cross paths out there. We love your post.
I built a platform from 2x4's for my last camper to gain more bed rail clearance. Not needed with our new camper.
What did you get for a new camper? I might just move our camper back 2 inches and get rid of the whole riser. Still undecided...
@@Stonyboot we had a 2003 GMC and a 2003 Fleetwood camper. Got a 2010 Silverado in 2012 then bought a new Wolf Creek in 2017 as the Fleetwood was getting tired after 14 seasons.
Careful moving your camper back, best to have your COG as far forward as possible. It definitely needs to be in front of the axle.
If you use the Torklift fast guns they recommend not using a rubber mat.
Where did you get that piece of information? Your statement caused me to go to Torklift's website under the truck camper FAQ and they recommend a rubber bed mat to keep your camper from moving.
@@Dave-sw2dm I misread the directions. It suggest not putting it on a "bed liner or a compressible material". It does say a "a rubber mat is recommended to prevent damage to bed of truck. With that said, be careful on the mat you choose. I purchased and used a horse mat from a hardware store that sells farm equipment.
@@fishermann1048 , I got the 3/8” mat recommended by the camper manufacturer.
I like the idea of using wood like cedar (or redwood) for this purpose. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it appears that you the camper is not 'locked' into the frame you have built; except that it bumps up against the 4x4 in the front; so that will help prevent side to side movement as long as the camper does not move backwards. If it moves backwards you may get a lot more play...... Also, at first it appeared that the four guides you put into help align the camper when dropping it in are screwed down; but later it looks like they are loose.....so why not leave them screwed down so that they would provide support on both sides should the camper slide backwards? Also, it appears that the screws digging into the wood provide some stability from sliding back and forth or side to side; but I would worry about those screws wearing and possible coming off. For my 820 I welded an aluminum frame to the bottom of the camper to provide additional support (for issues like your water tank sag); to provide lateral support since it mates with the side of bed in multiple places, and 2 inch lift of course. I think it would be helpful to add more support up front, like your 4x4 and I think I will need to add more bed support since I broke a bolt on the bed during my last off road trip. I'm thinking of pulling the bed bolts up and mounting brackets across the bed (with L's at the end) to help keep the camper from damaging the bed sides; but also to guide it as I drop it in. I"m in the cirrus facebook group if you want to trade pictures etc.
I didn’t really state it very clearly, but my judgement is that the screws heads digging into the wood do in fact provide enough grip to prevent any movement. I expected the camper to slide on the wood, aluminium on wood should be slippery. I had plans to build additional braces, but there isn’t a need. Even on steep uphill climbs, the camper doesn’t budge. The angled guides are indeed screwed in. Originally, I wanted to use them as camper guides, but I’ve gotten the alignment down to a science and They are just visual marks when I line up to back under the camper.
As for the bed fo the truck, I just inspected it about a month ago and I don’t see any damage at all, which surprised me. It’s a heavy piece of cargo and it’s got a lot of miles bouncing down the road. I’m going to do some additional inspections this summer when I have access to a friends tools. I really hope there isn’t any cracks for fatigue.
@@Stonyboot I agree, I think those screws are giving quite a bit of bite; which is great. Your camper looks really stable relative to truck in your videos on dirt roads.
Dude! You could build and sell these to the public! Or... if you don't want to mess with that, copyright it and sell the plans to a manufacturer who will! But... you should come up with a catchy name for it, first! :)
Thanks for the vote of confidence! However, I wouldn’t be comfortable selling this to the public, it was a quick fix for a very specific application. But, for the name, another commenter called it a Froli for the camper, which is still stuck in my head 🤣
So you use the 4x4 blocks on the sides to center the camper basement while backing under it? I had thought you were going to use them to center it as you dropped the camper into place 🤔
I've been having problems with our TC sliding to one side when we start bumping around off pavement - plus the usual frustration getting it lined up centered and parallel.
I had experimented with using them as centering blocks while dropping the camper. But... They would need to be cut with a much steeper angle, with a hard plastic surface to let the camper slide. Also, forcing the jack legs to move horizontally more than about 1 inch is really bad for them. So, I changed how I had them setup and just use them as visual guides now. I get the truck lined up and use the blocks to verify the alignment before I back in all the way. The camper never touches the blocks and never slides around.
@@Stonyboot how are you able to see down both sides of the basement to use the blocks as 'visual guides'? Not from the driver's seat, I'm guessing?
I'd seen the argument about pushing the camper laterally before; guess I figured I wasn't planning on being too far off prior to dropping it, more of a fine-tuning than anything.
Last trip out I had to put non-skid strips on the bottom of the camper to keep it from sliding around on the 2x4 frame - I don't have the screw heads sticking out like on yours to dig into the wood ;)
Do you still think a riser is a good idea? I’ve seen you and one other person’s posts about this idea. I’m looking at a 2017 Cirrus 820 tomorrow. Thanks for all your videos about that model.
It all depends on the measurements. Many combinations of truck/camper don’t require a riser. My preference would be to not have a riser, but it’s necessary in some applications.
@@Stonyboot the way the screws dug into your riser makes me think it would do the same to a truck bed
@celestedickson6475 you should still use a rubber mat which will solve the issue too.
@@Stonyboot thanks for your advice. My husband and I took possession today of a 2017 Cirrus 820 in great shape. We were lucky to find one only one hour away from us! In Georgia.
@celestedickson6475 congratulations! Happy travels!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you
Something like this will void the camper warranty, in my opinion.
I guess that depends on the brand and warranty. You are the first to suggest it.
Raised ours after rooftaps by bolting 2x4's across frame of tc, bolted 2x4 to tc frame to guide between wheelwells and place 'center of gravity' point over axle. Also using some OSB plywood under rubber bed mat..
We have to watch not to back up too far and bust taillights. Actually leaves 4" between tc & front bed wall for tables & folding chairs. Found too we can secure a screen room inside bed space between tc & wall on wheelwell. Waterhoses fit in space on opposite side. We'll post picks on Instagram later this week under Abuelo_bo from Silver Mtns. UT.
Thanks for sharing, I have to ask... how has the OSB held up? I know it doesn’t do well with water 💦
This is wrong.
The riser should be a flat piece of plywood UNDER the rubber bed mat to provide the most grip and load spreading area.
Lookup the aluminum riser that NuCamp offers. I designed this based upon their design. 60k miles and it was flawless.