My wife and I are looking at swapping our 19' TT for a 9.5' Lance truck camper.

The local Lance dealer says that I can get away with securing the camper to the truck via a couple of tie-downs to a front-of-bed metal bar and 2 more tie-downs to the rear bumper. Other campers that we looked at while shopping around suggested something a little more sturdy - like a truck frame-mounted anchoring system. Now, most of those "other campers" were much heavier than the Lance model we're looking at. Nevertheless, I'm concerned that the anchoring system Lance recommends wouldn't be strong enough to control the side-to-side swaying that will inevitably occur (even with air bags installed). I'm concerned that the bed of my truck will be twisted.

If there's anyone here who has a slide-in camper that's anchored in the way that Lance recommends, I would very much like to hear how it's working for you. Thanks.

 

I tie mine down with a frame mounted kit in the front and removable I-bolts in the bumper. I use 2 inch rachet straps to secure it. The frame mounted bar is permantly attacted to my truck and extentions are put in to bring it out far enough on the sides.

the Tree

 

belly bars, 2002
in back, square iron slides into trailer hitch cross bar, 1 bolt each side, 'eye'rings for tie down..
front 't' stock bolted to 2 existing holes in frame, canted forward,
with square iron bar accross the frame attachattached to the 't'
again 'eye' bolts at ends...

No hole to drill in truck, ( except 2 in receiver hitch)

 

check out torque lift mounts, they bolt to the frame, not the bed. I had the type you describe, if you never run on rough roads they will work. After a couple hunting trips my rear bumper looked like a taco. I switched to the torque lift mounts and they were much stronger.

 

on older trucks the bed steel is a heavier gauge, so the bed mount attachments could work. I have used these. On newer trucks the bed steel will not work as well, so the frame mounts will work much better, and cost more, and I use this system now. It would also work best with a loaded spring type of hold down system, rather than a chain or straps. I have read that torque lift is very good. Check out NATCOA . com for lots of good TC info

 

Tork-lift tie downs and Tork-Lift Superhitch for towing heavy loads behind a camper.

My 99's bed came apart from using standard bed mount tie downs. The 06 is set-up so much better, I highly recommend them...........

 

Torque Lift is the way to go. I have a popup camper, so I use the Happy Jack in front of the bed, but if I had that 9.5' you want, I would have the Torque Lift Frame mount.

 

I have a Lance 845 with Torklifts, I don't think it get any better or stronger. This picture shows the rear Torklifts mounted to my Reese Class V Tow Beast.

DSCN3888_edited.jpg?t=1173186584

 

The truck bed bar is not only attached to the truck bed. When installed properly it has legs which secure it to the truck frame. With HappyJacks it works well with my 845 LanceLite.

Regarding your 2003 4x4 longbed, you don't say if it's a 1-ton or 3/4. Regardless, I consider my 845 (2300 pounds on the sticker) the maximum camper suitable for a single rear wheel truck, even a 1-ton. Any larger will result in unsafe sway and cornering, even with air bags. You need the dually. The Dodge dealer and the Lance dealer will say otherwise just to make a sale. Don't believe it.

 

Idaho Guy,
I did the rear tie downs same as mentioned below. The front I used the HappiJack tie down bar....that's the one that goes in the front of the bed, with brackets bolted to it inbetween the cab/bed. The guy I bought the camper from gave me the front brackets, I just made my own for the rear. Oh, and I wouldn't trust the kind you just bolt through the bumper.
You can see the rear bars here....
[IMG][/IMG]

And the full setup here...
[IMG][/IMG]

 

Is there any one that makes front frame mounts that are less expensive than the tork lift brand?
I bought some in 01 for the 96 and if I remembr wright they were less than 100 bucks. Then I will just fab up the rears that slide in to the factory hitch.

 

I had no problems with HappiJac camper tiedown with my 11' Lance Camper in my Chevy. So I put the HappiJac tiedowns in my Dodge. I use a rubber bed mat and did not have any issues with camper moving around. And this was on some primitive forest roads, not just the highway.

 

Yeah, anything to give the bottom of the camper some traction goes a long way to keeping it where you want it.