Pop-up Tie Down to Ram OE Fifth-Wheel / Goosneck?

[jerstw]

Forgive me if this is a really dumb idea but wanted to ask those of you with experience in pop-up tie-downs and anchoring systems the feasibility of such an idea...looking at getting back into a Ram HD (2500 / 3500) for means of getting a pop-up camper. As you are likely aware Ram has an option from the factory for the bed to be "setup" for a fifth wheel / gooseneck. Is there any way to use these 5 attachment points as a means for securing a pop-up camper to the truck? I have yet to seen this factory bed setup in person and know almost nothing about the pro's / con's of various tie-down options on campers...hence the question to the 'Expo Brain Trust'.

Thanks,
JS

 

[wirenut]

If you're going to permanently attach the camper to the truck, like with bolts thru the floor or something, then I guess you could use those points. If you want to be able to readily remove the camper so you can use the truck to haul things or just drive around without the camper I don't see it working very well.
Normal truck camper tie-downs attach at the four corners of the camper and go down to the bumper, brackets, or frame mounted tie down points. All of these are external to the bed sheet metal so they are accessible.
I can remove my camper from my truck in about 15 minutes. This is great for driving around without the camper and leaving it at a campsite. It's also great for using the truck to haul trash, firewood, lumber, or other truck type uses.

 

[1stDeuce]

The mount points that Dodge "supplies" are directly under where the camper sits in the bed, so as wirenut says, the only way to "use" them is to bolt the camper down through the floor to those mount points. Probably not the best plan, unless you don't want to remove your camper often. Even then, most campers aren't designed for bolts in the floor to hold them down...

FWIW, I use tie downs inside the box on the front of my camper, and tie the back down to the bumper. I originally used the factory tie down loops in the box, but so many people said they were "weak" that I put HD eye bolts in... After doing some work to the camper, I can tell you it was fine the way I had it... People who tell you the factory bed tie downs are "weak" don't have any idea what "structure" is in most campers... I'm pretty sure the eye bolts will pull out of the camper long before you'll rip the truck bed apart!!

 

[jerstw]

Appreciate the feedback and perspective. Really prefer the notion of using inside bed tie down points, just for aesthetic reasons, but first and foremost what a strong and reliable mounting setup. Do frame tie downs like Torqlift front and back make for a more 'stable' set up or does it just come down to personal preference?

 

[Regcabguy]

I like my Happijac mounts. They provide centering bump stops up front. I've beaten up two sets on two vehicles with the same camper so far with no damage.

 

[1stDeuce]

Appreciate the feedback and perspective. Really prefer the notion of using inside bed tie down points, just for aesthetic reasons, but first and foremost what a strong and reliable mounting setup. Do frame tie downs like Torqlift front and back make for a more 'stable' set up or does it just come down to personal preference?

If you're running the truck hard enough that the tie downs are actually coming into play, and keeping the camper from falling out, you're out of my league, and you'll be destroying your camper fairly quickly, so I don't think it matters.

I've run mine pretty hard with the front internal tie downs, and it's not been an issue. If you believe advertising, then the external mounts are stronger. While that may be true, it'd take a pretty serious accident, or boneheaded driving to "stress" them in the first place... At that point, I'm betting the tie down will just pull out of the camper anyway, so what was the point??