Truck bed options--Truck Camper to 5th Wheel, & back.

[Stealth15]

Truck bed options going from Truck Camper to 5th Wheel, & back.

Presently own an Arctic Fox 990 Truck Camper and Arctic Fox 28 ft. 5th trailer; and use a Chevy 1 ton dually, crew cab truck with a long box. The 5th wheel set-up includes 2 rails, mounted into the truck bed with a 20-ton Reese Hitch, which locks into the rails. When using the truck camper the Reese Hitch is removed and three 2X6 boards are placed crossways in the bed at the locations recommended by the truck camper manufacturer for long-term storage. The three boards carry the weight of the truck camper and provide clearance over the top of the rails. I have only used the truck camper for just over one season and haven’t traveled more than about an hour or two away. I don’t have a lot of confidence in this setup for hauling the truck camper, especially for longer extended trips or trips over rough roads. I have a couple of ideas for different set-ups; some which are a little pricy (but peace of mind is probably worth it). Looking for others’ thoughts/ideas.

[rgvtexan]

I used 2" Foamular https://www.owenscorning.com/en-us/i...l/foamular-xps

2ea 2x8 sheets it carries the weight with ease, is light weight and easy to cut slots for the 5er rails. The camper only left a few small dents in the foam.

Available in compressive strengths from 15 to 100 psi

[Nwcid]

The 2 easiest options I see are to use plywood and cut slots to fit your rails. This will give your camper a solid base to sit on when in the truck.

The other option would be to move to a gooseneck set up like the Gen-Y or Goosebox and get a flip ball. This allows your truck bed to be completely clear. This is the main reason I went with this option on my toy hauler. I did not want to deal with rails or a heavy hitch.

[TB673]

This is 1 example of the Flip Ball that Nwcid was referencing:

B&W Turnover Ball. Gooseneck ball when towing, clean bed when not towing.

https://www.bwtrailerhitches.com/pro...ooseneck-hitch

Tim