I've got a slide in 11ft camper I'd like to buy. It's about 750 miles from home. At present my 3500 doesn't have any tiedowns on it. The camper comes with heavy duty tiedowns and extended hitch. The problem is hauling it back from where it is to home where I could mount the HD tiedowns. Is there a safe way to rig some kind of temporary tiedowns for that kind of trip?

Pickup camper?

Pickup camper?

Right, 11 ft Artic Fox slide in.

This might work: Get one length of square tubing or pipe slightly longer than the width of the truck. Drill 2 holes about 2" from each end large enough for 2 long eyebolts. Get 2 lengths of chain long enought to go from the front tie down brackets to the eye-bolts in the pipe/tubing. Get 2 clevis's big enough to go through the upper chain link and front tie-down bracket. Either open the eye of the eye-bolt enough to slip through the bottom link of the chain or get 2 more clevis's and use them to attach the lower end of the chain to the eye-bolts. Now put the pipe/tubing across the truck perpindicular to the frame rails and tighten the eye-bolts nuts and washers to hold the camper securely in the bed and the pipe/tubing against the frame. Should be no need to tie the rear end down for the short trip home, I used this arrangement on an 11'-6" slide-in for several years. Get a good quality rubber truck bed mat before you put the camper in and you'll be amazed at how it keeps the camper from shifting. Any truck accessories store should have one cut to fit your truck. Don't rely on a plastic bed liner, they will not prevent the camper from shifting. Air-bags might be a good add-on before you go, then it won't matter how heavy the camper is. Make sure you inflate your tires to the maximum pressure indicated on the side walls and if you can make yourself do it, hold your speed to 55mph. Good Luck!
I've got a 11'-6" Lance slide-in. It's the 4th pick-up camper I've had. I love them!

I had thought of something similar to what you described but the driveshaft and exhaust are lower than the frame.

You could C clamp a metal bar to across your frame with some eye bolts on each end and use some turn buckles to hold the front down then use some ratchet straps around your rear bumper for the back?

You could C clamp a metal bar to across your frame with some eye bolts on each end and use some turn buckles to hold the front down then use some ratchet straps around your rear bumper for the back?


I had thought of something similar to that but the driveshaft and exhaust are lower than the frame. I think I'll just delay the trip a few days and get new tiedowns and install them. I'll just have to sell the other ones once I get back. Seems safer that way.

any way to just tie it in the tailgate area,just to get home ,i dont think its going to blow out of the bed,just don't want it to slide out

:idea: You might try just going from frame out? 1/2" plate welded in a T with turn-buckles for the front and incorporate trailer hitch for rear. Just a thought. :)

I've got a used set of rear tiedowns that bolt to the frame using existing holes.

PM me if interested.

Bring your tools and install them when you get there.

Bring your tools and install them when you get there.

some require holes to be drilled for the front mount so it a pain laying on your back drilling them.