Sorry for all the newb questions, I tried searching but maybe I'm not using the right terms.
I just purchased a '99 Adventurer 810WS and have it mounted on an '09 F350. I took measurements when I bought it and it seemed that I needed a 4" platform to raise the camper enough to clear the cab.
Well I overdid it a bit but not by much, I'd really like to lower it a bit if possible.
Is there a rule of thumb as to how much clearance I should have? I won't be doing any heavy duty off-roading but may pull in to a ditch sometimes so I assume I need a couple inches at least to allow for the bed and cab to flex separately.
I have 1 3/4" between my camper and the center clearance light on the cab roof and have never had a problem with the camper hitting. I do take my truck and camper off road. The tighter you can keep it the better off you are.
2009 Dodge 3500QC DRW Flatbed 6.7CTD 6Spd Auto
2009 Northern Lite 10-2CD Special Edition 200w of solar and one spoiled camper dog Splash
I had to spacer up my Avion C-11 by 1-1/2" more than it was originally from the factory to clear the side of my bed (new camper jack mounts). With that clearance, I've never had a problem with the cab, even with clearance lights on the cab.
Ford F-350 4x4 Diesel
1988 Avion Triple Axle Trailer
1969 Avion C-11 Camper
Needed cab clearance will depend on cab size and how you use the truck. A regular cab truck only hauling on the pavement could have as little as 2 inches and be just fine. A crew cab truck used on rough trails off road, I would want 4-6 inches clearance.
(No need to apologize. There are no "newb" questions, here.)
I would go for at least _four_ inches - - higher if you have roof marker lights on the cab. You can get into all sorts of situations, on-road, where the camper will flex and attempt to make contact with the trucks roof, or, the camper will "bounce" in the bed and "tip" towards the truck's cab.
Testudo & Princesse Caribou
2012 FORD F-250 6.2L 4x4 EC SB SRW
2006 FORD F-250 5.4L manual trans (Sniff! Gone but not forgotten!)
2006 OUTFITTER SUPER-Caribou 6.5
I would give it a couple of inches and you should be fine as long as you keep your TC firmly tied down.
Remember Fords have a taller roof line than other trucks, because they sell some many in Texas where we wear hats (yes this is a fact, got this when I was researching trucks to buy)
Don
17 Oaks Ranch, Texas
US Army (RET)
'11 F350 4x4, CC, LWB, DRW, Lariat
AF 1150, solar, satellite
Vietnam Combat Veteran
I have 1.75 inches clearence and havn't had a issue in 35000 miles, I usally drive secondary highways and backroads, so it has seen a lot of less than friendly roads but it hasn't seen any real off roading.
2009 Chevy Silverado 3500 dually D/A, Supersprings, Stable Loads, Bilstein Shocks, Hellwig Sway Bar, Front Timbrens.
2010 Arctic Fox 1140 DB, 220 watts solar, custom 4 in 1 "U" shaped dinette/couch, 59 interior and exterior mods to date and still adding
SoCalDesertRider wrote: Needed cab clearance will depend on cab size and how you use the truck. A regular cab truck only hauling on the pavement could have as little as 2 inches and be just fine. A crew cab truck used on rough trails off road, I would want 4-6 inches clearance.
Exactly. I recently had to add another 3/4" stall mat uder my Lance because when offroad in rough areas the bottom of the cab over section would sometimes rub on one of the ridges on the top of the cab (crew cab short bed 4x4)
2006 Ford F250: Diesel, 4x4, CCSB
7,000 LB Coil Springs
Dual Rear Helper Leafs
Diesel Site Coolant Filter
Edge CTS Monitoring System
Air Lift 5000s
Hellwig Front & Rear Sway Bars
Bilstein 5100s
Toyo MTs
Torklift & Fastguns
2005 Lance 845
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2 whippets
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