We’ve finally got both the camper and pickup back from their respective repair shops after the gentle but damaging prang that I described in ‘don’t trust your turnbuckles!’ (see ‘recent posts’). While they were away being repaired as well as getting the new eye-to-eye turnbuckles that I mentioned in that article, I decided to also use the opportunity to acquire two of Torklift’s Basic Springload kits. I figured that one of the reasons that our original turnbuckles’ hooks had straightened and let go in that collision was that there was nothing in our tie-down system to dampen the impact or to soak up any of the shocks and forces that are applied under such circumstances. In the end, the only things that could give were the hooks, and so they did. I also realised that in the thousands of miles that we’d travelled with the camper before that incident, all the millions of much smaller bumps and bounces that are the inevitable consequence of driving along any surfaced road, let alone any rough track, must also have been putting undue strain on the hooks. What our tie-down system needed was shock absorbers and that’s pretty much what the Springloads are.
Torklift’s own frame-mounted tie-down systems are designed to have the Basic Springloads attached to them and the Springload kit comes with coachbolts and locknuts for that purpose. However, my own tie-down system is much more typically European and consists of collared eye-bolts fixed through reinforced areas of the pickup bed. At the time I wasn’t sure how I was going to build them into my system, but I decided to order the Springload kits anyway, figuring that one way or another I would be able to so. Sadly I couldn’t find a supplier anywhere other than in the States, and most of the ones I found there would only ship within North America, but fortunately I came across Panther RV of Vancouver, Washington who claimed on their website to “ship worldwide”. Indeed they do and they were very efficient. Ordering the kits was a completely pain free process although, not surprisingly because of their weight, shipping costs from the States to Europe added about 50% to the purchase price.
Coachbolt through the Springload and top eye
Once I’d received the Springload kits I was able to play around with all the different components of the tie-down system until I found what seemed likely to be the best arrangement. In the end it was very simple. I made a minor modification to each of the Springloads, squaring out one of its pre-drilled holes, so that the head of the supplied coachbolt could be captured on one side of it. The bolt then passes through the top eye of the turnbuckle inside the Springload and is fixed by the locknut on the other side.
'D'-shackles, top and bottom of the tie-down
At each corner of the camper a ‘D’-shackle is used at the top end to attach the Springload to the camper and at the bottom end to attach the turnbuckle to the eye-bolt in the pickup bed. Each of the turnbuckles is then tightened until the spring is loaded to the extent recommended by Torklift in the instructions that accompany the kit. Simples!
So far we’ve only done about 1000 miles with the camper attached in this way but the effects and benefits of the Springloads were immediately apparent. They really do absorb most of the minor shocks and vibrations that regular driving incurs. Even more obvious though is the way that they stifle and dampen any inclination that the camper has to start bouncing after going over major bumps or rough surfaces. It’s a fantastic improvement and makes me ask why European demountable manufacturers or dealers aren’t actively promoting their use or the use of something similar? With demountables, as with other kinds of motorhome, you’re often left wondering whether the people who design them and the people who sell them ever actually use them!
