Slide In Power ??

[JWhitcomb]

I will be getting a slide in for my 3500 soon and really don't know what to do about the electrical hook up. I suppose I could just run a long set of wires from my trailer plug at the back (factory plug set up) but that seems a bit crude. What have you all done for the hook up? I am planning to get or make a frame mount tie down set up, any suggestions? Thanks

 

[Archive]

I have seen this done three different ways... I am sure there must be more...



1. put the plug for power in the side of your box, between the rear fenderwell and the cab. (this is the way I had mine done)



2. Put the plug below the body of the box, near the front left tie down on the frame. You would wrap your camper wire around the chain going to the tiedown, then plug it in.



3. Make the extension cord as you mentioned. By doing this, you could also plug in a 5th wheel or whatever you wanted/needed.



Good luck!

 

[JWhitcomb]

Rob, I like the idea of the plug in the wall (#1), did you do the wiring yourself? I try to stay away from all things electrical as I sometimes mess them up but I think I can handle this, just have to decide where to tap into the plug harness.

 

[DUNE RACER]

I use the "crude" method with a harness that runs to the plug on the reciever and it works great. Also don't have to cut any wires this way, my favorite part.

 

[JWhitcomb]

Me and my big mouth, hope I didn't offend you DR by naming it the crude method. Damm sure the easiest way to hook up.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Originally posted by JWhitcomb

I will be getting a slide in for my 3500 soon and really don't know what to do about the electrical hook up. I suppose I could just run a long set of wires from my trailer plug at the back (factory plug set up) but that seems a bit crude. What have you all done for the hook up? I am planning to get or make a frame mount tie down set up, any suggestions? Thanks

If you go to any reputable camper dealer, they should offer as part of their pre-sales service, to provide you with an outlet for your camper circuit, inside the bed of the truck, right at the front.



So when you're backing up and just before your camper is in the final position, you can connect up the slide-in pigtail to the outlet in the truck bed and then carry on. You'll also need a small gizmo under the hood to complete the deal, so that the truck alternator can charge up all the truck and camper batteries.

 

[JWhitcomb]

Well, things just changed, got a good offer on the vehicle I use to tow my boat so I will be installing the plug up front so I can use the back plug also. Thanks for all the info folks. Now, the decision on tie downs, Torq Lock looks to be the way to go, or a simular home made set up.

 

[Archive]

Originally posted by JWhitcomb

Torq Lock looks to be the way to go, or a simular home made set up.

The name of my favorite company for this stuff is TorkLift

 

[wedodgediesel]

If your buying the slide in from a reputable dealer they will normally install the plug front of truck, left side. The dealer I bought mine from offered me this option or to run an harness from OEM hitch plug, I decided if I ever wanted to tow something with the camper on I'd be SOL Go with the addition plug, you'll be happier. Don't try to rig an mounting set up, let the dealer install what is safe and recommended.

 

[dewdo]

I agree the to let the dealer install the connector. That way if anything gets screwed up you can always fall back on him. It happened to me. Also if you ever want to tow a boat or whatever you always have the factory connector to hook up to. If you are buying a used camper then go to a reputable hitch or welding shop and they can install one at a reasonable price. Been there, done that.



Dewdo in the other Washington

 

[JWhitcomb]

Opps, make that Torq Lift not Tork Lock. Any way, I have checked out the Torq Lift and it looks good. Looks like it should be reasonable to come up with a rig based on that design. However I would guess it might take one or two protypes.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Originally posted by Rob Hanson





The name of my favorite company for this stuff is TorkLift

But if you have sidebars installed on your truck, then you cannot use Torklift camper tie-downs because they both use the same frame mounts. It's hard to understand why in this day and age that the concept of two products working side by side is hard to achieve.....

 

[JWhitcomb]

John, I was wondering how you tie down the Lance since you have extra long side bars (nerf bars??) installed?

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Originally posted by JWhitcomb

John, I was wondering how you tie down the Lance since you have extra long side bars (nerf bars??) installed?

Basically, it's known as the Happijack system, which Lance have adapted and extended by using three pairs of camper mounts on both sides of the truck... . haven't got my digital camera handy so, here's a subset of a thousand words... .



At the front, two struts connecting both sides of the cabover section to the left and right sides of the vehicle just in front of the door pillars; In the middle by another pair of mounts fixed between the rear of the passenger cab and the front of the pick-up box itself and finally another pair of mounts from the rear of the camper extending forward slightly to the rear bumpers again on both sides.



The concern with the Happijack system is that using anything other than frame mounted tiedowns for your camper is a compromise. It works (still) but there are issues in strength of the pickup bed over a period of time and it's not hard to see why, considering the frame mounted approach is practically bulletproof by comparision. BUT, I want to keep my side bars.



I hear on the grapvine that Lance are "reconsidering" their camper tie downs, so I'm playing a waiting and watching game for the time being.....