Colin Doyle wrote:

Hey, I'm new here. I bought this 1996 Texson camper last year from an older couple who had kept it in nice shape. I did some basic maintenance and upgrades (deep clean, new battery, onboard battery tender, 100% LED lighting retrofit, etc.) and then built a subframe to elevate it over the fairing on my F650's flatbed, and incorporated fork pockets and lockable storage. The camper is permanently "tied down" to the galvanized subframe, and the subframe is secured to the flatbed with nylon webbing straps. When I mount it, I just lift it up with my forklift and back under it. The truck's air suspension usually runs 25-30 psi with the camper mounted, so it's a nice cushy ride and it doesn't hammer the camper to death. Total height is about 12'6" to the top of the AC unit.

I just finished de-winterizing the camper, and I'm getting ready to take a 2-3 day trip down to Cedar Rapids, IA this weekend. Looking forward to putting some miles on it this summer, although it's already paid for itself in hotel savings.


The day I dragged it home - had to bring a car trailer because it didn't fit on the truck.


The basic subframe, minus the sheet metal panels.


The subframe parts and ladder, fresh out of hot-dip galvanizing.


The tiedown strategy. (I have incorporated a spring-loaded rear tiedown since the photo was taken.)


Plenty of lockable, albeit not weather-tight, storage. This was a boondocking trip to a campsite way off the beaten path, near Duluth, MN. If you're going to drive a big truck 20 miles down a logging road, bring a chainsaw.


That ladder hangs on the camper's roof ladder when it's stowed. (I added grip tape after this photo was taken.)