Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Truck Campers: Happijac rear bumper mounts

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Topic: Happijac rear bumper mounts

Posted By: Longshore on 12/01/20 08:54am

In my search for a camper for my 2015 GMC 3500 CCSB SRW, I am not able to use the Torklift mounts. That leaves me with Happijac. My truck has the factory hitch which negates the use of the Torklift system.

Now some here will say that if you use the Happijac system it is only a matter of time till your bumper is tweaked, and that it is a safety issue. Others here will tell you that if you set them up right they will do just fine, that most of the work is done up front and the back is just for stability.

At the risk of over-thinking this what do you all think?

Posted By: enblethen on 12/01/20 09:16am

Torklift Indicates that their rear mounts work with OEM hitch.
What appears to be problem with their mounts?

Bud
USAF Retired
Pace Arrow
2003 Chev Ice Road Tracker

Posted By: Longshore on 12/01/20 09:20am

When I called to order the Torklift, I was informed that they do not have a system for my particular truck. Their mounts would be preferable as they go to the frame and not the bed/bumper.

Posted By: MORSNOW on 12/01/20 09:23am

I've been using the HappiJac frame mount tie down anchor points for eight years on my '12 GMC Sierra, the rear bumper is as good as new. There is a hidden bracket from the bumper to the frame that holds it in place contrary to popular belief that there is only a couple buttons in the bumper corners. If you look close I have Torklift Fastguns, I am equal opportunity camper customer!

[image]

2014 Wolf Creek 850SB
2012 GMC Sierra SLT 2500HD

7,220# Truck/10,400# Camper Fully Loaded

Posted By: Longshore on 12/01/20 09:50am

Thanks Morsno. They do say frame mounted, but they go to the bed wall and floor. Do you take your rig off road at all? That is my main concern, as we love to get into some of the more remote spots. Is that an 850? This is what I am looking to buy...

Posted By: BurbMan on 12/01/20 10:15am

According to the Torklift "what fits" selector you need C2220 front and C3215 rear tiedowns.

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 12/01/20 10:32am

TL wanted $300 for my rear tie downs, while being a welder, I had some material laying around.
Only thing I had to buy were 3" sill washers from Home Depot.
About 1 hr of work.

Click For Full-Size Image.

Posted By: specta on 12/01/20 10:55am

Happijac front does bolt to the frame.

The rear ones that attach to the bumper have a support that attaches to the frame.

My bumper has been tweaked but I really could care less.

The front tie downs do like 90% of the work holding the camper in place and the rear ones just help keep the rear of the camper in place.

Happijac works just fine for me and I go off road every time I go camping.

Kenny
1996 Jayco 376FB Eagle Series TT
1997 Jayco 246FB Eagle Series TT
1976 Ford F-250 4wd Mercury Marauder 410 - 4V
Regular cabs. The best looking trucks.

Posted By: Longshore on 12/01/20 11:24am

BurbMan wrote:

According to the Torklift "what fits" selector you need C2220 front and C3215 rear tiedowns.

Thanks BurbMan. I should have said I have the crew cab short bed WITH the factory hitch. No application according to your link and my research.

Posted By: Longshore on 12/01/20 11:36am

specta wrote:

The holes I drilled were into the front bed wall and the bed floor. I did not drill into the frame. I have seen others confused about this. Are we talking definition of "frame" here? If so I am of the opinion that the bed is the bed and the frame rails make up the frame. That is great to know about the offroading you do. I wonder if while off roading, loosening the rear mounts would lessen the tweakage if you are just creeping slow. Never any faster than that off road anyway.

Thanks Specta!

Posted By: Longshore on 12/01/20 11:38am

Kayteg1 wrote:

TL wanted $300 for my rear tie downs, while being a welder, I had some material laying around.
Only thing I had to buy were 3" sill washers from Home Depot.
About 1 hr of work.

Click For Full-Size Image.

That's a clean install Kayteg. Gets the job done too...

Posted By: monkey44 on 12/01/20 01:16pm

Kayteg1 wrote:

TL wanted $300 for my rear tie downs, while being a welder, I had some material laying around.
Only thing I had to buy were 3" sill washers from Home Depot.
About 1 hr of work.

Click For Full-Size Image.

I did exactly the same thing on my 2500HD, but the inserts were round not square? Different tow hitch anchor, maybe. Mine's stock, and just slide right in, with a drilled anchor pin. Works great.

Monkey44
Cape Cod Ma & Central Fla
Chevy 2500HD 4x4 DC-SB
2008 Lance 845
Back-country camping fanatic

Posted By: specta on 12/01/20 01:47pm

Longshore wrote:

The holes I drilled were into the front bed wall and the bed floor. I did not drill into the frame. I have seen others confused about this. Are we talking definition of "frame" here?

Thanks Specta!

Yes, the bolt that goes thru the L-bracket in the bed goes thru the "frame".

I've never loosened the rear tie-downs when I go off road. Camper has always stayed put.

Posted By: Longshore on 12/01/20 02:44pm

BurbMan you were indeed right. My dealer went to the same site and there it was PN3215*
The (*) denotes that I have to go through a dealer to even look at this part. I will try to source this through my local rv guy.
Wonder why Torklift won't sell this direct...makes no sense they sell front and rear units for every other truck.

So...sorry for my confusion...

Posted By: enblethen on 12/01/20 05:48pm

Torklift 3215 from Amazon

Posted By: MORSNOW on 12/01/20 07:54pm

Longshore wrote:

The front brackets are bolted to the front of the box and through the bed floor and frame with long bolts. They are NOT just into the sheet metal box. I lived in Alaska the past 8 years and went all over the state boondock camping. I've been thru ditches and gravel pits just about every trip with my WC850 short bed. I just made the trip down the Alcan highway to Idaho where we live now and they still look like new whereas Torklift brackets would be rusted completely. Don't get me wrong, I love Torklift products, but the frame brackets do not provide good holding angles like Happijacs do and they rust up from all the road rash under the truck body.

Denali Highway gravel pit camping
[image]

Posted By: Longshore on 12/01/20 08:37pm

enblethen wrote:

Torklift 3215 from Amazon

Lol thanks for that link! Those are cheaper than the ones I could get from my RV shop. He did say that I would not be able to get these unless through dealer or repair shop. And when I looked a couple of weeks ago nothing came up on Amazon. Etrailer flat out lied to me when they said "Torklift does not make anything for the rear of your truck". When I pressed her she said that's what it shows and I would have to go with happijac.

One would think that accurate info would be dispensed from these suppliers.

Posted By: specta on 12/02/20 06:01am

Longshore wrote:

Etrailer flat out lied to me

Or maybe they were just misinformed.

Posted By: Longshore on 12/02/20 07:00am

specta wrote:

Longshore wrote:

Etrailer flat out lied to me

Or maybe they were just misinformed.

I called three different times and spoke to three different people. Unlikely that all three were misinformed.

Posted By: StirCrazy on 12/02/20 07:39am

Longshore wrote:

specta wrote:

Longshore wrote:

Etrailer flat out lied to me

Or maybe they were just misinformed.

I called three different times and spoke to three different people. Unlikely that all three were misinformed.

probably pushing the brands that they make the most commision off of, I bought mine from amazone and saved about 300 over what the place out here told me they couldnt get untill I insisted that I would get nothing if I couldnt get torque lift. surprisingly 5 min later they told me they could get them now.

Steve

2014 F350 6.7 Platinum
2016 Cougar 330RBK
1991 Slumberqueen WS100

Posted By: Grit dog on 12/02/20 08:55am

Longshore wrote:

specta wrote:

Longshore wrote:

Etrailer flat out lied to me

Or maybe they were just misinformed.

I called three different times and spoke to three different people. Unlikely that all three were misinformed.

I’m sure they would have preferred to sell you tie downs, since their business is.....selling stuff.

2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Posted By: Longshore on 12/03/20 05:56am

Grit dog wrote:

Longshore wrote:

specta wrote:

Longshore wrote:

Etrailer flat out lied to me

Or maybe they were just misinformed.

I called three different times and spoke to three different people. Unlikely that all three were misinformed.

I’m sure they would have preferred to sell you tie downs, since their business is.....selling stuff.

That's the part that makes zero sense. But my rv shop told me they see this all the time.

Posted By: AnEv942 on 12/03/20 11:31am

Curious etrailer does list the rears.
rear - https://www.etrailer.com/Camper-Tie-Downs/TorkLift/TLC3215.html
front/rear - https://www.etrailer.com/tiedown-2015_GMC_Sierra+3500.htm?fUrl=-pm-TorkLift

Their site not the easiest to navigate. Default browsing shows fronts or front & rear. Do you have running boards? Thats the only thing I found that directs to no listings on etrailers site as T/L indeed does not make front mounts for your truck if it has running boards.

Torklift doesn't sell anything directly to consumers, only thru vendors.

01 Ford F250 4x4 DRW Diesel, 01 Elkhorn 9U
Our camper projects page

Posted By: Longshore on 12/05/20 07:07pm

AnEv942 wrote:

Thanks AnEv...I don't have running boards. They wouldn't look pretty after a trip or two off road. But still when I go to the fitment page at Torklift MY search ends at factory trailer hitch. At my RV shop they came right up. The rear mounts. Since I know I can get them, I'll keep them in mind should the rear Happijacs give me any problems.

Don't think they will.

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