Go fast on a first gen

Hey just looking for some quick advice about the frames on these first gens again. Mine is in great shop honestly like very minimal rust, but I do plan on reinforcing and undercoating soon. I just purchased a go fast style shell camper that weighs about 300 pounds. I’ve seen the plate reinforcement kits for these frames and will do eventually but I’m super busy right now with other projects, how necessary would it be to plate if my frame is still in great shape. I know they do bend and I do go off-roading, nothing too intense…yet.

 

300 lbs is just one fat friend in the passenger seat, except the camper shell's weight is more evenly distributed than your fat friend (6 bed bolts vs 4 body mounts).

 

Yea I know but I’ll have it back there full time and if I’m off-roading and going interstate speeds I know these c channel frames are prone to bending. What do the body mounts gave anything to do with

 

Body mounts were to give you perspective. A 300 lb passenger's weight is distributed to the frame over 4 body mounts. 75lbs per mount. 300lbs on the bed is distributed across 6 bed mounts. 50 lbs per mount, meaning the camper shell's weight is more evenly distributed to the frame than that of an overweight passenger, and I doubt you'd think twice about having that passenger with you every day.

Moral of the story is enjoy the camper worry free, and reinforce the frame when you can.
The wind resistance of the camper will be more of a hindrance than the weight.

 

Oh alright I see. Yea sounds like a plan, I do most of my gnarly wheeling in the winter anyways and won’t get it on to the spring so I’ll just do a whole ordeal in the summer or fall when I can get more time off. Thanks for the help

 

If you take your truck offroad, frame reinforcement plates are a must IMO. As for the extra weight, while 300# is not a lot, in the big picture it is going to add up in the long run. What about bumpers, skids and sliders? And of course there is all that camping gear. It all adds up.

 

I've had this thing on the back of my truck for 34,000 miles. I don't wheel it super hard, like it doesn't get flexed out a lot but it does spend a lot of time on washboard roads. It's not my daily driver so a big chunck of those miles are off road.

Anyway, I have welded CBI frame reinforcement plates on it. So far so good.

I assume boxing the frame would be even better or box + plates.

One of these days I'll put it on a CAT scale and find out how much more that rear axle weighs over stock.

 

Alright yea that’s more what I was thinking, it wouldn’t be hard I can weld pretty good and have access to a lot of fab equipment, it’s just a big ol job on top of my already huge to-do list

 

Just take it one step at a time. Lol.
You probably already know this but it never ends.
And the last 20% takes 80% of the time and the last 20% of that takes 80% of the time and so on.
And new projects sprout up all the time.
Like how can I possibly pass on these super clean BMW 435i seats for cheap? Lol.

 

your way over thinking this one... you know how many thousands have camper shells with no issues. My guess is that if you're already worried about a tough and proven truck bending the frame you are not going to wheel it that hard. Plenty of people that abuse the heck out of these without issue. you do not need frame plates for a gfc.

 

please pm me if and when you ever sell this. I'll buy it.

 

Thanks!
I doubt I’ll ever sell it.
Maybe someday when I retire (if that ever happens, lol) I’ll get something a little bigger I’ll sell this one.

 

A go-fast should be fine on the frame. Frame reinforcement plates are not very expensive if you have someone to weld them in.

One thing I've seen a lot that happens from Go-fast campers are the beds getting pushed out at the tailgate and thus needing bed stiffners. I think its from the GF construction that allows the legs of the topper to spread easier and push out the bed causing slightly larger gaps at the tailgate.

My camper I built from Aluminum for reference. (300-ish lbs unloaded, thow in the two dogs, girlfriend, and gear for one trip and it adds up) Frame is fine without reinforcement plates. Just take some sections slow... it's 22 years old, not a raptor.

 

Just got done putting my KP off-road plates in from @ForestRunnerFrank99 welded in solid and frame is looking cleaner than ever. Super stoked

 

Looks awesome! How was the install?

 

It was super easy, some of the pieces were definitely a little small so I had to clamp the frame down and stack some pretty thick beads, so only complaint I have is that I wish if anything they would be a little big so they can just be grinder down a little if needed. They also seemed a lot closer to 10 gauge then 3/16 thickness which was a little disappointing but all the holes, shock mounts and what not lined up perfectly which was awesome. Overall very good kit with a little room for improvement but still the best out there atm in my opinion