Found time to mount the camper today and took it for a test spin... We are good to go. With the new Tork Lift mounts in front and the Happy Jac mounts in the rear, and the mat in the bed, we are good to go and had zero movement, even when heading out our driveway. Once on the road I could tell an immediate difference in handling and cornering thanks to the Timbren SES system. When mounting the camper I took measurements before and after. From ground to fender flare measured 36" before and 35" after. Truck sits level. To my eyes anyway. Very pleased.
Over the last week or so I have been working on a special frankenstien project with some old parts. Storage space in the camper is limited. I cannot get the fridge to work on battery or on propane. No worries, we have our Indel B that we bought a few years ago from Paul May at Equipt 1. It is not perfect but a decent piece of gear. A place for it to call home was needed. My brain started whirling and here we have it. Before you look at it I will explain what I did so far and will continue later with what is yet to come.
I took my old Big Daddy Off Road rear bumper and tire swing out. I cut off the mounting brackets. To the bumper, directly opposite the receiver hitch, I welded a 2" square tube and drilled the appropriate hole. This will slide into the factory receiver hitch on the Tundra. Next, directly under the apex of the "A" frame of the swing out, I welded a section of 2.5" square tube and drilled the appropriate hole. I had picked up a receiver hitch platform frame (needed a platform bolted to it) from the Tractor Supply clearance bin for $10. Next I cut, painted and mounted 3/4" plywood of the proper dimension to the frame.
When it was all ready I slid the bumper assembly into the Tundra's receiver hitch and secured it. Then I slipped the platform into the receiver I had welded to the "A". Placing the Indel B fridge on the platform, I determined placement of the Yeti Cooler tie down system I picked up on clearance from Southeast Overland a couple years ago, also for $10. Snugged the fridge down, plugged it in, and gave it a few test swings. What we have now is a place to carry the fridge, that swings out of the way when camping, allows use of the steps into the camper... and keeps the fridge up off the ground in an easily accessible spot. Pics:
