Preparing your truck for a camper: an F-150 owner's notes

Lone Peak ambassador Cody Streeter (@simpleInstinct here on Trailhub) recently wrote up the things he did to get his Ford F-150 ready for his Lone Peak camper. He shared it with us and gave us permission to pass it along, so here is our summary of his post. All credit goes to Cody, and you can read the full write-up on his blog: Preparing your truck for a camper.

Keep in mind that these are Cody's choices for his own rig and the way he camps. His truck carries a lot of extra gear and he camps through the winter, so your setup may need something different.

On his F-150, Cody's camper came in at around 450 pounds, including his battery. He also runs our Junk Drawers system, an awning, a fridge-freezer, water, tools, recovery gear, a steel bumper and a larger spare. His point is that the camper is only one part of the total, and the extras add up quickly when you build a full overland rig.

He notes that how much this matters depends on the truck. A heavy-duty truck will handle the same load differently than a smaller mid-size. His advice is simply to know your numbers before you start adding gear.

For his loaded F-150, Cody chose custom leaf springs from Deaver, larger shocks, upper control arms, upgraded brakes and higher load-rated tires. Those were his picks for the weight he carries. They are not Lone Peak requirements, and what your truck needs depends on your truck and your load. He also shared a video he found helpful while he was researching his truck's weight ratings:

• Bed liner: Cody is a fan of a sprayed-in LineX liner. He still uses his bed for hauling runs, and he likes the extra protection.
• Bed braces: he mentions that some trucks with composite beds, such as some Toyota Tacomas, may benefit from braces near the tailgate. That is worth looking into for your own truck model.
• Sealing gaps: Cody used Sikaflex RV sealant on gaps between the bed floor, wheel wells and front bulkhead, plus the tops of his bed rails, to keep dust and water out and to hold in warm air from his heater on winter trips.
• Tailgate seal: he added a tailgate seal kit. He found that rain stays out, while a little dust and water from truck washes can still get past it on his truck.

• Bubble levels mounted inside the camper on the extrusions, because he wanted a more precise reading than his dashboard gives.
• Leveling blocks. His favorite is a set of GoTreds, which double as recovery boards.
• Headlight aim. After adding weight or changing suspension, he re-aimed his headlights so they would not point too high.

Thanks to Cody for sharing what worked on his F-150. Every truck and every trip is different, so take what is useful for your own build. If you have questions about how a Lone Peak camper fits your truck, our team is happy to help.

What did you do to prep your truck before your camper arrived? Share your setup in the replies.