Thanks Hugh for the post. As I have been upfitting my F-450 I have been learning more and I agree with you the F-450 is not wider and that my Toyo tires are not stock (as I assumed because they are on the stock 19.5″ rims).
My mounting decision was for two reasons. If I reversed them, the hinge point is so close to the camper that they hit the side of the truck and the hinge can’t “lock” because it can’t reach a 90′ angle. I fold them in now, hinge point on the fixed bracket, and with my mirrors out I have really good line of sight and they don’t block.
I did have to make a total of four mods to make the Laredo SC fit on this truck (I don’t know if you have an 8′ bed like the 450 or if that would matter for #2 below).
1. Double extension brackets, one hinged and one fixed. While it is probably ok from an engineering standpoint, I have a little anxiety about all the weight on the double hinge, so after loading/unloading I have two simple car jacks with a 2×4 that I lower the Laredo on taking all the weight of the front and just barely put weight on the front jacks for stability. This also makes it ROCK solid and I’m a big guy (6′ 4″,400lbs).
2. The rear tie down point was right over the dually fender (!!). So I had to purchase the rear tied down relocation kit, basically a long heavy angle iron, which gives me a tied down point way in the back behind the fenders, and also had a welder move the front tie down point on the kit out so I clear the sides and am not scratching the truck with my fast guns.
3. A home-made bumper in front, so the back overhang of the Laredo doesn’t hit the dually fenders. I think Kevin MacAfee helped me there (thank you!) instead of trying to buy and install bumpers on the camper.
4. I have 3″ rise in the bed, which is a 4×8 sheet of plywood, with three 2×4 strings under it and then a horse stall mat (had to buy 2 and cut one) screwed into that. Since the bed is actually wider than 4′ between the wheel wells I cut a 4×4 down to fill in the gap, as one time it shifted off the platform and was leaning. So no more of that. I needed this rise to get over the cab height (I have a 2019) and clear the market lights.
Attached are bunch of pics as they are always helpful. This was a lot of monkeying around, but now that it is dialed in I really do love it. It is just solid. While the camper is a little small for this truck, hence needing all these mods, I do love the Laredo so much, and I can tow my 5,000 BBQ trailer or my 30′ boat trailer with no hitch extensions or anything. The F-450 barely knows its there. My BBQ trailer has a 1,000 lb tongue weight (rear wheels are in the very very back of the trailer) and with the camper and that on it barely sits the truck level from the factor rake (so no airbags needed).
Open to comments and further help – I’m still a nooob! Thanks!
-Kevin
