A camper tie-down is required for safety and decreed by law to be used by recreational vehicles in anchoring their campers. Camper use regulations require a minimum of four camper tie-down equipment to be installed on vehicles that carry campers when they are in motion. A camper tie-down must each be installed on four points in camper carrying vehicles to securely anchor a camper on a vehicle. The camper tie-down equipment can either be anchored on the bed of a vehicle or on the vehicle frame itself. A camper tie-down can prevent damage to a vehicle body from rubbing and vibration. Utilizing a camper tie-down is a must to maintain vehicle stability and securing the camper from sliding off the vehicle and presenting a hazard to other vehicles on the road. It is a good idea for camper vehicle owners to have extra sets of camper tie-down equipment for added security and further anchoring extra heavy campers to their vehicles.

A frame-mounted camper tie-down can be attached crosswise on the forward part of a vehicle frame with the rear camper tie down accessory attached to the vehicle’s rear hitch receiver to secure the rear part of the camper to the vehicle. Another variation of a frame-mounted camper tie-down uses a durable square metal tube mounted on the frame of the vehicle with a smaller tube that is slid into place and retained by a pin to securely anchor the chain and turnbuckle tie down to both the vehicle and the camper. Special anchoring clips can also be used to securely attach the chain and turnbuckle tie-down on the rear bumper or rear part of the vehicle frame. A front and rear, frame-mounted camper tie-down is used to secure the modern but much heavier campers used by recreational vehicles today.

The bed-mounted tie-down is the simplest camper tie down to use since only a metal plate is attached or bolted to the body of a vehicle to mount the camper tie-down. The disadvantage of a bed-mounted camper tie-down is that it can easily damage the body of a vehicle if a heavy camper is anchored to the thin skins of modern truck beds. However, the bed-mounted camper tie-down can suffice if its use is limited to attaching only the lightweight campers to a truck bed. Bed-mounted camper tie-down equipment must not be used on modern, heavier campers due to the higher risk of vehicle bed or body damage.

The camper tie-down must be rated to be able to secure the camper’s weight and withstand the forces involved in emergency turns or high vehicle acceleration. The camper tie-down must be able to secure the entire weight of the camper to prevent it from becoming an unsecured hazard on the road. A good rule of thumb to follow in choosing a camper tie down load anchoring ability and to safely anchor a camper under all road conditions is to compare its load rating on the total weight of the vehicle that the camper is attached to. Solidly anchoring a light or heavy camper is paramount in ensuring safety for the camper carrying vehicle and other vehicles on the road.