Camper Mod Contest Entries

Fail-Safe Pop-Up Roof Latch Reminder

Welcome to the fourth entry in March’s Mini Mod Contest.  One Mini Mod will be published in every Email Alert in March.  At the end of the month we’ll hold a reader vote to determine March’s winner.  Click here for information about the 2020 Mod Squad Contest, including how to enter.

Jason Stone
Fail-Safe Pop-Up Roof Latch Reminder
2007 Ram 1500
Northstar TC650

After accidentally driving off with the top of my Northstar TC800 pop-up truck camper in the up position, I gave it some fail-safe thought.

I simply added a 14-inch lanyard with a carabiner to the front driver’s roof latch.  When the roof is unhooked, the lanyard dangles near my driver’s side window.  It’s impossible to miss when entering the truck.

If I somehow managed to miss it right in my face as I entered the truck, it would then flap against the driver’s window in the wind which is literally impossible to miss.

Once I latch the camper’s top back in the down position, I simply wrap the lanyard (mid-gauge all-weather military 400-cord) around the roof latch a couple times so it’s not flapping in the wind.  At one point I did upgrade it to a braided stainless steel leash from Home Depot.

It works like a charm!  I leave the lanyard dangling all the time when the top is up.  The mod took 3-minutes to complete and cost about $1.  In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is easy.

Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.

Enter Your Mods Now!

If you’d like to enter a modification you’ve done on your truck camper, click here. You can enter as many mods as you want, at any time.  Good luck mod makers!

 

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