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William Roach, Sutton, Massachusetts
Lawnmower Deck Reinforced Jack Corners
1992 Dodge D250
2000 StarCraft pop-up camper
This camper was headed for the junkyard unless it could be safely cranked up. To start, I had to replace all the rotten wood from years of neglect.
I then looked around for some steel to use to reinforce the corners of my twenty-two year old camper. The lawnmower deck was something that I had in my junk pile.
I cut out all corners of an old button, walk-behind, lawnmower mower deck to fit on the corners of the camper. I used the cut-off wheel on my drill. I didn’t have to do any welding.
Next, I drilled and screwed the steel onto the camper. Then I drilled and screwed the legs or cranks onto the steel and into the new wood.
This has resulted in reinforced outside corners of the camper where the jack cranks are attached. By adding three-sided steel under the jacks, it has made my camper much more stable. The camper is now solid and safe.
The cost was a little over $100 for a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood, four hardwood strips, two cans of white paint, and a box of screws. I already had the old button, walk-behind mower.
It took me about twenty hours to complete this modification and it would have cost me as much as $1,500 if I had to buy the steel and have the welding done.
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.
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