I still remember the first time I watched my camper sway on its jacks, breeze whistling past the aluminum skin, coffee cooling in my hand. One gust and the whole box trembledjust enough to make every instinct yell, do something, now. That morning triggered a deep dive into truck camper sawhorses, lumber math, and the simple joy of rock-solid ground contact.
So here we are. You, me, and a fat pile of pressure-treated boards waiting for their moment. We will walk through plans, shortcuts, and a few stories that smell like fresh sawdust. By the end, you will know exactly how to build, set, and trust a pair of sawhorses that can cradle four thousand pounds without flinching. Sound good? Cool. Grab that mug, settle in.
What Makes Truck Camper Sawhorses A Non-Negotiable Item?
- They shift weight away from fragile corner jacks
- They widen the footprint so the camper stops dancing
- They give you repeatable storage heightno more guessing
- They let you step inside, cook, sleep, or watch rain without fear
- They drop long-term stress on the frame, which protects resale value
Think of sawhorses as the heavy-duty furniture your camper never knew it needed. Simple shape, big payoff.
Quick Specs Most Campers Love
- Target height: 30 inches sets floor level for easy steps and cab-over clearance
- Beam length: 52 inches covers the usual 48-inch floor width with breathing room
- Horse spacing: Four to six feet keeps load centered under major floor braces
- Load goal: 4000 pounds distributed, plus a cushion for two people wandering inside
Measure your rig firstalwaysbut these numbers hit the sweet spot for many owners.
Fast Reality Check Before You Touch A Saw
Stop. Tape measure time.
- Measure ground to floor while the camper rests low on the jacks
- Decide how high you want the finished floor for comfy steps
- Peek underneath and find solid bracingwood blocks, steel beams, whatever holds weight
- Confirm exact floor width where the horses will live
- Note your pad material: concrete, gravel, dirt, swamp mud in spring?
Write it all down. Clarity now saves headaches later.
Material Shopping List That Will Not Let You Down
- Pressure-treated 26 boards for tops, legs, long stretchers
- One 24 for the web of an I-beam style top
- GRK or similar structural screwslag grade, star drive, 4-inch length
- Construction adhesive for every wood-to-wood kiss
- Exterior wood glue to stiffen joints
- Outdoor sealer or paintpick a color you enjoy
- Optional: 10-inch gate hinges, turnbuckles, short chain, eye bolts for adjustable builds
Pressure treatment fights rot. Structural screws laugh at shear forces. Easy.
Tools: The Bare Minimum Plus Two Nice-To-Haves
- Circular saw with a fresh blade
- Speed square
- Tape measure and pencil
- Impact driver and pilot bits
- Safety glasses and ear protection
- Small level
- Orbital sander for clean edges
- Nice-To-Have: Sliding miter saw for repeat cuts, big clamps for stubborn boards
No fancy shop? No problem. Keep cuts square and drive those screws home.
Build Choice One: Fixed Heavy A-Frame Sawhorses
This design lives for long storage, zero fuss, pure muscle. Build once, use forever.
Cut List (Two Horses, 30 inches Tall, 52 inches Long)
- Tops: 2 6, 52 inches, 2 pieces
- Webs: 2 4, 48 inches, 2 pieces
- Caps: 2 6, 48 inches, 2 pieces
- Legs: 2 6, 30 inches, 8 pieces
- Long stretchers: 2 6, 48 inches, 4 pieces
- End stretchers: 2 6, 18 inches, 4 pieces
- Diagonals: 2 4, 66 inches, 2 pieces
Give each leg a five-degree foot bevel if your pad is lumpy.
Assembly Steps
- Build the I-beam toplay a 52-inch 26 flat, glue the 48-inch 24 dead center, screw top and bottom, then cap with the second 26.
- Mark leg spots six inches from each end on both sides.
- Attach legs with glue plus two structural screws through each leg into the web.
- Install long stretchers ten inches off the ground, one per side, screw to legs.
- Add end stretchers between leg pairs for side rigidity.
- Repeat entire dance for the second horse.
- Cross-brace horses front to back with those long diagonals.
- Seal everythingend grain drinks finish first.
Set them under the camper, shim level, breathe easy.
Build Choice Two: Hinged-Leg Sawhorses That Fold Flat
Travel a lot? Storage tight? Hinges and turnbuckles give you flex without surrendering strength.
Extra Hardware
- Four gate hinges per horse
- 38-inch bolts plus washers and lock nuts
- Two turnbuckles per horse
- Four eye bolts per horse
- Two short chain sections per horse
- Carabiners if you crave speed
Cut List
- Tops: 2 6, 60 inches, 2 pieces
- Legs: 2 6, 22 inches, 8 pieces
- Ground pads: scrap 2 6 squares
Build Flow
- bolt hinges to legs near top
- bolt hinge mates to top beam at marks
- drop eye bolts mid-leg and near beam
- connect turnbuckles from beam eye to leg eye for fine tension
- run chain between leg bases to lock spread
- fold, unfold, brag
Use pads on soft dirt. Jack contact stays light. Everything packs flat in the truck bed.
Build Choice Three: Full Belly Support With Jack Stands And Channels
You want showroom stability and own shop space? Go modular steel.
Parts
- Six heavy pyramid jack standsadjustable, rated over one ton each
- Three steel channels cut to camper width
- Two sheets three-quarter plywood ripped lengthwise
- Optional stall mat strips for grip
- 46 beams sized to fit stand saddles
Setup
- line two rows of stands four feet apart
- set steel channels across rows
- lay plywood over channelsthe load spreads like butter on warm toast
- drop camper, tweak stand pins until level
- light jack touch as insurance
Cost higher yet sway drops to near zero.
How Much Weight Do These Horses Shoulder?
Dry hard-side campers often sit in the 3000- to 5000-pound range. Two stout horses under that mass, plus jacks kissing corners, means each horse sees maybe 1500-plus pounds now and again. Build for more than thatbecause friends walk, kids bounce, wind rocks, life happens.
Add a third horse mid-ship if your rig tips the heavier end of the scale.
Proof Test: No Camper, No Panic
- Place finished horses on level slab
- Bridge tops with two 46 beams
- Stack bagged sand or concrete mix until hitting target load
- Wait an hourlisten, watch for splits, measure deflection
- Tighten any lazy screws, add braces if sway whispers back
Pass that test and you can trust real steel and plywood above later.
Leveling Tricks On Wonky Ground
- Slide composite shims under short feet
- Drop wide wood pads on mud or soft turf
- Keep jacks active but gentle
- Lower in small, even bitesfront left, front right, rear left, rear right
Avoid a bind. Your shoulders will thank you.
Daily Height Choices: Comfort Versus Speed
Taller horses shorten jack time when loading back onto the truck. Shorter horses keep steps low during long storage. Pick your poisonor build two sets, swap as seasons change.
A Word On Top Surface Protection
Many owners toss a two-inch rigid foam sheet on each horse before plywood. Foam cushions grain contact, dampens squeaks, and copies the foam you likely run in the truck bed. Cheap, smart.
Weather Care That Actually Works
- Seal end grain; water loves capillaries
- Touch up finish each spring
- Raise feet on pads if puddles appear
- Slide a tarp over horses you store outside
- Swap any split board the moment it cracks
Lazy? Fine. Rot will punish laziness faster than you think.
Store-Bought Versus DIY: Dollars And Drama
Torklift sells a steel-bracket kit that claims 6000-pound capacity per pair. Nice gear, quick result, price near four hundred bucks once you add lumber. Your homemade truck camper sawhorses cost maybe one-hundred, beat that capacity when done right, and teach skills you can reuse forever. Choice feels obvious.
The Right Way To Set The Camper Down
- Park straight, wheels chocked
- Raise camper just enough to clear truck bed
- Slide horses under braced zones; shim level
- Lay foam plus plywood if you use them
- Lower each jack a few inches, rotate aroundslow rhythm wins
- Touch down on horses, let jacks hold slight pressure
- Step inside; listen for groans; adjust jacks if floor tilts
Once you nail the rhythm, unloading becomes smooth routine rather than sweaty gamble.
Mistakes I Have Already Made So You Dont Have To
- Setting horses too close togetherfloor sag in the middle
- Forgetting a diagonal tiewhole pair racked sideways during wind
- Using drywall screwssheared clean on day one
- Skipping sealerblack mildew by fall
- Planting feet in soft dirt without padsone leg sank after rain
You can dodge every one with a bit of patience and scrap lumber.
Living In The Camper Off The Truck? Yes, You Can
The horses carry static weight; jacks tame motion. Add slide-out stabilizers if you own a big multi-slide rig. Move gently, slam no doors, keep weight shifts smooth. You will sleep sound, trust me.
Fast Answers To Questions Folks Type Into Search Bars
- Can I ride in a camper while driving? That depends on state law. Some say yes, others say no. Check rules before wheels roll.
- Major downsides of truck campers? Payload hit, taller profile in wind, higher fuel burn, need for stout storage gear.
- Is off-truck sleeping safe? With solid horses and light jack touch, yes.
- Current cost of a Lance 850? Recent listings hover in the mid-thirty-thousand range; prices swing with options.
Amazon Basics Folding Sawhorse: Handy Shop Buddy, Wrong Job For Campers
I keep one pair for paint projects. Light, cheap, folds slim. Rated nine-hundred pounds for the pairgreat for doors, awful for campers.
Why Woodworkers Love Them
- Instant setup
- Non-slip feet on slick concrete
- Tool hooks that stop cord tangle
- Costs less than a sushi lunch for two
Why Camper Owners Should Pass
- Load rating far below real camper needs
- Fold points hate side shear
- Leg spread narrowtip risk
- Metal edges dent plywood skin
Bottom line: use them for weekend woodworking, never for four-ton living quarters.
Seasonal Checklist That Beats Rot And Rattle
- Wash dirt off once buds pop in spring
- Inspect joints for gaps mid-summer
- Tighten any screw that backs out
- Re-coat end grain before leaves drop
- Store on bricks over winter to keep feet dry
Tiny tasks, big payoff.
Climate Tweaks
- Wet coasts: Extra sealer, rubber under feet, tarp cover
- Snow belt: Brush snow off after storms, pad feet on plywood
- Hot desert: Light paint lowers board temperature, check for surface cracks
- Dusty plains: Blow grit out of hinge pins, wipe screw heads clean
Match care to weather and gear lasts.
Jack Integration That Feels Right
Let horses take ninety-plus percent of static weightjacks supply mild tension. That mix crushes sway while guarding against slow shifts when ground settles.
Which Build Fits Your Life?
- Fixed A-frame: Home base storage, months off truck, zero compromise on strength
- Hinged leg: Road warrior who unloads on wild ground, loves compact storage
- Belly support: Long shop stay, perfectionist who hates motion
Pick one. Or mix. Your call.
Safe Lumber And Hardware Swaps
- Douglas fir or southern yellow pine both carry load like champs
- Skip boards with giant knots near endsthose will split
- Stainless fasteners in salty air zones keep rust at bay
- Construction adhesive boosts stiffness more than fancy joinery
Strong, simple, reliable.
Cheap Bracing Upgrades
- Screw small metal angles at leg-stretcher joints
- Pocket hole a hidden block under the I-beam span over 52 inches
- Add a mid-leg gusset plate from scrap plywood
Pennies, yet the frame stiffens like it hit the gym.
A Real-World Moment From My Driveway
Last fall I unloaded onto fresh A-frames, wind gusts near twenty. Stepped inside, fired the stove, sliced apples, watched rain wrap the windows. No creak, no shimmy, just quiet. Next morning every screw still sat tight, foam layer clean, plywood dry. Confidence earned.
Lightning Round: Tiny Bits Of Wisdom
- Two horses work, three feel bulletproof
- Thirty-inch height hits the Goldilocks zone for many rigs
- Cement blocks crack, skip them
- Bolts last longer than screws if you plan to pull braces often
- Any outdoor sealer beats bare wood
- Long storage on horses is safe when you check level once a month
Final Tiny Checks Before You Walk Away
- Tops level within an eighth of an inch
- Shim faces snug, no wiggle
- Jack pads clear, nothing binds
- Mark horse spots on slab for next time
- Smilejob done
Wrap-Up And A Friendly Nudge
Building truck camper sawhorses is not rocket science, yet the payoff feels huge every time the camper settles onto solid wood and silence follows. One day of work, a pocketful of screws, and you earn seasons of calm storage plus safer weekends off the truck. Post a photo when yours stand proudI love seeing fresh builds. Until then, keep chips flying and travel safe.