Ford Unveils Weird Camper Testing Rig for 2017 F-Series Super Duty

The Blue Oval’s engineers are aware that many customers convert their F-Series Super Duty models to campers, so they showcased a testing rig that simulates the addition of this structure. The idea behind the improvised testing bench is to allow engineers to experience the vehicle in demanding driving conditions with the center of gravity raised by a structure similar to a camper.

Because Ford engineers used a particular rig instead of a regular camper, they can experience what owners will never do, because their structure brings everything to the extreme, including the center of gravity to the highest level possible.

In the case of the rig you see in the video below, Ford built it mainly to simulate a weight of over 7,500 pounds. According to the Blue Oval, the specified weight is that of a large camper that was loaded with supplies for an extended trip of an outdoor enthusiast. We are talking about elements like fresh water, batteries, and fuel, which can add up the pounds significantly.

Once the rig is ready and fitted to the F-Series Super Duty of the 2017 model year, Ford engineers take it testing on the Arizona Proving Grounds. As you can observe in the video below, engineers are testing low-speed and high-speed lane changes, to ensure the vehicle keeps the trajectory the driver intends to follow even with that much weight behind it.

Naturally, Ford tests its Super Duty trucks in other conditions as well, but this video and the subsequent story only focused on the unique rig developed by the company for testing purposes.

The apparatus presented in the video below is the second that Ford reveals this spring, as the Blue Oval showcased another testing aid for the Super Duty F-Series pick-up trucks. The former was a dynamometer sled to simulate steep hills on regular roads.