Roof lift assist

[keith]

We're going to be carrying a canoe up to British Columbia soon. as I'm getting closer to getting everything up there I'm wondering if the old back will put up with lifting the lid with the canoe.

I was looking back at some old tags and see some of what's been done, and I ran into Dick at FWC when I was getting a chair rack installed and he was picking up his Granby after getting some work done. He's got a slick pvc air jack he uses.

Any other ideas out there? At this time I leaning towards lqhikers system.

Thanks for ideas guys!

 

[pods8]

I'm curious how well the new hydraulic assist that FWC installs as an option works out.

 

[dsrtrat]

Roof Lifter

Whatever system you decide to use try and figure out a way to use it to lower the roof as well.
I carry a 60 pound kayak and also have solar and yakima roof racks so I guess I have about 100 pounds total. I can just lift it manually but can't control the weight on the way down.
I built a simple pole from steel stock that works pretty well to lift and also have a controlled lower.
Dsrtrat

 

[keith]

Do you have any pic'c of you're simple pole from steel stock dsrtrat?
As far as the lift assist that FWC is using, the word I got is they are trying to come up with a better way. Plus, I'm not sure it wouldn't add to the force needed to lift. I think it will help in lowering, but to have those shocks in the bed space, I'm thinking not such a great thing.

 

[Kilroy]

I bet if you just keep the door and window closed you will get a nice gentle lowering. I discovered I could hardly get it down with the door closed.

Whatever system you decide to use try and figure out a way to use it to lower the roof as well.
I carry a 60 pound kayak and also have solar and yakima roof racks so I guess I have about 100 pounds total. I can just lift it manually but can't control the weight on the way down.
I built a simple pole from steel stock that works pretty well to lift and also have a controlled lower.
Dsrtrat

 

[HERR42]

that causes the liner to puff out....and that requires "tucking" from the outside.

 

[keith]

I did that in Death Valley. Lowered the top with the door closed and thought wow, that's great. Then I went outside and saw the ballooned top. Had to reraise the top and lower it corectly. Kinda funny when you see it.

 

[dsrtrat]

Lifter Detail

Search the ATC forum for "roof lifter detail", it should show up. It is a couple of pages back.

I should have said it is actually from 1" and 3/4" steel tube. I used materials I had sitting around and it was a prototype. I knocked it out in a couple of hours one rainy day. Works fine, light and compact. I use a cleat to control the lowering.

If I was to build another one I think I would simplify it somewhat with welded on tabs for the pully mounting and would also weld the tubes together.

Do use a good quality pully,the Harken ball bearing blocks made a big difference in the effort needed to raise and a smoother lower.

 

[keith]

I was down at west marine yesterday checking the Harken ball bearing blocks out. Would you still use the "H" design or go to a single inside outside tube with tabs for the blocks? I was also wonderind about using aluminum to keep it lighter.

 

[dsrtrat]

Lifter Detail

Works fine as designed, lighter than the H design. One thing about using aluminum is that you would have to use a thicker material to get the same strength. You usually only gain about a 30% savings over steel with aluminum in a typical application. If you were going to carry it in a backpack go with the lighter. In a truck, why bother.

When I build something I use beers as weight units, a can weighs about a pound. I calculate the difference in beers vs cost of material and fab costs. It's kind of like bicyclists stressing over micro grams on their bikes and then being 10 pounds overweight.

Dsrtrats

 

[keith]

humm. The BWU ( beer weight unit) kinda like the BTU for heat. You may be onto something here!

 

[keith]

I like your design Les. Looks to be about as bombproof as needed. Any idea on the weight. You should be selling blueprints. I just picked up the canoe we'll be using on the trip, but haven't tried to lift the top yet. By the time I got home the rain had started falling hard. Have to wait for another day. I hope this will be a "nice to have" project and not a "need" to have before we leave project.

 

[travelingdan]

Is there a photo somewhere that shows the installed lifts provided by Four Wheel Campers?

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

here you go ...


FaQ:

Are they in the way (Yes, a little).

But do they work? (Yes, they seem to be working well)


======================================================

Is there a photo somewhere that shows the installed lifts provided by Four Wheel Campers?






.

 

[nixfwc]

Gas strut roof lifters

I found this picture on expedition portal web site. Putting gas struts on the outside could solve some problems vs the inside angled lifters. Anyone tried this yet?
Can't seem to paste in the picture so here is web address:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10612&page=20
Looks like it could be a solution. I have been trying the crutch lifter but it still feels like it is lifting allot. Perhaps the Harken pulleys will make a difference.

 

[Buzz]

Gravity Assist Roof Lift

I designed and built this prototype:

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=914&highlight=roof+lift+device

Others on the forum carried my idea along using different materials and modifications. Nothing wrong with building upon the ideas of others.

It served me well for the three months that I spent in AK last summer. I had rigged up a block & tackle system for lifting the roof with a heavy load, but I found it to be very slow.

Later, I attached a stick to the rope upon which I could sit. This made the lift and the collapse of the roof much easier, safer, and more controllable; and, it was quicker. I also did not have to deal with all the rope in the block & tackle.

I don't know just how much weight I had on top, but my 200 lb body would barely do the job. The only real problem that I had was that the bearings in the garage door pulley eventually wore out. A quick stop at Lowes in Kenai took care of the problem.

Also not seen in my original post are the two wood plates with holes to capture the top end of the lifter. This addition will help prevent damage to the roof if something slips. Somebody else on this forum had already done this, using Velcro fasteners. Was it LQ? I permanently attached mine to the "lift" boards on the ceiling of the camper.

-Buzz (Maybe I should change my handle; there are too many "Buzz"-types on this forum. Sometimes I don't know who I am.)

 

[Sam]

nixfwc,

Gas struts on the outside has been on my list of mods to try for a while now. I can't see why it would not work? Also I am not sure how you figure out strut length & angle?