roof lifting helper shocks thingys

[Alex]

The horizontal distance between the brackets must be greater than or equal to the length of the compressed strut. Place the extended strut at the points you want to attach it. Mark both the bottom and top bracket points. Lower your roof and measure the horizontal distance between these points. If it is greater than the length of the compressed strut, then you are good.


Thanks for the tip, I've been thinking about this and you just clear it for me!

 

[Gormley Green]

Thanks for the tip, I've been thinking about this and you just clear it for me!


Ditto! 23 pages for the short answer

 

[Overland Hadley]

The horizontal distance between the brackets must be greater than or equal to the length of the compressed strut. Place the extended strut at the points you want to attach it. Mark both the bottom and top bracket points. Lower your roof and measure the horizontal distance between these points. If it is greater than the length of the compressed strut, then you are good.


Well said!

Just one thing, you do not need to lower the roof to measure the horizontal distance, just makes it a bit easier with a standard measuring device.

 

[craig333]

If the panels are in real bad shape would they need to be replaced after you have the shock assist? Would you even need the end panels????


I think thats a maybe. Just sitting in the driveway the struts hold the roof up just fine. Would it be in a strong wind? I don't know. I sure wouldn't want a snow load on the roof with just the struts. Would they make poor/failing panels last longer? Probably.

 

[tk254254]

Well, my back panels are going bad. Like any minute they might implode kind of bad. So it would be a lot easier to put shocks back there and tear the panels out. You could fashion a 2x4 on each side (from interior top to aluminum ledge) to make sure the top is blocked into the up position (snow load / wind / etc).

If there's no longer a real function for the panels, then why rebuild them?

 

[Gormley Green]

I have a rain gutter on the top of my door frame, and also screwed into the roof itself. The installation at the rear just became a serious head scratcher! I dont think it's possible without removing the roof mount rain gutter. And even then, I have the LED light bar to contend with. My back wall is busy, I think FWC didnt want me to do this! Haven't seen any other campers on here with the double gutter.

 

[jbahr]

I have a rain gutter on the top of my door frame, and also screwed into the roof itself. The installation at the rear just became a serious head scratcher!




It can be done! You may have to trim the length of the top rain gutter though. Here it is on another Hawk.

 

[Gormley Green]

It can be done! You may have to trim the length of the top rain gutter though. Here it is on another Hawk.


Well I have a new best friend! Thanks!

 

[Overland Hadley]

It can be done! You may have to trim the length of the top rain gutter though.


If you have the offset brackets it will work without trimming.

 

[Gormley Green]

If you have the offset brackets it will work without trimming.


They would need to stick out about 1/2" more to clear my rain gutter on the roof trim. It is extensive. The pic above is the only way to go. I have the same offset brackets everyone else has.

 

[jbahr]

If you have the offset brackets it will work without trimming.



The offset brackets are used in the picture I attached, and they still don't give enough clearance from the rain gutter, it has to be trimmed.

 

[rhuntzinger]

The offset brackets are used in the picture I attached, and they still don't give enough clearance from the rain gutter, it has to be trimmed.

Has anyone had problems installing the "Columbia" struts. I am having a hard time getting the vertical distance on my 2012 Fleet and still allowing the strut to compress fully. I don't know if my roof is higher than some of the older models but it seems that the recommended "Columbia" struts will not work for the required distance vs. compressed length without some sort of longer mounting bracket. Any suggestions. Suspa brand? longer brackets? Thanks for the input.

 

[specjoe]

Has anyone had problems installing the "Columbia" struts. I am having a hard time getting the vertical distance on my 2012 Fleet and still allowing the strut to compress fully. I don't know if my roof is higher than some of the older models but it seems that the recommended "Columbia" struts will not work for the required distance vs. compressed length without some sort of longer mounting bracket. Any suggestions. Suspa brand? longer brackets? Thanks for the input.


Had the same issues with my side mounting with the Columbia struts and you can see how I ended up in my post #207. Popup fabric is more loose in up position, which leads to more flapping in the wind. No extention of the struts with almost weekly use since October. Guess I'm stuck where I'm at.
-joe D.

 

[Northern Explorer]

Has anyone had problems installing the "Columbia" struts. I am having a hard time getting the vertical distance on my 2012 Fleet and still allowing the strut to compress fully. I don't know if my roof is higher than some of the older models but it seems that the recommended "Columbia" struts will not work for the required distance vs. compressed length without some sort of longer mounting bracket. Any suggestions. Suspa brand? longer brackets? Thanks for the input.


I have also learned the hard way that the generic struts found on eBay will not work. Here are the measurements to compare.

Generic = 36 inches expanded and 20.5 inches compressed. This makes the compressed length 56.9% of the expanded length.

Suspa brand = 35.34 inches expanded and 19.29 inches compressed. This makes the compressed length 54.5% of the expanded length.

It doesn't sound like much but it makes all the difference. The Suspa brand is also a little more beefy.

 

[sdmarkus]

Has the Supra brand been discontinued? Having a hard time finding a good source online. Anyone have a link for me?

Many thanks,

Mark

 

[Alley-Kat]

Ebay. When I just did a search on Ebay using "Suspa" it came up with 690 results (14 pages). I just wish they had a better way (a more consistent way) to describe the items, like the length and force... 36 inches x 40 lbs, would be excellent. Each seller seems to do it differently and even some sellers change the way they describe each gas strut.

 

[MarkBC]

Has the Supra brand been discontinued? Having a hard time finding a good source online. Anyone have a link for me?

Here's a link to one source:
Suspa C16-15952 on ebay
I didn't shop around, so these may not be the cheapest source...but I ordered two pairs of these today.
(unfortunately, I also ordered two pairs of brackets...when it's four pair of brackets that's needed.

)
-------------------------------------

OK, here's an issue/question that I didn't see asked/mentioned (though I only read the last 10 pages of this thread):
I see most pictures showing the two brackets that are closer together (could be on top or on the bottom) are usually mounted as close together as possible -- even when there's room to spread them wider, such as in this photo:

Maybe it's fine to do it this way....but is there an advantage to putting the close-together ends as close as possible -- if spacing isn't limited by the roof latches?

At the rear of my 2005 Hawk there's ~72 inches space between the latches and in the front there's 54 inches. The struts, compressed, are <20 inches long, so combined they're ~40 inches. Any reason I shouldn't make use of that space and spread them out? Probably isn't a big deal either way...but my rationale is this: If two people were going to lift the roof with their own muscles, would they stand right next to each other (or with their hands right next to each other) OR would each guy stand and lift near a corner -- i.e., spread out?
Anyway, that's the way I'm gonna do it if I don't hear/think of a reason not to.

Another mounting-position question that probably doesn't really matter, but I'm asking:
Any reason to choose between: 1) putting the close-together ends of the struts on the roof (making an A-shape)? or 2) putting the close-together ends on the camper body (making a V-shape)? I've seen it both ways, and didn't notice a comment on it, so probably doesn't matter.

I have enough room on mine to do it either way.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Has the Supra brand been discontinued? Having a hard time finding a good source online. Anyone have a link for me?

Many thanks,

Mark


I have an extra set, thought I was going to use them on my camper but have decided to try a different setup. PM if you are interested in them.

 

[craig333]

You only read ten pages of the thread? Shame on you. Come back for advice after you've read the entire thing

 

[MarkBC]

I debated for a while about which roof-project comes first: Solar Panel or Lifting-Assist Struts?
If I put the panel on first without the struts I may not be able to get the top up, which is important for installing the struts...and if I put the struts on first I may not be able to get the top down, which is important for installing the panel.

I decided to go with the struts first, because I figured I could add some temporary weight, to get the top down, if necessary.

Turns out, it really was necessary, and even with temporary test-weight equal to the to-be-installed panel (~25lb) I have to pull the roof down from the inside. I only have struts installed on the front, so far. Suspa C16-15952 ("40-lb").

You can see my temporary weight hanging down like ear rings from the side roof-clip-hooks, which is pretty close to where the panel will be -- front-rear-wise. (glad my climbing gear could get some use!

)


I filled the cans with an eye-balled-amount of water that I guesstimated -- based on the density of water and the size of the cans -- would equal the weight of the solar panel...and was shocked to discover that the the total (weighed on a scale) was actually within 1 lb of the target weight.

I positioned the bottom anchor of the struts at the lowest point that would geometrically work, based on the extended and retracted lengths and based on the struts being fully extended with the roof raised.
Why there, why lower? Well, it may not matter much, but I picked that low point because it puts the struts in a bit more of a pushing-up angle when down (increases the vertical component-of-force), so should give a little more oomph to get the lifting started. Turns out I could have positioned the bottom anchor even a little lower -- there's about 1" of compression not used -- but I wanted to leave a little margin of error in case my measure-five-times-drill-and-attach-once approach was still a little off.

Seems like craig333 posted somewhere that his struts got a little softer, easier to move, after a while, but I can't find that post now. Anyone else find that their similar struts were stiffer at first and got "better"?