philos65
Senior Member
One of the benefits of sewing up new sideliner/canvas is that you can mount the external struts before attaching the lower half of the sideliner. I've been off playing for a couple months and am about ready to install the sideliner - the top, and then the struts, and then the bottom of the sideliner. I have a 36" tall sideliner, and will be curious to see how tall the roof will be, which will be determined by the struts in their fully extended position.
A part of me wants to abandon the whole strut and emt lifter idea and just install four linear actuators - each about $85 from windy nation. I got one and it's really cool. Regardless of the weight on the roof (each actuator lifts 30" and up to 225 lbs), you flip a switch and all four supposedly rise at the same rate.
I'm still thinking out loud - I would make the sideliner 29" so it was taut in the raised position. The thing raises and lowers slowly enough that the weakest point wouldn't break or tear or rip, if you're careful...
The top of the camper body is 54". That's a 83" height for the ceiling. I'm 73" tall, so that totallly works.
My dilemma is - I can tweak the camper and put more money into it - another $300 for three more actuators and accessories, less what I would pay for an EMT lifter setup and the six struts I've bought. I've got $800 invested in a 490 watt solar setup, and the camper was only $500.
After a couple months away from the project I"m more seriously considering the linear actuators. They seem so simple.
Anyone done this???
Jeff
Laramie, WY
A part of me wants to abandon the whole strut and emt lifter idea and just install four linear actuators - each about $85 from windy nation. I got one and it's really cool. Regardless of the weight on the roof (each actuator lifts 30" and up to 225 lbs), you flip a switch and all four supposedly rise at the same rate.
I'm still thinking out loud - I would make the sideliner 29" so it was taut in the raised position. The thing raises and lowers slowly enough that the weakest point wouldn't break or tear or rip, if you're careful...
The top of the camper body is 54". That's a 83" height for the ceiling. I'm 73" tall, so that totallly works.
My dilemma is - I can tweak the camper and put more money into it - another $300 for three more actuators and accessories, less what I would pay for an EMT lifter setup and the six struts I've bought. I've got $800 invested in a 490 watt solar setup, and the camper was only $500.
After a couple months away from the project I"m more seriously considering the linear actuators. They seem so simple.
Anyone done this???
Jeff
Laramie, WY
