Hi All,
1st post on WTW. Been looking around for a while and just picked up an old fleet for my Tacoma.
WV. I love the conduit lifting panel design. The previous owner of mine completely took out my front panel and was just using a 2X4.
I am hoping to completely copy your design.
Any suggestions about the build, improvements you would make?
You mention you wish the load was spread out more, two things:
Why didn't you make it generally wider? So that it was the width of the entire roof.
And for more attachment points (at least for the top) I was thinking something like this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA5D52JE7027&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PCplaDrains+%26+Traps9SIA5D52JE7027&gclid=CjwKEAjwp56wBRDThOSZ3vqGzmESJABjNaj9kFP8aliu9qvXZLoNBr96rpJiOUzdA84AdOBAWXc6PxoCAonw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Not sure if it is going to work, I need to get into the roof to see what I can attach too.
For your lower attachments. Any comment about that? From the few pictures I see of it, it look like maybe it sticks out a bit into the mattress. Is that the case or is it all good? Do you have a part number for those brackets you use? How did you connect the conduit to the bracket?
How do you connect all the brackets to the camper frame?
Also, in looking through the enlarged photos on the photobucket link, I think I see one where you put some type of handle on the front with a locking mechanism to fix the problem of climbing on the bed to raise the roof. Can you give any more spesifics of that?
http://s49.photobucket.com/user/wvtradbow/media/bracket_zpsfpsmszfj.jpg.html
Any more specifics, comments, and photos you can offer on your lifting system are a huge help. I am going to pass on the gas strut helpers for now just to save money and get the camper in action as quickly as possible.
I can't believe more people haven't gone after this before. For someone like us with a few hundred dollar camper, its nearly impossible to justify the 500 panels.
Thanks for all and any help.
Tim