Exterior Electronic pop top lifter?

[sunnyoz]

Yes
:welcome:

I hope you can sort it out as you need to keep camping!

More info on the pop top setup might prompt some real suggestions....and we've been playing around with the idea of those lifters as well.
We now have the van, the pop top is more difficult to raise than we're used to but it seems a heavier roof requires some sort of weightlifting stance with legs apart and all the force generated as vertically as possible.

So far, so good for us but you'll need to protect your shoulder as well so some sort of help with the lifting could be a solution.

Can you take a strong toy boy with you?

:spider:

Can you take a strong toy boy with you?

Good God! - not in a million bloody years!! That's why I was hoping to do this 'getting away in a van' thing! Have managed for all my adult life without so called 'strong any-kind-of-male' and could not think of anything worse than travelling around with one! Would rather give up idea of touring than that. You are right about the weight lifting stance - so right. I was at a van park just a few days ago and asked a fellow pop top traveller how she manages. And she NEVER raises her pop top! she is only 5'1" and says in all the 5 years she has had the van, top has never been raised. She does allot of touring around, and told me she has come across a large number of people who struggle to get their pop tops up. Can't understand it - seems people must just put up with it.
So still deciding what to do!

 

[Dobbie]

If you don't need to rush then take your time.

I started this thread as we'd ordered a new van with aircon and solar on the roof and were a little worried that we might have trouble lifting the pop top. Previous pop top (no roof air) was easy.

Since then, we've collected the van and it is more difficult to lift ....but we're getting there. It was a bit stiff to start with but ok now.

Two things we now do....the first is lift the end closer to the door first. The air that is drawn through the door by the lifting of the pop top can cause a vacuum effect and make the lift more difficult. The other end, with most of the weight, is easier. Go figure!

The second is always use the weight lifters' stance. It looks like your van travels low so there's a fair height for the pop top to be lifted.

I notice you have one set of cross struts only...is that right? and I can't tell where the door is.

so, before you rush off and spend money, I'd play around a bit with changing which end gets lifted first.

and maybe add another strut?

The 'grab a toy boy ' comment was tongue in cheek! Good to know you're an independent lady! I applaud!

 

[Crusty181]

The scissor lifters should have some kind of spring in them? otherwise the roof wouldn't stay up. Maybe that spring need replacing; failing that, there appears to enough room to mount a few gas struts in addition to those scissor lifters.

 

[crackacoldie]

These are the over centre arms used to lift our lid. Makes it much easier. You lift one end at a time. If you speak to a caravan repairer they may be able to fit them for you.

 

[bigcol]

not seen inside, but I am guessing @sunnyoz that you have NOTHING like that inside to lift the lid???

 

[sunnyoz]

Correct. Have driven over 550kms to see a number of Van repairers... Have comments like - 'we can try this' and 'this might work'. I do have one cross bar on each side and these have been checked - are in good condition. Door is at back of van. Not interested in mights or maybes, as I live so far away - not easy to 'pop back' if not happy, or not working. The picture crackacoldie posted - can't be used. Cannot lift roof from one end at a time - needs to be in lifted in middle. Have already booked in to get air lifters - better the cost of this than damaging my back. Believe me - I know. A brother is practically bed ridden with a bad back after a work injury, and he is in constant pain and immobile. I don't want that. It can happen in an instant, and after my recent scare I was not going to take the chance. And putting air lifters will only enhance the van's value - not detract from it.
Dobbie - yes, you do need to do the weightlifters stance - but for an untrained person - particularly a 60's plus person - this can be highly dangerous. A clean jerk could tear your shoulder/neck muscles, and damage your spine. Believe me - I know!
So van is in big smoke getting some work done - then I will be mobile!

 

[Dobbie]

Good on you.

Onwards and upwards, hopefully.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[bigcol]

and some piccies of what it looks like @sunnyoz

be interested to see them.....

 

[donnybabes]

I have the air lifts fitted to my van and find them fantastic.I am a "well preserved" female and in my mid sixties and found I had problems lifting my roof 16.49 Expanda due to back issues.I say it was money well spent and makes it more of a pleasure to go out with the van than without them.

 

[Dobbie]

As I raised the question in the first place, I have to report we're managing to raise the roof relatively easily.

It takes two to do it, unlike the situation without roof top air con. One person job then.

So far, so good...but if it gets any harder we'll be looking at the air lift stuff.

 

[dagree]

So far, so good...but if it gets any harder we'll be looking at the air lift stuff.

Or we could start a "Go Fund Me" account to cover a gym membership for you @Dobbie

 

[GrantJ]

Rieco-Titan was producing electric lift kits for the Palomino ute campers int he states a couple years back. Nothing on Rieco-Titan's website today, but they're only a email away....ask if they still make them. Could be a sellable item in Australia for all the grey nomads.

It a shame we can't get a winder type arrangement like in the Jayco campers - lift jacks in the corners. As they only need to lift less than 1/2 a meter, they could be really inventive and have dual ended units with separate controls - up for roof, down for stablisers..

edit: Palomino campers have an australian seller too, not just in the states http://www.palominorvaustralia.com.au/features/
http://www.riecotitan.com/flyers/erls_2015.pdf

I have been doing a lot of measuring and calculating over the Christmas break with regard to linear actuators.
The skirt is a pain in the arse as if you have good condition folding straps that skirt gets in the way.
I have 4 actuators when extended go out to 25 inches and closed 15 inches.
Extended length is good but retracted they are 6 inches to tall.
I am still still looking at fitting it all up with different (shorter) actuators.
A couple of pix of current ones.
I am aiming to get an almost vertical lift on each corner. Motor unit is 4 inches long

 

[Crusty181]

Welcome to the forum @GrantJ.

I like your thinking with the actuators. Plenty of people would be interested and its come up regularly enough. A remote module would make it super user friendly.

I would suggest you investigate angling the actuators because im thinking the angling of the gas struts performs lifting and locational and stability functions as well. A vertical lift system would have very little ability to cross brace itself and possibly locate the roof accurately against wind etc.

2 x circuits to lift one end then the other would replicate the factory strut system.

Keep us in the loop

 

[Boots in Action]

Welcome to the forum @GrantJ.

I like your thinking with the actuators. Plenty of people would be interested and its come up regularly enough. A remote module would make it super user friendly.

I would suggest you investigate angling the actuators because im thinking the angling of the gas struts performs lifting and locational and stability functions as well. A vertical lift system would have very little ability to cross brace itself and possibly locate the roof accurately against wind etc.

2 x circuits to lift one end then the other would replicate the factory strut system.

Keep us in the loop

Hi @GrantJ , I only have a wind up Penguin and find the wind-up mech very good. In my travels, I have seen two occasions when electric 12 volt power was used to hydraulically raise or lower roof. Two problems arise: you must have sufficient battery power at all times for raising or lowering, and also the lifting/lowering must be vertical. In both cases because the lifting/lowering pistons were on a slight lean, there was a tendency to jam when all 4 pistons were not under the same load. This meant holding/pushing against the problem side to get close to vertical, which was accomplished with our outside help. The low state of the battery did not make the task any easier either. If as @Crusty181 stated, there is a fair wind blowing, it will increase the problem of getting vertical stability.