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Old 02-09-2017, 06:27 PM   #1
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Bed lift strut was not helping the lift very much -

this issue is with the bed lift gas strut, as I was about to replace it.

I noticed that it was rated for 100 lbs., and I was surprised, thinking it was much lower.
It was not assisting the bed lift by anything measurable.

I put some magic marker on the piston rod, so I could see if there was any adjustment that
I could work with. I noticed that there was about 1.5" of piston rod that was not going into the cylinder when the bed was down.

I guesstimated that it would be worth a try to move the bottom mounting bracket back(closer to the cylinder) by 1".
This actually worked great, although I heard a slight crack come from
the piece of mounting plywood on the bottom mount where I had moved the bracket. The
plywood did not break, but it was not a standard plywood. It was a light sub-standard plywood
that was weak and flexible. I replaced that with a piece of standard 1/2" plywood. I also added
a supporting wood bracket for reinforcement.

All is now working fine, and much better than expected. The bed lifts easily with one hand
and feels much better supported when lifted up.

Sorry, no pic at this time. If anybody would like to see a pic, let it be known.

Another bug fixed...
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Old 02-10-2017, 01:29 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mickrock View Post
this issue is with the bed lift gas strut, as I was about to replace it.

I noticed that it was rated for 100 lbs., and I was surprised, thinking it was much lower.
It was not assisting the bed lift by anything measurable.

I put some magic marker on the piston rod, so I could see if there was any adjustment that
I could work with. I noticed that there was about 1.5" of piston rod that was not going into the cylinder when the bed was down.

I guesstimated that it would be worth a try to move the bottom mounting bracket back(closer to the cylinder) by 1".
This actually worked great, although I heard a slight crack come from
the piece of mounting plywood on the bottom mount where I had moved the bracket. The
plywood did not break, but it was not a standard plywood. It was a light sub-standard plywood
that was weak and flexible. I replaced that with a piece of standard 1/2" plywood. I also added
a supporting wood bracket for reinforcement.

All is now working fine, and much better than expected. The bed lifts easily with one hand
and feels much better supported when lifted up.

Sorry, no pic at this time. If anybody would like to see a pic, let it be known.

Another bug fixed...
I would like to see a picture of your setup. I have wondered the same thing that you described. Lifts the bed fine but if you have blankets and pillows the strut can't hold it.
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Old 02-14-2017, 11:37 AM   #3
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Here is the pic, with more explain -

The pic shows the original mounting plywood behind the new, and note that the front lift strut mounting bracket had crushed into and deformed the original plywood. I could feel some flex in the board, so I decided to replace it, rather than risk a board break while camping. There are 3 mounting holes, and 2 of them had screws and nuts, and the 3rd had a wood screw in it. I decided to switch the wood screw to a screw and nut on the new mount.

Mounted in front is the new piece of standard plywood that I cut a little larger than the original. I used 2 bolts and nuts and attached it to the bottom of the cross member board. Note the bolt heads are countersunk. The front cylinder mounting plate is moved to the rear about 1” from the original position.

It might have been easier to move the rear mounting plate, on the bed lift board, to the front by 1”, but I felt it better to replace the front mounting plywood. Noting that it had weakened, it could have worsened any time, although that was not certain to happen.

The Coolcat ductwork is immediately below this area, so it is a good idea to have some aluminum duct tape to repair any damage to the aluminum foil.

I also removed, downsized, and reinstalled the small piece of paneling in the corner of the main storage area. The panel protects the Coolcat ductwork from awning poles and other large objects going into the storage area. But, the panel was also blocking some usable storage area in the corner.

The lift strut is rated at 100 lbs and that is quite strong. I’d advise to check your cylinder rating before going into this mod.

I am amazed at how good this lift is working now.
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Old 02-14-2017, 01:05 PM   #4
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Thank you for the information and picture. I will have to do this mod now. I use 3 plastic bins under the bed which contain all the clothes I would need for a trip. Every day it is opened/closed a lot and it would be nice if it would stay open!

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Old 02-14-2017, 03:13 PM   #5
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My 5'r has the same setup yours had. Even though the 5'r was used when I bought it, the dealer had installed a brand new good quality mattress. Intending on giving away that mattress to a friend as we intended on installing a sleep number bed, we removed the RV mattress. The struts were so strong that the flimsy plywood used at FR shot straight up as we removed the mattress.
I installed the sleep number bed, and it was not heavy enough to hold the plywood down. Had to remove both struts.
I do like your modification and will try to find some lighter duty struts along with proper rated plywood. Hopefully that combination will allow access to the storage under the mattress easily.
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Old 02-18-2017, 02:26 PM   #6
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I've had problems with this gas strut also. Been replaced twice. Now, I just use a hardwood stick, cut to size to hold the bed up. A lot easier then removing any items on the bed before lifting. Also, the strut needs extra support when mounting, so the screws/bolts done pull out. Been there, done that.
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