Sweet spot for gas lifting struts?

[dstock]

I may be adding gas struts to lift my RTT on my M101a1 build, I figure my rack is approx 80lbs and the RTT is 125lbs. Looking at other people's setups, 100lbs is too much, 75 works but still requires ratchet straps to pull the tent back down, so it appears in the length I need for 14 inches of lift, the next option down is 50lbs. I may add an awning at some point but that's about it on the rack.

I don't mind helping it up a bit, I have lockout pins etc, it's really just about getting it up and down with less effort than manual lifting it.

Thoughts?

 

[Chili]

Subscribing as I am about to build a similar rack.

 

[shack]

I'd try the 50's first. I think they would've been ok for me but because my rack is rigid, there was a little too much binding for the lift they could provide.

 

[dstock]

I'd try the 50's first. I think they would've been ok for me but because my rack is rigid, there was a little too much binding for the lift they could provide.

Thanks, that's the way I was leaning.

 

[shack]

If they don't work, McMaster has a pretty good return policy, so there's that.

 

[sroth]

I currently have a Tepui Kukenam RTT on my rig and went with 4 x 25lbs struts. It works great, just pull the pins and give it a little push. No issue for my wife and I. However I just purchased CVT's Mt. Rainier and will be installing it this weekend. I suspect I will need to go up to 4 x 50lbs struts.

 

[dstock]

If they don't work, McMaster has a pretty good return policy, so there's that.

Which is good because that is exactly where they are coming from!

 

[dstock]

I currently have a Tepui Kukenam RTT on my rig and went with 4 x 25lbs struts. It works great, just pull the pins and give it a little push. No issue for my wife and I. However I just purchased CVT's Mt. Rainier and will be installing it this weekend. I suspect I will need to go up to 4 x 50lbs struts.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Chili]

I currently have a Tepui Kukenam RTT on my rig and went with 4 x 25lbs struts. It works great, just pull the pins and give it a little push. No issue for my wife and I. However I just purchased CVT's Mt. Rainier and will be installing it this weekend. I suspect I will need to go up to 4 x 50lbs struts.

Very interested in your results, as mine is a Rainier too.

 

[axehead]

If you change the fixing point of the strut, it changes the leverage.

If you design your fixing point to be adjustable, you can keep swapping until you find the sweet spot.

Something as simple as a square hollow section with a hole drilled every inch

 

[Louisd75]

McMaster Carr has a simplified drawing in their catalog for gas strut selection that may help. Here's the only picture of it I could find online:

If you don't mind doing a little bit o'math:

I'm pretty sure McMaster has adjustable gas struts. They come with a higher force than needed and you let pressure out til you get what you want. It's a one way deal though, they're not really intended to be re-pressurized.

 

[Whtshos]

I currently have a Tepui Kukenam RTT on my rig and went with 4 x 25lbs struts. It works great, just pull the pins and give it a little push. No issue for my wife and I. However I just purchased CVT's Mt. Rainier and will be installing it this weekend. I suspect I will need to go up to 4 x 50lbs struts.

I am ordering 4 #50 struts this week. My thoughts are I would rather give it an assist up than fight it back down. If I am wrong, I will have to jump to the #75's. I have the TEPUI Gran Sabana and between tent and rack, I am real close to the #200 side. If 4x #50 is not enough, I will have to add some sort of retractor with the #75's.

 

[sroth]

I installed my CVT Mt. Rainier yesterday. I currently have 4 x 25lbs struts. The rack requires a bit more assistance to elevate than the Tepui Kukenam. So I think I will increase to 4 x50lbs. The Mt Rainier and the Gran Sabana are about the same weight so you should be good with 4 x 50lbs.

 

[sroth]

I increased to 4 x50lbs with great success. For the CVT Mt. Rainier and my rack these work very well.