Hi have just joined this forum, so glad I found it, been looking around at the posts and enjoyed a giggle at some of the posts lol. Traveled around Australia in 2005/6 with my best 4 legged friend in a camper trailer to Queensland, left it at my son's place, then went by tent and station wagon to Perth and back. Now looking to start over again, have to sell my small acreage property first. Just wondering if any solo ladies have a pop top caravan, how they manage lifting and pulling down the roof by themselves. Looking forward to meeting and chatting with solo travelers. Have an enjoyable day
Yuglamron said
11:19 AM Feb 26, 2014
Lubrication,
Not being dirty but well lubricated slides and joints will make raising or lowering the Pop Top much easier. There are also other options too.
Gas struts can help raise and lower the roof and take the weight. There is now an airbag system that is driven by a small air compressor that has an airbag in each corner that raises the roof for you.
I don't know the price but I expect it won't be cheap.
I am sure there will be posts from people that had concerns about raisng Pop Top roofs so you will get some good ideas.
Welcome to the forum and Happy Travels
halfpint said
02:38 PM Feb 26, 2014
Hello Miss Rose, I am a sola traveller with my dog Millee, I do have to remind her from time to time she IS a dog :) happy travells Miss Rose. Patty.
Nelly said
04:24 PM Feb 26, 2014
Welcome to a wonderful and very informative forum Miss Rose. I own a slide-on and it has gas struts in the corners for lifting the top - makes it very easy - sorry I can't help you with the pop-top caravan. Happy travels with whatever you come up with.
Miss Rose said
08:04 AM Feb 27, 2014
Many thanks for the welcome. Also thanks for the info on lifting the roof on pop top caravans, I will look into it. Have a wonderful day
_wombat_ said
08:51 AM Feb 27, 2014
Miss Rosie
Vic41 said
10:41 AM Feb 27, 2014
Welcome Rose,
There is a 12v electrical system to raise AND lower the roofs, however I have only heard of one being installed, one of the GN's had it installed in their pop top on their campervan before they sold the van.
I believe it was not cheap. It was installed by Dove Campervans in Welshpool (Perth) I am sure if you rang or emailed them they would be able to give you more details of the system they used and the price etc, I know you are on the other side of Oz but if you know what the system is you might be able to get it over your way somewhere.
Here is Doves conversion website with phone and email address;
Trouble with the airlifters is they lift the roof but don't help lower the roof.
Struts are ok but if the load is too great they too can be a problem (eg; a bed with a foam mattress may lift easy, but add an inners spring and they may struggle unless heavier duty struts replace the others).
If you look at the picture I put on an earlier post here, it looks like there are struts under the bed as well as the electric actuator, suggesting the struts may not have been up to the task.
I am guessing the electric acutator's which have a switch to raise and lower pop tops/beds etc would be similar to those electric bed raisers hospitals use.
Here is a simple method that I used in the past;
With pop tops, Jayco caravans have a lever (fulcrum) type frame at each end of the pop top which makes it very easy to put up and down (making sure the van door is open to allow air pressure adjustment), however some other makes like Coromal etc don't have these, just a couple of drawer type handles on the ceiling and are not easy to put up/down.
I have had both types of vans. What I did with my Coromal was to push up with my head and shoulders (I am tall) once your start the momentum the springs and struts will take over. If you are a short person you can use a small step stool to get some height. What I used to pull the roof down on the Coromal was a skipping rope (cord) type configuration with a snap on hook (carabeena type) at each end. I would hook one end onto a handle then the other to the other handle.
The rope (cord) would be of a length so that when attached to the roof handles it would hang down in a loop about 9-12 inches above the floor. Grab the two handles with your hands and put one foot in the loop, then start to pull on the roof handles and at the same time push downwards with your foot on the loop. Once the momentum down starts the poptop springs and struts take over. This method can also be used on pop top campervans. Worked for me...
-- Edited by Vic41 on Friday 28th of February 2014 12:23:40 PM
eureka said
11:28 AM Mar 1, 2014
halfpint wrote:
Hello Miss Rose, I am a sola traveller with my dog Millee, I do have to remind her from time to time she IS a dog :) happy travells Miss Rose. Patty.
Yes halfpint....why is that.....Little Ruby too.
No problem lifting my pop-top....so far....but possible could be a pain in a few years, if I loose strength in my arms.
My caravan is more than 30 year old and it still works easily, even after adding a new heavy awning.
Happy travels, hope to meet.
Helen
my van said
04:29 PM Mar 2, 2014
Hi there
I have seen some old van on the road
some of them have had huge make overs
My van gets many dollars spent on it every year but it still looks scrappy
A 94 model
There seems to be no limit when it comes to caravan maintaince
Hi have just joined this forum, so glad I found it, been looking around at the posts and enjoyed a giggle at some of the posts lol. Traveled around Australia in 2005/6 with my best 4 legged friend in a camper trailer to Queensland, left it at my son's place, then went by tent and station wagon to Perth and back. Now looking to start over again, have to sell my small acreage property first. Just wondering if any solo ladies have a pop top caravan, how they manage lifting and pulling down the roof by themselves. Looking forward to meeting and chatting with solo travelers. Have an enjoyable day
Lubrication,
Not being dirty but well lubricated slides and joints will make raising or lowering the Pop Top much easier. There are also other options too.
Gas struts can help raise and lower the roof and take the weight. There is now an airbag system that is driven by a small air compressor that has an airbag in each corner that raises the roof for you.
I don't know the price but I expect it won't be cheap.
I am sure there will be posts from people that had concerns about raisng Pop Top roofs so you will get some good ideas.
Welcome to the forum and Happy Travels
Hello Miss Rose, I am a sola traveller with my dog Millee, I do have to remind her from time to time she IS a dog :) happy travells Miss Rose. Patty.
Miss Rosie
Welcome Rose,
There is a 12v electrical system to raise AND lower the roofs, however I have only heard of one being installed, one of the GN's had it installed in their pop top on their campervan before they sold the van.
I believe it was not cheap. It was installed by Dove Campervans in Welshpool (Perth) I am sure if you rang or emailed them they would be able to give you more details of the system they used and the price etc, I know you are on the other side of Oz but if you know what the system is you might be able to get it over your way somewhere.
Here is Doves conversion website with phone and email address;
http://www.dovecamperconversions.com.au/
Contact details; http://www.dovecamperconversions.com.au/contact.php
Edit: This is some brief info, hoping to get some more though;
"Its an electric actuator with an up and down switch. The price is usually around $2400 fitted depending on the vehicle."
I would imagine it is something like these in the pic's and the one showing what looks like an RV bed lift using an actuator;
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=electric+actuator+12v&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=IPMOU52eG8nClQW8y4CoBw&ved=0CHUQsAQ&biw=1067&bih=496
-- Edited by Vic41 on Thursday 27th of February 2014 07:20:08 PM
Hi Miss Rosie
The following website was mentioned in a report on the airlifters for Pop Tops. Should give you some info.
www.rvairlifters.com.au
This site describes the use of Gas struts to help lift loads ie. Bed frames for storage underneath and for Pop top roofs.
http://caravansplus.com.au/catalog/help-struts.php
Hope they help your search.
Trouble with the airlifters is they lift the roof but don't help lower the roof.
Struts are ok but if the load is too great they too can be a problem (eg; a bed with a foam mattress may lift easy, but add an inners spring and they may struggle unless heavier duty struts replace the others).
If you look at the picture I put on an earlier post here, it looks like there are struts under the bed as well as the electric actuator, suggesting the struts may not have been up to the task.
I am guessing the electric acutator's which have a switch to raise and lower pop tops/beds etc would be similar to those electric bed raisers hospitals use.
Here is a simple method that I used in the past;
With pop tops, Jayco caravans have a lever (fulcrum) type frame at each end of the pop top which makes it very easy to put up and down (making sure the van door is open to allow air pressure adjustment), however some other makes like Coromal etc don't have these, just a couple of drawer type handles on the ceiling and are not easy to put up/down.
I have had both types of vans. What I did with my Coromal was to push up with my head and shoulders (I am tall) once your start the momentum the springs and struts will take over. If you are a short person you can use a small step stool to get some height. What I used to pull the roof down on the Coromal was a skipping rope (cord) type configuration with a snap on hook (carabeena type) at each end. I would hook one end onto a handle then the other to the other handle.
The rope (cord) would be of a length so that when attached to the roof handles it would hang down in a loop about 9-12 inches above the floor. Grab the two handles with your hands and put one foot in the loop, then start to pull on the roof handles and at the same time push downwards with your foot on the loop. Once the momentum down starts the poptop springs and struts take over. This method can also be used on pop top campervans. Worked for me...
-- Edited by Vic41 on Friday 28th of February 2014 12:23:40 PM
Yes halfpint....why is that.....Little Ruby too.
No problem lifting my pop-top....so far....but possible could be a pain in a few years, if I loose strength in my arms.
My caravan is more than 30 year old and it still works easily, even after adding a new heavy awning.
Happy travels, hope to meet.
Helen
Hi there
I have seen some old van on the road
some of them have had huge make overs
My van gets many dollars spent on it every year but it still looks scrappy
A 94 model
There seems to be no limit when it comes to caravan maintaince
cheers from Paul .