Quote:
Originally Posted by RottieMom
Bill, next time I open it (which will be soon since I'm planning a trip to Texas right after Thanksgiving), I'll see what the distance is that's difficult. I think it's more than 12 inches. I'm 6ft tall, and I know that where I struggle is when I've stood up straight after starting the lift. I'll have to check and see how far I've actually raised it at that point. And, I'm actually fairly strong, but I'm a bit worried about when I'm not as strong as I am now. I did get a friend to help me recently adjust the bolts on the torsion bars for the front shell. It was the first time they'd been adjusted and I think we ended up adjusting a full turn but it didn't seem to make that much difference to me.
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My rear shell is quite easy to open. In fact, it takes more effort to lift in the equalizer hitch than it does to lift the shell. My front shell, on the other hand, is much heavier and tends to bound about as I lift it up. My model doesn't even have the roof AC. The torsion bars are maxed out. I assume that if I replaced the front torsion bars, I would be able to adjust it so that it would lift as easily as the rear.
It seems to me that simple physics is making the shells tougher to lift just at the beginning. The lift arm is extended horizontally and has to bear the weight of the shell is multiplied the most onto the torsion bar. Conversely, the torsion bar is providing the most assistance at this point. This has given me an idea, though. If a thicker torsion bar were used, it would provide a nice lift at the beginning of the lift, but provide too much tension on the shell in the upright position and want to continue to push the shell out to the front (or rear for the rear shell).
Some coil springs are designed with a variable rate spring constants by varying the number of coils, and possibly the thickness of the coil itself. I'm sure it would be possible to make a torsion bar with a variable spring rate to provide even more lift near the beginning of the lift.
What might be more necessary is a latch down mechanism that is easier to use. At least one member uses a lever on the stirrup to give some mechanical assistance to latch the shell. I think it would be easy to weld a bracket onto the frame that could provide a convenient leverage point for a pipe lever.
Maybe be a pipe dream, but at least I'm dreaming.