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Old 07-07-2023, 01:10 PM   #71
rickst29
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Default photo of the front shell strut installed in lowerd postion

clamped and ready for travel (after vehicle hookup and lifting stabilizer jacks).

The height from the ground for the bottom of the angled mount is around in a slioghtly rqasied storage position. it is HIGHER UP than the battery box, the spare tire rack, and the drain-waste value protector.
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TM='06 2619 w/5K axle, 15" Maxxis "E" tires. Plumbing protector. 630 watts solar. 450AH LiFePO4 batteries, 3500 watt inverter. CR-1110 E-F/S fridge (compressor).
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Old 07-07-2023, 02:03 PM   #72
FlyboyTR
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rickst29 View Post
(1) Fully effective with an unbalanced installation.

With just ONE of the longer struts installed on the street side, assisting the forward lift bar, I now have "pretty good" balance for raising and lower the front shell when lifting from the front curb side corner, and lowering (pushing towards the rear, then allowing the shell to settle downwards.

I tested after installing only one strut on the street side. I was very surprised to "feel" that the shell motion was fairly balanced, from street to curb, with a balancing "curb side strut" not yet added.
- - -
The initial "lift" effort is down to perhaps 40 lbs (I can still do that much with only one hand). The forwards motion at the end of lifting is now slightly over-emphasized, but stops, unassisted, very near the pin-insertion location.

It is slightly more effort than before to initiate the push-down, perhaps now also about 40 pounds - but in a horizontal direction with more upper body stress. Still pretty easy, but not as easy as before.
- - -
I had expected either the lift, or the drop, to to be unbalanced and uneven with only one strut installed. But the heights above the front corners and the rear corners (above the lowered rear shell) are nearly equal through the entire range of motion: The front-most lip stays nearly level when lifting (up and out) or lowering (inwards and then down).

Maybe one of my 16-year old front-most torsion bars bars has weakened more than the other, and the single "90-lb" strut assist brings the tow front corners into better balance. But I guess that both torsion bars are still roughly the same (both somewhat inadequate), and I did not inspect the opposing box mount box mount of the strut-assisted torsion bar. I do have the option to now slightly loosen the torsion adjustment screw on that corner, removing just a bit of strength from the current "all-in" screw position.

I shall also slightly reduce the torsion bar "strength" for the lift bar at the street-side rear corner of the front shell. With the front-most street side lift bar now assisted to carry its fair share, the front shell lift bar behind it (street side), is leaving 7 - 8" of height when dropped, before using the foot stirrup to clamp it in,0 (before using the foot stirrup to clamp it al the way down, and I understand roughly 5 inches to be a better balancing point.

(2) Plans for the opposing front-most lift bar mount.

I already built and installed the complete lower mount for the front-most street side, but adding a second strut using that mount will almost definitely create too much lifting force (i.e., too hard to lower the shell and push all the down into the locking hooks). I can leave it installed, ready for a future add on of more lift power.

But my rear shell is also extremely difficult to lift (it has a 26 lb solar panel on top, perhaps I should have used a flex panel there.) If I remove the current lower strut mounting from the front to use on the rear unchanged, it would need to be installed street side - and its mounting screws would almost certainly pierce one or more of the "H" or "C" fresh water pipes (for the tub, or for the drain valves).

To set the the correct angle of descent on the curb side (towards the rear instead of towards the front), I can either buy a new L-Bar mount for the base of the TM, or move the existing one and drill new holes. Moving the existing one and adding holes wiil be less work, I plan to do that within a few days.
Excellent! The quality of your work looks good. Also glad that things are working out as you expected.
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Old 07-07-2023, 02:04 PM   #73
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I little easier to see.

I can see where this would be much harder on the plumbing side. May even require moving the plumbing (which wouldn't be that hard).
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Old 07-07-2023, 07:09 PM   #74
rickst29
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Default water line risks for the rear shell mount (street side only)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wavery View Post
I little easier to see.

I can see where this would be much harder on the plumbing side. May even require moving the plumbing (which wouldn't be that hard).
My "front shell install" is street side, with the 40 gallon water tank behind it. That plumbing lines for that water tank and the water pump are within interior space beside the wall, not mounted within the wall, and they weren't hit by mounting screws.


But for the far rear street side corner, attachment of a similar floor underside mounting plate on the the street side (with plumbing) will very likely cause the 4" deck screws to pierce tub "H" or "C" inlet pipes, and possibly the drain valve lines as well. 2 pipes (tub H and C) are definitely within the wall behind the toilet area, and might be embedded into the wall very close to the floor.

My 4" long deck screws could possibly pierce those water lines and create a mess. So, I'm hoping that just one gas strut wil again be adequate for the shell, with assistance occurring only on the curb side. No water lines in the lower wall on that side should mean no problem.
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TM='06 2619 w/5K axle, 15" Maxxis "E" tires. Plumbing protector. 630 watts solar. 450AH LiFePO4 batteries, 3500 watt inverter. CR-1110 E-F/S fridge (compressor).
TV = 2007 4runner sport, with a 36 volt "power boost".
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Old 07-07-2023, 07:13 PM   #75
rickst29
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Default This whole idea applies only to the end struts, and can't assist the middle.

The way that my mounting bars stick out from thjck probably can't be used for lift bars in the middle of the TM (the front shell "rear bars" or the rear shell "front bars"), but my four original torsion bars still good for those lift bars. (They have several turns of additional adjustment left).

Both of my problems occured at the ends, the front-most lift for the front shell and the rear-most lift for the rear shell.
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TM='06 2619 w/5K axle, 15" Maxxis "E" tires. Plumbing protector. 630 watts solar. 450AH LiFePO4 batteries, 3500 watt inverter. CR-1110 E-F/S fridge (compressor).
TV = 2007 4runner sport, with a 36 volt "power boost".
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