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Thread: Bed air or electric lift kit wanted

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Lake Thunderbird, Putnam, Illinois
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    467

    Default Bed air or electric lift kit wanted

    Hi everybody,

    I'm looking for air or electric bed lift kit. Something like Marathon and I think also Liberty installs in their coaches in their bedrooms.
    Which will be better: air or electric ?
    Any links or websites ?

    Alek

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    anytown
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    8,908

    Default

    If you have neither, have you considered gas struts as an assist rather than trying to run air or electric?

    It will take a little engineering, but my guess is if you set it up correctly you can use the struts as an initial assist and then when the bed is raised the struts would hold it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Lake Thunderbird, Putnam, Illinois
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    467

    Default

    Hi Jon,

    Yes, we have gas struts, and bed stays up, but it is little to heavy to pick up for Lucia, even when I'm off the bed

    Alek

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    ON THE ROAD IN THE SOUTH
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    2,825

    Lightbulb

    Hey Alek, try bigger struts. Seriously, get it set up so it lifts the bed after you release a latch that holds the bed down.

    After the latch is released the bed rises slowly. It would take little effort to stop it or to push it back down , if you get it set up just right. You need to try to seek the balance point where very little outside energy is required to go up or down.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    East Texas
    Posts
    946

    Default

    Alek, Jim's advice is the way to go. A retro fit for an air or electric system is not worth the effort and expense when a stiffer air spring will work just as well. I think a 300# spring on each side will lift the bed even with you on it.

    Our Foretravels all had springs only and the bed was always easy to lift.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Lake Thunderbird, Putnam, Illinois
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    Default

    Where I can buy strong struts like that ?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    East Texas
    Posts
    946

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Nichols Hills
    Posts
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    Default

    When Loc and I were looking at Slick Willie's coach, his wife was way proud of the fact that she had re-engineered the Marathon air lift system with an electric servo set up.

    Now she opens this rig up and here is the big whoppin ass actuator in the middle of the storage area under the bed that looks like it would pick up the whole back of the coach. Way overbuilt and seriously in the way.

    Go with the big air springs and kick that gorilla sized dog off the bed.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Lake Forest, CA
    Posts
    293

    Default

    Alec,

    I just changed my struts and my bed lift works great. 150# on each side, you can lift it with one hand. We have a Sleep Comfort bed, queen size, with the air pump attached to the bottom of the bed deck.

    Makin' our way to Spearfish,

    Ken

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    ON THE ROAD IN THE SOUTH
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    2,825

    Question cylinder poundage

    Alek, to get close on the weight of the bed, place a bathroom scale along side the bed and with the bed raised about two feet.
    Place a suitable rod or board to support the bed at the cylinders theoretical mounting point, but along its side) on the scale and read the weight.
    Once you get the cylinders you can move the mounting point to, or away from the hinge to make final adjustments.
    Remember if you use two cylinders to divide the lift weight/bed weight by two, for the poundage rating of cylinder lift.

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