Strut arm for raised bed platform...

[Chef Duane]

Engineered and configured a strut arm raise mechanism for my bed platform. My 54"W x 77"L bed is hinged at the front of my trailer and it on a 17" platform. There is space below the raised platform that is separated into 2 sides. One side is the freshwater storage and plumbing and the other side is electricals. There is also enough space for some storage. With a 10" mattress with bedding etc. it gets a little heavy to repeatedly lift for access. Also, once lifted I need to shove a prop rod underneath to keep it up. PITA. I took all the measurements and calculated the weight then used chatGPT to help engineer what strut parameters were needed, the positioning, etc, to easily raise it and keep it lifted at about a 31° angle. That gives me about 38" of access when the bed is raised, and once raised the strut will hold it there. Very similar to your car hood. Fortunately I found the appropriate strut on the Amazon with mounting hardware and it will be here tomorrow, Monday 7/20. I'll get it installed this week as I am heading out next Tuesday 7/28 to East Texas. I figure it'll be about a 3 beer 20 cuss word job.

PS: ChatGPT was very helpful but you gotta' make sure you have the right measurements and ask the correct questions. Inputting incorrect info can lead you down a rabbit hole of incorrect responses, not asking detailed and precise questions will do the same thing. ChatGPT may be AI but you have to treat it like it's an 11 year old child to get accurate and clear info. That and running back and forth to take measurements took totally about 2 hours or so. Another 1/2 to find the right parts and supplier. PM me if you have any specific questions. -CD

 

[garyb1st]

It truly can be a pain in the backside. On mine, I also had to reinforce the attachment point the strut bracket mount screws into. Make sure yours is secure. I have a custom latex foam bed that weighs 90 lbs. Add the weight of the platform and it's more than I want falling on me if I'm looking for something. Ours is all storage so we're under it often.

Even with the struts I use a pole to make sure it doesn't land on my back while I'm reaching for something. Getting the correct strut takes a bit of work. Unfortunately you can't rely totally on a typical RV supplier. At least that has been my experience. I've bought a few that just didn't have enough power to easily lift the platform. The other issue is getting the platform back down if the strut is too strong. It can be done, but I suspect strains the attachment points which if compromised is going to create the problem I've had with screws not holding. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.