Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I have been trying to finish my second build the "Club Car" . I purchased some 90 lb gas struts for my galley. They just were not quite enough to hold the galley up. As I added parts to the galley it got to where the galley would only stay up half way. So I called the company that made the struts I was using to get stronger ones. But it was hard to know what the right size would be. They also made a 120lb and 150lb strut. But the interesting part, well at least to me, is that they make a 150lb strut with a bleeder valve. You mount them and slowly bleed off pressure till you get just what works. But you can not add pressure back in so if you go to far you are SOL. They are not cheap but will solve the "What size do I need question" . Mine were 38 bucks each.

Here is the website. They have several parts that will work on our trailers.

http://www.spdhardware.com/catalog/GSVL ... s%20Spring

One other note....There is a notice on their struts that the rod faces down on the gas shock. I asked why that is since there has been conversation in the past on which way is best. The fluid need to be down to lubricate the gasket and keep full pressure. If the shock is reversed all the fluid is at the wrong end. The shocks will not last as long.

Good find, but I'm like you, I can easily see myself burning through a few I let too much pressure off of.

Note "Once the Varilift is installed the nitrogen gas can gradually be released until a suitable force has been achieved. Once established the Varilift can be returned to SPD to determine the new force and a suitable less expensive fixed force gas spring can be provided for your precise application."

That is true but I believe that is only for future orders assuming you are building duplicates of the previous galley.

Why not just prop it up with a stick, and have a bathroom scale under the stick to measure how much weight is placed on it? Borrow or buy another scale if you are doing two, then order the right ones the first time.

It is a complicated formula. I'm not that smart. You are not really just propping up the exact weight of the hatch. My hatch weighs maybe 40 lbs. I have 2 90LB struts and they are not strong enough. The closer the strut gets to the hinge the more weight/force there is. I just don't know how to figure it. The engineer from the company said it was difficult to do.

The bathroom scale and stick idea could work if you place both inside the galley where you think your strut will be attached. As WB said, the closer to the hinge the more force you'll need. The math is too much for me from there...

Here's a good thread on the subject: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=36437&highlight=calculating+struts

Cheers,

Dave

You would have to figure you mount points for the struts on the hatch and the galley walls, figure the angle of the strut, get you stick the exact angle, get it to the exact open height, and even then you would have to figure in some safety so a gust of wind, stray squirrel, whatever, doesn't send the hatch comming down.

If you really wanted to go to the trouble, you would probably be better off using a hanging scale and a sling to support the hatch at the strut attachment points. You still have to account for strut angle. Or, go to Auto Zone and pick up a set. If they don't work, take them back and get a stronger or lighter set. I know what I'd rather do.

Well, obviously the stick would need to be at the approximate angle that the struts will be installed in. Its not as difficlut as everyone seems to be making it. I have done this countless times for "doors" an "hatches" that are just small pieces of sheet steel, to ones that are much heavier then the hatch on a TD, and the process works fine, and only takes a couple minutes (I use an extendable hood prop).

Continue overthinking the simple things if you'd like too, though.

~double post~

dh wrote:If you really wanted to go to the trouble, you would probably be better off using a hanging scale and a sling to support the hatch at the strut attachment points. You still have to account for strut angle. Or, go to Auto Zone and pick up a set. If they don't work, take them back and get a stronger or lighter set. I know what I'd rather do.

I second this way only because it may not be easy to use bathroom scales because you would have to make sure the strut was right in the middle of the scale. If you put the two struts were they normally go, on the edges of the hatch, I see a problem getting a good reading.

I guess you could use one temp strut in the middle and divide by two.

Is there any reason besides having to use too much force to close the hatch, that an overrated strut would be an issue.

It really depends, but it would cause the hatch to open faster and more forcefully than expected, catching the latch or an edge in the face would make you look like this guy Its especially a concern if you're bent over to activate the latch on a regular tear.

I screwed up one day at work and a practically-unloaded 200lb strut got me in the jaw, luckily it was a glancing blow from a rubber gasketed edge and I didn't lose any teeth or need stitches.