Lady Bug Winter Warrior - finally campable!

[starleen2]

Today – It rained – but not after a trip to the lumberyard for some hatch building supplies! Today is the day of the much awaited hatch build (At least I got some of it built today) Here is a shot of the hatch side panels


They are light weight – but very strong. Completed both sides. Now I’m getting them ready to be a matched set – break out da’ clamps


My friend the belt sander


Temporary hinge joint – just to give you a sample of what it looks like. The finished version will have a full hinge across it

Aluminum reinforcing strips

Installing spars – Yes that 1X4 will be removed




One hatch panel in place

Done enough for one day

[Cliffmeister2000]

That bug is gonna be awesome! Great job!

[starleen2]

Well folks a strange twist has occurred – I go the first panel of the hatch completed and did a test lift and. . . .that thing was heavy (and I didn’t even have it finished!) After much thinking, Scratching on paper, consulting Mrs Starleen – I come to the conclusion that the LBWW is NOT going to be a Weekend Warrior type any longer – The Hatch is just way too heavy and I don’t want to hassle with lifting mechanism or gas struts. Mike, the achellies heel of the design is the weight of the hatch – perhaps someone could build lighter with fiberglass and foam – but that is out of my skill level. Such is Life. I think I’ll just redo the sides to make the same profile with an interior height of 5 feet 1 inch – Maybe even a dropped floor? Using the same graphics so it will still be a lady bug!

[Cliffmeister2000]

My hatch weighs 35 lbs. But lifting it without gas struts was difficult for me, impossible for my wife. The struts (150 lb struts x 2) won't hold it up, but I can lift it with one hand now!

[RAYVILLIAN]

Come on Scott don't back out now.

Actually I was afraid that that long of a hatch would be heavy. Mine is only 5' and it is a estimated 80 lbs of lift. If you hinged the back panel at the top you could make it a two person lift since the back swings down and can catch on the walls. That and lift assists is the only answer at this point.

Edevans used 1/4" in the sides of his hatch and that would make it lighter and since the back wall supports the top when it is up that should be plenty of support. but at this time that would mean scraping out the hatch walls that you've made.

A member up in Newfoundland used old pickup spring assists hinges on the outside of his to help. I guess you need to use some of that famous Texas ingenuity and come up with something really cool. Maybe some kind of rope and counter weight like in the old style windows.

Just hate to see you give up, that bug would be really cool as it was planned and you'd be able to brag that you'd gone where no man has gone before.

Gary

[Miriam C.]

I am still looking into some linear actuators for ours. You might look into them for you hatch. Would be neet to push a button to get it open. Hate to see you scrap it now.

[dsmith]

Talk to a local Home health Equipment company. The home care beds have a worm gear that can be cranked by hand or motor that can be adapted to due the lifting for you. You could also check the American Legion as they often have garages filled with old Durable Medical Equipment. I'd hate for you to give up on a such a neat concept!

Doug

[bobhenry]

pneumatics ???? Some pvc and a tiny toy air compressor

http://www.llund.com/pne_cyl.htm

[starleen2]

After a whole evening sitting at SketchUp and trying out ALL possible remedies – We found the a solution in weight and still keep the design, However I’ll lose about 6” in height – I can live with that. If I still want that extra six inches to make it a standee for me – I can drop the floor. To save some weight, I trimmed the sides – Wings – to make them smaller, They no longer extend down the lower panel – remember the whole idea was to be able to get the camper in the garage and have the sides fully insulated. By doing this, I shave off about 20 lbs for each wing. The only thing I lost out of all of this was on sheet of $10.00 paneling.
From this:

To this:

[High Desert]

now you're cookin' Scott. The Lady Bug lives on!

[planovet]

I'm glad you could figure out how to keep the same design. I like it!

[starleen2]

pneumatics ???? Some pvc and a tiny toy air compressor

http://www.llund.com/pne_cyl.htm

With A little inspiration and a web search, this turned up - I'm thinking that two of these would work just nicely mounted up front for a short throw and lift assist


screen door closer pneumatic conversion

[jeep_bluetj]

Don't make it not open!!!! You _have_ to make this thing open like you were planning. The cool factor is just too dang high.

By FAR the easiest thing is some air springs. You wouldn't need compressor/air lines/valves/etc.. The most expensive part of my pnumatic lifts was the valve manifold. It was a PITA to build too.


Yup. The screen Door closer pnumatics would work ok. They don't have _alot_ of lift, and they're not all that "safe" -- but they'd help. Or the similar and equally "unsafe" PVC version -- they wouldn't really be unsafe in your application, if the lifts were inside and depressurized when people are in there.

Commercial version:

http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2009051411385727&item=4-1112&catname=air

A rodless pnumatic cylinder could work well. The ones on my trailer have about 80lbs of lift each. About 48" of movement in a 50" rod. You have to find them surplus 'cause they're very not-cheap new.

Simple small (surplus) hydraulics would work great too.

I built a prototype of a simple (read cheap) jackscrew setup that would work for your trailer.

1. Surplus/Junkyard power window motor connected to a chunk of 3/8" all thread. (Connected via a stout piece of fuel line hose for a bit of bendibility.)
2. The all thread runs up inside of a length of 3/4" PVC -- this is just to keep it clean, as I felt for 40-50lbs of lift the allthread would need to be well greased.
3. Press fit a 3/8" nut into some 1/2" EMT, and it fits inside the PVC, threaded onto the allthread. The other end of the EMT is the "pusher" end.

Put power on the motor, and it goes up/down. Had plenty of force too. All told maybe $20 or so worth of stuff.

OR, a boat winch crank with the cable running up and over the "inside" walls to lift up on the "outside" walls.

2 air springs are still the easiest thing to do.

[danlott]

I would keep the orginal design and figure out a way to make it work. The orginal is by far better looking.

Dan

[Cliffmeister2000]

I agree, figure out a way to make the original work.

Urban Legend has it that NASA spent $12 Billion to develop a pen that would write in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil.
While we know that story is not true, the moral is plain: keep it simple!
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_zero_gravity_pen.htm