Galley lid struts

[SteveA]

New Guy here,
I'm building a 5 x 10 tear from plans I got from Grant.
I've been doing a lot, and I mean ALOT of reading both this forum and Grants. I've gotten a lot of answers from both, and from Grant personally.
I've been building it since October and it's almost done but the #@&*^% galley lid has really got me thinking too much and it's starting to hurt. My mind isn't used to it.
I've read and re-read alot of questions and answers about the gally lid and the struts but I can't find anything about my problem.
I've got the ribs and framework built and they match the top of the walls perfect, but the problem is that when I put on the struts it raises the top of the ribs up, proud of the walls, and sucks in the bottom of the framework.
I'm using 120 lb struts, 20" extended with a 7 3/4" stroke. I am wondering if the 120 lbs is too much but all the reading I've been doing it seems that 120 lbs is pretty much the norm for a 5' wide lid.
I've tried several differant mounting locations and angles but it always ends up about the same. I know I've read that there are a lot of people out there that have put 20 holes or more in the walls trying to get it right, and I'm right up there with them.
I know Grant says he goes 5" down the rib with the lid mount and 17 1/2" down the gally wall for the wall mount. I tried that first, but I believe he also uses shorter struts so I tried moving the wall mount down a few more inches and at various angles.
Nothing I try seems to help or change anything so I'm looking for any answers the teardrop gurus have to say.
Thank you very much in advance.
Steve

[Gage]

Well, one thing you might think about is your attachment to the wall will be at the end of the shock. You have 20" (extended) shocks so the point of attachment should be 20" down from where it attaches to the galley lid. And about 3" in from the trim edge. I haven't got shocks on my 5 wide but plan on using the 90# shocks I have. They are also 17 1/2" long (extended). They were to heavy for my 4 wide and was pulling the hinge up. I've got 60# shocks on my 4 wide and have mounted them as Grant has told you. But they are only 17 1/2" long (extended). If you have 20" shocks, then locate the lower end 20" from the top and only about 3" from the edge. That way when the hatch is closed, the shocks is in a relaxed stage and should cause no outward pressure to the hatch. And yes, maybe your shocks are to strong. Does that help any?

[SteveA]

Hello Gage, thank you for getting back to me so quick.
Ok now I'm confused.
You mentioned that if my struts are 20" long then to mount them 20" down from where they attach to the lid, but if I do that, then they have no "travel" left to extend the lid upwards.
I realize that you're probably saying it right but I seem to be reading it wrong??
You did mention that you went from 90# to 60# struts on your 4 wide cause they were to heavy and that they were trying to pull up the hinge, and that is one problem that I do have, so I'm going to try getting some 80 lb struts and see if that makes a differance.
Sure hope it does cause yesterday the left end double rib busted right at the top when I was bringing the lid back down, probably another sign that the struts are too heavy. I mounted the 3/4" ribs to the top with pocket screws so they are on there good, but obviously not good enough for that rib. That and I think there was a void in that rib which didn't help any.

[FrankT]

Where do you purchase the galley struts? One of ours broke when someone pushed down on the galley lid to close it without disengaging the stuts first. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Miriam C.]

Where do you purchase the galley struts? One of ours broke when someone pushed down on the galley lid to close it without disengaging the stuts first. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

I got mine at Napa auto parts but most will carry them. Depending on what you have.

[SteveA]

I got mine at an RV supply store and it looks like I'll be going back to get a lesser pound strut

[planovet]

There are two schools of thought when installing hatch struts. One is placing the mounting point on the hatch near the hinge and the other is placing the mounting point on the galley wall near the hinge. I went back and read many threads on this site about both ways. While many make it work, I have seen more problems with the hatch mount placed near the hinge. My TV has a hatch so I decided to see what they did. It has the hatch mount mounted down the hatch. That is what clinched it for me. I mounted the struts with the mount on the galley wall about 8" from the hinge and the hatch mount toward the middle of the hatch. My hatch is heavy (about 70#) and I used 150# struts. They work great. I can lift and close my hatch with one finger.

I got my struts from McMaster-Carr. They are as described: Gas Spring With Threaded Ends, 150 Force, 26.38" Extended Length, 10.24" Stroke.

[SteveA]

Hello Planovet,
Thanks for the info. I'll give that idea a try, nothing else I have so many holes in the wall now, a few more ain't gonna hurt.
I have no idea how heavy my lid is yet. I don't have the skins on yet, just the framework is built [for the second time]. But the way that the 120# struts were trying to pull up the hinge on the body side, it might be a good bet that I need to go to a 80# to 100# strut.
By the way, your gally really looks good. good lay-out.
Thanks again
Steve

[planovet]

But the way that the 120# struts were trying to pull up the hinge on the body side

I think that can be a problem with the struts oriented the other way. Also, be aware that when you put your skins on your hatch will weigh a little more. You don't want your hatch coming down when the wind pics up.

Here is a another thread where someone had a similar problem:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=35380&highlight=strut

[SteveA]

Well I picked up a couple 80# struts on the way home today and put them on with-out moving the mounting bracketts and the lid seemed to close like it's supposed to.
I do realize that the lid will be a little heavier with the skins on and all the lights on in and out, so I'm going to hang on to my 120# struts just in case.
In the end I might have to go to 100# struts but at least I know that I'm real close to being in the right spots for mounting and that it looks like my main problem was that the struts were just too heavy to begin with.
Thank you and wish me luck.
Steve

[wannabefree]

I feel your pain. I went through 3 sets of struts before I got it right. Here's what I learned by doing it wrong -
Get longer struts. Mine are almost 30 inches extended. This lets you move the struts farther from the hinge to get the same height on the hatch. That allows you to use weaker struts. That means less stress on the hinge and the hatch. People who are complaining about hinges pulling loose are using struts that are too short and exert too much force on the hinge.

The other thing I learned - most posts are from people like me. Guys who built 1 or 2, found something that worked, and expect it to work for everybody. Well, sometimes it does, sometimes not. If your gut tells you to do something different, follow your gut. Then it's your fault; not mine

[Gage]

I feel your pain. I went through 3 sets of struts before I got it right. Here's what I learned by doing it wrong -
Get longer struts. Mine are almost 30 inches extended. This lets you move the struts farther from the hinge to get the same height on the hatch. That allows you to use weaker struts. That means less stress on the hinge and the hatch. People who are complaining about hinges pulling loose are using struts that are too short and exert too much force on the hinge.
The other thing I learned - most posts are from people like me. Guys who built 1 or 2, found something that worked, and expect it to work for everybody. Well, sometimes it does, sometimes not. If your gut tells you to do something different, follow your gut. Then it's your fault; not mine

Strange, my shocks are only 17 1/2" long (extended) and work great just the way I install them.

But then again, I do things different. The first thing I do is complete my hatch and install it. I then prop it up with a 6' pole (that's the open height I want). After doing that I install the shock (cylinder end) to the hatch about 5 1/2 inches from the hinge. I let the shock hang freely and locate the rod end about 3" in from the edge trim and just happens to be 17 1/2" down. Then I remove the poll. With the cylinder up, it is always up weather the hatch is open or closed providing fluid to the shock seal at all times. Just the way I do it.

[Rock]

Gage is right. The rod end needs to be on the bottom, so the oil will sit in the bottom of the cylinder, and prevent the nitrogen from leaking out.

The life of the strut will be greatly reduced if the rod is placed on top. Any vehicle you look at wil have them oriented this way (rod down) for a reason.

Eric

[gregp136]

Once again, thank you everyone! Am close to getting the hatch done and on, and all of this information is WONDERFUL!!!



Thanks,

Greg (and Laurie)

[SteveA]

I still have a little rise in the top of the ribs right behind the hinge, so I'm still not at that perfect spot yet. It's real close though.
Gage--You're explination of mounting the struts at their extended length now makes sense to me, thank you. Before, when you mentioned to mount them at their extended length all I could vision was that there would be no rod left to travel.
One thing though is you guys are saying that you need to have the rod end down for longer life of the strut, but I've been hearing that you want to put them the other way so when the strut leaks, and I hear that it will leak, that it doesn't run all over your gally.
I guess that since there's 2 differant directions you can put struts on, then there's going to be 50% of the people that say this way and then 50% of the people that say that way huh. That's why us new guys are always confused, but then I've been like that most of my life. So you guys are making me feel right at home.
Hopefully with all this info I'll get the struts on right.
Thank you all.
Steve