Struts and awning

[Aliceincamperland]

Have bought plywood and piano hinges to make a bifold poptop bed. I know I need two sets of struts for it to push up but I don't know which ones...anyone done this recently?
ALSO....when the poptop was fitted tgey had to take the c rail off as it was in the way of the gas strut fixings. Now tryi g to find something to replace it...(on a small budget) wondering about the magnetic c rail option...any thoughts?( sorry if this is tge wrong grp to post this in) tia

 

[Bigsidavies]

The bifold bed has one pneumatic strut and one fixed bar each side. You could do with taking the measurements from someone else's board and recreating it. Is yours LWB or SWB?

 

[JumpShip]

Magnetic awning rails are garbage !

 

[Aliceincamperland]

Dam!! What if I buy strong strip style magnets and just ckamo the funnel straight onto the van..?

 

[Aliceincamperland]

The bifold bed has one pneumatic strut and one fixed bar each side. You could do with taking the measurements from someone else's board and recreating it. Is yours LWB or SWB?

It's a swb. Hmm. Ok thanks. A neighbour suggested I probably need struts the same length as the ones holding the actual roof up...seems to make sense?

 

[Bigsidavies]

It's a swb. Hmm. Ok thanks. A neighbour suggested I probably need struts the same length as the ones holding the actual roof up...seems to make sense?

Just shout out on here fro someone with a swb and bifold bed (@Dellmassive)? to give you the dimensions and fitting points, and length and force of the struts and bars.
I'd do it, but mine is a LWB, that's why I asked you.

 

[JumpShip]

The magnetic strips are never strong enough any slight breeze and they just pull straight off .

 

[drinfinity]

The geometry of your roof will be different depending on what roof you have, so most likely you will need to measure your own van.

Here is my rough drawing for the measurements

D

Post in thread 'Scenic pop-top seating (but no bed)'

5 Feb 2024

The back part of a bifold is the same amount of geometry and bits as a regular bed, just shorter. The front part, you need to make the struts, which involves tapping a thread on a rod (cheap eBay die set will do as you are only using it for four threads), and a piece of string.

With the string, you can work out by trial and error where the strut mounts go. Pin the string to the back hinge, then on to the bed where the front strut mount will be. Open the bed, and pull the loop of string you have tight down to where the lower strut mount will be on the van. This gives the strut mount...

• drinfinity

• 

And a link to the parts I used. I uprated to 220N struts in the end, and you might want to go for thicker rods too.

D

Post in thread 'fittings for the beds gas struts'

8 Feb 2023

I got all mine from SGS. I’ve attached my order. This was for a bifold bed. (Note in the end I went for M8 rather than M6 on the fixed struts, so I ordered some more M8 rod end sockets later). I fixed them to the top of the van steelwork with rivnuts, and through the bed panel with coach bolts, also on the top surface. The struts are hidden when the bed is down.

I’m thinking I might go for more gas in the rams to hold mattress and stuff up, but I’ll reserve judgment till the weather is warmer.

Ball Stud - Brackets - Gas Struts

Ball stud brackets and fixings for use with our range of UK made gas struts. Buy now for next day delivery.

www.sgs-engineering.com

• drinfinity

• 

Another option here, which I used as a starting point.

P

Post in thread 'Pop top bed measurements/strut details'

19 Apr 2021

This is what I used with 15mm plywood:
Struts: 6mm rod 260mm stroke gas strut - GS6-15-260-300
Strut end: B8 - Metal 10mm Ball Socket 22mm long with a M6 thread
Brackets: K9 - 10mm Ball Stud Right Angle Bracket

For the fixed strut at the front I used a mk4 golf tailgate strut. I don't have a measurement for this strut.

I don't have the measurements from mine but here are some pics that someone was kind enough to share with me which helped.















...

• paddy26

• 

 

[Aliceincamperland]

Just shout out on here fro someone with a swb and bifold bed (@Dellmassive)? to give you the dimensions and fitting points, and length and force of the struts and bars.
I'd do it, but mine is a LWB, that's why I asked you.

Thankyou

 

[Aliceincamperland]

The geometry of your roof will be different depending on what roof you have, so most likely you will need to measure your own van.

Here is my rough drawing for the measurements

D

Post in thread 'Scenic pop-top seating (but no bed)'

5 Feb 2024

The back part of a bifold is the same amount of geometry and bits as a regular bed, just shorter. The front part, you need to make the struts, which involves tapping a thread on a rod (cheap eBay die set will do as you are only using it for four threads), and a piece of string.

With the string, you can work out by trial and error where the strut mounts go. Pin the string to the back hinge, then on to the bed where the front strut mount will be. Open the bed, and pull the loop of string you have tight down to where the lower strut mount will be on the van. This gives the strut mount...

• drinfinity

• 

And a link to the parts I used. I uprated to 220N struts in the end, and you might want to go for thicker rods too.

D

Post in thread 'fittings for the beds gas struts'

8 Feb 2023

I got all mine from SGS. I’ve attached my order. This was for a bifold bed. (Note in the end I went for M8 rather than M6 on the fixed struts, so I ordered some more M8 rod end sockets later). I fixed them to the top of the van steelwork with rivnuts, and through the bed panel with coach bolts, also on the top surface. The struts are hidden when the bed is down.

I’m thinking I might go for more gas in the rams to hold mattress and stuff up, but I’ll reserve judgment till the weather is warmer.

Ball Stud - Brackets - Gas Struts

Ball stud brackets and fixings for use with our range of UK made gas struts. Buy now for next day delivery.

www.sgs-engineering.com

• drinfinity

• 

Another option here, which I used as a starting point.

P

Post in thread 'Pop top bed measurements/strut details'

19 Apr 2021

This is what I used with 15mm plywood:
Struts: 6mm rod 260mm stroke gas strut - GS6-15-260-300
Strut end: B8 - Metal 10mm Ball Socket 22mm long with a M6 thread
Brackets: K9 - 10mm Ball Stud Right Angle Bracket

For the fixed strut at the front I used a mk4 golf tailgate strut. I don't have a measurement for this strut.

I don't have the measurements from mine but here are some pics that someone was kind enough to share with me which helped.















...

• paddy26

• 

Thanks so much. It's good for starters but like you say, I will need the geometry of my particular poptop. What did you use as the 2 fixed struts?

 

[drinfinity]

Thanks so much. It's good for starters but like you say, I will need the geometry of my particular poptop. What did you use as the 2 fixed struts?

I got some steel rod from B&Q, and used a die (cheap set off Amazon) to thread the ends. They then screw into the mounts from SGS.