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HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 5:40 pm
by Sheshore
Can any of you mechanically inclined types help me figure out how this is done?

There's this YouTube video showing a terrific and less expensive vertical bed lift. I don't know how it's done though.

See here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebxn1UQ ... ture=share

I think it might involve something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IA ... T8LUUD0H90

and maybe this:
https://www.amazon.com/Dee-Zee-DZ43102- ... GJ7H8DNA7F

But what the white pieces are I have no idea. Does the bed frame just rest on the top white pieces? Or does it click on it?

I would love to figure it out!

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 5:45 pm
by Sheshore
I tried to add some still pictures, but all I ended up with is them in my personal gallery. So please look there for them.

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 8:42 pm
by Padilen
The tail gate strut only travels a few inches, much more lenght is needed. Getting the lenght and required lift strength is tricky. Doable, someone just needs to get it figured out. My lift bed currently, is tracks and garage door springs. My Boss said last year he'd figure some out struts, when he had the time. That hasn't happened because we ve been busy, and my lift bed works so I'm not in a rush.

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 8:50 pm
by rivernstream
Check this out to see if it might work http://www.ana-white.com/2016/11/diy-re ... tiny-house


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Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 4:12 pm
by Sheshore
[quote="rivernstream"]Check this out to see if it might work http://www.ana-white.com/2016/11/diy-re ... tiny-house

Yes, I have seen that. I believe the use of gas struts and garage door track is going to be less expensive and less complicated.

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 9:24 am
by flboy
Careful with Gas Struts if all four corners are going to be in track with little margin for lateral movement. Gas struts won't lift evenly and will cause binding. I have found this out by trial. I'd need to disconnect tracks one one side to make it work. I plan on leaving the tracks as is and going with pulleys and a winch since I wanted an "automatic" type of lift.

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 12:03 pm
by Tomterrific
I've been making my toy hauler in my head and a bed lift with springs to make it neutral weight has been my favorite. A single cable runs to four cables then to ceiling pulleys down to the four corners of the mattress platform. A light lift and pin secure up or pull it down and pin secure down. The other idea was merely a pipe that the cables wrapped around. Crank the pipe up or down from out side.
Tt

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 1:25 pm
by flboy
Tomterrific wrote:I've been making my toy hauler in my head and a bed lift with springs to make it neutral weight has been my favorite. A single cable runs to four cables then to ceiling pulleys down to the four corners of the mattress platform. A light lift and pin secure up or pull it down and pin secure down. The other idea was merely a pipe that the cables wrapped around. Crank the pipe up or down from out side.
Tt



I am doing essentially the same thing with the cable and pulleys, except I am going to use two electric winches instead of springs. I got the winches for almost what the springs would have cost. I just need to find time to hook them up..

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 1:59 pm
by Tomterrific
Flboy,
I think one winch to all four cables would be best. This way the bed has to rise evenly as all cables are pulled the same.
Tt

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 7:26 pm
by McDave
Here's a concept I haven't seen explored, Why not use sandbags or similar weights to counter bed weight to a neutral state?
Same concept as the old window weights where there was a pulley at the top and ropes attached to window, around pulley and hanging in chase. As window goes up, weight goes down and it holds at any height. You still need some sort of track to keep the bed securely located and locked in up/ down position. Thoughts?

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 7:30 pm
by low277
McDave wrote:Here's a concept I haven't seen explored, Why not use sandbags or similar weights to counter bed weight to a neutral state?
Same concept as the old window weights where there was a pulley at the top and ropes attached to window, around pulley and hanging in chase. As window goes up, weight goes down and it holds at any height. You still need some sort of track to keep the bed securely located and locked in up/ down position. Thoughts?

That seems like a reasonable solution! Certainly simple enough, and simple can be good!

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 4:04 pm
by PaulzOx
Sheshore wrote:Can any of you mechanically inclined types help me figure out how this is done?

There's this YouTube video showing a terrific and less expensive vertical bed lift. I don't know how it's done though.

But what the white pieces are I have no idea. Does the bed frame just rest on the top white pieces? Or does it click on it?

I would love to figure it out!


This concept is very simple. The gas struts just make the bed a neutral weight making it easy to move the bed(hard part is getting right struts for the weight).

The aft end of the bed rides in a track to keep it aligned, the forward end is free(other than resting on the white brackets in the up position and down).

By lowering the aft end first it allows the forward bed edge to clear the brackets, hence why you have to reverse the order to put it back up.

Easiest way to imagine how it works: think of sliding a sheet of plywood over the edge of a pickup truck in to the bed. One edge goes down first and then the other until flat and reverse to get it out.

Hope this helps you out SheShore


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Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 9:08 pm
by flboy
PaulzOx wrote:
Sheshore wrote:Can any of you mechanically inclined types help me figure out how this is done?

There's this YouTube video showing a terrific and less expensive vertical bed lift. I don't know how it's done though.

But what the white pieces are I have no idea. Does the bed frame just rest on the top white pieces? Or does it click on it?

I would love to figure it out!


This concept is very simple. The gas struts just make the bed a neutral weight making it easy to move the bed(hard part is getting right struts for the weight).

The aft end of the bed rides in a track to keep it aligned, the forward end is free(other than resting on the white brackets in the up position and down).

By lowering the aft end first it allows the forward bed edge to clear the brackets, hence why you have to reverse the order to put it back up.

Easiest way to imagine how it works: think of sliding a sheet of plywood over the edge of a pickup truck in to the bed. One edge goes down first and then the other until flat and reverse to get it out.

Hope this helps you out SheShore


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I actually already have the gas struts installed and I had bought the brackets... I make give that a try before I hook up up the winches and pulley. The bracket will go right into the struts... It wil take me about an hour to test that before I move on to try the winches...

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 9:50 am
by McDave
flboy wrote:

I actually already have the gas struts installed and I had bought the brackets... I make give that a try before I hook up up the winches and pulley. The bracket will go right into the struts... It wil take me about an hour to test that before I move on to try the winches...


:thumbsup: ;) :worship:

McDave

Re: HappiJack alternative? Vertical bed lift

PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 3:10 pm
by Sheshore
flboy.....

Did you ever give it a try? Very interested on what you have come up with.

Thanks