Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I address this inquiry to the types on here who can take a couple pieces of steel some wire and an idea and solve almost any problem.I'm finishing up my 7x7x16 ctc and the days down here when its near 90-95degrees I have to quit about 1PM and head inside. I'm working on ideas for my next build and the major thing I want is a bed that is raised to the ceiling when not in use.Ramp not doors at rear.I'd want it to be power operated
I'm 6-1 but don't mind ducking a bit to exit to the ramp.I've seen ideas an fotos on the net of some really fine constructions,and I wouldn't mind
paying for detailed sketches and instructions. My mechanical expertise encompasses my TREK bikes and changing tires

Iconfabul8 is your man. He had a design I'd use if doing it all over again and given what he comes up with, no doubt it would work well. I think he may have posted a diagram on my thread, but I have not went back and fixed all those Photobucket links. I still have about half to do.

For a more conventional garage door spring loaded design, Padilen has also made 2 and they work just fine.She could offer great advice too.

I never finished the crank up part of my bed and with my 4 point mounts, the gas strut assists don't work well due to uneven lift and some binding. I pinned my loft bed where it is because my 7.5" ceiling can accommodate a full time bed and still be used as intended below. For now, I like it.

I am not the right guy to help here having not finished that job. Maybe they will post up here. Good luck.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEurdaURavw

Here's one thought.

If you look in my build thread, I talk a bit about mine. If I grab my trailer out of storage this week and remember, I'll grab some pictures. Also I think my buddy has a video and I'll post that as well. I use a cheapo Reese electric winch on mine. I started out with a boat winch, but found out quickly that it was horrible. If I had figured out a way to use a worm drive winch, it may not have been so bad.

Mine is a king sized. I'm a bit over 6' and have to duck slightly to get underneath. I could have/should have made it raise higher, but I wanted to be able to build storage above as well. I did not plan it all out on paper, I kind of made it with a good idea in mind and made adjustments as I built.

Pictures in build thread http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=68392

Here is a small overview my buddy did. The second half of the vid he has the bed lowering and pulley system.

We went over today and had a prelim of the new system that will raise and lower our bed. We had hired Padilen to install the initial system, whch was based on hers, for us, but the lifting and lowering of the bed was more difficult than we had anticipated. We have some friends that own a garage door company and after a discussion with them we brought our CTT there and he installed a top system. It can be hand cranked or done with a drill to power the crank. It is much easier (especially for me ) it cam easily be done with one person. There is a lttle tweaking to do yet, I will post a video as soon as we pick up the cargo trailer. Padilen had the side rails up and the bed platform done, but used a center spring on each side to raise and lower it. The bed had to be lowered bit by bit, then a pin put in each corner to hold it, lowers more, move the pins again, and so on, until it was down. It also required quite a bit of force to get it up and down The system that is in now raise and lowers from the top rather than the sides, no pins required, except as a safe guard when bed is up and we are towing. Our friend said he would give me a list of the components he used. Others on here may have used this system or come up with something similar. Will post a video of the bed raising and lowering later.

Interested to see that. Looking forward to the video.

You might take a look at these 2 video's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPhlUivq_lk & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwdCn3h46h8. The system he built seems to work really well. I have it sketched out to do the same with my 7x14 but I'm not there yet so can't say how well it actually works. I'm sure you could convert the boat winch to an electric one. I like the way the weight is being distributed down to the floor rather than the roof or side walls of the trailer. Looks a lot like the one done by
Jscwerve in above post.

Here is a few pics of our system. I have a video, but need to figure out how to edit and resize it.

Ok, So that looks like it has a gearbox and a crank handle? The cable is winding around the shaft coming from the gearbox.
Are there just 2 cables? And how many pulleys? I would love to see a video.
Looks real good.

McDave

I am not very tech savvy and try as I might, I haven't beean able to resize the video of our lift system we used for our bed in th CTT. However, I do have the name of the system used. Racor Ceiling Storage System. Plz bear in mind, that it was modified to work as a lift for the bed. I am not familiar with the mods my friend did between his vacation and ours, we haven't had a chance to discuss it with him, other than a demo when we picked the trailer up at his shop. There are you tube videos of this system in action ou there. We raise and lower ours with a drill.
This system can be purchased at Lowe's Menard's, Aazon.com or online from Walmart. praing runs from aout $120.00 to $199.00, plus shipping, if applicable.
Here is the link
http://www.racorstoragesolutions.com/p/ ... eSupport=1

If anyone wants the amateur video I made of our system in action, message me you phone number and I can text it. It is only 40 seconds long, but I can't get it sized small enough for an email.

I made this sketch a while ago while I was brainstorming with Flboy on how to simplify a bed lift, all the pulleys
are in the bed frame and the cables attach to trailer. Also, I personally don't think you need guides and rails.
The video is a great example of a bed without guides.

This is a nice design..! All the cables and shafts are concealed and you don't have to look at them in bed. Just 4 clean cables in the corners.. Very nice. !

ah ha. I have seen that system before.
Thanks,

McDave