Lifting the pop top caravan roof

[belladonna]

Hello everyone,
Has anyone had any experience with air lifters for the pop top caravan roof. Our new caravan is great but the roof is much heavier to lift than our old one as the new one has an aircon unit and a solar panel on it.
I was able to put the old pop top up on my own but the new one is giving my back grief already after only putting it up and down three times and there is no way I can put it up on my own.
There is a company in QLD that makes air lifters for top tops and it looks terrific on the u tube demo but I was wondering if anyone has used it or seen it in use.
Thanks for any info
Donna

 

[Ramjet]

Hi Donna.

I had not heard of those. Had a look on you tube.
Looks like a good idea.
We have an old pop top and the X scissor lifts are broken.
We are inthe process of replacing them with gas struts. My dad inlaw did the same thing with one of his vans.
I'll post a couple of pics when I get it done.

Cheers

Rod

YouTube of air lifters...

[video=480,360]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlGH7EPHx30[/video]

 

[belladonna]

Thanks Rod,
I will be interested to have a look. I think some of our problem is that it is new and we have not popped the top much, and now I am not keen to do it.
The air lifters look great but I don't think they are cheap
Should have kept the old van, hindsight is a bitch
Donna

 

[backcreek]

Hay Donna,
Great idea.
All the items in that video are all commercial pneumatic fittings available from Pirtek, Enzed or Hoselink etc and the bags are layflat hose with the ends doubled over.
I reckon you could put the whole system together for a couple of hundred bucks including compressor.
Cheers
Mick

 

[axeman]

might not work, if you had a a air coupling on the front of the van, one could use the air compressor from the 4x4, that's if you had a 4x4 and it had a compressor.
Mick

 

[belladonna]

Thanks backcreek and axeman