bed lift to access storage

[rockymountainchicks]

My 2016 Melbourne 29D has 3 slides. The bedroom slide pulls the matress section of the bed out with the slide while the bed base remains stationary. I have tried 3 different configurations using a storage bed lift mechanism that has a gas spring on it. The first time was a stupid mistake because I installed bed lift cylinders that I attched at the top AND bottom, duh. First time I pulled in the slide I realized my stupidity. The 2nd and 3rd times I used a scissor like steel frame with a gas spring. (From Amazon-Ironwalls 6ft pneumatic 90KG bed lift) I did not attach the top arm since the top of the bed moves but the bottom doesn't. This works great for about 12 lifts, then it becomes difficult to close and eventually the top arm angle iron bends. Has anyone devised a system to open this type of bed? Mine is a bit heavy since I replaced the original mattress with a memory foam. I'm now considering using a 12V hydraulic cylinder with a 12" arm ( no metal angle iron parts) but I really could use help with this, I'm tired of failing. And, about to get a hernia lifting the darn thing.

[Mahatnmacoat]

I think you'll get some help with this if you put up at least a couple of pictures. I for one can't "see" what ya got!

Best regards

[mini4mw]

I'm pretty sure that they are looking for a way to make the storage area under the bed easier to get to. The bed is just too heavy to lift. This is challenging as the bed is on a slide. I'll let them reply to validate, but question is, "How can I make the bed easy to lift up". Not sure how you would fix without getting in there to see what is moving or how something could be attached. Here are a few pics from rvtrader on the model.

[Gidyupgo]

We have the same issue and would like to be able to access this storage easier. It is hinged and there is storage there, but the bed is heavy. Typical gas strut installation is between two fixed points. The problem here is that the upper fixed point, the plywood base under the mattress, moves in and out a couple of feet with the slide-out. It's going to take some kind of sub-frame with rollers on the upper end that you can attach the gas struts to.
Sorry RV is at storage lot, no pics.

This bed (not ours) is not on a slide so there are two fixed points, but you can see what the problem would be if the plywood mattress base moved in and out a couple of feet.

[mini4mw]

Just looking at the picture, I wonder if you could put heavy duty drawer slides on the piece that moves and attach gas struts to it. This way the struts could be permanently attached and move in and out with the slide. Not sure if the drawer slides would move far enough out as the slide though. If it did work, I'd have slides closed when the bed was lifted so they are in the strongest state and drawer slides extend when the slide is moved in.

[ttvibz]

If the top end of the gas strut has to accommodate large movement of the plywood its attached to, you might try designing an upper support using Unistrut 1 5/8" metal framing and their trolleys. Off the top of my head, the unistrut frame members would be secured to the underside of the plywood mattress support, the gas strut would be attached to a trolley. It isn't that simple though, you'd probably need some sort of linkage to ensure that the trolley/gas strut moves properly when the bed is lifted up or down.

[Gidyupgo]

Wow, great ideas! Unistrut and drawer slides. Thank you. So, with these in mind, my thoughts are that you wouldn't want to set up anything that could ever hang up and interfere with the opening / closing of the slide-out. That makes me lean towards something like an "H" sub-frame with rollers on the ends that just ride against the plywood mattress base, but not physically connected to it. Thoughts?