Need Some Ideas
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
Need Some Ideas
Ok all you backyard engineers, I need some ideas and suggestions! Here's my quandry...
I need to be able to remove the truck topper (camper shell) off of my truck by myself. It is a fiberglass shell with a "lip" around the sides. I want to be able to set it on the ground (on small bricks or something) so it's not high in the air - so it won't fall. OR secure it in some way so it won't fall
I want something I can put together quickly to take the thing off, and then put it away again, since I would only do this twice a year (take it off in spring, put it on in fall) because I pull a fifth wheel during the summer.
I thought about a rack, but I worry about kids, theives, and gusts of wind. I thought about a tripod to lift it but don't want to get too much $$$ going out on this project.
The shell doesn't weigh that much - I can lift one end of it myself easily. If I had a couple guys it would be no problem but I don't want to have to beg for help twice a year!
Any ideas?
I need to be able to remove the truck topper (camper shell) off of my truck by myself. It is a fiberglass shell with a "lip" around the sides. I want to be able to set it on the ground (on small bricks or something) so it's not high in the air - so it won't fall. OR secure it in some way so it won't fall
I want something I can put together quickly to take the thing off, and then put it away again, since I would only do this twice a year (take it off in spring, put it on in fall) because I pull a fifth wheel during the summer.
I thought about a rack, but I worry about kids, theives, and gusts of wind. I thought about a tripod to lift it but don't want to get too much $$$ going out on this project.
The shell doesn't weigh that much - I can lift one end of it myself easily. If I had a couple guys it would be no problem but I don't want to have to beg for help twice a year!
Any ideas?
FTE Legend
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 54,034
Likes: 2,410
From: NY and VA
A rack would be ok. (If someone was going to take it they would if it were on the ground.) Use a couple of c-clamps to hold the cap to the rack. I made up a rack with 4 poles in the ground spaced to back the truck between, 4 brackets to allow a 2 x 4 x 10' to sit in. Pick up one end of the cap, slide a 2x4 across the bed and into the brackets, repeat at other end and drive out from under. Just leave about 6-8" for clearance.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 5,946
Likes: 62
From: in the woods of MA
How about some ramps off the back of the bed rails, and a roller setup? Jack the cap a bit, get the rollers between the cap and red rails, roll it backwards onto the ramps and then down. You could make rollers out of bare trailer wheels (w/ some rubber wrapped around them for scratch protection) - that would keep them centered on the rails/ramps. If you can lift one end of the cap by yourself, then you might only need rollers on one end.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,424
Likes: 0
build a 4 post frame that you can back into. with 2x6s running down the long sides. make sure they are about 4 inches above the bedsides. slide 2x4s under one end at a time if you can lift it and slide the 2x4. set the 2x4s across the 2x6s then screw the 2x4s to the long sides and clamp the topper onto the 2x4s. then just drive out from under it. serves double duty. place to store your topper and cover for anything that you might need it for. shouldnt be too expensive.
