550 / 560 Galley Hatch Lift?

Continuing off topic...
RollingRob said:
...But his is not the proper forum for this so to those who have come across this unexpectedly I apologize, and everyone else who has reached out, I thank so very much. I will keep my posts related to my new exciting CI Ultra 560 learning tips and new experiences!
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I’m interested to follow your experiences and adaptations of our favorite camper! There could be a subforum for accessibility and adaptations. My first cut at desirable teardrops was based on how I could adapt them for CPAP use! It’s fascinating that your access and adaptation research led to CI as well. Coincidence? I think maybe not...

Beware of following rant...
Perhaps other readers think this doesn’t apply to them! Most of us will experience some limitations on mobility in our lifetimes. Even the able-bodied among us might ask: “Will I be camping when I can’t walk too well?”
 
RollingRob said:
Now, don't do what I did, I screwed the rear mount bracket to the rear wall thinking it was surely at least an inch thick. I used Stainless steel #10 3/4 in screws by the way and almost went through the rear wall so mount sideways instead. Dan recommended screwing it sideways onto the wooden support. I would go that route if I had to do it again.
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so if I use a side mount to the corner piece it looks like the strut mounting brackets will be the same at each end with no need for a 90 degree bracket. That sound right?
Faux' pictures show that he also mounted the bottom bracket to the rear wall so it must work ok that way. I'd guess that piece of plywood is maybe 3/4 thick, hence you going "almost" through it with your 3/4 screws. A bit shorter screws would solve that problem, and almost certainly be plenty strong.

and thanks for sharing your experiences, RR. While the wooden prop is elegant in its simplicity, the hatch gets heavier as time marches on, and your perspective is from a whole other angle. Interesting that Craig & Cary's new teardrops, with undoubtedly much lighter materials, use galley hatch struts.
 
fernlane said:
so if I use a side mount to the corner piece it looks like the strut mounting brackets will be the same at each end with no need for a 90 degree bracket. That sound right?
Faux' pictures show that he also mounted the bottom bracket to the rear wall so it must work ok that way. I'd guess that piece of plywood is maybe 3/4 thick, hence you going "almost" through it with your 3/4 screws. A bit shorter screws would solve that problem, and almost certainly be plenty strong.

and thanks for sharing your experiences, RR. While the wooden prop is elegant in its simplicity, the hatch gets heavier as time marches on, and your perspective is from a whole other angle. Interesting that Craig & Cary's new teardrops, with undoubtedly much lighter materials, use galley hatch struts.
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Thank you. Yes Faux explained to me he screwed then in sideways but the pics look like they are screwed to the wall. He said he sold his unit so he could not go out and verify it for me and as you said the only pics he had were not the clear but I certainly appreciated his time with the instructions firsthand and replying to my questions. He was very helpful. I would say if your mounts were like mine they were multipurpose, could be screwed either way. If I had to do it over I would do it like you propose. HOWEVER, I do not know if your proposed 45# or 60# struts are the same length as the ones I ordered to replicate Fauxs install. So lookup the specs of the 80# he describes and compare it to the length of yours. If they are not the same, do not use the measurements in pics or what I quoted because it will not line up if that makes sense. If they are not the same length then my non professional approach would be to mount at his described rear point at the top and then see where the mounts line up on the hatch. Seems like that would work, hopefully without much trial and error right? I hope to follow up with pics when I’m all done with my galley setup.
 
Hello Rolling Rob ... great to hear you got it all figured out ... and sorry I couldn't be of more help ... good to hear others are appreciating the starting point we've launched from. Regarding the lift strength, I agree that the 80# ones are likely a bit strong ... I actually recall one trip, shortly after installing the struts, where we'd forgotten to lock the hatch ... after a time on the road, the vibration caused the latch to work loose and, you guessed, the hatch actually popped open ... not sure how far we traveled that way, but a friendly traveler waved in passing that something was wrong in the back ... stopped to check it out & found the hatch 3/4 open. Nothing had fallen out, but certainly could have ... my wife simply complimented my engineering, we smiled at each other, secured the hatch and motored on. So ... add that to the gas strut knowledge base ... for "auto-open" use 80# ... otherwise, 60# is probably the right choice. Note that last summer we purchased our long-sought-after cottage in the woods - a real fixer-upper ... spending so much time working on it that we've since sold the "FoxTail" to a happy family from Georgia - I'm sure they're enjoying every minute of it. It is certain that once we get all the cottage projects caught up we'll be back in a 560 again! Meanwhile, happy camping ... I'll be sure to search out your YouTube postings!
 
Hey, great to hear from you! You were a great help thank you! Yes it’s all working out so far. Time will tell. Minimum expense so if I have to switch them to 60# so be it. So glad nothing fell out of your rig when it popped open! I’m betting though with use and with heat, they will lighten up a bit and be just fine. I might just add a small bungie cord to my take down list around Latch for extra security, wouldn’t hurt. Glad your having fun working on your cottage! And thanks for watching, can’t wait to give a tour of my new to me 560 ultra! Take care.
 
RollingRob said:
Yes I just added the struts over the weekend. Followed Dan’s (FauxPa) great instructions. The 80lb struts are too strong in my opinion, especially from my wheelchair but I know they will eventually ease up a bit and wind up to be just right. If I’d had to do it all over I would have used 60lb most likely. All that’s left to do is attach a pull strap and I will be all set. I did leave the original wooden prop, both for beauty, functionality and safety. ( I’m sure your 45lb struts feel perfect from the get go, if anyone else does this it will just be a matter of preference. )
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Just wanted to add that you will lose about an inch and a half of shelf space on each side. Flexible items like silicone or flat items like a box of spagetti fits in this lost space though so not all is list.
 

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