Got to find a way to lift the camper top off of truck by myself

[KennethS]

:-laf Its a fiberglass 8 foot camper top and to much for one man to handle by myself but I am going to find a way to lift the camper off and load by myself. I am going to use what I have around here and don't need to buy anything. The garage that the dodge one ton sits In Is where I am going to unload the camper top and load It. I will back It In until the truck Is all the way In the garage. I have some 3/4 inch gas pipe long enough to go under the front and rear of the camper. I an cutting 4 pieces of 2/4 to place under the top so the pipe can slide through under the camper top. I got some chain around here to hook the pipe to suspended from the celing and hope It holds. Then I can drive the truck out from under the camper top. Then when I want to put It back on jusr back under It. Sound easy and we will see how this works? Have any of you ever done this?

 

[JThiessen]

I've done it with my wifes hardtop for her Wrangler - except I went to my local Army Surplus store and bought a 10 dollar block'n tackle and a boat roap tie off (so I could quickly/easily tie off the roap by myself). Worked great. I used 2x4's under the top and just ran screws/washers through the existing mounting holes to keep the 2x4's in place.

 

[Dieselnerd]

When I had a fiberglass topper on a previous truck I mounted an inexpensive 12 volt winch to my garage ceiling. I drilled a hole in the center of the topper and put in a ring bolt with some large fender washers to prevent tearing the fiberglass. It was quite easy to drive the truck into the garage and lift off the topper with the winch. I just stored it up at the ceiling attached to the winch and when I needed to put the topper back on the truck I just winched it down slowly and it was easy to mount it on the truck again.

 

[Amish Elegance]

I'd find a way to clamp those pipes to the cap. Maybe use a 4x4 or a couple 2xs nailed together. Clamp em with a big C clamp. It'd just be a shame if one of those pipes slid out from under and the cap fell. If you used wood, you could clamp the cap to the cross braces with a couple C clamps. Then use your block and tackle and you're golden! Good luck.

 

[Grizzly]

When I had a camper shell I installed hooks on the 4 corners, vertically. I ran a length of 1/4" nylon rope from the right front to the left front corners. I did the same at the rear corners. In my 9' 6" floor to ceiling garage, I arranged a double pulley block and tackle at the front and one at the back. I would lift the front about 12", then lift the rear 12", then lift the front and so on. When lifted to the top of the garage ceiling, I'd run a tow chain under the shell tied to the ceiling. I would reverse the procedure to load the shell back onto my truck. I could do this by myself.

 

[MFalkinham]

I've done it with my wifes hardtop for her Wrangler - except I went to my local Army Surplus store and bought a 10 dollar block'n tackle and a boat roap tie off (so I could quickly/easily tie off the roap by myself). Worked great. I used 2x4's under the top and just ran screws/washers through the existing mounting holes to keep the 2x4's in place.

I do the same thing with the 2x4's and eyebolts, except that I use 4 ratchet straps to lift instead of a block and tackle. I can't ratchet the cap up to the ceiling or down to the floor, but I can lift it several inches to get it off the truck temporarily while I haul something big.

 

[bighammer]

I used two 2x4s and cut them to about 8" longer than the width of the cap. (so I'd have about 4" on either side) I put eye bolts on each end and hung 4 pulleys up on the garage trusses. I also had a couple eye bolts on the ceiling near the wall in-line with the pulleys and a bolt or cleat on the wall to tie the ropes to.

When I wanted the cap off, I would back in under the pulleys. I'd un-bolt the cap, (hated the clamps so I put bolts thru the bed side and cap-- It also helps line everything up when you put it back on) and block it up enough to slide the 2x4s under. (a snap link at least on one side of each makes it easier) I would then put a bolt thru a hole in the cap and into the wood. (to keep it from sliding)

Once it was connected to the ropes, I could take up the slack, remove the blocks and drive out. Then I could raise either the front or rear and take up the slack and tie off that pair of ropes, do the other end, and keep going until it was up as high as it could go. I had safety chains that would connect on the eye bolts in case the ropes failed or the tie up on the wall was messed with.

I now have a stack on the old truck and haven't used the cap for quite while. Just listed the house and wanted to move the cap out. My old truck wont fit in the garage anymore, (stack and light on the roof) and my new truck is too tall to exit the garage with the cap on. I lowered it to the floor and hopefully I can sell it before the house so I don't have to mess with it.

 

[wsurf]

Hang on, I'll take a picture. I built one using boating rope and trailer wench. I slide the 2X4 under each end and crank it up. Easy to do by myself. Maybe $40 total cost. Give me some time and I'll post a picture.

 

[EEdmondson]

I use 2x4's as the people above. I also bolt 2 2x4's lengthwise on top of the widthwise ones with one 1/2" bolt at each corner. I mounted casters on the bottom of the widthwise 2x4's so I can roll my shell around after I lower it. I attach my ropes with a knot on the ends thru slots cut in the ends of the widthwise 2x4's. The lengthwise boards give me a rectangular frame that holds the widthwise boards separated. An easier way would be to securely attach the shell to the widthwise boards and eliminate the lengthwise ones. I might try that since this setup was for my '91 F250.

 

[Demons_Ram]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CAMP...33656QQitemZ8047399764QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW



http://froogle.google.com/froogle?h...+Lift+System&lmode=online&scoring=p&groupby=n



http://www.rewci.com/heligastsy.html

 

[wsurf]

Here are the pictures. Pretty much like Bighammer said. You will need to keep adjusting the rope links until it is correct (shell/camper/cap comes off level). Pictures show the boat wench lag bolted to the wall, and the two rope connections on the roof. Went to the boat shop and got the rope and pullys, and lag bolted into the roof beams.

 

[Grizzly]

KennethS: Lot of good ideas here. Pick the idea that may work for you and ask for more detail. Any of us, I'm sure, would be glad to give you more detail if you want.

 

[JZellers]

I just did something similar to Wsurf a couple weeks ago from the ceiling in my machine shed. I used the same boat winch except that I used a single cable through a couple block pulleys. I got pretty lucky centering the hole in the topper because it lifts fairly level. I made a support block from a couple 30" lengths of carpeted 2x4 to spread the weight evenly on the inside of the shell. A long eyebolt goes through the top and the support block. I just lift it all the way up, then I have a couple 2x4 supports chained to a couple of ceiling joists I set between the trusses. I just hook them in place and lower the shell onto them to take the weight off the center eye bolt. When on the truck, I'll remove the eye bolt and insert a rubber plug in the 1/2" hole.

 

[KennethS]

I am sure glad I posted this on the forum

All you guy are super In trying to helping me. My ceiling Is real loe In the garage that the truck sleeps In. I got to take the camper top off this week so I can go and get 3 ton of stone plus a load of good dirt also. I went this morning and got 10 windows and two heavy wood doors that was only two years old. The windows were thermal pain, his wife did not like them and made him change them. They were free. I light up when I here the word free. Here 3 pictures of my toys. Here a place out In the country that I love and keep It as you see It. Then there my 1911 Model T Roadster that I drive a lot In the summer. I went on One trip of 1800 miles and no problem gone for 3 weeks and all back roads. Anyway thanks for the healp. Hope to see you down the road someday.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I lashed together some lodgepoles into an A frame. The back has three 'posts' to give stability. You can see the Ferd parked under it. I use it to remove the "shack" from off my truck. I also used it to remove and install the flatbed from my 04 to the 97. I use a come'a'long and some old static climbing rope to pick it up enough to drive out from under. For the flatbed I used chain and two come'a'longs.



Not fancy, but it works.

 

[WCPoe]

Costco on line had a lift max 250 lbs

KennethS --- I Found this at Costco on line



http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11040990&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=



Looks adaptable enough!! By the time I engineer something, I've usually overdone it.

 

[JRG]

KennethS --- I Found this at Costco on line



http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11040990&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=

Only problem is most canopies are over 250#.



JRG

 

[DUBLR]

I forget where I bought them but they were around $45. They are two heavy duty nylon straps with seat belt type closures. You anchor the straps to the joists with eye bolts. They were made for this so plenty strong enough.



Simply back up under the straps. Raise one end of the shell with your back, slide a block underneath. Then do the other end. Slide the straps underneath, and pull them till the shell clears, drive off. This is a one man deal for me, works great and looked at tons of options. Hope this helps. I can manage a pic if interested.

 

[ohnoitsyu]

I remember seeing these a while ago:

http://www.topcaplift.com/TcFeat2.htm



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129121

 

[GWBourne]

check this idea out...



about the same as what you are saying, only more lasting and safer.



http://www.coloradok5.com/topstorage.shtml



Grant