Electric actuated roof up and down with a switch

Jkerle

Hey yall, I've been working on this for 2 weeks now and it's nearly finished. It works extremely well and isn't very hard or expensive to install!

Actuators. $34 x 4
DPDT switch. $10
Misc hardware. $20
Steel for rear supports $17

Total $184

Depending on your needs the actuators used in this build come in sizes ranging from 2-12in. All of these are available on amazon. They are ip54 rated so as long as they don't go swimming or left out in a monsoon they should be fine. At $30 a piece they are inexpensive to replace.

I used 6in and was able to drop my roof height from 87.5in down to 82 inches. Standard garage door height is 84.

The actuators are 12v and reverse with polarity. Ive wired them up to a DPDT rocker switch and mounted it in a small diamond plate box I bent up. They will lift 225lbs each so lifting the roof is effortless. Mounting is a little less than desirable. I'm working on getting some aluminum bungs machined that will slip into the square tubing and better interface with the actuators. This is a challenge as the cost per bung is around 40 bucks and I need 8. I'll keep hunting for a cheaper machine shop.

Pictures to follow.

The fronts were easy to install. I'm in a mock up stage using some old roof struts that were bent up and semi straightened back out. In doing so it proves the actuators will work through some misalignment.

The rear was mocked up with pvc and some 3d printed parts.

I've built the actual steel upper support today just waiting for the paint to dry. Tomorrow I'll be cutting the rear lower sections and drilling the mounting holes.

A video link-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwZlCV58ma4







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BGW

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Mooncarter

Great idea!

rib33024

Nice job on the top

Lancejustin

Ya, that turned out sweet [emoji106]. I assume they have built in limit switches?

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Jkerle

Thanks, yes limit switches built in both directions.

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E36Racer

That’s pretty trick, great idea. How is it with the overall stability of the roof? Does it shake around more than when the struts were a solid piece?

I think you are really on to something, especially for the guys that need to get their lifted carts in the back of a toy hauler. I was never impressed with the mod I’ve seen where they section the strut and hinge the roof back to lower it. That only makes the cart longer which is counter productive when trying to squeeze the cart in a limited space. Looking forward to see your final result. I’m surprised you didn’t go with an air cylinder of sorts to match your suspension.


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Jkerle

Stability is actually pretty good and will improve greatly by replacing the pvc with steel. Its moving around a little bit I wouldn't say its shaking its more of round motion because the pvc uprights are able to flex in all directions. On the plus side no rattles to report. I used the hinges in past and would choose this pvc version over the hinges as is. Those hinges suck! They are a royal pain to use daily to get in an out of the garage.

I looked at air cylinders first but the price and weight wasn't good. Plus the control of these is as simple as it gets. They can be stopped anywhere in the stroke too.

I've found that I can sit in the cart with the roof lowered all the way. If I raise the roof an inch I have plenty of head room.

The only thing to work out now is my windshield. I dropped the one I had trying to put it back in. I'm thinking about using a solid piece and getting rid of the noisy mounts associated with the folding windshields. The cart is literally silent I didn't realize how much noise my windshield was making.



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Swan

great idea ! way better for daily use then hinges . I made my own hinges to go in my cargo trailer but that was only once a month or so .

joe58

That looks like a great fix. Do you control each actuator independently? Have you worked out how to clip the top half of the windshield?

Joe

Jkerle

Joe,

Actuators are all driven with one switch. The limit switch built into the actuators stop each one independently they all run about the same speed one is like a half second slower than the rest so it's close enough that it works.

My plan for my windshield with the magnets on it was to attach a steel band clamp to the actuator to give the magnet something to stick to. Having broke my windshield itll be a bit till I can work something out. Plus its summer time on the gulf coast it feels pretty good not having it on there! Lol

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