gas springs for lifting bed platform up?

[encantotom]

hi, have any of you installed gas springs to help lift up the queen bed platform on your coach? i have the mattress off right now as we are shopping for a new one and it came to me that it should not be that hard to put gas springs on to assist in lifting of the mattress and platform.

doesnt seem like there is much action on this forum any more. i follow the bluebird forum on yahoo and they go like crazy there. lots of good tips there as well.

thanks

tom

[fulltiming]

Tom, my '92 model has gas struts on the bed platform. They are similar to the struts on the bay doors but shorter, approximately 11" closed and 15-3/4" extended, although that may not be fully extended. Mine are only 20 lbs each, which would not normally be enough to lift the mattress but I also have an electric lift on the bed so the struts just take some of the load off the electric lift.

Hopefully someone with the gas struts on the bed but without the electric lift will chime in with more information. I would suspect based on the lifts on my previous motorhome bed that a pair of 60-80 lb struts would be appropriate without a lift.

[encantotom]

thanks michael,

i have some leftover from replacing the bay doors gas springs. i believe the ones i have are 17" with a 6 inch stroke and 120lbs. not sure the bed will stay down with two of them. are yours mounted with brackets bigger than the standard ones that come with them? interesting that you have an electric lift as well. under my bed is a heater and inverter. do you have something you need to access enough that needs springs and an electric lift?

[fulltiming]

My brackets are the same as used in the bay. A pair of 120's seems a little excessive unless you have a VERY HEAVY mattress. I would think that a pair of 60-90's would do the job.

I have the same things under the bed. The electric lift does take up some of the remaining room but it is nice to be able to push a button to raise the bed and be assured it stays up. I do keep some things under the bed that I access routinely since it is so easy to raise and lower.

[encantotom]

ah the joys and privledges of a 92.....us old timers in the 90 have to lift our bed our selves....

[fulltiming]

Actually, I am certain that it was a special request rather than a 'standard' item since the other '92's I have seen didn't have it either.