213RBSL King Bed Storage "Hold Open"

[gjwinner850]

My wife couldn't hold the storage lid under our bed open, told me to fix it. I think we could have gone with a 60lb Gas Spring, but the 90lb may break in a bit over time.

Master Bed (King) Spring Shock Hold Open Mod rvupgrades.com
Qty 1 20-1076 Gas Spring 90lb 17"
Qty 1 20-1066 Gas Spring Flat Mtg Bracket
Qty 1 20-1071 Gas Spring Angled Out Mtg Bracket
Around $20.00 total

[wildwest450]

Good stuff! Where did you order from?
Thanks for the part numbers, I need to do this.

[snakebitten]

Yep.

That's a nice storage box. But a beast to easily access while holding up that air-craft-carrier-mattress.

And if you replace that mattress with a good one, it won't be a lighter one!
Nice job!

[gjwinner850]

Originally Posted by dawniewest

Good stuff! Where did you order from?
Thanks for the part numbers, I need to do this.

Hello Dawniewest, I ordered from rvupgrades.com Lots of neat stuff on that site that is trying to take $$$ out of my wallet

[gjwinner850]

Originally Posted by snakebitten

Yep.

That's a nice storage box. But a beast to easily access while holding up that air-craft-carrier-mattress.

And if you replace that mattress with a good one, it won't be a lighter one!
Nice job!

Thanks! Yes we've already talked about replacing it in a year or two. For now it works OK.

[wildwest450]

Originally Posted by gjwinner850

Thanks! Yes we've already talked about replacing it in a year or two. For now it works OK.

They must be putting better stock mattresses in. After our first night we were both sore from sleeping on that marshmallow mattress. Put a 4"memory foam topper on it and now it's better than our bed at home.

[gjwinner850]

Not sure but wife has two thick mattress pads in it and it's OK for now

[hddecker]

Jeff,

A word of caution,

[hddecker]

Originally Posted by hddecker

Jeff,

A word of caution,

and the word is don't hit return before your finished.

I was about to relate what happened to me.

Dutchmen in their infinite wisdom deemed MDF (must have been Chinese) was a suitable bed platform in our '07 Brick (Colorado, ugliest towing camper I have towed. But DW is happy.)

I knew it was going to be a problem, one I ignored for 7 years, until I POd my maker. I think Loki was involved too. DW sits on edge of bed, MDF breaks, DW sitting one floor turns and gives stink eye, I turn and run for the back door, DW is hollering at me loud enough I'm sure
all of Dover and maybe all the way to DC could hear her, over the top of the Cup cars "Where are you going?", as I turn my head I yell back "Lowe's, get a sheet of plywood to fix that POS bed?" Under my breath I'm saying, "You broke my nose once, I ain't a slow learner." That's a whole other story, I'm not sure which embelished version I've aready told here. But let my tell you stay away from her rabbit punch, I picked my self up off the floor, dust myself off, go to bathroom, stop bleeding, straighten broken nose, put broken nose back in place, wipe stupid off my forhead, say to myself, "self never do anything so stupid again."

Let me tell you trying to repair a camper bed, in the middle of a camp ground at a NASCAR event, is a comedy of errors. Minimal wood working tools, expecting to reuse hardware, remove all screws, take old platform outside, get new plywood platform layed out, reinstalled new platform, wrestle mattress into place while holding down new lighter platform (and yes you may laugh, without fear of reprisal) mattress in place, release platform, mattress flips up smacks me in the chops, tears in eyes, hinges tore the screws right out, platform flips forward, crashes hits top of feet, more tears, DW is rolling aroung in bedroom doorway LHAO. Go to bathroom mirror rub stupid off forehead and say to self "self never, never do anything so stupid again." Remember way back I said it's OK to laugh. Well laugh if you got 'em.

[hddecker]

Now the moral of the story, watch the stuts, they may be too strong for your repair.

[gjwinner850]

Originally Posted by hddecker

and the word is don't hit return before your finished.

I was about to relate what happened to me.

Dutchmen in their infinite wisdom deemed MDF (must have been Chinese) was a suitable bed platform in our '07 Brick (Colorado, ugliest towing camper I have towed. But DW is happy.)

I knew it was going to be a problem, one I ignored for 7 years, until I POd my maker. I think Loki was involved too. DW sits on edge of bed, MDF breaks, DW sitting one floor turns and gives stink eye, I turn and run for the back door, DW is hollering at me loud enough I'm sure
all of Dover and maybe all the way to DC could hear her, over the top of the Cup cars "Where are you going?", as I turn my head I yell back "Lowe's, get a sheet of plywood to fix that POS bed?" Under my breath I'm saying, "You broke my nose once, I ain't a slow learner." That's a whole other story, I'm not sure which embelished version I've aready told here. But let my tell you stay away from her rabbit punch, I picked my self up off the floor, dust myself off, go to bathroom, stop bleeding, straighten broken nose, put broken nose back in place, wipe stupid off my forhead, say to myself, "self never do anything so stupid again."

Let me tell you trying to repair a camper bed, in the middle of a camp ground at a NASCAR event, is a comedy of errors. Minimal wood working tools, expecting to reuse hardware, remove all screws, take old platform outside, get new plywood platform layed out, reinstalled new platform, wrestle mattress into place while holding down new lighter platform (and yes you may laugh, without fear of reprisal) mattress in place, release platform, mattress flips up smacks me in the chops, tears in eyes, hinges tore the screws right out, platform flips forward, crashes hits top of feet, more tears, DW is rolling aroung in bedroom doorway LHAO. Go to bathroom mirror rub stupid off forehead and say to self "self never, never do anything so stupid again." Remember way back I said it's OK to laugh. Well laugh if you got 'em.

Jim,

Hope your all healed up after that NASCAR event. I did chuckle, but full well know what you are talking about. But anyway thanks for your comments and concern, they are well taken.

The new 213 has plywood for the lid on the storage section under the bed. Granted not as thick or as high quality as I like, but its not MDF. I looked at Hatchlift.com and was going to purchase a bed lift kit from them, but due to the short length of storage area (23") I tried calling them several time to discuss it and then sent them an e-mail asking some questions. For 3 days they never answered the phone and it took 6 days to answer their e-mail (who knows maybe its a small business & they just took a vacation). So I studied their kits and contents and went to RVUpgrades and purchased the same size gas spring shocks used in the recommended kit for this size "bed" and related hardware. Hatchlift finally did e-mail me back the day before my RVUpgrade parts arrived. From their reply I did good and ordered the right stuff. But now after the installation my mechanical mind set says 60lb shocks would have done the truck. One thing I will do it get some stainless steel machine screws, locknuts and washers and bolt the shock anchors in place on top of just screwing them into the plywood so the screws can't strip out after repeated usage (especially if I go to a NASCAR Race LOL).

Appreciate the insight and thanks again.

PS: I have looked in that same bathroom mirror, as I get older I often wonder if that STUPID I see in the mirror will ever wash off, or is it a tattoo

[hddecker]

Jim,

Getting to be too many Jim's around here, maybe I'll change my nam to geezer.

All the way from Dover DE home, I wished I wore hearing aides so I could tun them off. I wasn't going to risk another fail, DW has learned about YOUTUBE and she's been hanging around a little too much and always with her cell phone.

I get home I dug out an old set of door hinges and my box of 7/16 bolts, new set of struts fixed I'll have to put on about 300# before it breaks again.

You shoul

[snakebitten]

It's not just a forum. It's a story-channel, every bit as entertaining as Netflix sometimes.

I live alone these days, so a big dose of solitude. It sounds worse than it is.
You guys and your yarns are part of my household.

Great stories.

[jelliott]

Originally Posted by gjwinner850

My wife couldn't hold the storage lid under our bed open, told me to fix it. I think we could have gone with a 60lb Gas Spring, but the 90lb may break in a bit over time.

Master Bed (King) Spring Shock Hold Open Mod rvupgrades.com
Qty 1 20-1076 Gas Spring 90lb 17"
Qty 1 20-1066 Gas Spring Flat Mtg Bracket
Qty 1 20-1071 Gas Spring Angled Out Mtg Bracket
Around $20.00 total

Thanks for posting this tip!! We just purchased a 282dbhs and the wife was saying just last night that I needed to figure out how to put a cylinder in there to help with lifting the bed!!

[gjwinner850]

Glad to assist! Hope it works well for you all!

[Rannypapa1]

We brought our bed from our stick home, beautiful no turn memory foam, heavy but comfy! Love this idea as I can't lift ours up either!