Replacing Hymer drop down bed gas struts (1 Viewer)

[Xabia]

I have a 2007 Hymer B544SL and am finding it increasingly difficult to raise the bed so I think it is time to replace the struts.

Hymer International tips advice raising the bed as high as possible to remove the rear fixing point but this doesn't seem logical at the strut will be fully compressed.

A thread I have read elsewhere advises the opposite, lower the bed, remove the curtain and you can then access the fixing point to detach the strut. This seems to be the logical way to go. Main difficulty seems to be compressing the new strut to get it to fit between the mounting points. Suggestion is to use large jubilee clips although I wonder if a car spring compressor might fit the job.

Has anyone replaced their struts and if so, can they offer any advice please.

Mike

 

[Forestboy]

Recently had a strut come off because a bolt detached. It was a bugger to fit but can be done although I guarantee you'll lose some skin from your knuckles as for compressing it no chance and if you ring the suppliers they will strictly warn you against doing it extremely dangerous.
See the link below the struts are supplied extended and that's how they're fitted, replaced both of mine 3 years ago as I said it is fiddly but perfectly doable.

These guys supplt the struts and are the experts there's nothing they don't know and very helpfull.
Good luck.
http://www.sgs-engineering.com/nl5008-motorhome-bed-gas-strut

 

[Anthea M]

@JockandRita may be able to help.

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[cornish boy]

I have a 2007 Hymer B544SL and am finding it increasingly difficult to raise the bed so I think it is time to replace the struts.

Hymer International tips advice raising the bed as high as possible to remove the rear fixing point but this doesn't seem logical at the strut will be fully compressed.

A thread I have read elsewhere advises the opposite, lower the bed, remove the curtain and you can then access the fixing point to detach the strut. This seems to be the logical way to go. Main difficulty seems to be compressing the new strut to get it to fit between the mounting points. Suggestion is to use large jubilee clips although I wonder if a car spring compressor might fit the job.

Has anyone replaced their struts and if so, can they offer any advice please.

Mike

I have no experience of this setup, but have experience of gas struts in other applications and would guess that they are fully extended when the bed is down, fully retracted when the bed is half way up and then re-extend fully when the bed continues to travel up to the storage position. Hence the seemingly conflicting advice.

 

[forthpilot]

I am about to attempt to change the struts on our Hymer B510, as part of my 'list of things to do'.
I too have read the conflicting advice on how to change the struts. I am no engineer, but attempting to remove them
with the bed up is impractical, due to the position of the blind cassette, and I am not about to play about with a 1700 N. piston with my fingertips, almost unsighted. Logic would point to the bed fully down, easy to remove the retaining press-on washer, and then test for movement of the strut. I will leave the bed down for a short period before attempting this, to allow the gas pressure to equalize on both sides of the piston. Any advice is welcome.
Stewart.

 

[JJ]

I changed my Hymer bed strut very easily...

but I had John (Lunarman) helping.

An extra pair hands doesn't half help.

JJ

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[tonyidle]

The struts are uncompressed with the bed UP. If the fasteners are easier to access with it down then undo them bed down & lift up to remove them. It is a very easy job to do.

 

[JockandRita]

@JockandRita may be able to help.

I will if I can.

I recently thought that either or both the front bed struts were giving up, and arranged with SGS for replacements. Then I came across a piece on the Hymer Club International website (HCI), referring to advice from Peter Hambilton, with reference to the torquing of the nylock nuts once a year, and to consider replacement nuts if torquing was required more often (or words to that effect).

I torqued our nylock nuts to the recommended 40lbs/ft, and the bed not only went up a treat, but it stayed there without the strap being engaged, and coming back down was more controlled than before.

I immediately cancelled the two new struts with SGS (who were absolutely fine about it), but I continued with the order for the new bonnet strut, which I had also placed.

Since then, (about nine months ago), I have had to torque the nylock nuts again, so I will be seeking out replacements at Sterling Nuts & Bolts, Peterborough.

HTH,

Jock.

 

[Hils and Glenns]

I torqued our nylock nuts to the recommended 40lbs/ft, and the bed not only went up a treat,

Sorry to hijack this post. We replaced the struts on our Hymer B524. It wasn't difficult but was a faff and definitely needed two people. One ie me with small hands to get into difficult spaces. We used the tips on the Hymer Club site.
@JockandRita I'm interested in what you said about the nylock nuts. I still can't lift the bed by myself, Glenn has to do it. Should I be able to? Also ours doesn't have nuts it has pins, so do you know if there is anyway to do the torque?
Also I've tried looking on the Hymer Club site to see what Peter Hambilton has to say about torque and the site doesn't seem to be working. Is it defunct or is it just me?

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[JockandRita]

Is it defunct or is it just me?

I can't access it either Hilary.

Rita also struggled to raise the bed, until I had torqued the nylock nuts. The bed has to be pulled towards you initially, before it can be pushed upwards.

I'm not aware of any locking pins, only the 4 x nuts and bolts which connect the cantilever mechanism to the frame, and the 2 x gas struts. Ours is a 99 model.

Cheers for now,

Jock.

 

[Hils and Glenns]

Rita also struggled to raise the bed, until I had torqued the nylock nuts. The bed has to be pulled towards you initially, before it can be pushed upwards.

I'm not aware of any locking pins, only the 4 x nuts and bolts which connect the cantilever mechanism to the frame, and the 2 x gas struts. Ours is a 99 model.

I've done a bit of a google and found that the torque refers to the nuts holding the bed to the van. Not nuts (in our case pins) holding the struts on. Despite the new struts I still can't get the bed up myself. Just wondering if torquing the nuts will make the difference. Are they supposed to check those when you have a hab check?

 

[rangi]

Did it myself and posted on here how to, about 6 years ago.

Easier to do with the bed up after removing Mattress/Curtain etc, loosen the nuts first, a bit of a faff but easy to do from each side. You might have to remove the few bits of Decorative Coving/trim stuff first

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[rangi]

Forgot to add Support the side of the bed you are working on

 

[Xabia]

Is this the piece you were looking for?

Pull Down Bed Fixing Bolts

It is advisable to check that the four bolts that secure the bed to the van are tightened to a torque of 40 pound foot. The four bolts that secure the bed to the lowering mechanism need to be fully tightened the backed off one flat. If any slackness is found in the nylock nuts, they should be replaced. This procedure should be checked annually.
Info from P Hambilton.

 

[HymerB544]

I will if I can.

I recently thought that either or both the front bed struts were giving up, and arranged with SGS for replacements. Then I came across a piece on the Hymer Club International website (HCI), referring to advice from Peter Hambilton, with reference to the torquing of the nylock nuts once a year, and to consider replacement nuts if torquing was required more often (or words to that effect).

I torqued our nylock nuts to the recommended 40lbs/ft, and the bed not only went up a treat, but it stayed there without the strap being engaged, and coming back down was more controlled than before.

I immediately cancelled the two new struts with SGS (who were absolutely fine about it), but I continued with the order for the new bonnet strut, which I had also placed.

Since then, (about nine months ago), I have had to torque the nylock nuts again, so I will be seeking out replacements at Sterling Nuts & Bolts, Peterborough.

HTH,

Jock.

That is excellent advice. Ours is a 2006 (56) B544 SL and so far, touch wood, no problem with the drop down bed, but I will save this for future reference, thank you. Gary

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[Dave and Ginny]

Currently down in Benidorm and one of ours 1700n type failed the other day. I've removed the offending one following the advice on the HCI site and can definitely confirm that the strut is 'relaxed' when the bed is up and under compression when down.

As a little extra tip, I used a couple of cable ties around the body of the strut and the bed frame (leaving one tie with a little slack) to temporarily secure it from flying about dangerously. Using the cable ties allowed me to remove the split pins with the bed down before putting it up, snipping the ties and then slide the strut off the fixing lugs.