camper shell removal & storage

I tried the set up in 54suds link. I made the mistake of thinking a landscape timber would hold the weight, needless to say it didn't. it split right at ground level and took out the back glass on the way down. Make sure to use quality and heavy enough lumber. My current set up is a 2x4 frame with 4 manual truck camper jacks from a previous project. the jacks are mounted on a set of doubled 2x4s on either side of the truck with 2 doubled 2x4s installed side to side. use the jacks to pick up the shell and lower it after the truck is moved to a stable level.

I just built an a-frame for that purpose. 9' wide, and 10.5' tall. It's also for butchering moose. I have a leer 122 browning, and it's really heavy. Typically it takes 4 men to get it off and on the truck. I live far enough out that coordinating that is difficult. I'll let you know how it goes....but the current plan is to lift the front and back enough to slide a 2x6 across, then run rope through holes in the ends of the 2x6 making a harness which will attach to the A-frame. I'll likely use my chain fall, but I could just use my truck airbags to get the canopy off and on the truck quickly. Chainfall will help with lowering onto a trailer (one I built a couple years back which fits my canopy). Most of the summer, it'll probably just sit on the a-frame so I can attach it quickly between camper trips. I really prefer to have the canopy on my truck when the camper is off. Keeps thieves from stealing groceries, and snow out of the truck bed....and contains the dog....who's been known to bite people who get too stupid around him. Something which describes much of the general population.....lol.

Mine is attached to the ceiling of the garage. I use a system by "Top/Cap EZ Lift by JMS" You attach the strap system over the cap and under it and just crank it up to the ceiling. The crank will not go down until you crank it. Mine has been in use since 2001 and the last two years I've not put the cap on my truck, so it's been hanging that long without moving a bit, it's a good system.

With my mini truck the shell was light enough that I could do it myself. With my full size truck the cap is too far up and too heavy to easily take off so I added L track to the roof and then made a harness and cross beam and used an electric winch and then after moving the truck I would lower the shell down on to rack with 10" wheels that I built.

I later learned that the dealer where I bought the camper would store it for me for $25 a month. Now I drive over there and they use a forklift to remove the top and then they put it on a rack indoors where they store it until I need it.
Takes me 15 minutes to drive there and 15 minutes for them to remove it and about the same amount of time to have it put back on when I am done using the camper.

2 six packs and two neighbors.

Now I know why so many guys have bad backs.

tuna fisher wrote:
Anybody have easy 1 man shell removal systym and storage? I have a heavy shell and looking for easy way to remove and re-install. Don't have room in garage so it would have to be outside in the yard. Thanks.

Back when I had a good strong back, I would get in the truck bed, center myself under the shell, lift it and walk/slide it back until it just balanced on the end of the bed rails.
Then get out of the truck bed, grab the shell and drag it back a little, tilt the shell back and slide/lower the rear end until it touches the ground.

Move the truck forward a little bit.
Then prop a 2x4 under the shell to support the shell.
Move the truck away and lower the shell onto the ground by hand.

Reverse the process for putting back on the truck.
You don't need no stinking equipment or help to take a shell off.
Its a one man job.
:)

I built a couple sawhorses the same height as my pickup bed. I then position them behind my truck and parallel with the bed sides. I then use 2" PVC pipe as rollers, and start by squatting inside the truck bed and lifting the top with my back, and putting 1 pipe under the cap as a roller. The next pipe is placed across the saw horses and just roll the cap off the bed. Once over the saw horses, I replace the pipes with 2x4's to prevent it from rolling off. I'm 67 y/o, but still strong and healthy. My method might not work for everyone.

Check out Harbor Freight. They have various low cost lifts.