Better Bed Hydraulics

[wracinti]

We changed the mattress out and the new one is quite heavy. The existing hydraulics won't lift it without a lot of effort from me. Asked Newmar for stronger hydraulics and they said no, stronger ones would tear from the wood. What have others done to access under the bed better.

[twogypsies]

We took a piece of wood measured from the floor to as far as the bed rose and added a support notch on the underside of the bed. When the bed was lifted it was simple to stand the piece of wood and adhere it to the support notch. Then we got things from under the bed simply. A large dowel rod would work.

It's not like you use that area all day long. For us, it was just used for things we didn't have to use much.

[Dutch Star Don]

I added a third strut to the center of mine which was enough to hold the weight of a new mattress. No matter what, the initial lift before the struts kick in is still a back breaker.

[powerboatr]

well its not just newmar specific
in our damon when we added the sleep number bed it was heavier and caused the struts to not hold.
i simply built up the area the struts attached to and put in a stronger lift strut
that will hold it open but is still easy enough to drop it back down.

[Dutch Star Don]

I added this structure to my 2005 Diplomat because the wooden bed frame wasn't strong enough to hold the four struts needed to lift a pillowtop mattress.

[Renipladlo]

Well we ordered the Sleep Number mattress bed system, and the struts provided by Newmar work fine holding it up. Our 5th wheel years ago had struts, getting it started on the move up is hard, BH cannot do it, but once is moving up she goes. Having a dowel rod safety holder is a good idea, added to "must do/haves list".

I had one fail on our last coach, mid door under step storage, and played heck trying to find replacement with the exact poundage to keep step up. Never matched it correctly, and I had to hold it up for a bit before it would hold. That means I am going to make note of lb. of the ones on the bed, so I have reference if I have to replace them. As aside, we love the sleep number bed, Cal-king sheets from Marshalls work very well, and were not all that costly to purchase, a little large, but the spacing between bed and cabinets is tight, the extra is working to help make up bed easier.