TopperEZLift

Feedback linear actuator
https://www.progressiveautomations.com/products/linear-actuator-with-potentiometer

 

Man it's pretty dope I like opening it all up on a hot summer night and it makes it feel more roomier have it open during the day n hanging out out in the bed..

 

Do you have the camper package with the soft sides too or just use the lift? I kept asking EZ lift if it could be added to a GFC and they never responded. I'd love to have a 2 store camper but not sure it would work well with the system. Figured sleeping in the top bunk of GFC while the system was fully up would be too much on the actuators

 

You can get heavier lift capacity actuators.

 

Man I asked the same thing got so much shit for it on the gfc Tacoma world and that was my plan as well.. I Wanted to be able to stand up in it with leaving the bed still put together... doesn't work it's still a couple inches to short so the bed still has to be taken apart and ya you definitely can't sleep with it up..I did get ballsy and lower them down some and tryed it but I'm still to scared to actually do it it's not so much the lifting it's the swaying back and forth...my set up change to the one I was planning but if you could figure out away to create a bracket for the side to side movement it's doable..I can sit up in the bed when they up I just don't like how flimsy the back to front movement feels.

 

two story tacoma

 

You could use scissors at the front and sides connected to the bed rails. I’ve also seen slotted angle or sleeved square tube used as guide and stiffener.

 

I like the scissors idea with the t tracks I got a fab guy I'll see if he can come up with something...might take a minute though my fund's are low right now..I think if I add a block under the lifting points and have him add a section to there brackets I can get the head clearance.

 

New to the party - will get the weekender velcro'd in next weekend.

Couple things - at the first rise-and-lower, the canopy shifted 1/2" reward. It's stable and the actuators work fine, but there's a tiny lip now that I may have to try to mess with.

Also - there is some wobble there - but it matches the movements of the truck bed. I can see this acting like a sail a bit with the tent installed.

 

So some thoughts.

The product seems well engineered and solid. I'm very happy with the goods.
Customer service so far is borderline nonexistent. I've emailed them probably six times and maybe 200 words asking questions. Their replies are generally one or two words - and never a greeting or a hint of personal communication. I think I have 15 actual words from them, total, over the course of the emails.

For example: "Do you offer any military, etc, discounts? I'm looking to make the purchase in the next month - just trying to budget."
Reply: "10% off military"

Next email: "Okay, trying to check-out, how do I take advantage of the discount?"
reply: "(just the coupon code)"


I ordered the kit, 8 Jan got the confirmations. 14 January I emailed "Just checking to see if there's any movement"
No reply but 15 Jan I got the shipment notification email.


Next email to them: "Great, I got the kit - but when I checked out there was a free Battery Charger box you've included - thank you! That wasn't part of my shipment though, does it ship separately?"
reply: "Yes it will be separate"

Yesterday (9 days after their reply, with no notifications or anything): "Any movement on that box?"
Will let you know when/if they reply.

The free gift wasn't exactly free - $10 shipping. But whatever.


The point is, they've not seemed like they care one whit about my experience with their product.

Instructions were adequate but required a few times where i'd have to research what to do next - finding videos etc - because they weren't super clear.

 

I've wondered about building one of these in the future. I have some used actuators and a line to get some more, if needed. Would prove interesting.

Do this only mount to the in-bed tracks? Figured I"d have to fab something anyways for my first gen.

 

I think you'd need the channels near the top of the bed - bolts through that to hold them steady, then a footer bolts through the floor

 

Makes sense. So either make some tracks add them to the cab, or just custom fab the whole thing. Although I prefer things to be modular, so adding tracks and the needed reinforcement would likely be better.

 

Tent installed - fairly straightforward - no surprises with the set-up!

 

Any owners has any cons to their setups? I'm consider getting one but haven't seen negative reviews for it.

 

So far the only con is - customer service is nearly non-existent in terms of their availability or willingness to answer emails.

 

That's certainly interesting. How does the tent look when it's lowered and in driving position?

 

Everything tucks into the bed and under the canopy - would look like just a SilverShamu out on the trail.

 

Well, I meant more as to how it folds/rolls up inside there relative to cargo.

 

I see - the sides push in and kind of billow, the back/entrance part - I pull it off (velcros to the Canopy and the truck bed floor) and put it in the garage. All sides are just velcro so it's easy to remove. I'll post up a pic showing what I mean; my truck is on-loan to my daughter for a few days, so it will be until maybe thurs.