Boler - Front window rock guard/shade lift shocks modification

[idiotsniff]

Hello,

Wondering if anyone knows off hand what size lift shocks would be needed to replace the window locking supports on the front rock guard on an 81 boler? One of the original locking supports had fallen off on the original owner I guess or broke maybe, but they had welded up a steel one to replace the original aluminum one and doesn't look great. its also kinda weird to put up locking one side at a time. so i'd like to replace them with lift shocks, I see them at princess auto here in canada all the time for real cheap so i'll get some there if they have the right size, it would really make putting that rock guard/shade up when we arrive at the grounds.

if someone has done this do you have an idea on the length of lift shock you used that would be great. if you also have pictures of the front of your boler with the rock guard up that would be great.

thanks for your time,


Joel Brown

[idiotsniff]

oh, here is a picture of someones customized boler that has done exactly what i'm talking about.



thanks again,

[james kent]

Rock guard on the back.. always wanted one
Marker lights on the top and at corners molded in
Air on top
Slider window at the back
Tail light brackets smoothed in
Great mods .. I like it!

[idiotsniff]

the guard on the back window is nice. but is that from factory? or is that just a front guard put on the back window?

[idiotsniff]

not a single person on here has added lift shock/struts to their front window shade/rock guard???

wondering what size lift shocks were used? and were the original connection points used?

[james kent]

Looks like they have guards front and back. I have never seen a factory one on the rear. Maybe they ordered one from scamp. BTW, You might check there for the struts.

[idiotsniff]

hi James,

the struts aren't factory, at least not on the boler, they are just made up of two square tubes with the outer one having a thumb screw in it to hold the center one when it is extended.

I think the new scamps are just clip on, clip off covers and don't hinge up out of the way/or block the sun once you are at camp. think you take the cover off and have to put it someplace. but not sure. i'll have to look but i'm sure they don't sell them on scamp parts site

i want to add struts to mine and remove the original setup.

thanks again,


joel

[Donna D.]

Scamp doesn't use struts of any kind. Many owners have used all manner of items to hold the gravel guard up in the awning state. Items from archery arrows to PVC. I built simple PVC props... ala Joy A. and they work just fine. I never take the gravel guard off, so storage is never a problem. I believe in the KISS philosophy. YMMV

[Lizbeth]

That's a stock back window, the rest of it is all custom work. I believe that rock guard looks just like the one on the front of my trailer.

Joel, my trailer is missing one of the slide parts on one side. So I just use a stick to hold it up. The shock idea seems much more elegant!

[idiotsniff]

liz, the shock is just nice. because you can just unpin the two corners and it lifts up like a trunk on a car with lift struts. then you don't have to set the height of them or anything it just lifts up into position. and when you are done just push it down and push in the pins. it would be a much nicer option vs. the screw down lift supports that are factory.

so i'll just have to do a few measurements and buy a couple sizes and see what works and what doesnt.

thanks,

[idiotsniff]

hi donna,

I didn't think scamp had shocks when james mentioned that. was sure the new scamp covers clip on at all for corners and don't have any sort of lift/screw in support to hold it in place when you are camping. the 81 boler we have has two hinges at the top and two pull out pins at the bottom two corners so adding these lift shock/struts will work nicely. I've seen them in other pictures on the internet, just figured someone would post what size they used and if they had any other details about the mod, but doesn't seem to be the case.

thanks for the post.

[BCDave]

Just be sure that you get ones that are also the correct load rating. Size (as in how long are they compressed and how long when extended) is only half the battle!

If you wind up with ones that can't hold the load - or worse- ones that lift a couple hundred pounds! - you are no further ahead.

Bigfoot has the struts as standard equipment and I'd volunteer to run out and see what the specs are on 'em, but - well - my trailer is currently about 50 miles away from where I am!

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by idiotsniff

hi donna,

I didn't think scamp had shocks when james mentioned that. was sure the new scamp covers clip on at all for corners and don't have any sort of lift/screw in support to hold it in place when you are camping.

The top hardware for the Scamp gravel guard is a sort of hook, the bottom is a draw clamp latch.

As Dave says, you must make certain the struts are of the correct poundage for the lift, otherwise you're liable to crack the fiberglass trying to get the shield to go back down. I'd start by weighing the shield and go from there.

[cpaharley2008]

Maybe someone who attended Bolerama 2009 can tell you who the person was/is?

[BCDave]

Maybe a good starting point would be to look at the ones installed on a pick-up truck canopy. I recently had to replace the ones on mine and I seem to recall that they were 25 pound lift units (No, the canopy upper window is NOT 50 pounds - it was more like 5-10 lb at absolute max) but the leverage factors inherent in positioning the struts etc meant that 25 pound units were just right.

You may need 10 pound units- maybe 25 pound units - I have NO idea whatever, but make sure you don't start off by trial & error with the 100 pound ones!

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by idiotsniff

hi James,

I think the new scamps are just clip on, clip off covers and don't hinge up out of the way/or block the sun once you are at camp. think you take the cover off and have to put it someplace. but not sure. i'll have to look but i'm sure they don't sell them on scamp parts site

joel

From what I have seen the new Scamps have the same set up that Donna's scamp and mine have and they are in fact made to lift off but many of us have come up with a ways to keep it so the guard does not come off (I used small metal hose clamps through the hardware on the top of mine to keep it from lifting off) and make pvc holders per Joy's instructions here & connecting them to the bottom hardware to keep it up while camping. Here is photo of mine up.

[Donna D.]

Joy should have patented her idea... she'd be RICH!

[Harvey]

Thanks very much for that pic Carol (& thanks Donna for the explanation). My '84 Scamp 13 has the original (I think) 'hangers' for the top, & the 'toggle' latches at bottom of the rock guard. They're all very rusty but still serviceable. The 'hangers' appear to be simply old type window screen square loops & hooks (probably galvanized originally), & the toggle latches (readily available at local hardware stores) I've already bought. I'd like to get some stainless hangers which I've found online but they're kinda 'proud' of 'em ($20 a set vs $3-4 for zinc coated). Also found stainless toggle latches at marine suppliers but again more bucks than I'm willin' to part with at present.

I hadn't realized that the rock guard would still 'hang' on the hooks while tilted that much. Now I can devise some PVC 'props' that'll work for mine. Did/do you use any kind of 'hold down' device to keep the guard from 'flying away' in gusty winds? Appears a small bungee might work unless a tornado or hurricane strength gale occurs (probably be a good idea to break camp & 'get outta Dodge' in that case )

[Donna D.]

Harvey, the pictures in this post may be self explanatory. I didn't make mine as complicated, but they continue to work just fine and I've never have the gravel guard lift in any kind of wind: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...html#post39316

[Carol H]

Harvey the rock guard will not lift that high and stay on the hooks without attaching it at the top - see the link Donna provided to Joy's original instructions.

I changed Joy's instructions up a bit and just used some very small adjustable worm drive pipe clamps through the top hardware and they have worked well for about 5 years now.

I put broom holders on the inside wall of the upper part of my closet in the Scamp for storing the PVC out of the way when not in use.