# Cherokee Bed Gas lift



## lifeson (Sep 13, 2010)

Any other Cherokee owneres having any problems with the bed?
Our bed won't support itself when lifted on the gas struts and keeps falling down which although isn't earth shattering is a nuisance.
I have queried this with Autotrail and they say the struts are only designed to hold the bed up when there is no bedding on - just the matteress.   Their solution is remove all the bedding to get access under the bed!

Now we only have a sheet and a summer weight quilt (4.5 tog) and a couple of pillows and on our caravan with the same layout it required a fair tug to get the bed to close.


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Methinks you need to design a simple prop. Perhaps one that is screwed to the high point of the lifted bed and swings down to act as a prop when the bed is up.
I do not know your bed but in my AutoSleeper the gas struts are strong enough to hold the bed and bedding. Perhaps a little advice from a supplier of gas struts will produce a ram of similar dimensions but greater lifting power. 
If you Google Gas struts there are a lot to choose from. You could look carefully at one of your gas struts and find the model number and take it from there with your enquiries.
http://shop.exceltrailers.co.uk/gas-strut-178-p.asp
Alan


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## rangitira (Feb 17, 2011)

Don't know how old your Unit is, but, it sounds to me that you have a failure of one maybe two of your struts.
If so, it will be easier to fit replacement struts, with the bed in the up position.

Loosen strut bolts with the bed down, remove those little shelf thingees each side of the M/H by the bed.
Put bed up, put hand up beside bed, and undo one end of struts, put bed down and remove struts completely.
Place new struts in postion and attach one end. put bed up and attach other end, once again putting hand up beside bed to do so. 

It might help if you make up a piece of timber to support bed while you have it up without gas struts 

On no account try to close struts by hand, not even the Hulk can do that!

Hope this has been some help to you!


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