Anyone ever make a truck topper removal device?

[Wanna Ride]

In my line of work, I often need to have my truck topper on, to keep some gear secure, but only for a week or so at a time. During those periods when I don't need the topper, I like to remove it and put the tonneau cover back on. This has me removing the topper and reinstalling it about once a month, and it's just not easily done by myself. So I always have to call on a friend or neighbor to remove it, and then to reinstall it again, a few weeks later. This part is always a hassle, because I'm at the mercy of their availability, and I just prefer to be self-sufficient, and able to remove or install the topper at a moment's notice.

So I'm in the process of designing a fixture to do this. I know this probably will generate lots of questions and concerns for the weight, the load, etc, but that's not a concern. Years ago, I reinforced the trusses in my garage to facilitate storing it, so that it can store high in the ceiling (I have a nine foot ceiling in my garage), and it's out of the way and not take up an entire parking space in the garage, so there's no issues with the weight load on the ceiling.

My intent is to make a fixture that will be lowered/raised via an electric winch (or maybe just a manual boat trailer winch), with arms that pivot out, and under the topper rails. I'll back the truck into the garage, lower the fixture, and fold out the arms that will slip under the topper sides, and then hoist the topper up into the ceiling. Once the topper is high enough, I'll have another set of arms mounted to the ceiling, that will then fold down and secure to the fixture rails, so the weight is no longer supported by the winch. I have a rough idea of how this will all work and what it should look like, and I'm certainly capable of building this, as I've built all sorts of things in my garage/shop to make working on projects by myself. I've built mobile stands for most of my shop equipment, my welding table, my utility trailer, etc, so I'm confident this will be relatively easy, and I have the tools and capabilities to do this also.

My question to you all is, does anyone already have something like this? And if so, do you have any pictures of this, that you can share?

 

[notlob]

Folks have been making hardtop hoists for jeeps for decades. There are dozens of designs; power, manual, factory made and homebrew.

This one can be controlled by an app on your smartphone:
https://garagesmart.com/collections/jeep

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

The process would be very easy if you create lift eyes on top of the shell. Camouflage them to look like cargo racks or chrome rails like the old station wagons had. A simple boat winch, cable and a few pulleys and you are set. Even a 200 lb cap weighs only 50lbs a corner so hanging off rafters should not be too bad. Good luck

 

[captain14]

GJ member Jon04 (My Michigan 16 x24) just made on for his topper this past winter/spring.
It should be listed in the last few pages of his thread.

 

[seang81]

In case you decide to go a different route, these tripod cable jacks might be worth looking into.

https://www.etrailer.com/Camper-Jack/Brophy/CJ74.html

I have a pair of homemade ones and they work great for my 700lb slide in camper.

 

[toplessHO]

I stored my aluminum topper in the garage over head for years
cant count how many times it was put off and on.
simple version was a small block and tackle that stays with cabling,
2 spreader bars made from thinwall tubing(EMT) slightly longer than width of topper.
Make 4 brackets for lifting at each corner,can be attached to topper or place under it while lifting and storing. I dont know how much yours weighs but mine was easy with 2 blocks and 2 ropes,no need for any fancy winches

 

[bdbecker]

My buddy had a pretty simple, but effective setup for his. He had two carpeted 2x4's with eye-bolts on each end. The boards were wider than the topper by 12-16", so they stuck out 6-8" on each side. He'd unclamp his topper from the truck, and then stand up inside the truck bed pressing his back against the roof the topper to lift up just the front half, leaving his hands to slide the board under the sides. Then he'd move to the back, lift up the rear using the same technique and slide the other board underneath. From there, it was just a matter of hooking up the cables and using his boat winch to lift it off. He had chunks of pipe insulation (pool noodles would work as well) around the cables to protect the paint on his topper whenever he had incidental contact.

 

[jon72vega]

GJ member Jon04 (My Michigan 16 x24) just made on for his topper this past winter/spring.
It should be listed in the last few pages of his thread.

I updated my hoist this year.
Here's the removable bracket I made that attaches to the Yakama roof rails on the topper.

..
This is the new hoist.
It's a Shop Tuff 1100 lb hoist that I purchased from Amazon Warehouse Deals. (The box was damaged, the hoist was in perfect shape).

..
Here it is in action.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions guys. Without going into a lengthy bunch of typing to explain what probably wouldn't explain so well... I have a host of other obstacles to work around, when the topper's in use. And clearance issues where I use the truck, so adding anything to the roof is out of the question. But these give me some ideas and motivation. Started making a parts list today. Part of this is, that I also have to be able to use it on other toppers and trucks too.

The process would be very easy if you create lift eyes on top of the shell. Camouflage them to look like cargo racks or chrome rails like the old station wagons had. A simple boat winch, cable and a few pulleys and you are set. Even a 200 lb cap weighs only 50lbs a corner so hanging off rafters should not be too bad. Good luck

Thanks, but I specifically don't want to add anything to the roof.

GJ member Jon04 (My Michigan 16 x24) just made on for his topper this past winter/spring.
It should be listed in the last few pages of his thread.

Thanks, I'll look into it.

In case you decide to go a different route, these tripod cable jacks might be worth looking into.

https://www.etrailer.com/Camper-Jack/Brophy/CJ74.html

I have a pair of homemade ones and they work great for my 700lb slide in camper.

Thanks, but I have to suspend from the ceiling for a couple reasons, but mort important is that I can still have full use of the shop floor and up, to nearly seven foot of height.

My buddy had a pretty simple, but effective setup for his. He had two carpeted 2x4's with eye-bolts on each end. The boards were wider than the topper by 12-16"... (pool noodles would work as well) around the cables to protect the paint on his topper whenever he had incidental contact.

Thanks, but without going into a bunch of typing to explain, I'm looking for something a little different. But I've already bought some pool noodles for the arms I'm designing, for the same reason you mentioned.

I updated my hoist this year.
Here's the removable bracket I made that attaches to the Yakama roof rails on the topper.

Thanks, but I don't have a roof rack and can't add anything to the top of the topper. That's definitely an easy way to accomplish it though.

 

[kbs2244]

As you have seen, this is a common need.
you-tube is your friend.
Go there and do a search on "p u topper storage."

 

[Wanna Ride]

As you have seen, this is a common need.
you-tube is your friend.
Go there and do a search on "p u topper storage."

Thanks. As much as i use youtube, it never occurred to me, to look there for this. I have to back-burner this project for now, and looks like I may not be able to get back to it for over a week.

 

[heyyagerk]

just picked up a topper this week and building this setup this weekend.
you tube copy/paste URL to see it since I'm new I cant post links
watch?v=LtWghNBvhX0&t=41s

 

[Wanna Ride]

just picked up a topper this week and building this setup this weekend.
you tube copy/paste URL to see it since I'm new I cant post links
watch?v=LtWghNBvhX0&t=41s

Doesn't work...

 

[Wanna Ride]

Haven’t been able to get back to this project, but I will this weekend. Came up with some easy solutions for making this work efficiently too.

 

[gungatim]

My buddy had a pretty simple, but effective setup for his. He had two carpeted 2x4's with eye-bolts on each end. The boards were wider than the topper by 12-16", so they stuck out 6-8" on each side. He'd unclamp his topper from the truck, and then stand up inside the truck bed pressing his back against the roof the topper to lift up just the front half, leaving his hands to slide the board under the sides. Then he'd move to the back, lift up the rear using the same technique and slide the other board underneath. From there, it was just a matter of hooking up the cables and using his boat winch to lift it off. He had chunks of pipe insulation (pool noodles would work as well) around the cables to protect the paint on his topper whenever he had incidental contact.

that is exactly what I used for my topper and continue to use for the wife's SL500 hard top. I just use a hand crank and pulley to raise it up, then add safety chains to the loops so the rope doesn't have to hold the weight all summer.

as stated, people have made these for years for jeeps, hard tops, cappers, etc. millions of ideas and designs out there I looked at before making mine.

the HF $89 electric winch is a popular option if you don't have a hand crank from a boat or something...

 

[Wanna Ride]

the HF $89 electric winch is a popular option if you don't have a hand crank from a boat or something...

Exactly.... I got their 2500lb. winch a couple weeks ago when it was on sale for $49, and then used a 20% coupon on top of that, specifically for this project.

 

[Roses]

An old thread but last spring I made a device to take the cap off of my pickup and store it. Made it out of wood because it was cheap for prototyping. I might re-make it in metal sometime in the future. biggest drawback to the prototype is no ability to steer, so I've been looking at go-kart parts to put on the front and effect some kind of steering.

You need a pretty long lever arm for a full-sized cap and there's still a lot of strain in the winch. Have to do some calculations but i might be able to shorten the front legs, which would allow for bigger front wheels - right now they are restricted by axle clearance. The front wheels are in front of the CG of the cap a bit. Might need to ballast the rear.

There's a frame that locks in overcenter to put the cap on for storage and take the strain off the lifter. They fold back flat for removal/install.

 

[larry4406]

@Roses - where do you store that contraption? Clever mouse trap.

 

[Roses]

I have a small slab next to the shop. Don't know what the previous owner had in mind for it, but the cap and contraption fir there perfectly.

 

[Monza Harry]

@Roses If you loop the cable back to the lifting beam through a pulley at the current anchor point [on the cart], it will be ½ the effort to lift the "cap" but twice the cranking. Glad that is working out for you. Harry

Roses said:
An old thread but ....
You need a pretty long lever arm for a full-sized cap and there's still a lot of strain in the winch....

 

[isb cornbinder]

I built an four arm adapter for the end of my shop-crane, (aka cherry picker)The adapter looked like an inverted base for an office chair.
I was able to roll shop crane under the canopy top and lift the canopy off. This was simple and it worked really well, for years. The canopy was bolted down in 8 places.
The canopy went missing on the same day a scrap dealer was picking up scrap. I asked the scrap guy and he said, "Oh Sorry 'bout dat."
I cannot go to a canopy seller, because they do not sell a canopy that fits my R120 International. I built the canopy in my shop to the dimensions of the "R". I had access to a 10 foot Brown Boggs brake in 1988, but, all of that has changed.

 

[ybnormal]

surprised no one ever suggested this...
$10 at HF, all you need are two and they give you plenty of rope

 

[Sumboodie]

Fork extensions

 

[86turbodsl]

Fork extensions

I was going to say forklift, but you beat me to it... LOL.