Posted by Jacob the J in TJ Shack
Our popup truck camper came with a lifting mechanism on both the left and right side of the camper. Lifting the roof was accomplished by using shoulders, arms, back and legs and pushing it up. There were metal bars to lock the sides in and keep the roof from coming down. We added gas shocks to the outside to help in raising the roof. When traveling and having to raise and lower the roof daily it soon became an unpleasant activity. We also added 450 Watts of solar to the roof. With this extra weight, it was time to look for a solution. The fact that I am not getting any younger also contributed😒.
To see a short video of the build click the button at the bottom of the post.
I had seen several new model popup truck campers that used actuators to lift the roof. Some solutions were better than others. One setup in particular by SuperTrampCampers stood out to me for its robust build and fast roof lift. I managed to meetup with them at the 2022 Overland Expo west event. They weren’t willing to give much detail about their system when I told them I was trying to duplicate it. I am just a simple do-it-yourselfer but they were not willing to share their parts, vendors, or sources. I understand. Their vehicle at the expo had the manufacturer of the actuator blacked out. I did find a different vendor, EarthRoamer, at the expo who used the same actuators. They were less secretive about their equipment and so I snapped a picture of the make and model. This gave me enough information to start my research.
The actuators were hard to come by as the manufacturer was located in Europe. A year and some months later I revisited the idea. By this time and found that Linak, the manufacturer of the actuator, had an office in the US. I was now able to custom order the actuators I needed for my setup.
After receiving the Linak actuators, it took me about 6 weeks to come up with a design and do the build. I ordered extra hardware to build brackets and mounting plates. I chose to install two actuators on the outside at the rear of the camper. I also installed two actuators on the inside of the rig.
The roof on the rig is constructed with 1″ aluminum square tubing. It is filled with spray insulation and covered on both sides with thin aluminum sheeting. On the inside I used mounting points located near the existing lift mechanism. I made sure to fasten onto areas where the frame of the roof was at some cross member point. I made quarter inch aluminum plates that overlapped the roof frame and attached brackets to hang the actuators from. Between the ceiling and the aluminum plate I sandwiched a quarter in HDPE plate. This was to offer a little cushion and counter sink areas for the mounting hardware.
I created two wooden supports to mount the bottom of the actuator. They are fastened to the walls of the cabinets and seats of the camper. For extra support I also bolted them down through the floor of the truck.
The location for the outside actuators was tricky. Also here we had to create brackets to mount to the roof and the camper. The roof brackets/plate connect the actuator to the side and the top of the roof. This to supply as much pushing and pulling strength possible on our thin aluminum roof. Also the spare tire mount was cause for tight margins on where to mount the bottom of the actuators. There was just enough clearance between the spare tire carrier and bottom mount of the actuator to make it work.
We removed all the original lifting components which gave the camper a clean and open feel. No more metal bars on the sides of the canvas.
These heavy duty actuators move the roof up and down quickly with just a push of a button. They also give the roof a lot more stability. Heavy winds are now less of a concern. It keeps the Canvas/Vinyl tight and less noisy.
The wiring was fairly straightforward. A toggle switch near the back door pushes the roof up in about 7 seconds. The first raise of the roof was scary as these actuators come from the factory set at full power. After some fine tuning, each actuator was programmed to start with a slow ramp-up start and stop. This ensures a smooth raise and lower, and reducing wear on the equipment. You can control the amount of force being used. You can adjust the speed it raises and lowers. Set resistance to make it stop when an obstacle is encountered.
This was by far one of the most complicated and expensive DIY modifications on TJ. To date the actuators have been on the rig for a year. They have withstood Baja beaches, and Mexican bad roads. They have been in the dusty deserts of Utah and Nevada. They have run over endless washboard roads all over this country. Getting to our next campsite and setting up camp is quick. Most importantly, these actuators have relieved my back and shoulders. Extended travel, including trips that sometimes last many months, is now something we enjoy without the heavy lifting.👍
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