One man shell removal

looking at getting a shell but want to be able to remove it from time to time when needed and try and do it on my own. Anyone have any rig set up that allows them to do this? Or am I asking for too much.

 

I had one set up for my Skybox in the garage, like this fellow who modified it for his topper: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f51/camper-shell-lift-system-45315.html

It works very well, btw.

 

I actually did this today, almost like this guy. Works great. I now have my camper off for now. I have to agree it works well.

 

I did something similar but used a hand-winch from Harbor Freight. Mounted it to the wall, with the wire up the wall to a pulley then to another pulley on the ceiling above the shell. Removed the handle and used a cordless drill. Worked pretty good - was only about $75 in total parts. To do it again I would have upgraded to an electric winch w/ remote and mounted in the attic above the garage.

 

Unfortunately I cannot - I had a shell on my Tacoma which I sold a year ago for the Tundra. I do not have a shell on the Tundra so I removed the lifting assembly.

It was pretty basic, hopefully you can get the idea from this description - Winch on garage wall, winch wire straight up the wall to the ceiling, through a pulley at corner of wall/ceiling, then to another pulley on the garage ceiling where the shell will be lifted to. The hook at the end winch wire would be lower the the shell. I would un-mount the shell from the bed and put in 2x4s with eyelets in them (just like they used from link in post #2). The winch hook would clip into 4 separate wires that would hook onto each of the eyelet in the 2x4. I also drilled holes thru the shell plate (where the shell lays on the bed) so that I could attached the shell to the 2x4s to keep it from sliding around. I screwed 5foot lengths of metal U-channel into the rafter studs then attached the pulleys to the U-channel to distribute the weight.

One flaw I had - when lifting from 1 central point it was tough to get the shell to be lifted evenly and not lean to one corner or the other.

 

Scoured my backup hard drive and found these pics! Note the red clamp on the second pic - I later drilled holes to attached shell to the 2x4s at each corner. Like I said earlier, to do it again I would put an electric winch up in the attic so I could lose all the connectors. Prob could get the shell almost a foot closer to the ceiling that way. As it sits in the pic I could walk under it just fine and I'm 6 feet tall.

 

Thanks. I scratched the paint pretty bad one year trying to take it off all by myself and after that knew I had to come up with an alternative.

 

I have this harken lift and it works really great.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005AUH8O...t=&hvlocphy=9028776&hvtargid=pla-319030408734

 

I would suggest putting some 3m clear bra 2” around the top area. First time taking it off and I got it scratched as well. Cars currently in the body shop for some other repair but as soon as I get it back I’m putting the strip around the area. I currently have it on the back so the back door doesn’T scratch the surface.

 

I like that one. Looks simple. Should have bought this one.

 

I installed the Racor heavy lift. It was perfect for a tacoma out of the box. I had to extend the pullys out to work for my 09 tundra.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Racor-2...mqOTIRgQG7gGuRUMsuhy9KdR7wX53BjhoCtd0QAvD_BwE

Will get an image of it extended later. Bought a set of additional pulleys from Ace hardware and connected them with Eye bolts to the 2x6. Connected the hoist mechanism to a drill and it works GREAT!

 

X2 on the Harken, I had one for removing the hartop on my jeep when I had one. Makes it easy for 1 person to remove it.

 

That's slick!

 

Thanks!

 

Awesome ideas. Now to find the cap and try one of these.