2019 Vista LX - bed lift strut question

[mff3429]

Attachment 181127Hi,
I bought my 2019 Vista LX a few months ago. One item that was not addressed by me or the dealer at the inspecttion was that the bed lift was broken. One side has the strut connected and the other side it is disconnected. It also appears that on the right side, a repair was attempted because of the wood block that's there that the left side does not have. When I grab the right strut and try to compress with much of my weight, it does not budge. So, I want to fix this but have some questions.
1. Was this an OEM setup, or an aftermarket product?
2. Any reason why the right strut cannot be compressed by me, even a tiny bit? Perhaps it got jammed extended and that's why the bracket screws appear to have rripped out of the woood block.
3. I assume on a proper installatiion, one just needs to give the bed a gentle lift and the bed would raise and stay up? It should be a one-handed operation by oneone, I expect.

I do see products available on the web that would appear to be sufficient replacement.

Thanks much, folks.

Mike

ps. I tried rotating my pics via windows, but the uploaded file stays the wrong orientation. I'm puzzled.

[Bones2003]

According to the Winnebago support website; the bed lifts are standard OEM items for your RV. The extra mounting plate that is made out of chip board is not standard. You might not be able to compress the right strut because it is broken or it could just be a very powerful strut. I don't think I would be able to compress mine by hand. With the bed securely propped up, you could try to swap the left and right struts to see if the added weight of the bed will help to compress it. They come off pretty easy if you slide the little clips off the ends of the struts. Don't press down too hard though or the left side mounting brackets may break loose if it is a broken strut!

Those struts are powerful so the bed should be pretty easy to lift by hand. Mine is a one hand operation even after we replaced the original mattress with a better but heavier one.

Are you the first owner or did you buy it used? Looks like someone had trouble with that strut in the past and added the extra mounting plate. That is a common repair for those bed struts (although I would not use chip board). In the past, I used a metal plate that I got from the hardware store by where they sell joist hangers. The plate is thinner and keeps the strut more in line when the bed is closed.

The Winnebago parts list says it is part number 142569-15-000 Spring - gas 508 lg 120 lb. As you mentioned, replacement struts from a variety of sources are available so you don't need the exact Winnebago part.

[6cwayne]

It is highly unlikely that you would be able to compress that strut by hand if it were working properly. Look at the forces involved and moment arms when it is operating.

Cheers,
Wayne

[Bo Walker]

Hi Mike, Tuesday, I removed the screws that is holding half the hinge onto the bed frame. I then added a 1 3/4 inch wood piece to raise the head of the bed. Then, I installed a wood piece tapered down from the1 3/4 inch to nothing on both side of the frame. This is to elevate the head of the bed for better sleep.
To reinstall the struts, I had to fasten the lower end and raise the foot of the bed very high to fasten the end fastened to the bed slab. Two people are needed for this, even though, I managed it alone.
I suggest you remove the wafer board piece from the bed slab and install a 1/2 inch piece of ply-board or even better, install a piece of 1 X 4.

[BobC]

I agree with Wayne, you're unlikely to be able to compress the strut by hand. However, before assuming it's good, Try switching it to the other side as suggested by Bones2003. You're correct in suspecting a failure to compress might have caused the damage.

I'd remove the chip board and see to assess the underlying damage. I suspect the screw holes were stripped out. If that's the case, a metal plate on its own isn't going to help much since you still need to have something to hold the screws. If the damage isn't too significant, you could reposition the bracket in order to screw into solid wood. You'll need to reposition both sides to keep things symmetrical.

Alternatively the plywood solution should work but I'd recommend doing it to both sides so the lift heights are the same. I'd use 3/4" plywood and screws that are as long as possible. I think that 1 x 4 solid wood might be susceptible to splitting.

However, the best solution, which would prevent reoccurrence, would be to through-bolt the brackets to the top on both sides with round head machine screws and either fender washers (if there's room) or a metal plate on the top.