CCV Medium Height Top - Page 2

mgmetalworks · 06-18-2015, 11:17 AM

Can one of you with a CCV top post some detailed pictures of the lift mechanism? And by detailed I don't mean 5 ft away. Detailed means close-ups of the welded joints, hardware, etc... I haven't seen it mentioned much among all the comments in all the threads but I think it's rather important to know how the lift mechanism is made, what it is made of, what are its capacities, etc...

The fiberglass work looks good from the pics I've seen, the fabric work looks good in pics too... what does the mechanism look like? What actuators are they? 400 lbs each? Are they synchronized in any way or do they run independently? Are they readily available should one fail? What material is the tubing in the lift members? Wall thickness? What hardware? Size? Grade? How does the top come down if you don't have power? What if one motor quits? How much weight is being lifted and what percentage of the actuators' capacity does that equate to? How many seconds (or mins) to deploy or set down?

I'm interested in a pop top like many here but I want to know more about the lift (I'm very surprised more of you don't ask these questions quite frankly). This mechanism might only be a few simple parts but it is pretty much responsible for all of the potential dangers of a pop top. I'd think everyone would want to know that it is properly designed/engineered and constructed of materials appropriate for the job. It seems that most of the conversation is centered around the great ventilation and how big the bed is...

REF · 06-18-2015, 12:23 PM

I went over many of these things with Derek before purchase, I can't rattle off all the specs, but I think the screw rams that are used are good for 1000lbs. each, not sure what thickness the tubing is, but I do know they will not fold like the SMB tubing used. In case of a motor failure, that side can be disconnected to lower the top. CCV tops are about ~400lbs
Maybe we can get some more specs put out there from Derek or Ray

mgmetalworks · 06-18-2015, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REF

... In case of a motor failure, that side can be disconnected to lower the top. CCV tops are about ~400lbs...

Can you elaborate on this process? From what I can see in the few pictures there are, the motors are directly connected to the members (it looks like) so in order to disconnect one side, you'd need to take the weight off of it, right? The bolt won't just slide right out if it's holding its share of ~400lbs. Then what? You hold XXX amount of weight above your head while you lower it down then bring down the other end separately? Is it designed to come down like that or will disconnecting one side put the good side into an overloaded state?

I'm trying to understand the design and thus the request for detailed pictures. Things break, things wear out and they tend to do these things when you're miles from no where. I want to understand the potential problems one might encounter with one of these tops so I can have a contingency plan (I've seen a SMB top up close so I already know their potential problem areas).

mgmetalworks · 06-22-2015, 08:48 AM

Pictures? Anyone?

boywonder · 06-22-2015, 08:51 AM

^^^^^what he said^^^^^^...

shenrie · 06-22-2015, 11:02 AM

gah, i meant to post some up for you guys over the weekend, but all that life stuff got in the way, my apologies. i should be able to post a few later today.

1der · 06-22-2015, 03:43 PM

Have not had a chance to get pictures but here are some specs:

Actuators - 1000lb push / 800 lbs pull each. They are switched on and off together, however, when top extends or retracts, each will continue until their independent limit switch is reached. This "re-synchs" them each time the top is fully raised or lowered. The switch is manual and is set up as momentary, requires one to activate the motion. US based company supplies them, readily available.

Raise or lower time is about 80 to 90 secs.

The top with the hardware that is attached to the top - actuators, tracks and lifting bars, insulation weighs about 240 to 250 lbs. The fiberglass shell by itself can be picked up by two strong people and placed on the roof, so I am guessing it weighs about 170 ish. The metal frame it sits on, along with the actuators makes up the weight difference.

The lifting assemblies at each end are made up of 1.75" diameter tubes with 1" diam tubes welded to them. There are caps on the tubes so I could not measure the wall thickness accurately, but the 1" tubes look to be either 3/32 or 1/8" wall. The actuators connect to roller assys that ride in 1-5/8" uni-strut solid channels that run, on each side, nearly the full length of the top. The lower frame assy is ~ 2" angle that runs the perimeter of the top cut out. Maybe shenrie can get the pics of the shoulder bolts used as pivot points.

Failure modes - If the top is all the way up and one motor fails, take as much load off the failed actuator side and remove one or both of the clevis pins and use the good actuator to help lower the top. I would likely want some type of stick to help take the load off the failed actuator and help the top come down somewhat evenly, but the top can be brought down and then secured. The lifting struts remain attached to the uni-strut channel front and rear to guide it into position.

If both actuators fail mechanically, this would require disconnecting both actuators and manually supporting the weight of the top to guide it down into the lowered position. If electrical switch fails, one could use a drill battery to raise or lower the top and bypass the relay and/or switch. There is a manual wired switch as well as a remote control switch.

I can take pics later this week if shenrie gets tied up.

This youtube link is pretty good at showing the operation of the tops, there are also shots of the lifting mechanisms in motion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHK-3TMKLvk

Interested in feedback as to what you guys think. All in all seems stoutly constructed, but I am not an engineer

boywonder · 06-22-2015, 05:11 PM

Thanks Ray!.......hopefully one or both of you can post pics......just curious......

shenrie · 06-23-2015, 09:19 AM

sorry guys, got caught up installing a front hitch yesterday after work and spaced taking pix...but drove it to work today, so just ran out to lot and snapped a few with the celly (sorry for the low quality). i can get more specific if needed...

this is the passengers side front latch and where the uprights are welded to the hinges.

this is the drivers side where the actuator attaches to the lift uprights.

passenger side lift actuator.

passenger side where two lift bars connect.

i watched every video derek has out there prior to purchase. i also stopped by his shop on our way back from georgia when we purchased our van to see his operation and get to know him a little. it was a rare opportunity to stop by for me, so i took advantage of it. he walked me through his shop and showed me numerous setups, how they were setup and why he did things the way he did. i inquired that some of the projects were different than what i had seen online. he responded with ya, its an ever-evolving setup. basically hes always looking for better ways to build his tops and changes accordingly when new ideas pop up.

i actually stumbled onto replacement actuators here locally. a buddy of mine started working a new job and called me out of the blue one day and asked me for the part numbers on one of my actuators. i asked why and he told me that he just found out the place he just started working at sold them and if i ever needed a replacement.

rallypanam · 06-23-2015, 11:09 AM

Hey Ray, he's using shoulder screws on the pivots now, right?