RFI: Canopy Removal

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I have the ability to remove a truck canopy with an overhead lift, but the contraption I made is difficult to keep the canopy balanced since it lifts a frame that I place between the truck rail and the bottom of the frame. I can solve a portion of the problem by attaching the lifting straps to a good carabiner instead of a beam, but that leaves getting the frame under the canopy…

The next idea coming out of the Wiley Coyote Acme Engineering firm is to put the Yakima racks on and attach the straps to them, to give me a 4 point lift from the top. My concern is with the screws that hold the tracks to the canopy. The current plan is to put longer screws, with large fender washers to distribute the weight under the areas where the landing pads and towers sit. My estimate is there is roughly a 125 pound downward weight at each point of attachment.

Any thoughts? I’d sure like to not damage the canopy or truck…

 

[nikonron]

I think lifting from the tracks will be fine. When hauling gear on the tracks they withstand a pretty good force, such as wind shear when hauling a canoe or kayak.

 

[Occidental]

This looks like a fun option:

Or maybe you have the solution already, just combine a short lift of the canopy by lifting with the rack, and that gives you the ability to get your frame under the canopy for the more substantial lift.

 

[Hag Man]

I struggled with removing my shell for years, finally installed one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/HARKEN-Self-Leveling-Anti-Drop-One-Person-Organization/dp/B000K16FIK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1B07RXHFWNRDV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dzf35pbg9JHVvR8lDaG45txY9qEZv5ZUUnf7lCQnqyCdTnShBYZx8EYS6UYq3faah9XzMYo-2IiTl4qZnK6_no1zhXJvtVeznK6ltiwXLirt9AaKJg76LgwaI81mEQysiQkR6gFPDbs0udtnUBskNqBeXnFH52jWyFuPlVJ2RnZ7uX650J-NUN333oYFm7cu5zdwqwlZcRL4rMd24aoCLM77EQYxzpsSFNO63W8d8bDCyc56-3biFE5u0sEuUZk7UvyJiCL_fRMxGtnRx6lzfASI8ZixcmQXGvhGOV_BxNU.h44Bq5SbV2MgISN3o2_Vsl_pDCkEGUIJg1Mu8k0ZJ-w&dib_tag=se&keywords=truck%2Bcanopy%2Blift%2Bsystem&qid=1733761379&sprefix=truck%2Bcanapy%2B%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-1&th=1

Works well, as I am small, old and weak. I use my speaker stand lift to lift each end and slide a 2x4 under, across the width of the shell, to attach to lift system. I double down with use of ratchet straps at each lift point as I don't trust the lift system. Should one of the rollers fail, it's all over. Stays level and secure. I have 8' ceiling height in my garage, it works fine.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

That looks like it works nicely. Unfortunately, my canopy is north of 300 pounds, not to mention my ceiling is 14’. I get dizzy at those heights.

Using the speaker lift is a great idea!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I found these tie down rings.

 

[Jon R]

On my 93 long bed truck I would unbolt the cab-height canopy, and then work my way around the truck to get the non-adhesive-but-still-well-stuck foam tape to release from the truck rails. Then I would climb inside the canopy with two 7 foot 2x4s and straighten my legs fully bent over and use the back of my hips to lift the front or back of the canopy and slip a 2x4 across the rails under the front and rear of the canopy maybe a foot in from each end. Total weight of the canopy is 150 lbs so this was a pretty easy leg lift.

Those 2x4s have a 3/8” hole at each end outside of the canopy. I’d install a hook bolt in each hole of the 4 holes and hook them through swingset chain connected to the rafters of my shed directly above each corner point or later the joists above the center aisle of my barn (so four vertical chains).

I would then work my way around between the four corners raising each corner and reconnecting to the chain until I had good clearance to drive the truck out. If I wanted I would continue that process to raise the canopy up against the rafters or joists. I could use the same process to lower it onto sawhorses. This twists the canopy a little but I would only go four inches at a time unless I had a partner to avoid the twisting. I would reverse the process to install the canopy.

The process was slow, but I could safely do it myself. Since I now have our 2004 Yukon XL and a 2021 3500 hd, the old truck is used for lumber and dump runs and the canopy has been off for at least a decade.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Jon, your method is pretty neat, but it won’t work for me. I have arthritis in my spine, and have twice developed muscle spasms using my legs to release the canopy’s grip on the bed rail. I now use either a bottle jack or my new speaker lift for that effort.

Because the pulley I use to get the canopy in the air is located 14’ on the ceiling where the travel trailer resides, I can’t use your suspended storage method. The canopy instead goes on a cart. It seems to get moved around a lot.

 

[fish more]

At 300 lbs, I wouldn't lift from the tracks. Thru bolted with fender washers would be the trick.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

At 300 lbs, I wouldn't lift from the tracks. Thru bolted with fender washers would be the trick.

That is my plan to secure the tracks near where each eye bolt is located.

 

[pvstoy]

Use Big Red, replace the bucket with long padded forks and lift like you are picking up a pallet from inside back. Hold it in the air, drive the truck away and lower it on a dolly with wheels.