Shelter Lifter

One problem with a shelter is: How to get it on the truck?
If you haven't forklift or crane, you've a problem.
My idea was to put it off while i'm off-roading....so i need something portable.
Initial idea was the thread from Matt1970M35A : http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?36199-s280-shelter-removal and the Haacon Lifter for the Zeppelin FM2 http://www.haacon.de/de/hebesysteme/hebevorrichtungen.html


I've build something....

more pics...

You can see the holes in the long tube and the winchbase, they have different distances, so i have a 2" raster to equalize uneven ground.

What you can not see was the frustrating part of the story. My first idea was to use a Hilift in the middle of the narrow side of the shelter. That doesn't work. You can lift it with ease, but in the same moment the hole shelter moves to the side. Its like saw off a leg from a 3-leg stool.

Many curses later, i had the idea with the winches. It's cheap, it's simple, it's lightweight. I've thought about hydraulic cylinders like the cylinders on a motor lift. To heavy, to expensive, to short stroke.

It works...2 persons, max 10 minutes to lift the shelter on the truck.

sweet! This will work for a flat bed or drop side bed only!

You're right, i've an dropside. But it is possible to modify it, so you can use it with a standard bed.

Just so you know, Matt has put 4 of the small Harbor Freight winches on his set-up. One at each corner with a bank of 4 switches. Much easier to raise and lower. Maybe a consideration for the future.

didn't know that, in his thread he had used 4 hydraulic cylinders. I had thougt about that , but i've decided for the manual winch. works everythere, everytime at every temperature.

1 person, 10 minutes. easily.

Uh, thats sweet and all, but why is it so much longer than a 280? Is it going to be used in that deuce or a 5ton?

it's a belgian shelter. It's for this deuce. Weight is about 1,5 ton , the whole truck ~16600 lbs. Weight distribution is also ok. For my use it's ok. Most time i use it as a normal truck.

BRILLIANT. Simply brilliant! Great work, thanks for sharing!

Good job. I was wondering where that extra size came from on an S280...

Matt's new setup is pretty cool. Runs it all from a pendant so he can adjust level while walking around the box and it all runs off one 12v car battery.

thanks @ all!

tell Matt he should update his thread, it's allways nice to see other people ideas!

Wunderbar!

Excellent fabrication skills, looks great and I like the large outrigger pads with ball swivels for uneven and soft/wet ground. Thanks for that Haacon link. Did you have the lifting legs galvanized? Post some pics here next time you lift it in the yard or out in the field.

That is cool

I have seen similar systems to lift ISO containers

yes, all parts are hot-dip? galvanised / zinc coated. thats the only way to protect the tubes inside...

pics from today...lifting in the yard without problems.

Great work!

Very sweet!

Pretty slick. Planning on doing something similar on the my M109 box. Nice to see how someone else tackled it.