A web search found struts designed for a Dandy Dart which i thought would be great until i remembered the Pennine Aztec's lower bed (when folded) is actually behind the solid front and rear of the trailer which would obstruct the strut so i am searching for ideas and any help would be appreciated .
30 views and no replies perhaps i should have asked if anyone had ever seen an Aztec with gas struts fitted .
It does seem unlikely given how user friendly the Aztec is so maybe if i explained my camper is slightly modified and the beds sit about 5ft above the ground it will be understood why gas struts would be nice things to have .
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30 views? Gas struts on a Aztec is, to say the least, a specialised area. I doubt 1 in 3,000 will have any experience of it, never mind 1 in 30, so, you may need a little more patience on that one. You won't have seen an Aztec with them on, I wouldn't think, or any other older model. Pennine say it's not practical to retro fit them, and it's not something they will do themselves. They say you need to have the sides re enforced (although I've dismantled the newer ones, and the only difference I saw on there seemed to be a small square metal plate on the inside. I've also spoken to the company who do the Dandys, and a couple of others. The general concensus is that it's way too much hassle, and no one is interested. Nothing is impossible, but it appears to be a lot more complicated than you would imagine, and even the professionals aren't interested, so it may not be as simple as you might imagine, I'm afraid
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Thank you for your reply Blue sky it is as i expected but no harm in asking and i appreciate your comments as they save me searching for more info . I guess i will have to get hold of some struts and see what i can work out from there , i understand the reinforced comment as i have dismantled an Aztec completely and the trailer box doesn't actually have much structural strength when it comes to lateral force . Mine is caged in a steel frame to withstand the rigors of off road 4x4 only trails so no worries there .
Hmmm thinking caps on , top bed shouldn't be a problem but i'm not sure about the bottom bed maybe i can put struts on the inside .
Was there any particular reason why you wanted to fit them? Whilst, admittedly, the one bed is a king size, they are, still, relatively easy to lift over. I do mine one handed, although I appreciate not everyone can. Was just curious as to whether there were any significant benefits you were looking to achieve for the extra hassle involved.
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Hello again Blue Sky to explain my Aztec is modified so the floor height is almost 3ft above ground , please try to imagine setting up an Aztec while your sat on the floor which will i hope help you understand why gas struts would be a welcome addition .
Ahh I see. That looks a little different to what everyone had in mind.
I have a modern Dandy designer with steel beds which has gas struts fitted. The earlier models had aluminium beds which were much lighter.
Some of the aluminium beds cracked at the corners of the beds. The issue is that the gas strut is pushing on the 4foot wide bed only about 9 inches from the hinge. That puts a lot more strain on the hinge than if you lifted the bed over by hand.
You need brackets to mount the gas struts on. Here's one for a dandy which should be OK for yours but you may need to get the brackets made. These are what mine are like.
Make sure you fit them with the piston at the bottom. This keeps the oil on the seal and stops it drying out.
A company called SGS Engineering supplies all sorts of gas struts. Maybe worth talking to them.
When the bed is open, the gas strut is compressed so tries to lift it up. We have little turn buckle fittings to hold the bed down. When I lift the bed over it's great up until it's vertical. Then I have to push really hard to get it down.
Thanks Navver i found the SGS ones which is what got me thinking about this , unfortunately all my thinking has been done while its raining and today despite the rain i pulled the cover for a quick look .
Looks like i have been confusing myself because i honestly thought the lower bed folded down inside the trailer box where in fact it is pretty much level with the highest part of the trailer sides so actually fitting the struts in the same way as your dandy shouldn't prove too difficult .
Appreciate your description as well sounds like yours set to lift a greater weight than is necessary i just want assistance from them to about 45 degrees .
The upside down tip is a good one such simple things are easily over looked
Mine are the official ones fitted from new by Riva so should be right.
On the dandy, lifting the beds over also lifts the roof supports and roof. The roof is very heavy and the weight of the beds dropping, having gone past 90deg, would help lift it. But the gas struts kick in and stop that.
If you haven't got a heavy roof to pull over, they should be fine.
When folding it is a real boon having them. The beds fold back in and you need a hand to keep the roof out of the way. Taking the weight of the beds really helps.
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Topic: Aztec gas struts
perhaps i should have asked if anyone had ever seen an Aztec with gas struts fitted . 
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