Hey All, Picking up our first PUP next week, which does not have a motorized lift system. Are the crank sockets universal-ish? I would like to get a bit so that I can use my cordless drill to pop it up. I found this one but I don't know if it'll work: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GOPC26/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_NLcjFbVT4FA22 We are getting a 2017 Somerset Chesapeake and I failed to look at the crank socket closely when we were checking it out last Saturday. Thanks!
I'd wait until I owned it before buying a custom tool for it. Just crank it up normal style until it ships. Enjoy your 1st trip!!!
@strangiato: wait as Starsky said. There is no need to jump on this and most likely you would not need it at all, you may be fine with manual cranking. Personally, I prefer the manual crank over the power lift (actually I paid to have this changed on a unit) and there is not too much effort or time consuming. it's like 1-2 minutes with taking brakes for sipping beer.
Oh, for sure. I will wait until we get it. I am just a bit obsessive about planning ahead and knowing what I will need and how much it will cost, so this is one thing that I am researching. I'm not too worried about having to manually crank it up, I just try to take as much expending of energy off of my plate as the years go by (quickly!). Also, we tend to get to campsites after dark and I've had to set up tents in the dark too many times.
Socket genie I have one for my pup, works great. You can't just use a cordless drill. They don't have enough torque. If going cordless you will need to buy one of the more expensive ones. I bought a $50 Harbor Freight corded 1/2" drill instead. I always camp with hookups so no problem for me. It has variable speed so I can take it slow. I usually stop a couple inches from the top and bottom, and finish with the hand crank.
I could be mistaken but I believe the one on amazon you linked is for stabilizer jacks, not for the roof winch. And like said above, you'll need a decent amount of torque for the roof winch.
Thanks Sneezer! Good to know about the torque needed. I do have a good corded 1/2" drill, so I'll give that a go.
Okay, I noticed that after reading through it a little more thoroughly. I wasn't sure if it would work for both or not. Thanks.
I made my own for the Mom in Law's PUP. My old gal I crank, so I can feel it. I picked an old deep well socket outta the spare bucket- two cuts in the right place with the dremel tool equals a new-to-me tool.
Good thought. I have some old deep sockets that I inherited from the previous owner of my house. Might go that route.
The one I picked out ran her stab jacks down too - some food for thoughts! So I made a all-in-one for her...
What?!! Of course one can use a cordless drill for lifting a camper roof! I in fact wouldn't recommend a corded drill for this task as most of those don't develop sufficient torque - ~ 450 in/lbs. I used an 18 volt DeWalt cordless drill to lift the roof on our Santa Fe, raise & lower the stabs, my BAL leveler, and the tongue jack. A series of pics starts here - click on "i" at the top right of any pic for a text description. Newer 20 volt cordless drills with a lithium ion battery are even better for this task.
Sure, a good one that costs more. The typical homeowner grade cordless drill won't do it. The portal is littered with posts where people tried and had to upgrade, or even bought cordless drills because they were recommended, and they were still unable to lift the roof. If you already have one that will do it, great, you are good to go. None of mine were strong enough. Even the two corded 3/8" drills I had wouldn't do it all the way, and one was a Dewalt too. Either I pay $150+ for a new cordless with enough torque to lift my big roof with A/C, or get a decent corded one with a variable speed trigger. I can inch mine up as slow as a hand crank if I want. It was a no brainier to get the one I settled on.
Obviously I have to disagree as I've been lifting the roof on the various popups I've owned with a cordless drill. My current DeWalt lithium ion 20 volt battery was IIRC ~ $180 Cdn or ~ $135 USD.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for posting your awesome pictures! I have a few questions if I may....about your shower...can you tell me more about that modification or do you have a post on it? I have a 1997 Coleman Santa Fe...no shower or toilet. Thinking about converting one of the benches into a shower, but I'm just a girl with tools...no real training..so I need a little guidance. I'm not afraid to take on significant projects ( I've braced the ceiling, completely remodeled the interior, fixed the wiffle system, taken slack out of the chain, & repaired the POS ABS roof) but this would be a whole new adventure... Also considering just doing an outdoir shower with a tankless water heater....thoughts? Also, where did you find the adaptors for your drill...to use on the pup lift, ball leveler & so on...or did you make them?? Thanks in advance!
In my opinion get a popup tent for shower, you can put a potty in too or get a double tent and have these outside of tent trailer. You can install also an outside shower unit (these are cheap like 50.00-100.00) and have it connected to your waterheater. The other option is to sell your unit and buy a new tent trailer with shoilet. To install a toilet/shower combo in your unit will be difficult, there are a lots of factors to consider, including the weight, dynamics etc and the fact that your unit (maybe) wasn't engineered for such thing. It may be doable, but personally, I will not do that.
The downside to an outdoor shower is that it's use is limited by the weather, particularly when camping in cooler spring & fall temperatures whereas indoors you can use anytime. The biggest difficulty in a DIY shower is the lack of a water heater - which is why I didn't buy one of my dealer's lot models (none of which had a WH) but instead custom ordered our 2000 Santa Fe with a water heater. As for details each pic in my galleries is accompanied by a text description - just click on "i" at the top right of any pic. And yes, I DIY'd my own drill adapters.
Sorry, but having installed my own DIY inside shower in our 2000 Santa Fe I'd have to disagree completely. We used this setup for 6 yrs and both my DIY inside shower and electric flush porta potti proved invaluable over the entire time we owned that camper. There were no towing issues whatsoever.
I use a Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 1/2 in. Hammer Drill / Driver. I do NOT use it on hammer drill setting. Also impact drivers should not be used. I use the above drill because A. It's plenty powerful. B. It has a side handle option that makes it WAY easier to use for roof lifts - no twisted wrists lol. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...mmer-Drill-Driver-Tool-Only-2804-20/305059499
