Raising a hardtop

[midnight1957]

Hi, I bought a 12 foot long hardtop for my 21 foot pontoon. I had to make brackets for it, it has two legs on each side that are made from (2) 1 inch x 1inch square aluminum tubing. This hardtop will give me lots of shade but I have a question.
For one person to put this top up or down (folds toward the front) is a job and pretty much impossible. Sometimes it may be just me and my wife going to the lake and she is not able to help. Can anyone offer any suggestions or my idea would be to install a boat winch somewhere on the rear of my pontoon and winch it up so I can put the pins in and to make it go down put a little slack in the line until I can get it starting to go down then let it down, hope this makes sense.
Has anyone ever tried this or do any of you guys have any ideas.
Also thanks guys for your prayers and encouragement for my wife in these trying times.

Wade

 

[5150abf]

Re: Raising a hardtop

Just na idea but could you use a stick or something and push it from the center front?

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Raising a hardtop

Locate the position where the top of the side arm meets the rail near the bow. At this point, secure a length of aircraft wire to the rail and to the top of the side arm. The length of this wire should allow the top to go just past the point of trying to fall to the stern. Do the same thing on the other side.

This wire will prevent the top from going all the way over while you secure the rear side arms.

 

[The_Kid]

Re: Raising a hardtop

If you can add some kind of removable post with a winch at the rear of the boat you could probably crank it up and down. The winch height will need to be somewhere in the middle of the lowered and raised positions. Run the winch line under the top. I attached a crude drawing showing the lower and raised positions.

I don't know if it would work, but it's the best I could come up with.

 

[DMAN1968]

Re: Raising a hardtop

My old toon had one of those hardtops at one time as I can see where it used to attach to the top of the rails. Just an off the wall thought, remove the heavy metal top and go with a lighter weight bemini, should give plenty of shade and it's easy to put up/take down by a single person.

Good luck

**Doh!** just reread your post about having bought and installed the metal one...my mistake. There is always a pulley rope/ block and tackle kind of setup also. With enough wheels and rope an ant could move the world.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Raising a hardtop

If you can add some kind of removable post with a winch at the rear of the boat you could probably crank it up and down. The winch height will need to be somewhere in the middle of the lowered and raised positions. Run the winch line under the top. I attached a crude drawing showing the lower and raised positions.

I don't know if it would work, but it's the best I could come up with.

My thought was similiar. If I envision this right, it has to be pulled toward the rear to go up. If you attached a strong stainless pole with a good base and a small pulley at the top and a small winch (inexpensive at many hardware, auto and marine suppliers) at the base or top rail level, you could raise and lower with the flick of a switch. As a bonus, the pole would make a great location for an anchor light.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Raising a hardtop

I was stuck with the same problems... Parents are getting up in years and needed a better solution for raising the heavy metal top. I had toyed with the idea of a winch, but then found some 200 pound 12 inch travel shock pistons. (the things that hold a trunk/hatchback open or an engine compartment on a boat) They are pretty heavy duty, each one taking 200 pounds before it STARTS to move. You can't move them by hand!

Anyway, I was going to attach one of these to the back two legs first, and if more help was needed I was going to do the front also. You have to do a little math to figure out where to mount it so you can use the full travel length. You will also want to use some aluminum or steel channel slightly bigger than the leg itself, to keep the shock from ripping out the mounting holes.

the bad news... parents decided to just leave the top up all season and tarp over the furniture. Shocks still sitting on a shelf in the shed.

 

[bsandy56]

Re: Raising a hardtop

I tie a rope to it and a tree then pull it up with the truck.The rope needs to be higher than the top on the tree of course. Then do the same letting it down.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Raising a hardtop

smokingcrater has the best solution.
They are called gas-springs.
The things that hold up the rear hatch of every SUV and mini-van built.
go see http://www.gassprings.net/

If you have a decent junkyard you could do some scrounging.
If they are agreeable, you might tell them what your trying to do.
And they might let you experiment with a pair from one vehicle and if they do not do what you want you can take them back for a pair from a different vehicle.