Gas Spring Set - Camper Roof

Is it time to replace or upgrade the gas springs that hold your camper open?  

All gas springs loose pressure over time due to variations in temperature allowing leakage around the piston seals.  Usually this decrease in pressure becomes initially obvious when the camper is used during very cold weather as the gas inside the cylinder will have less pressure, and the roof will sag slightly and rest on the safety pole.  

We call them by the trade term of gas springs, but they are also called gas shocks or gas struts.

In some cases, a higher pressure spring may help depending on how the camper is loaded.  

Choose from these different ratings:

Overloading a vehicle with weight high above the center of gravity will negatively impact handling.

Important Notes:

1. Confirm the current strut by looking at the part number on it, there is usually a clear 3 digits that say 100 120 140 or 150.
2. Increasing the rating of the gas springs only alters the ease of opening and closing the camper under load. It does not impact rack specifications or weight limitations, which for Thule and Yakima systems is 75 lbs per cross bar.
3. Replacement of the struts may require special tools to compress strut, use caution or seek professional service as needed.
4. Each strut will have safety clips at the ends, these must be removed to install on the ball stud, then reinserted after the socket is mounted.
5. Struts are sold in pairs, replacing both struts at the same time helps to avoid twisting the camper top.
6. If the top is not opening evenly, verify that all hinge links are straight, if a link is bent the top will open/close unevenly. Changing the strut will not correct a bent hinge link.