Truck Canopy Overhead Storage

[kmk1012]

I've been contemplating on building a lifting system to remove my canopy and store it overhead in my back shop. There really isn't anything commercially available to do this and the things I've seen on YouTube and such are a little less than impressive. Do any of you have a lift system you could share so I can get the canopy off my truck for a couple months?

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[Certaindeaf]

I've been contemplating on building a lifting system to remove my canopy and store it overhead in my back shop. There really isn't anything commercially available to do this and the things I've seen on YouTube and such are a little less than impressive. Do any of you have a lift system you could share so I can get the canopy off my truck for a couple months?

Effective is what you want. If you want to impress do a backflip after doing something that is effective.

 

[osprey]

Canopies don't weigh all that much single I bolt in the center at the balancing point is all you technically need. Finding the balance point can be slightly tricky, so if you don't have confidence in finding the balance point, 4 lift points, one at each corner and a harness will also work. The lift can be a rope fall or better yet an electric harbor freight hoist with the sheave to double capacity and slow line speed down. If it needs to move for storage the hoist can be mounted to a small ibeam/ trolley setup to get it to your storage rack. I have set several of these up and they work great for lifting many things.

 

[kmk1012]

Canopies don't weigh all that much single I bolt in the center at the balancing point is all you technically need. Finding the balance point can be slightly tricky, so if you don't have confidence in finding the balance point, 4 lift points, one at each corner and a harness will also work. The lift can be a rope fall or better yet an electric harbor freight hoist with the sheave to double capacity and slow line speed down. If it needs to move for storage the hoist can be mounted to a small ibeam/ trolley setup to get it to your storage rack. I have set several of these up and they work great for lifting many things.

That is along the lines of what I'm thinking of. The canopy is fiberglass and has "memory" so it will need a frame to sit in as to keep its shape. The pulley system is what I'm debating on, single vs double hoisting ropes.

 

[ORhutner]

Wife has a fiberglass canopy on her 2018 Tacoma which was great until it had to be removed (done by canopy shop) for recall work on the cab mounted brake light by the Toyota dealership. We are now 4 attempts in on remove/reseal/install by the canopy shop to try and get the canopy sealed to the bed again without it leaking. Issue is still not resolved and leaks like a sieve. Long way of saying, if you start removing/installing your canopy you will run the risk of no longer having a weather tight seal if that is important to you. You may also have to remove/reapply the sealing foam everytime you take it on/off.

 

[kmk1012]

Wife has a fiberglass canopy on her 2018 Tacoma which was great until it had to be removed (done by canopy shop) for recall work on the cab mounted brake light by the Toyota dealership. We are now 4 attempts in on remove/reseal/install by the canopy shop to try and get the canopy sealed to the bed again without it leaking. Issue is still not resolved and leaks like a sieve. Long way of saying, if you start removing/installing your canopy you will run the risk of no longer having a weather tight seal if that is important to you. You may also have to remove/reapply the sealing foam everytime you take it on/off.

It's only two years old and leaking like yours. The shop had a sign I found funny that said, "SUV's are water tight, canopies are not-choose accordingly". I want to reseal mine but have it off for a while as the truck looks better without it.

 

[ORhutner]

It's only two years old and leaking like yours. The shop had a sign I found funny that said, "SUV's are water tight, canopies are not-choose accordingly". I want to reseal mine but have it off for a while as the truck looks better without it.

Growing up my dad had a canopy we took off and on of his 69 Chevy truck. That canopy never leaked and it came on and off a couple times a year. I am sure I could fix the leak on my wife's canopy but it has now become a matter of principal for me as I shouldn't have to fix the shoddy work though I am sure that will be the end result if we want a leak free canopy. Sad the state of what passes for acceptable work these days and the lack of pride folks have in their work.

 

[ORhutner]

If it were me I would do the rigging from above to lift it up, likely using one of the winches from harbor freight. I would build a frame that went inside the bed/canopy with a couple arms that could pivot out with eye bolts in each so you could lift each side of the canopy up, pivot out the pieces with the eyebolts on one side, then switch to the other side lift and pivot out. Then have carabiners that clip into each eye bolt and hit the lift button on the winch. The arms would distribute the weight of the canopy onto the frame so it was supported while suspended and being stored. Hopefully a good enough description of the general idea. I can say a fiberglass canopy is a whole lot heavier than it looks.

If you have a tractor with pallet forks or a forklift on your property you could just build a set of fork extensions like the canopy dealers use, lift the canopy off and then set on a pair of saw horses. I will go this route if/when we fix the wifes canopy ourselves.