Gypsy Caravan Project, Part 8: Testing the Lift System

With the upper walls built and installed, in this 8th part of the Gypsy Caravan Project I test the electronic actuator lift system, which allows the top section of this hard-sided popup camper trailer to move up and down. This is the critical component that makes the whole thing work!
The lift system was purchased from Progressive Automations in British Columbia: www.progressiv...
The system I put together for this project consists of the following components:
(4) 30" 12-volt model PA-04-HS actuators (400 pound lift each) @ $228 each ($912 total)
(1) FLTCON-4 control unit ($235), which has 4 actuator outputs and a wired remote control input
(1) FLT Hand Remote ($45), which is the LED display unit used to control system functions
(8) BRK-01 T-shape mounting brackets ($8.50 each, for $68 total)
(4) 4.5-foot Wire Extenders ($12 each, for $48), to connect the rear lifts to the system up front
The total cost for the whole system was $1308.00 USD.
Incidentally, the "HS" in the lift part number signifies the Hall Effect model, which is a feedback synchronization system that keeps each lift at the same level, regardless of how much weight or drag is applied to each one. It is crucial to keeping the lifts moving smoothly and in sync. The FLTCON-4 is the control unit that reads this feedback and adjusts the speed of each lift accordingly.
Also, you can purchase the lift actuators in almost any length, from 6" to 40" I believe, with shorter ones obviously being cheaper. For my project I wanted 30" of lift, which turned out to be more than enough.
Get more pics and technical details about this project build on my blog at Wandering Scot: wandering-scot...