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  1. #1
    Rolling Along jjbbrewer's Avatar
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    HappiJac top bunk as storage?

    I'm looking for more options to transport "stuff" (totes, spare motorcycle wheels/tires) in the garage of my unit. I'm not using the top bunk of the HappiJac right now for anything and I'm wondering if anyone else has used it for storage/transport.

    I looked up the load specs on it and it seems the lifting unit can hold quite a bit. This is from the manual ..

    Click image for larger version. 

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    So it seems as long as the plank/rails built by GD can hold as much as the lifting mechanism, it should be good to use? I'm looking at putting at most about 200 lbs up there.

    If you've transported stuff up there, I'd be interested to know how much and if you were able to do it without running the bunk all the way up to the top. TIA!
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  2. #2
    Long Hauler
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    Static load can be different from a dynamic load, which is what you'd have when moving and bouncing down the road. I would imagine it would be okay,
    but your guess is as good as mine.
    Howard and Peggy
    2019 Momentum 351M, and 2018 RAM Cummins dually 6-speed.
    His: 1999 Honda Interceptor
    Hers: 2013 Spyder ST-S

  3. #3
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    When I had my Fuzion Impact Toy Hauler, I used the top bunk to store a set (Front and Rear) of mounted and balanced wheels/tire for the track bike. Once at the track, if I needed to swap out the front or rear during the track weekend, I had a spare ready to go on.

    I'm sorry, but I never took any pictures of what I did, but basically, I used some 1" x 6" lumber and made two "H" shaped wooden pieces....one for the front and one for the rear tire/wheel. The one that was used for the front tire/wheel had to have some extra height (probably used a piece of 2"x4" on each corner and one on each side in the middle....because the brake discs are wider than the tire obviously. So the long part of the "H" was cut to a length that would just barely fit in between the side rails of the upper bunk and then the center part of the "H" was mostly just there to hold the two "legs" of the "H" in place. The width of the "H" was made so that the tires rested on them and didn't touch the wheel. Then the 2"x4"s under the "H" frame was enough to keep the disc from touching anything. I used a strap on each one to hold them in place while we travelled. I didn't specifically state this, but the tires and wheels were laying down on their sides.....thus the reason to use 2"x4"s under the "H" frame. I travelled to many track events with them up there and they never moved until I lowered the bunk to take them down to use. It was extremely handy for storing them, and obviously helped save from floor space. That trailer only had a 10' garage, so every sq. ft. was valuable. Hope this helps.

    Oh, I forgot to add.....I took out the foam mattress and that gives a bit more clearance. I was able to haul them up there with the upper bed all the way up and pinned in place. I did unpin and lower the bed when I needed one of the tires though....it was just easier for me since..1. I'm an old guy. 2. All I carried in the trailer was a small step stool and it just wasn't quite tall enough for me to access the tires/wheels.
    Last edited by xrated; 08-10-2021 at 02:07 PM.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
    2018 Momentum 394M...Heavily Modded!
    2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT+
    Excessive Payload is a Wonderful Thing

    "If it ain't fast....It ain't Fun"

  4. #4
    Seasoned Camper the old one's Avatar
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    I have a 381M and was also wondering how much weight could the motors on the happiJac could handle

  5. #5
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by the old one View Post
    I have a 381M and was also wondering how much weight could the motors on the happiJac could handle
    I'm not sure of the answer on that one, but I would almost guarantee that they are NOT made to run their rated load capacity up. In my post above, where I described the racks that I made for my motorcycle tires/wheels, I'm guessing that both tires and wheels together weighed in at approx. 50, maybe 55 lbs. And I only ran them down a few feet, not full travel....and then back up that same few feet. I never had any issue with the Happi-Jack system when doing that, and honestly, the motor running did NOT sound like it was straining at all. I would probably caution again loading the bunk up heavy and trying to run it up and down, I just don't think it's made for that, but 50-60 lbs didn't seem to bother it in the least.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
    2018 Momentum 394M...Heavily Modded!
    2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT+
    Excessive Payload is a Wonderful Thing

    "If it ain't fast....It ain't Fun"

  6. #6
    Setting Up Camp
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    I asked the same question a few months back, seems not many people are trying this. I gave it a shot, and it seems to be working ok. I removed the mattress and found bins at HD that would fit in the bunk at full height (less than 12” IIRC). Kept the total weight under 100 lbs and distributed the load as best as I could. So far, so good, have been running like this for 3000 miles of travel without issue. Just watch the clearances on the back corners, some of the frame/motor parts can interfere. My mobile RV repairman saw what I was doing and thought it was a great idea. He has repaired a lot of HappiJac’s, and i asked him about the weight. He was pretty confident it could easily hold 100 lbs, probably more.
    2021 Momentum 350G
    2020 F250 6.7 Powerstroke HCTP
    2020 Harley Road Glide
    2020 Harley Road King

  7. #7
    Fireside Member
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    We use our top bunk for storage . probably have a little over 100 lbs on it and have had no problem in over 5,000 miles of travel !! I keep the heavier stuff near the outer ends !!

  8. #8
    Rolling Along jjbbrewer's Avatar
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    As a follow up, I finished modifying the HappiJac upper bunk for storage. First, I did the lift "bulletproofing" that Terry Hatfield describes in this video - https://youtu.be/ObLShG5xErw (I didn't do the self-tapping to lag screw replacement, though)

    To secure the load, I decided to use a bungee net designed for truck beds. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZQP5QG7/ This came with some nice carabiners to secure it.

    I installed some screw eyes in the base to secure the net.

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    I put one in each corner, 2 along the short sides and 3 along the long sides. There is an aluminum frame under the wood veneer but you have to make sure to get close enough to the edge to catch the aluminum.

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    I have some totes I got from Lowes to hold my stuff, so I tried them out with the net to see how stable they are. Here's the final result. I can't run it all the way up to the top, but it's high enough to get under and should make for some really good storage.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    As far as weight goes, I was climbing around on the platform while installing all of this and I weight 185 lbs. It kind of shifted side to side on the support brackets, but the platform felt quite solid. I'm planning on using it for storage this coming week so we'll see how it goes.
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  9. #9
    Long Hauler
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    Was that high enough to get the pins back in to support the bed?
    Howard and Peggy
    2019 Momentum 351M, and 2018 RAM Cummins dually 6-speed.
    His: 1999 Honda Interceptor
    Hers: 2013 Spyder ST-S

  10. #10
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoopy Frood View Post
    Was that high enough to get the pins back in to support the bed?
    I seriously doubt that it will get high enough to put the pins back in for the bed....but, you can always drill new holes in all four rails and put the pins where you need them. I didn't trust the lower section not being pinned because I haul a $20,000 Can Am Spyder under there and didn't want to risk the couch units falling for some reason. So I bought 4 more pins on Amazon and drilled all four rails and put the pins in. Now, even if a chain would break of the drive shaft that goes from side to side would come loose and allow the couches to fall, they can only fall about a 1/2" or less until the pins stop them from falling completely.....thus the Spyder is safe.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
    2018 Momentum 394M...Heavily Modded!
    2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT+
    Excessive Payload is a Wonderful Thing

    "If it ain't fast....It ain't Fun"

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