How Do You Make a Canopy Hoist? (10 Truck Canopy Lift Ideas)
There is more to a truck canopy than meets the eye. With the right tools, you can change your truck canopy into a secure roof for a built-in tent. But before you can do that, you will need the right hoist to lift the canopy into place. A good hoist will handle that task and hold the canopy when not in use.
How do you make a canopy hoist? To make a good canopy hoist, you first start with a good frame. In order to build a strong frame, you need a good 6 by 6 beam supported by a 4 by 4 legs and a solid cross support on those legs. Once you get the frame you just add the hoist to lift the canopy in place.
To learn more about building a good canopy hoist, just keep reading our article. It explores the issue so you can have the information you need to do a good job. There are lots of ideas you can select from if you need to raise a canopy to protect your truck from the elements
Truck Canopy Hoist 101
How Do I Raise My Truck Topper?
There is a kit you can buy that will do the job for you. It is an interior installation that is wired to your truck’s battery. The hydraulic lifts are strong enough to lift up to 900 pounds and can raise your topper about 17 1/2 inches off the back of your truck.
The items called actuators, there are two of them, are bolted to the topper’s roof and the other is bolted to your truck’s floor. There is a safety switch that operates these actuators which is on the control box.
Also attached to the topper are canvas sides that act more like a tent. This canvas is raised at the same time as the topper is raised creating a nice comfortable sleeping area for the two of you.
The canvas is more like a tent as it surrounds your truck bed and has a zippered front to keep the bugs out. This canvas goes all the way around and when you lower the topper, the canvas disappears so that your truck looks normal again.
Depending on the style you want this system runs between $1200 and $2000 approx.
Choosing Truck Cap Storage Systems
Storage is at a premium when it comes to trucks with canopies. The good news is that you can design just about any storage system you want in the bed of your truck.
For example, construction workers and campers often prefer to elevate the floor 6 to 8 inches and then put in slide-out drawers under that elevated floor. The drawers are then subdivided according to the needs of the owner. Campers need fewer sub-compartments than construction workers do.
These slide-out drawers are easy to build and you just need a strong rail system that glides easily in both directions. other people use the slide-out concept in a different way and attach a 3/4 inch piece of plywood to some sliders and then build a cabinet on top of the plywood.
The cabinet has drawers and shelves to hold all the items one needs for their work or recreational activities. Your design has to fit your purpose and make sure you can access the stored items without losing any time.
The materials you use need to be strong, durable, and not hard to put together.
Truck Canopy Lift Ideas
There is the old-fashioned method of asking for help from friends, neighbors, or relatives. The positive side of this is that you get some quality social time with people you like to be with.
The negative side of this is that you or one of your helpers could get injured lifting the canopy off your truck. You do need plenty of room to work and you will need a support area to place the canopy on once it is off the truck.
Another method is to create a hoist that can be attached to all four sides at the same time. This will require chains, S hooks, eye bolts, and possibly 2 by 4s. The positive aspect of this idea is that you won’t need help to lift the canopy. You just raise it up and then drive your truck out from underneath.
The negative side of this option is that it can be costly, it will take a little time to set up and you need room in your garage for the hoist, the materials, and the lifted canopy. To put the canopy back, you just reverse the process.
For those who live on a farm and have a tractor at their disposal, you can just make your own set of forks out of 2 by 4s and place it inside the front-end loader attachment. Then you lift up the front end high enough to clear the bottom of the truck and slide the forks into place.
Once that is done, you just lift a little higher until the forks connect with the canopy and then raise the canopy a little higher. Once it is off the truck, you can either drive the truck out from underneath or simply back the tractor up until the canopy is free from the truck. You then set the canopy down on some blocks until it is needed again.
The positive side is you can do this yourself and the negative side is you need a farm and a tractor.
Pickup Truck Cap Hoist Products List
1. Hoister Direct- see it here
This is a commercially built system that is designed to handle truck canopies weighing up to 200 pounds. it can be professionally installed and needs to be attached to your roof. The good thing about this product is that it holds the canopy up high so you do not need another storage spot to place it on.
The system is reasonably priced and the biggest negative is having a garage ceiling that is high enough to use this system
2. Amazon Options- see them here
This marketplace is full of surprises and many different hoist options you can use or adapt to your situation. Each one will need the same garage ceiling requirement. The positive of some of these products is that they lift more than 200 pounds.
That means you can use these hoists for other projects when they are not holding your truck canopy. Prices will range depending on the product you think will work best for your situation.
3. Topper EZ lift- see it here
Not hoist but it is similar to another product we have mentioned earlier in this article. it will lift up the canopy and provide you with a pre-built tent to sleep in. it will take professional installation to make sure everything will work right but once it is in, you should have a great time camping.
You save time by not having to erect a tent and you have better rain protection because of the hard shell over your head. The drawback to this setup is that it does not help if you want to haul other materials.
When it comes to lifting your truck canopy, your options are very limited. You have the traditional way, the hoist method, the fork, and tractor way of lifting or simply turn the canopy into a tent through a gas-powered lift system.
There may be variations to each of those methods but that is about all the options you have to choose from.
Truck Camper Shell Hoist-a-top
This is one of those variations we just spoke about. It deals with the hoist method but it raises the truck canopy evenly and with chains so that you do not have to do a lot of work. One of these hoist-a-top options comes from Lange Originals and you can see their product at this link.
This system uses chains and straps to make sure nothing happens to your canopy during the process of raising or lowering. The major con to this product is its price. You are paying a lot more for the same system you can get from other companies a lot cheaper.
This company has several options for hoisting different tops and carts. The truck canopy method comes with a wireless remote option if you prefer to work that way.
Camper Shell EZ Lift
We have already mentioned 2 of these EZ lift systems and there seems to be more than two companies who make this product. The third is Crossed Industries and their website is at this link.
All three companies have the product working in the same way. The pricing may be different between all three as this version starts at about $1300 just for the kit. The weight capacity and height are exactly the same as the other two companies' specs so you are merely buying on brand preference.
The one thing that we noticed that was different on this system was the absence of the canvas tent. This lift system allows you to haul other materials when they won’t fit under the lowered canopy.
It gives you 17 1/2 inches of more space so you can haul more goods, boxes, or even furniture without damaging them. The raised canopy keeps the items dry and protected from the elements and spares you from having to place a tarp over the bed of your truck.
This is a time saver as all you have to do is push one or two buttons and the lift is raised or lowered.
Harken Camper Shell Hoist
This is a simple DIY type installation. The kit is designed to handle canopies and hardtops that do not weigh a lot. It uses a pulley system that you handle on your own. There is a safety design that keeps the canopy from crashing if you let go of the rope.
The biggest drawback to this system is not the price. That cost is very reasonable and affordable. The biggest drawback is the weight capacity. This is not built for every truck canopy ever made. Its limit is 145 pounds which will exclude some canopies.
It is not difficult to install but the key is you need a garage ceiling that is high enough to accommodate the pulley system and the raised canopy. If you are interested in using this system, all y9ou have to do to get more information is to click here.
That link will take you to the company’s website and you can check them out for yourself. The safety lock system is this hoist's best component.
How Do You Make a Canopy Hoist?
There are many options you have at your disposal. One of the simplest methods you can use is to pick an electric hoist up from Amazon or your favorite hardware store and begin the process of attaching it to your garage ceiling.
The most important aspect you have to consider is if your ceiling joists are strong enough to hold the weight of the hoist and the canopy. The next important point you need to worry about is the location of those joists.
They need to be in the right position if you are going to be able to use the hoist or not. Some people have built their own frame from galvanized piping when those two factors did not match up with their needs.
The pipe frame is bolted into the joists or 2 by 4s to provide the strength needed. Then the electric hoist is attached to the frame. This is called an H frame as the three metal pipes form an elongated H.
Once the hoist is in place, you just attach 4 chains to the main hook. Make them long enough to comfortably reach all four corners of the canopy and you are basically done.
Other DIY Camper Shell Hoist Projects
There are a lot of ideas you can benefit from or adapt to fit the amount of space you have. If you have a lot of available space, you can build an A-frame type structure that holds the hoist.
All you have to do is be able to drive underneath it and have enough height to lift the canopy. This option takes a lot of wood but may not make your neighbors happy as it is not a pretty sight to look at.
Other people simply use the block and tackle system that employs a winch and 2 pulleys. Then they use rope, steel carabiners and attach them to their canopies. it is basic and simple.
A third option would be to use 2 by 4s, eye hooks, and a strong cable to lift your canopy off your truck. Some options have the 2 by 4s placed above the canopy and the cables go underneath. The cables support the weight with the help of the eye hooks in the 2 by 4s.
A variation of that option has the 2 by 4s placed underneath the canopy and the cables do the lifting. All of these systems depend on either an electric hoist, hand pulley system and they all need to have a high garage ceiling to work well.
How Do You Store a Truck Cap In a Garage?
This will depend on how much room you have in your garage. Most people use their lift systems to hold the canopy until they are ready to use it again. Then they just simply lower the canopy back down and secure it to their truck.
That works well if you are using that type of system. Other people who use the traditional method of asking friends for help usually set up some blocks in the spare part of the garage and simply set the canopy on those blocks.
If you do not have the room inside your garage for that option, then you can set those blocks up outside or in the backyard. Once the canopy is off, you simply carry it to its resting place.
It is possible to store it on its side or end but you have to be careful that the weight of the canopy does not damage the integrity of the structure. Placing the canopy on its end or side will free up some space in your garage but it may not be the most practical as it can fall and get damaged.
Some Final Words
making a hoist is going to a lot of trouble and expense. There are better options available and you do not have to use a lot of energy once those options are installed. When lifting the canopy off your truck there are two things to keep in mind.
One is the weight of the canopy and can the joists support that weight. Two, the height of your garage ceiling. It needs to be a high ceiling.
