After living full time in our Grand Design Imagine 2600RB, the stock mattress and a 3″ mattress topper was no longer enough! Instead of investing another $100+ dollars into a better mattress topper, we decided to upgrade the mattress all together.
We chose the Casper 11″ Sleep Essential Mattress because of the great reviews and the cheaper price than other similar products! The stock mattress was significantly lighter than the new Casper Mattress and we knew that an upgrade on the pistons for the bed storage lift would be needed. Under the bed we store items that need to be accessed on a weekly basis such as the dirty laundry basket and the bulk dog food storage. Being able to lift the bed and grab what we need without difficulty is essential to our RV Living sanity.
The original Gas Spring Pistons were rated at 40lbs lift each. With one piston on either side of the storage lid, we were rated for 80lbs. The new Casper Mattress weighed in at 84lbs. We decided to try a set rated for 60lbs each, giving us a total of 120lbs lift. We knew that if we over powered the lift, it would make closing the storage difficult. The additional 40lbs total of lift from the new Gas Spring Pistons easily holds the new heavier Casper mattress up but still allows the storage to be closed without difficulty as well!
Changing out these Gas Spring Pistons was surprisingly easy! Having used the serial number from the old pistons, we found a compatible match with heavier lift. By ensuring compatibility and the same size ball head, we did not have to remove or replace the mounting bracket! We simply removed the old pistons and installed the new ones using a flat head screw driver!
One of the most appreciated upgrades we have done to our Grand Design Imagine 2600RB!
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