A Guide to Gas Struts

A Guide to Gas Struts

If you look around your van, you will notice that there are gas struts in many different places. They can hold up roof lights, beds and hold open doors, lockers, and windows. Without them, life on the road, and on the campsite, would be much harder – especially for your back! But what are gas struts and what do you need to know when you need to replace one? This guide is here to tell you all you need to know.

What are gas struts for caravans and motorhomes made of?

Gas struts are a form of spring that has enough force to hold up various heavy items around your caravan. This force is created within the strut by compressing gas with a piston. Each gas strut has its own force amount to work properly, usually labelled in newtons - which is a measurement of force. If your gas strut is too weak, it won't hold open what it's attached to. If it's too strong, you won't be able to compress it.

You can see how gas struts for caravans and motorhomes are put together with the image below:

What am I looking for when I need a replacement gas strut?

Over time, gas struts can start to show signs of age and use. If you find that your original strut no longer does its job, then it might be time to replace it. When trying to figure out which gas strut is the right replacement, you’ll be able to find the information you need on the original gas strut itself. There are two key things to look for:

• The force of your gas strut in newtons. This will be written like this: ‘150N’. This means that the gas strut can hold up to 150 newtons. You can find this on the body of the strut either on its own or within a part number such as ‘SCS150NGAS’
• The size of the gas strut you need. You can find this out by measuring between the two points of your original gas strut that fit onto the van, which look like the drawing below (measurement taken when the gas strut is at full length):

Once you find out these two things, all you have to do is find the right one for you.

Installing your new gas strut

The first thing that you may be tempted to do is to check your new gas strut is working. This can be quite tricky to do under your own strength as the gas strut is designed to take a lot of pressure before giving in. If you can't compress it yourself, don't panic, it isn't faulty.

The amount of force needed for each strut is a delicate balance; too much force and the strut won't open easily, too little and it won't close. For example, a 150N strut isn't likely to hold up a bed. In fact, some Bailey beds need a strut that can take a force of up to 350N before it moves, meaning that it will be really hard to press all on your own.

If the bed strut does not move with just the weight of the bed on its own, make sure the mattress is on it. This should generate the required force for the strut to move. If you then find that it is still too easy to lift the bed up, make your bed up with the bedding set - even the weight of a duvet can make a difference.

If you are struggling to install your new gas strut, we recommend seeking the expertise of a registered Bailey retailer.