Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 22, 2025 ...

After dealing with the factory strut arrangement for several years we decided to upgrade the gas springs to a stronger capacity.  We purchased and installed two struts rated at 300 lbs each.  The bed lifted quite easily but we noticed that there was a sizable amount of flex, at the lower attachment point, when the bed was in the upright position.  To correct this we inserted a 1/8" shim in the gap between the square tube and sidewall.  We then installed a 3/8" grade 8 bolt through the wood side wall and into the interior of the square tube.  We used a 1/4" backup plate on the wood side and inside the square tube. 
Additionally we replaced the piano hinge with heavy duty hinges. As a safety precaution we will continue to use a 2x4 wood support.

Do you by chance have pictures of your hinge upgrade?
Don