Gas Spring Selection for Caravan Lockers and Exterior Hatches
An average caravan runs 8–15 gas springs: overhead locker doors, exterior hatches and storage lids, bed platforms, table mechanisms. What sets it apart from household furniture is this — a caravan is a house that moves. Vibration, rough roads and temperature swings are three loads an ordinary cabinet gas spring was never designed for.
Overhead lockers: light doors, low force, low progression
Caravan overhead lockers are mostly lightweight up-opening doors (2–5 kg). The most common mistake here is choosing a higher force "to be on the safe side": excess force fatigues the hinges in lightweight caravan furniture, makes the door hard to close and, by constantly pushing against the door while the vehicle is moving, deforms the panel over time. The right approach: determine the force by calculation, keep the force progression low, and if a soft closing feel is wanted, choose the small-diameter size groups (6/15, 8/18).
Exterior hatches and storage lids: outdoor exposure + dust
Exterior hatches are open to rain, road dust and salty road spray in winter. The standard body is adequate in most climates; where coastal use is heavy, however, a stainless steel (inox) body noticeably extends service life. Always mount with the rod pointing downwards — keeping the seal wetted with oil preserves both leak-tightness and first-movement performance in the cold.
Bed platforms: twin gas springs and safety
Lift-up bed platforms are the heaviest lid in a caravan and almost always run on twin gas springs. Two rules: the total force is split between the two units, and one side is never replaced on its own — pairing an old and a new unit twists the platform. If the user is expected to lower the platform with one hand, keep the force not at the upper limit but 5–10% above the calculated value.
Force calculation in 60 seconds
To determine the required force, the lid weight (kg), the centre-of-gravity distance and the hinge-to-mounting distance are all you need: F1 = FG × LG / (n × L1) × R. If you would rather not calculate by hand, our web calculator asks for the three values and gives you the result.
· In series production, fix the gas spring definition (part code) for each door; the "fit something similar" approach generates service returns.
· In vibrating environments, metal bushings in plastic eyelet end fittings extend the life of the connection.
· On winter-package caravans, tell the customer up front about the force loss at −20 °C (roughly 10–13%); stated in advance it is information, not a complaint.
At COMSTAN we manufacture application-specific gas springs for caravan builders: define your length, force, end fitting and surface options in the configurator, and have your part code and quotation ready the same day.
Open the Configurator →