Cyclone Power Ramp door...?

I have seen mention that Heartland at one time offered a power assist option for the rear Ramp door but no longer offers it.

The Ramp door on my Cyclone 3110 has Patio rails and the reinforced door is heavy enough to be a concern especially if you are prone to back problems and are regularly raising the door single handed...

I am considering mounting a small power winch in the rear of the garage to assist with raising/lowering the door.

Has anyone done this with a Cyclone ?

Probably not offered anymore because it was a pricey option.
I have it, I could look to see if the there is any info on the unit if you like. wouldn't be till Saturday though.

The winch would work, you just have to be careful with the final inch or so closing.
I use a winch in the garage in case of a golf cart or motorcycle issue.

My wife alone cannot close the door. A power assist option would be great.

porthole said:

Probably not offered anymore because it was a pricey option.
I have it, I could look to see if the there is any info on the unit if you like. wouldn't be till Saturday though.

The winch would work, you just have to be careful with the final inch or so closing.
I use a winch in the garage in case of a golf cart or motorcycle issue.

Click to expand...

I am interested to see how you setup & use the winch in the garage if you can post some details and/or pics on the mounting, power source, etc.

The winch is for the cart and bike.

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/11365-And-so-it-begins?p=134986&viewfull=1#post134986


I'll get picks of the ram over the weekend.

porthole said:

The winch is for the cart and bike.

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/11365-And-so-it-begins?p=134986&viewfull=1#post134986


I'll get picks of the ram over the weekend.

Click to expand...

Very nice setup! I am planning something similar but want to be able to use it for both the ramp door and pulling a vehicle into the garage. may need two snatch blocks...
I already picked up a remote controlled 2500lb winch at Harbor Freight on sale for $49.95.

The winch I am using is not the one in the pic, I am also using a remote controlled unit.
I'll get those pics later today. Where the ram attaches would probably work as well for door lift using the winch.

What I don't show in the pictures is that I use a piece of marine grade "cutting board" material, AKA "Starboard" as a wear bar on the floor where the beavertail starts. Keeps the cable from digging into the floor covering.

What I also did was run the wire all the way out, "snatched" it, then cut it to length, just long enough to reach the end of the ramp.
This way I had maximum load capability. The winch ratings, in case you didn't know, are typically spec'ed with one wrap of wire on the drum. Every layer of wire lowers the load capacity.

This thread has a video of the Cyclone power ram assist.

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/11365-And-so-it-begins?p=375545&viewfull=1#post375545

Here is what it looks like.

Thanks for the pics & video... Interesting device, not quite what I expected.

I can see why HL discontinued it as it could be a problem used with the new Ramp door patio rails & Three Season Wall in place. plus, the reinforced door used with the patio pkg now weighs a Ton+ and that device would be struggling! Guess I'll have to come up with my own solution, or build some lifting muscles in my old age!

Cjackg said:

Thanks for the pics & video... Interesting device, not quite what I expected.

I can see why HL discontinued it as it could be a problem used with the new Ramp door patio rails & Three Season Wall in place. plus, the reinforced door used with the patio pkg now weighs a Ton+ and that device would be struggling! Guess I'll have to come up with my own solution, or build some lifting muscles in my old age!

Click to expand...

I can't speak to the 3 season wall, but the weight of the reinforced door with patio shouldn't have been an issue as the door is counter balanced with the springs.

Cjackg said:

Thanks for the pics & video... Interesting device, not quite what I expected.

I can see why HL discontinued it as it could be a problem used with the new Ramp door patio rails & Three Season Wall in place. plus, the reinforced door used with the patio pkg now weighs a Ton+ and that device would be struggling! Guess I'll have to come up with my own solution, or build some lifting muscles in my old age!

Click to expand...

That ram is doing quite a pull if you think about it. No way could I even budge the door pulling at the same angle.

The three season wall would be an issue. I have the pull down rear screen and if I want to use it, I have to disconnect the ram. The ram is attached to the door with a pin with a detent ball. And, if you look closely at the lower edge of the screen channel, you can see where the pin will hit if it walks out of the hole a 1/4"

I think the real reason you don't see it anymore is the cost. IIRC it was a $750 option. Our trailer is the only one I have ever seen it in, so it may not have been a big seller.
Funny, now that I think of it, the factory probably installed so few of them that it could be the reason the switch was not installed when the trailer was built

We ordered it on our 2812 also, it worked great but I don't think it would work well on the patio doors. Pulling from the one side caused a lot of torquing in the hinge when opening or closing. One on each side maybe but then how could you synchronize them.

From an engineering standpoint, I keep thinking that it could be done with the steel cables - similar to a drawbridge. It would stop at a preset distance for the patio, or full out for ground level.