Good , and timely, question.
I am having trouble with my GIC camper.
When the tent is all packed away, it is very difficult to close the bed by myself. I had the tent up and it took 3 of us to close the bed.
I am thinking of removing one of the stays, but will contact GIC first to see what they say.
This thread gives a starting point for further investigation
I believe one can buy struts at SuperCheap Auto....