No, rock solid, keep in mind the stainless steel supports are also still being used in this setup. I only removed the cables since the whiffletree broke.
A lot of the comments here reflect this reality. Sure the cables and especially the whiffletree parts, are available but the prices are OUTRAGEOUS. No wonder people are looking for alternatives.
I wish i wouldve seen this yesterday, i just got a 95 coleman fleetwood for free that the crank is bad on and the previous owner cut all the cables in the arms made a real mess, i had a hell of a time getting it up i jacked it from the ceter inside with a 4x4 and a car jack but i like this way alot better, id like to fix it but its not rele worth the time money or effort in my opinion
Hey...can you please contact me about this? We are looking for a solution too and would like to know how you put together the final white wood. Thanks!
It's a wider L-shaped piece screwed to the top of the final post. Part of it slips up and into the roof, a fairly snug fit, and the roof rests on the bottom part of the L. Hope that helps!
Nice video, John! I just did mine on our Coachmen RV. I do it about once a year. Man, I did it the other day and I couldn't believe how broke down the grease was that was coming out. It was like 40W oil. Hardly and consistency at all. We are going on a cross country trip next month. If I hadn't lubed up the wheel bearings with new grease, there's no doubt I would of had a burned up bearing(s). This is easy maintenance to avoid having a problem on the road.
It would work from any distance as long as you keep the correct drop of 1/4" per foot, otherwise solids outrun liquids or vice versa, which is not good.
Hello. How do you know if you have tightened it too much. I kept track of how many turns I made when loosening and tightening. I am noticing that the belt is pulling slightly to the left. Even after readjusting the belt, it goes back to that same spot.
Start with it a little loose, and the belt will slip a little when you walk/run on it. Then evenly tighten until it dosen't slip any more, and don't over tighten. If it pulls slightly to one side, tighten the other side slightly more, you should see the belt straighten out.
I was checking the comments to see if he had already answered this question. I need to get mine up so I can examine it and would like to know the measurements as well.
I don't, but the final post (the white one) is determined by making it long enough to just make your screens taught, but not stretch them, so it will likely be different for you. I just kept adjusting the length with a test piece until screens were as tight as I wanted them, then cut all four that lenght. The last lifting block (not painted) is shorter than the final posts, because it's just getting the roof to almost the final hight, but not quite.
If I live full time 4 secions with underpending can I leave black tank open and it want clog or does it have be closed and open and let drain when its full
I found the black tank clogged when left open. Liquid drains, rest dosen't, not good! So I leave grey tank open, but black tank closed. And I drain black tank when full, or close. Before I drain the black tank, I close the grey tank and either do dishes, take a shower, or at least run water for 10-15 min, and then I drain black followed by grey which cleans out the line. Hope that helps :)
Each set was 6" taller than the last. The last set was just shy of making the screen taught. And the final posts are a little taller to make the screen taught and also were painted to give a finished look.
They are slightly modified 2x4's, painted white to match and give a finished look. I gave more details about those posts specifically in the past comments
@@johncollins3110 so there I am, alone camping. I’m 70 years old. 5’3”, 135 lbs. And I didn’t bring 100 logs to prop this thing up. Are you really that stupid to think people want to spend hours jacking up a broken POS after they drive to a park. No. I would never buy these things.
@@deeprollingriver52 Go ---- yourself and your negative attitude, you're the broken POS. No, I'm not stupid, that is a very nice camper, it only takes a few minutes to put up with that system (one would be stupid to think it takes hours when you see in the video it took minutes not hours), and I'm trying to help others who may have a similar issue. And I'm going to try to help you too, with some advice. Be nice, treat others like you want to be treated, don't be an ahole
@@johncollins3110 wow. Your response indicates how angry and unhinged you are. I pray you are getting anger management assistance and that you aren’t married
@@deeprollingriver52 I apologize, my response was excessive. I had a very bad week and came home to find you calling me stupid and my camper a broken down POS. How do you expect someone to respond when you insult them like that? And I’m just trying to help people with that video, why cut me down, why the negativity? I just don’t understand why people do that, I seriously don’t. Explain if you can, seriously, I don’t understand your negative response to me, a stranger who is just trying to help others with similar challenges. Don’t be a troll on the internet. Think before you type. Be nice.
I couldn't at the time I did this, Coleman had gone bankrupt, no new ones available and used ones were twice that, in short supply, and no guarentee that they wouldn't soon break just like mind did after a lot of work putting it in, so the carpenter in me got to work with wood! Worked great!
There's actually a few suppliers on eBay and Amazon that sell them relatively cheap now, but they're after market and not original Coleman products and have only been around since like 2021. They're much cheaper than the Coleman manufacturer website, though, and they DID shut down for a few years but reopened late in the pandemic when pop ups were getting remodeled left and right.
Hi John, I just went through your easy to follow lubrication process. We've had our F85 for years and never lubricated it once! After so much running, there has been A LOT of squeaking, but I'm surprised it didn't completely break down! Will give it a test run this evening to see if it sounds better. Thanks!
They are just 2x4 material painted white. They have a L-shaped cap screwed into the top that is maybe a foot wide or so. The tall part of the L slips up behind the edge of the roof which keeps it from kicking out. The base of the L distributes the weight of the roof a little more than if it was just a 2x4 (might be a 2x3, don't recall but made it wide enough to hide the original roof supports that are behind it). Hope that helps :)
I also have another question ? How and what did you make your final post from ( looks like PVC ) If it is how did you construct it .. Also are your risers still in the camper ? Did I see you lift them from the bottom ? so they are no longer connected to top ? I know I have a lot of questions, but we have the same problem and you have helped solve our problem .. if pvc what size ?
Hello, the final posts are not PVC, just 2x4's but painted white to match or blend in with the camper. By risters, if you mean the original stainless steel posts that support the roof, yes, they are still there. I only removed the cables. And the risers are still connected top and bottom, but because they telescope, they are not attached to each other so you have to be careful. As you raise the roof, you have to also raise the middle telescoping piece and I supported it with a block that slips into the channel inside the risers, to hold that second telescoping piece up into the top piece. Withouth supporting that middle telescoping piece, the roof will be floating freeliy if that telescoping piece falls down! I found that out the hard way! Be sure to support that mid piece as if the cable was pulling it up, like the block I put in (it was probably a 1x2 that might have been 16-18" long? I can't remember, but I just made something that fit inside the lower riser to suppor t the mid riser as I raised the roof. Hope that helps :) Edit: I just rewatched the video, at the 2:22 mark is where I show and talk about the special piece I added to keep the risers from dropping. And I mention that I put those pieces in after the blocks with the tape. The tape is just a visual reminder for me to put those pieces in NOW. If I don't and put in the next set of risers, the roof would be free floating with no support if those risers drop!
I would think so, it sounds like the cables are broken/disconnected at the front. My crank didn't work at all, so I took out all my cables because the got in the way and caused the roof to not go down completely. If you do what I did here, it won't fix the crank system, but you won't be using the crank system. I only removed the cables, not the crank system. Good luck!
Only thing I would do is add is a small notch in the 'roof' end of each piece of wood to steady it while changing the others (to prevent the opposite corner from slipping out). Great video on how to open the camper without the cables.
Hi Vince, thanks for the comment and you're absolutely right! I actually cut a v-notch in the "roof end" of each of those pieces, you just can't really tell in the video, and they are necessary to keep them from possibly popping out :)
The last piece is a 2x3 or 2x4, just like the rest. It's just painted white to match the camper since it shows. And you'll see I added a little lip at the top for extra area for the top to sit on and also a little edge that slips up into the top to help keep that whole post there. As for height, once you have the next to last set of blocks in, determine how much higher you need to go to get the side curtains taught, and cut you're last post that much longer (including the extra lip on top). Good luck Emiliano!
It's pretty quick, and pretty safe but not as safe as if it had a working whiffletree, I'll agree there. New ones were not avail when I fixed this, Coleman had gone out of biz and a used one would potentially do the same thing afer an immense amount of work to replace it, so it was this or scrap it. Got many more years out of it after this :)
No way is this near as fast as the 60 seconds it takes me to raise the roof with the normal cable/crank. Taking the roof down this way would scare me. A lot of extra stuff to carry, and a ladder? Even putting the roof up looks dangerous. I'll replace my lift system instead.
True, was faster when it worked properly. As for safety, pretty safe but not as safe as if it had a working whiffletree, I'll agree there. New ones were not avail when I fixed this, Coleman had gone out of biz and a used one would potentially do the same thing afer an immense amount of work to replace it, so it was this or scrap it. Got many more years out of it after this :)
