Cable replacement and adjustment

Are you talking about the pulleys at the top edge of the lower box wall about three to four feet from each end?
 
I have a 2000 260TFB towlite camper and I cannot find the lock nuts to raise and lower my towlite. I need to replace the seals all around the camper. Does anyone have the location for the lock nuts so I am able to R&R the seals? Thanks
 
Terry1221 said:
I have a 2000 260TFB towlite camper and I cannot find the lock nuts to raise and lower my towlite. I need to replace the seals all around the camper. Does anyone have the location for the lock nuts so I am able to R&R the seals? Thanks
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Check the area in front of the left side tire (inside the wheel well). You should see four bolts protruding from the lower box there. Each one should have two nuts on it. The outer nuts are the lock nuts.

- Jack
 
I found the location, thanks. Do you know which one raise what part of the camper? Should I have it all the way down before I try to adjust them? What I am trying to do is replace the seals and also put all new covers on top while I am putting Gaco Gr1600 silicone roof coating on. I put it inside my pole barn on Sunday so I thought I make sure there will be no leaks. I am also replacing the old awning with a new fabric. When I am done it should look brand new.
 
Terry, here's a link to the Owner's Manual for the 2001 trailer. http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f49/owners-manual-2001-hi-lo-23/ Yours will be the same. It has the identification of which bolt tightens which cable in the trailer. It should also tell you how to do it, and I've done it the way it's described there. You will need 4 2x4s cut to IDENTICAL lengths that you can lower the top onto. I put the 2x4s between the top and the "outriggers", and they were long enough so that the top was only lowered about 4" from the uppermost position. That will create enough slack in the cables so that you can adjust them.

I'd replace the seals before adjusting the cables. Then, shorten the cables just enough so that the seals make uniform contact with the top edge of the lower "box". DO NOT shorten them more than this! You will damage something if you do. I know this from first hand experience and had to repair some distortion of the frame of the top half when I shortened mine too much.

- Jack
 
Replacing seal between top and bottom.

Jack has given you good advice about where the screws are and adjustment. Mark the screws so you will about where to put them when you are finished. Check out this back post Outline for replacing a roof gasket. By Sam Shields a retired hilo service advisor. 4-3-2010. Another post that you can get information/colored pictures from is 3-3-2010 cable replacement. It shows were to place the 2x4s and the use of a floor jack. DH has done this repair. I would say to use heavier metal. The aluminum that is white on one side for wrapping windows. Ask if you have any more questions.
 
I just received 60ft of ¾” OD black rubber blub seal from ebay for $132. I will replace the seals after I am done with the roof. I remove everything from the top of my roof so I can place two coats of Gacoroof Silione Coating. Should I place the A/C, skylight and everything back on before or after the two coats? Thanks for the help.
 
Doesn't it depend on whether or not you want the coating to cover the seams between the A/C, skylight, etc. and the roof? If you want the seams covered, put them on before coating. (But then I don't see why you removed them in the first place.)

Terry, I'm probably confused, so don't take my comments as a criticism.

- Jack
 
I have major Hilo trouble right now:( Heres our story....we went on a camping trip a couple months ago and our 1994 Funlite right rear leaf spring broke...which lowers the camper...which shredded the tire, bent and ripped the metal piece that the pulley is connected to and took the cable off the pulley track! Now the cable is on the wood! So yesterday we finally had time to replace the leaf spring and tire and it looked good to take to our more experienced friend to help with the pulley/metal welding replacement. We got about a mile down the road and the same exact thing happened on the other side! Broken metal/pulley, cable off track, shredded tire and cussing husband! So now I'm thinking it did it because the cable had too much pressure on it and probably still does! Should we follow the above cable replacement steps after having the metal/pulley frames welded and straightened back in place? Any suggestions would help! We have owned this camper for about 6 years.
 
Givanapta said:
I have major Hilo trouble right now:( Heres our story....we went on a camping trip a couple months ago and our 1994 Funlite right rear leaf spring broke...which lowers the camper...which shredded the tire, bent and ripped the metal piece that the pulley is connected to and took the cable off the pulley track! Now the cable is on the wood! So yesterday we finally had time to replace the leaf spring and tire and it looked good to take to our more experienced friend to help with the pulley/metal welding replacement. We got about a mile down the road and the same exact thing happened on the other side! Broken metal/pulley, cable off track, shredded tire and cussing husband! So now I'm thinking it did it because the cable had too much pressure on it and probably still does! Should we follow the above cable replacement steps after having the metal/pulley frames welded and straightened back in place? Any suggestions would help! We have owned this camper for about 6 years.
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You did not mention the lentgh of your Funlite and I am not the expert on this type of stuff, but the later models of Hi-Lo's had torsion bar axles. If you have a single axle unit it might be more cost effective to replace the axle with a torsion bar axle. Did the other leaf spring break the second time the pulley/cable broke?:confused:
 
Its a 1994 and i believe its 24 foot long. The leaf spring did not break the second time so I think the trouble is not the leaf spring. They leaf springs are fine now. I think because of the cable trouble because of the first incident put too much pressure when we did the second trip with the swaying on the top half made the cable give way on the other side. So now the top half is basically just sitting on the bottom half and I haven't tried to lift it up because I'm afraid to:/
 
We're wanting to prop it up with 2x4's to take pressure off the cables, winterize it, then wait til spring to fix it cause we want to take it to Colorado next July. I don't think we'll have enough time to fix it before it gets too cold here. Do u know how long the process takes and how long it takes to get parts?
 
Givanapta said:
We're wanting to prop it up with 2x4's to take pressure off the cables, winterize it, then wait til spring to fix it cause we want to take it to Colorado next July. I don't think we'll have enough time to fix it before it gets too cold here. Do u know how long the process takes and how long it takes to get parts?
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The replacing of the cables takes a few hours to a day depending on your mechanical background. The cables can be purchased at J&R's (Jim & Rob), J&R Trailer Repair, 740-392-1600, or jrrepair@centurylink.net, and they are located in Mt Vernon, OH. They can also do the job for you. They do great work.
 
Givanapta, When I schedule a cable change, I encourage the owner to really look at the bulb seal and the change both, if needed or just the cables. I have a cable/seal change down to 6 - 8 hrs. I also have 2 or 3 helpers when I do this. This is with no surprises. I just learned and may try, using gutter material cut down because the interior is coated with aladine (spelling) to prevent corrosion. This, coupled with angle bracing routed into the wood, at the cable points, would be major improvements.
 
Thanks so much! We are bracing it on 2x4s now as I type this! We have a friend that can weld it and brace it as you suggested! We are afraid that the top will move to much without cable support to be able to drive it to Mt. Vernon. Any suggestions on bracing it to drive? We think the metal broke due to the unlevel top and no cable support to hold it still and too much pressure. We hold really like to get someone to do the cable and check out everything else as we're not totally sure what we're doing since we've never had to do this before! It seems like that whole trailer is falling apart and we don't want to make it worse:/
 
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