Placement of 2x4 on exterior to take stress off cables.

Need a little help. Hubby needs a little clarification. I stained 2x4 with Minwax Early American stain and did three coats Of exterior Helmans Spar Urethane also by Minwax. Now we are ready for placement. The trailer should be in the up position. Then where should the 2x4 be placed. Does the trailer have to be level? Can he just measure and cut off excess? A picture would be helpful. Just want to do this right. Spent the better part of three days detailing the trailer and doing routine maintenance and some small repairs. Defeniately earned plenty of relax time on our campout later this month. sam

Sam,
depends on where you want to put the 2X4s, on the ground or on the frame? Look in the reference library at the 95-96 manual there is a picture for placing the supports on the frame to adjust the cables. I would say yes it should be level if you are going to leave it like that for a period of time. If it is only for when you are camping, I personally would not bother. The cables fail from rust and corrosion.
The cables on my 95 lasted 10 years and I did not take proper care of them. I asked the dumb dealer if the cables needed any maintenance and he told me no.

I doubt there is any way you could have supports that have a fixed length if you do not support the top on the bottom frame with them. When I adjust my cables, I put 2x4s on the four frame supports at the bottom that the top rides on when it is lowered for towing.

The one difficulty I think you will have is how do you keep the 2x4s in place until the top is lowered on to them. In my case, I duct taped them to the sides of the trailer, but that leaves an unpleasant residue on the trailer when you pull the tape off.

And, I'd certainly try to keep the trailer level anytime it is parked.

- Jack

Just did this today on my '95. I set the 2 x 4s on the frame rather than worrying about getting it exactly level in the driveway. I taped it with plain old masking tape and that held them up for the 5 lifts and drops. Also there was no residue. Mine has some bowing on the right side behind the door so I don't know if it will ever be prefect. I may or may not try to improve on it but it is very quick and painless.

lacement of 2x4

Thanks for all the replies.Pop Richie77. Our dealer didn,t tell us much about lubricating the cables or adding fluid to the lift pump. Found out many years later to take out windows and reseal. Have learned so much from the forum.If we aren't told what to do they make more money on repairs. Hubby is sleeping so I will show him the replies tomorrow.

sam said:

Need a little help. Hubby needs a little clarification. I stained 2x4 with Minwax Early American stain and did three coats Of exterior Helmans Spar Urethane also by Minwax. Now we are ready for placement. The trailer should be in the up position. Then where should the 2x4 be placed. Does the trailer have to be level? Can he just measure and cut off excess? A picture would be helpful. Just want to do this right. Spent the better part of three days detailing the trailer and doing routine maintenance and some small repairs. Defeniately earned plenty of relax time on our campout later this month. sam

Click to expand...

I was happy with where my top sits, when in it's up position, and resting on the hydraulic relief/saftey... Many in here probably dont need to do this, I just feel with mine being a BIG trailer, a 5th wheel, the top is much heavier. So, I just dont like my camper sitting on cables for weeks on end, and I like to have the camper UP so I can get into it, whenever I need to witout hooking up battery and such, and raising, for doing minor updates, or prepping for a weekend that maight be a couple weeks away... I just feel I am giving the cables the "break" they get when camper is folded down.

When I made my boards, I measured from the frame/at rest tabs that stick out on my 5th wheel, I have 6, and cut 2x4's to suit. I raise top all the way, dont let down. I then quickly I have to place the sticks in place, before top settles, as they fit right, nearly snug, so they dont fall out while running around the camper to place them, lol.

when I relieve the hydraulic pressure (like you do once top is up, to rest on safety) they are held in place even tighter.

Hope that helps.

PS they were (at least on my camper) not all exactly same dimension in lenght, when I made mine, because the resting places were not perfectly the same, I assume with age, and with that little piece of rubber and such. Down position is not as "perfectly level perfect" nor would it need to be I think?

Sam - I would suggest you have a deep socket for loosening the lock nut and an open end wrench to hold the adjustment nut. Mine is 1/2 inch.

Sting -I like idea on the length but if the top is out of alignment they won't fit. Or are you saying you do that when it's sitting at your house so it is up but not straining the cables or safety bar? I like that Idea a lot.

I made a few more adjustments today since it is so easy. It is pretty snug now with the top raised. The foam tube pipe insulators that I put in to help seal it are tighter on one side and unnecessary on 3 others. The door fits better too.

2x4 on HiLo

Hubby read the posts and said we don't leave the trailer up for extended periods of time. No need for the 2x4. I will use them for another project we need to do. My husband is a sheet metal fabricator so we always carry a good asortment of tools when we go camping. Seems like something needs adjustment or he helps others. One time he helped a park worker shut off a gushing water spigot. Saved him from having to make a trip back to his maintenence building. Any way thanks for the helpful advice.

sam said:

Hubby read the posts and said we don't leave the trailer up for extended periods of time. No need for the 2x4. I will use them for another project we need to do. My husband is a sheet metal fabricator so we always carry a good asortment of tools when we go camping. Seems like something needs adjustment or he helps others. One time he helped a park worker shut off a gushing water spigot. Saved him from having to make a trip back to his maintenence building. Any way thanks for the helpful advice.

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your hubby is probabbly right

Until you have an "older" unit that might be borderline on previous owner maintenance? IMHO. I planned to have cables replaced on mine this past winter, it is a 95 and I have doubts it has ever been done, as well as the 2 seals for when it was up, but I got married (not my 1st one, so we paid for wedding and honeymoon) so those to projects were placed on a todo list, That is my second reason for the 2x4, I just feel better when stored during the summer, with top up like I do. Winter time, I put it down, and havent had to put it up from oct-feb, yet...

2x4 placement

One of the few times both of us agreed on something!!LOL. Opposites attract,we just celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary!!