Safety Bar Cable - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

Dcastle · 04-08-2020, 03:37 PM

I need a little help. we have a 2703C HiLo. The safety bar is there. The cable is there. They are not connected in any way. Since it's new to me, I have never seen the setup before. Does anyone have a pic or diagram the shows how the setup is supposed to be?

Thanks in advance.

David

Dee Tillotson · 04-08-2020, 05:23 PM

Could you show a picture of the other end of your safety bar? Beach

Treeclimber · 04-09-2020, 08:10 AM

Dcastle, Have the same trailer. Give me a few and I'll send a pic of mine.

Treeclimber · 04-09-2020, 08:16 AM

Ok, Dcastle, this is how mine looks. your cable just needs to move inward toward the center line. Mine is pretty loose also, as it should be. Move it, and run it thru several times, no need to lower the unit, just pull the cable several times with the top FULL up.
Tree

Treeclimber · 04-09-2020, 08:19 AM

If you have a 1/4" thick piece of hard rubber, you can glue it to the bottom of the bar with a groove in it for the cable. I have seen this before. Works!
Tree

Dcastle · 04-09-2020, 10:14 AM

Thank you very much. I think that I need to take a little slack out of the cable on mine. I will take your advice on the rubber block, also.
Thanks again. We love the trailer and we are really looking forward to getting this one back on the road. Finishing a complete makeover and it is finally coming together.

David

Treeclimber · 04-09-2020, 03:14 PM

David, leave a good amount of slack in the release cable 2-3". Don't want the cable to prevent the bar from coming down. Best of luck.
Tree

Treeclimber · 04-16-2020, 09:49 AM

David, After just a few days, I went to lower the top and, shazam! same problem you had. My release tube was blocked with debris. Little lube all's well
Tree

Rolff · 04-16-2020, 06:45 PM

After the bar drops I lower the top a bit to take some weight off the cables. I think that is what we are supposed to do. I have had it for so many years I wonder if I read it or just did it. Then you have to lift it a bit so you can move the cable to lift the bar.

anchorwood · 04-16-2020, 10:15 PM

Rolff, the manual with my 1999 Hi-Lo says that once the top is up, you should lower it enough to confirm the safety bar is in position and then raise all the way up. So they apparently want the top to be held by the cables and not the safety mechanism, which is just there in case a cable or the hydraulic system fails.

Richard · 04-16-2020, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anchorwood

Rolff, the manual with my 1999 Hi-Lo says that once the top is up, you should lower it enough to confirm the safety bar is in position and then raise all the way up. So they apparently want the top to be held by the cables and not the safety mechanism, which is just there in case a cable or the hydraulic system fails.

If the top is up for more than a couple of hours, it will usually settle down onto the safety bar requiring the slight lifting of the top to allow the release of
the safety bar.

JackandJanet · 04-16-2020, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard

If the top is up for more than a couple of hours, it will usually settle down onto the safety bar requiring the slight lifting of the top to allow the release of
the safety bar.

Richard, sorry, that's not right. The top settles if you have a leak. I've had mine in the full up position for at least a week while camping and have not had to lift the top to release the safety bar. There's a thread somewhere in the forum that tells you how to fix this kind of leak.

And yes - You are NOT supposed to leave the top resting on the safety bar. It can distort the bar preventing it from working right. As anchorwood said, the bar is just there to keep the top from crashing down on you if you're inside and the cables break or some other malfunction happens that causes the top to lower.

- Jack

retiredcamper47 · 04-16-2020, 11:57 PM

It is referred to as “creep”. Use the search element and look up top half creep. It was originally posted by Neal and Bev about 10 years ago.

Bob

Treeclimber · 04-17-2020, 08:20 AM

Agree with Jack, Mine is in the up position here in FL most of the time. When I do lower it, I just pull the cable and lower it. It stays raised.
Also, lowering it on to the safety bar prevents the seal from sealing. Leave it up.
There was a post a few years back about how the bar "jack-knifed" up through the floor.
Don't know the real cause, but that's scary.
Tree

RichR · 04-17-2020, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anchorwood

Rolff, the manual with my 1999 Hi-Lo says that once the top is up, you should lower it enough to confirm the safety bar is in position and then raise all the way up. So they apparently want the top to be held by the cables and not the safety mechanism, which is just there in case a cable or the hydraulic system fails.

I agree with this. The bar wasn't built to hold that weight. Also, the bulb seal between the top and bottom may not be fully engaged if the top is sitting on the bar.