hydraulic system maintenance

[Phylana]

Yeah, have to admit I’m thinking I may not want to bite this off, especially since it’s just me. Thanks for the links! I just checked out both of their websites. Any recommendations between the two of them? I know the folks at JandR have already done work on the trailer. As I look the trailer over and become more educated about it (thanks to you guys!), I see where more work that needs to be done. Just don’t know if I want to tackle it myself. Heaven knows I have enough work to do getting my place ready to sell. Thanks again for all your help - both of you guys!

 

[Treeclimber]

Phy, the bolts aren't too much of a problem to straighten out, a pipe over it, preferably, covering the nuts and bend them the correct way. The nut never needs to come ALL the way off, even during an adjustment.
The pulley, on the other hand, looks pretty rough. I'm sure it will work, especially once the cables are adjusted, but for my piece of mind, I'd change the pulley and pulley housing if you could find one.
Once the cables are adjusted properly, I'm most sure the walls will re-adjust themselves and all will be better. Suggest you straighten out the bolts and adjust the cables and see where things are at and go from there.
Tree

 

[Phylana]

Here’s what my manual says about adjusting the cables (see pic 1, way easier than retyping everything).

Questions:
1). It doesn’t say or show how long the 2x4’s should be (pic 2)
2). It doesn’t show what it means (in any diagrams) about locking nut, nor “front adjusting nut”. Maybe tomorrow when I crawl in under the trailer I’ll see something on the backside of the bolts that will make sense.

Do you guys have any pics of what they are referring to re locking nut, etc. in the manual?

Also, I did figure out that what made it appear that the lip was too high in the bedroom. They had stuck in another layer of sticky rubber liner (that’s what was gray in the picture). What I think I’m seeing now is the the trailer isn’t raising all the way up for the majority of it.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Phylana]

Thanks Tree! GREATLY appreciate all your help!

 

[JackandJanet]

Phylana - you will see two nuts on each of the adjusting bolts. They are on the outside of the frame (toward the ends of the bolts). The outer nut is the "locking nut". It keeps the inner nut from unscrewing and will have to be loosened before you can move the inner nut.

The inner nut is the "adjusting nut". You tighten it (screw it into the bolt) to shorten the cable, which raises the top. Or, you loosen it (screw it out, away from the frame) to lengthen the cable which lowers the top.

Once you have the cable at the length you want, you tighten the locking nut down onto the adjusting nut which will prevent it from changing position during trailer use. (Vibration can cause nuts to unscrew, so some means of locking them is needed.)

There is no set length for the 2x4s. Mine are about 48" long as I recall, but they may be shorter. The way I cut them was to raise the top and then measure the distance from the "outriggers" (the small metal supports the top sits on when it's down) to a point about 3-4" below the underside of the top. Once cut, you place the 2x4s on the outriggers (taping them to the sides of the trailer if needed to hold them in place) and then you lower the top on to them.

In general, when the top is adjusted properly, it will be a fairly equal height above the outriggers at each corner and, of course, the rubber bulb seal will just meet the metal lip on the lower half when the top is up.

Hope this clarifies things.

- Jack

 

[Phylana]

Jack,
Beautiful! Yes that helps immensely! One more question. How do I know how much to tighten or loosen the cable? What am I looking for?

Thank you!

 

[JackandJanet]

Phylana - It's somewhat "trial and error". In your case, it appears you need to loosen some of the cables. When you look at the top in the "up" position, try to judge how much you need to lower it at each cable lift point. So, let's say you think it should come down 1" on a particular cable. You could measure the length of the bolt that holds that cable and turn the adjusting nut out one inch. Do something similar for all the other cables and then raise the top again. Check how things look and make further adjustment as needed.

Don't tighten the locking nuts until you are done with adjustments.

AND, you will need locking pliers to keep the bolts from turning as you try to turn the nuts. Apply a locking plier to the end of the bolt near where it attaches to a cable on the inside of the frame. As you twist the nut, the plier will rotate with the bolt until it hits something on the trailer. Then, it will stop and hold the bolt from turning and you will be able to change the nut position. (This is the one hand technique - you could also use both hands and try to keep the bolt from turning with a wrench on the bolt near the cable - I think there's a "flat" side there.)

- Jack

 

[Phylana]

Jack,
Thanks! That helps! I thought that might be what I need to do, but didn’t want to miss something obvious and really screw it up.

Thanks!!!!

 

[JackandJanet]

Another senior moment! My 2x4's are only 26" long. (I just measured them.) They are short enough to fit in under the top when it's fully raised. I think they are between 2-4" shorter than that space, but I didn't measure that again.

- Jack

 

[Phylana]

LOL! I hear ya!! I thought 48” sounded like a lot. LOL!

 

[Bruce from Kansas]

From my old '76, mine are 30", which is about an inch short for the 2000.

 

[Phylana]

Thanks, Bruce!