Top Halve Resting On Safety Bar

[Angel-HILO]

Hello everyone,

On our most recent camping trip I noticed that I could not fully open the cabinet door that's on the rear wall in the bathroom, because the Closet cabinet is not letting it open all the way. I know that our HiLo after it's in the up position for about a day experiences "Slow Top-Halve Creep", which is preventing door from opening fully (most likely due to a very small leak in the hydraulic system- internally). I have inspected the hydraulic lines externally and see no leaks or wet spots anywhere. The top halve comes to rest on the safety bar after a while.

Here is the kicker and my questions:

1- I have always been able to open that cabinet door even after the top halve has settle onto the safety bar.

2- Is there a possibility that the weight of the top halve bent the safety bar?
I crawled underneath trailer and the bar appears to be ok.

I don't think it's a matter of adjusting the cables because if it's resting on the safety bar then the cables and hydraulic system are not playing much of a role supporting the top halve; please correct me on this if I'm wrong.

Also the height is even at all corners when it's raised and up.
I would hate to mess with the cable adjustment if adjusting them won't change the top halve height after it settles on the bar.

A quick press on the UP button and I'm able to open cabinet door.
What am I experiencing here?

I know I should fix the leak, but don't know where it is.

Any help with these questions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[sam-HILO]

Can't close BR cabinet.

I had the exact same problem. J&R adjusted the cables. The cupboard always closes now. Don't do what a HiLo owner did. He cut off part of the bottom to the cupboard.End of sagging problem.

 

[JackandJanet]

Angel - when the top comes down and hits the safety bar, it is twisting slightly, which is binding the cabinet door. I wouldn't change the cable setting, since you say it is perfect when the top is fully raised, unless the bulb seal is not meeting the lip on the lower half all the way around (that's the gold standard for a perfect cable adjustment, rather than having an even height at all corners).

The leak is likely caused by the lowering valve having a bit of foreign matter stuck in it that is keeping it slightly open. Raising and lowering the top may flush that out. Also, make sure the manual lowering valve is fully closed.

- Jack

 

[Angel-HILO]

Thank you Sam and thank you Jack for your replies. Sam, wow! I didn't think about cutting the bottom of the cabinet door a little Lol, that would probably solve the door opening issue, and you're right that's not what I would do, thanks.

Hey Jack, so that Safety Bar does "twists/bends" a little with the weight of the top halve having settled on it?
It sounds like there isn't a good solution; being that I was previously able to open cabinet door after it settled on the bar.

Question:
Does the "manual lowering valve" that you mentioned have a stem (about 3 inches long) on the side of the reservoir tank and near the hydraulic lines and about the thickness of a 4 inch nail? Seems to be spring loaded.

Maybe it's not sealing properly and needs some cleaning?

Thanks for your advise.

 

[JackandJanet]

Angel, I believe your manual lowering valve does use the "stem" that you describe to open it. Mine uses a knob as I recall. Possibly, if you raised the top, then, with an assistant to hold the safety bar release you could activate the manual valve to lower it and to flush anything out of it that might be holding it slightly open. Possibly do this twice and then insure that it is as closed as you can make it.

I'm doing some guessing here, because the one time I had the top settling on the bar, it got fixed through the next lower/raise sequence.

I don't know that the bar is being twisted, but the top is settling on something that causes the top itself to twist (I think).

- Jack