Hello all -
It's my first time posting here as I just got a new-to-me 1998 Jayco pup last week. I lucked out and got it from a family member for quite the bargain (free!).
The main issue is one of the corners doesn't lift with the crank. It's the rear driver's side corner with a rear passenger side crank. One would think it would be a simple repair... but that's not the way the world works.
After tons of research I opened up the access to the cables. I thought it was going to be simple - the end of the cable actually pulled out of the slug and somehow the coil was pulled all the way out of the track. It was apparently a violent malfunction whose aftermath probably was not helped by the fact that it kept getting used with the 4 corner'd plate being pulled by 3 corners, causing the failed cable connection to be wrapped in a circle around the back of its mount, with the other 3 functioning corners being bent quite severely.
Either way, I thought I could simply reinstall the coil, repair the cable, and I'd be on my way with a band-aid fix for my already planned camping trip next weekend (was going to tent camp but now we have a camper!).
So my research, swearing, and guess/check repair methods basically came down to two basic repairs:
1) I cut off the old detached cable, formed a new loop on the end (thimble & wire rope clips), added a few lengths of chain to make up for the lost cable making the loop, and shackled it all up with a 1/4" 880lb carabiner I had laying around to a new galvanized eye-bolt (without the space that most videos solder shut - it's a full steel circle).
2) I pulled the coil/push spring all the way out of the corner, fed it through the floor track, and followed it by the cable reinstalled in the slug that I reformed from it bending it pulling out.
3) Lastly I put tension on the roof and adjusted my new cable length to cause that corner to rise with the rest.
Obviously since I got to step #3 it worked... but apparently it was short lived. I lowered the top down 100% by the crank with a few cranks back up here and there to tuck in the sides (my second time ever lowering a pup). Everything seemed to be okay. I didn't get to test it again until today (2 days later). I was cranking it up and got about 2.5ft when that corner made a faint "pop" and lost all tension. I got it back up with the help of the SO but I'm puzzled. The cable is still attached as well as the coil. My only thought is my 4 stage lift post has failed somehow. The coil is pushing the entire post out of the side of the pup instead of putting tension on the telescoping arms to raise the top.
See the pictures attached... is this an accurate diagnosis? I can raise and lower the entire lift post and can hear the coil moving when I do. Is there any way to mount this post in place without taking off the riveted on plate that stretches the entire side of the camper and holds the canvas walls on?
Picture of cables as I found them - http://i.imgur.com/xYnLY77.jpg
Picture of post lifting out (this is as far down as I can get it to go currently) - http://i.imgur.com/bRNOk0N.jpg
It's my first time posting here as I just got a new-to-me 1998 Jayco pup last week. I lucked out and got it from a family member for quite the bargain (free!).
The main issue is one of the corners doesn't lift with the crank. It's the rear driver's side corner with a rear passenger side crank. One would think it would be a simple repair... but that's not the way the world works.
After tons of research I opened up the access to the cables. I thought it was going to be simple - the end of the cable actually pulled out of the slug and somehow the coil was pulled all the way out of the track. It was apparently a violent malfunction whose aftermath probably was not helped by the fact that it kept getting used with the 4 corner'd plate being pulled by 3 corners, causing the failed cable connection to be wrapped in a circle around the back of its mount, with the other 3 functioning corners being bent quite severely.
Either way, I thought I could simply reinstall the coil, repair the cable, and I'd be on my way with a band-aid fix for my already planned camping trip next weekend (was going to tent camp but now we have a camper!).
So my research, swearing, and guess/check repair methods basically came down to two basic repairs:
1) I cut off the old detached cable, formed a new loop on the end (thimble & wire rope clips), added a few lengths of chain to make up for the lost cable making the loop, and shackled it all up with a 1/4" 880lb carabiner I had laying around to a new galvanized eye-bolt (without the space that most videos solder shut - it's a full steel circle).
2) I pulled the coil/push spring all the way out of the corner, fed it through the floor track, and followed it by the cable reinstalled in the slug that I reformed from it bending it pulling out.
3) Lastly I put tension on the roof and adjusted my new cable length to cause that corner to rise with the rest.
Obviously since I got to step #3 it worked... but apparently it was short lived. I lowered the top down 100% by the crank with a few cranks back up here and there to tuck in the sides (my second time ever lowering a pup). Everything seemed to be okay. I didn't get to test it again until today (2 days later). I was cranking it up and got about 2.5ft when that corner made a faint "pop" and lost all tension. I got it back up with the help of the SO but I'm puzzled. The cable is still attached as well as the coil. My only thought is my 4 stage lift post has failed somehow. The coil is pushing the entire post out of the side of the pup instead of putting tension on the telescoping arms to raise the top.
See the pictures attached... is this an accurate diagnosis? I can raise and lower the entire lift post and can hear the coil moving when I do. Is there any way to mount this post in place without taking off the riveted on plate that stretches the entire side of the camper and holds the canvas walls on?
Picture of cables as I found them - http://i.imgur.com/xYnLY77.jpg
Picture of post lifting out (this is as far down as I can get it to go currently) - http://i.imgur.com/bRNOk0N.jpg
