Now I've Done It!

[Musictom]

Rule #1: establish a routine
Rule #2: don't deviate from your routine

Last night, I violated rule #2, and the consequences are probably severe.
(2021 Rockwood 2318g)

Short version: last night, I tried raising my roof with the back two latches still attached. Now the back is stuck open about 4 inches, and won't raise or lower.

Full story: last night after work, my wife, two dogs and I packed up for a quick weekend getaway. By the time we got to the campground, it was dark, and our dogs were hungry. We leveled and dismounted the van from the pup.

One step in our routine is that my wife unlatches the roof, and I go around and doublecheck. Last night, the dogs were complaining that they were two hours past dinner time (if you own a border collie, you know they tell time better than we do!), so I told my wife to feed the dogs. I swear I remember asking her if she unlatched the roof, and she responded yes. I even went around (in the dark) and looked. Roof looked unlatched, so I hit the switch, and you know what hit the fan.

The lift sounded fine for the first second and a half, then the pitch immediately dropped. I released the switch, and heard something spin for an extra 2 seconds or so. Ugh. My first thought was that I had wired my new solar system incorrectly, and had discharged my battery, as it sounded as if the battery were dying. Upon going around the pup (this time with a flashlight!) I realized I had made a boneheaded error: the back two latches were still latched! Argh.

This tale is already too long, so I'll simply say we packed back up and took the 2 1/2 drive of shame back home.

Question: does this sound like a dealer repair? This is our first pup, but I am fairly handy (installed a new A/C this spring on the pop's roof). I admit I have never given our lift system one thought, other than up is up and down is down.

Just wondering if this might be a user repair, or if I should just bite the bullet and take it to my dealer. Thanks.

 

[Raycfe]

What is the make and model of camper

 

[Musictom]

2021 Rockwood 2318g

 

[OTR1522]

Rule #1: establish a routine
Rule #2: don't deviate from your routine

Last night, I violated rule #2, and the consequences are probably severe.
(2021 Rockwood 2318g)

Short version: last night, I tried raising my roof with the back two latches still attached. Now the back is stuck open about 4 inches, and won't raise or lower.

Full story: last night after work, my wife, two dogs and I packed up for a quick weekend getaway. By the time we got to the campground, it was dark, and our dogs were hungry. We leveled and dismounted the van from the pup.

One step in our routine is that my wife unlatches the roof, and I go around and doublecheck. Last night, the dogs were complaining that they were two hours past dinner time (if you own a border collie, you know they tell time better than we do!), so I told my wife to feed the dogs. I swear I remember asking her if she unlatched the roof, and she responded yes. I even went around (in the dark) and looked. Roof looked unlatched, so I hit the switch, and you know what hit the fan.

The lift sounded fine for the first second and a half, then the pitch immediately dropped. I released the switch, and heard something spin for an extra 2 seconds or so. Ugh. My first thought was that I had wired my new solar system incorrectly, and had discharged my battery, as it sounded as if the battery were dying. Upon going around the pup (this time with a flashlight!) I realized I had made a boneheaded error: the back two latches were still latched! Argh.

This tale is already too long, so I'll simply say we packed back up and took the 2 1/2 drive of shame back home.

Question: does this sound like a dealer repair? This is our first pup, but I am fairly handy (installed a new A/C this spring on the pop's roof). I admit I have never given our lift system one thought, other than up is up and down is down.

Just wondering if this might be a user repair, or if I should just bite the bullet and take it to my dealer. Thanks.

Musictom- so sorry this happened- one of my biggest fears-
I am going to attach the Manual here for you to look through and see if you can find something useful or can try to troubleshoot- I think you can start working on it yourself - check out you tube as well- I’m sure others on here have done the same and will be able to give you advice

 

[Musictom]

Musictom- so sorry this happened- one of my biggest fears-
I am going to attach the Manual here for you to look through and see if you can find something useful or can try to troubleshoot- I think you can start working on it yourself - check out you tube as well- I’m sure others on here have done the same and will be able to give you advice

Thanks so much -- I'll definitely check this out!
I'm glad if it was going to happen, we were only a couple of hours from the house, not in the middle of a 30 day trip!

 

[jmkay1]

Sorry this happened to you, but like you said, glad it was now. Sorry I don’t have much to offer you to fix the camper and hope it’s not too big of a fix. Your post made me laugh though because I’m also VERY familiar with persistent dogs and their food alarms. Gosh knows my dogs persistence have made me break things, get locked out, etc as well. Thankfully nothing with the camper unless you count the cell phone taking a ride on the roof because I forgot I put it on there to deal with something. My routine now is the second I back into the site I take the dogs out, potty, food, water and then i level the camper etc. That way the dogs are less likely to distract me as much during the critical part of the routine. Then again I don’t always have a helper when I camp. Good luck.

 

[Musictom]

For those curious, this is what it looks like underneath the pup.

 

[Musictom]

 

[Musictom]

 

[Musictom]

Sorry this happened to you, but like you said, glad it was now. Sorry I don’t have much to offer you to fix the camper and hope it’s not too big of a fix. Your post made me laugh though because I’m also VERY familiar with persistent dogs and their food alarms. Gosh knows my dogs persistence have made me break things, get locked out, etc as well. Thankfully nothing with the camper unless you count the cell phone taking a ride on the roof because I forgot I put it on there to deal with something. My routine now is the second I back into the site I take the dogs out, potty, food, water and then i level the camper etc. That way the dogs are less likely to distract me as much during the critical part of the routine. Then again I don’t always have a helper when I camp. Good luck.

Feeding the dogs first is a great routine!!

 

[Grandpa Don]

View attachment 87959

Oh my God! this doesn't look good. Sorry to say that. But Goshan lift systems are easy to get part for and fairly easy to fix. You are going to need some replacement parts, but I think it can all be done from under the camper. Good luck, and keep us informed on your progress.

When I first got my Viking, I was not yet establish in a setup routine. I was afraid of doing something wrong. So I made up a check list for Set-up and went down the list double checking things every time I went out. I also made up a check list for close-up and take-down. I don't' use it very much anymore now, but I leave a copy in the camper in case someone else who is not familiar with popup camper has to take it down for me.

Here is a copy of the set-up check list I made up. hopefully you can open this file. It was acting a little funny.

 

[LilRed]

Ouch. That hurts just looking at the broken spring tubes and mangled springs. Better it was there vs at the lift posts, if honest!

 

[nitrohorse]

You won't be the first or last to do something you'll later regret. I have a PhD in boneheaded moves.
Anyhow, there are some great YouTube videos on replacing the Goshen type lift system you have on your PUP. From what I gathered watching the videos, it a greasey mess more than it is complicated or difficult. An old tarp or cardboard, latex gloves, and your oldest pair of bellbottms and you'll be fine. I believe if you were able to install your roof AC, you have the ability to repair the lift. Keep us posted please.

 

[Musictom]

Oh my God! this doesn't look good. Sorry to say that. But Goshan lift systems are easy to get part for and fairly easy to fix. You are going to need some replacement parts, but I think it can all be done from under the camper. Good luck, and keep us informed on your progress.

When I first got my Viking, I was not yet establish in a setup routine. I was afraid of doing something wrong. So I made up a check list for Set-up and went down the list double checking things every time I went out. I also made up a check list for close-up and take-down. I don't' use it very much anymore now, but I leave a copy in the camper in case someone else who is not familiar with popup camper has to take it down for me.

Here is a copy of the set-up check list I made up. hopefully you can open this file. It was acting a little funny.

Love your checklist!

 

[Grandpa Don]

Love your checklist!

Ya, I have one for set-up, one for take-down, one for inside close-up, one for outside lowering, and one for the awning set-up. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I made these check list to remind me of thing that I had kept forgetting to do first. On my Viking when you prepare the inside for lowering, there is one thing you must do first. And that is unhook the door and place it in its place attached to the ceiling. Several times I forgot that and lowered the galley, slide in the bunks, removed the support poles, and then realized that the door was still in place. So I had to slide out both bunks so that I could get back in to remove the darn door. A few times I could not get the bunk to slide back in because I forgot to undo the bungee cord securing the canvas to the underside of the bunk. In the earlly days it seemed that I was always forgetting something. So I made check-lists to help me.

 

[RCmom]

I put a waterproof label on my crank handle that reminds me (or whoever is with me) to look at the latches before using it.

I made checklists when I first got my current PUP. Since 90% of my camping was just me, daughter and dog, we practiced with camp driveway including hitching, towing, backing up, leveling, unhitching, stabilizing... everything... 4 times before our first trip.

 

[SteveP]

It's easy to do. On one trip, many years ago, I opened all the latches but on the corner diagonal from the crank the hook did not fall, which resulted in a broken cable. Since then I raise the roof 1-2", then sight down both sides to insure the top is raising evenly before I continue.

Debi sometimes opens the latches, but I always do a walk around to check before raising the top

 

[1380ken]

A new electric lift system should have torque sensors or something so it doesn’t destroy the lift system, what is this 1950 ?

 

[Grandpa Don]

In one of my YouTube videos I am demonstrating some of the new items I got for camping. I had a 2 inch foam bed topper on my main bunk that would not let the top go all the way down by itself. I always had to pull the top down with the latch. It was no problem until one day on this particular trip and video I almost screwed up. After I closed up the camper, I realized that I forgot to put my generator back inside. I always raise the top about 2 inches before I open the door to that I don't damage the seal. I went around to all four latches and unsnapped them. But because there was pressure on the front one from the foam topper, it did no unlatch all the way and I did not notice it. I then used my electric drill to raise the top about two inches. Thank goodness I did not go up farther. I did not realize what I did until one of my viewer noticed it and called it to my attention. I was lucky I didn't do damage to the lift system. It is so easy to make mistakes like that. I have to be so careful. Here is a link to the video I'm referring to. You can jump ahead to time mark 13.40 to see what I almost did to my lift system.

 

[1380ken]

Should not be hard to fix. Two new springs and two new tubes. Can fix with the top down