So what a horrible weekend. I recently purchased a 2007 Fleetwood Niagra and this past weekend took it out for my 2nd trip. I purchased the electrical popup...went to plug it in and the whole darn thing fell apart. So I thought thats ok I'll just manually crank it up...well that took the strength of 4 men...ended up taking 2 1/2 hours to get the darn thing up! So the dealer said to unplug the electrical from its motor and should go up ok....not..............anyone had problems with their electrical plug popup thingy... :yikes: :(
2007 Fleetwood Highlander-Niagra
Tow Vehicle 2007 Honda Pilot 4X Drive..........help I'm a newby!
You had the optional electric lift system installed on your 2007 Niagara, and it fell apart?
Who is your dealer in Southern California?
When those are installed by a customer willing to pay the price, it is tested at least a dozen times before it leaves the lot. That's because they show it off to all the technicians, employees, and available customers who have never seen one before. They are a relatively rare option. Back in 2004 the all-electric Monterey model was available with power roof AND bunk ends, those were REALLY tested!
Take it straight back to the dealer and have it replaced under warranty.
Quote from: nila ferguson So what a horrible weekend. I recently purchased a 2007 Fleetwood Niagra and this past weekend took it out for my 2nd trip. I purchased the electrical popup...went to plug it in and the whole darn thing fell apart. So I thought thats ok I'll just manually crank it up...well that took the strength of 4 men...ended up taking 2 1/2 hours to get the darn thing up! So the dealer said to unplug the electrical from its motor and should go up ok....not..............anyone had problems with their electrical plug popup thingy... :yikes: :(
If it costs you more than $0.00 to get that fixed under warranty, then someone is ripping you off.
Austin
i absolutely am going to take it back to the dealer. But from I understand, they are having trouble with the plug on this eletrical thing...hopefully it too is covered under warranty....thanks much!
Quote from: beacherYou had the optional electric lift system installed on your 2007 Niagara, and it fell apart?
Who is your dealer in Southern California?
When those are installed by a customer willing to pay the price, it is tested at least a dozen times before it leaves the lot. That's because they show it off to all the technicians, employees, and available customers who have never seen one before. They are a relatively rare option. Back in 2004 the all-electric Monterey model was available with power roof AND bunk ends, those were REALLY tested!
Take it straight back to the dealer and have it replaced under warranty.
The dealer is American Camper and Sales in Stanton, Ca. over on Beach Blvd off the 22 freeway...can't wait to get it back into them....great customer service before I bought the thing...we'll see how they do now.
Quote from: nila fergusonThe dealer is American Camper and Sales in Stanton, Ca. over on Beach Blvd off the 22 freeway...can't wait to get it back into them....great customer service before I bought the thing...we'll see how they do now.
Tell them you belong to the SCCampers Pop Up Club and there are a whole lot of us waiting to see how you are treated and if they stand behind their product.. Just in case we may want to buy a camper from them. i think they will get the hint.
UM...
The electric lift is standard on the '07 Highlanders. Or so my understanding goes...
What exactly fell apart on yours? The switch? The connection? The electric motor lift itself?
There is a switch on the box (current limiter) where the corded switch connects that will take it out of the loop for manual cranking. Look on the backside of the rear cross channel on the side toward the motor (or the manual crank connection). It is a push on/push off switch that will disengage the "electric dynamic brake" on the lift system. Raising thr roof without disengaging he brake is possible, but it apparently is very difficult to crank the crank. Obviously.
You will need to press the button once again to be able to lower the roof...same button, etc.
Hope that helps. It it's broke, the dealer will fix it.
Quote from: chipUM...
The electric lift is standard on the '07 Highlanders. Or so my understanding goes...
What exactly fell apart on yours? The switch? The connection? The electric motor lift itself?
There is a switch on the box (current limiter) where the corded switch connects that will take it out of the loop for manual cranking. Look on the backside of the rear cross channel on the side toward the motor (or the manual crank connection). It is a push on/push off switch that will disengage the "electric dynamic brake" on the lift system. Raising thr roof without disengaging he brake is possible, but it apparently is very difficult to crank the crank. Obviously.
You will need to press the button once again to be able to lower the roof...same button, etc.
Hope that helps. It it's broke, the dealer will fix it.
it was the connection- the part that plugs into the motor...unfortunately they neglected to also tell me that I needed to disengage (?) the motor -so we had a heck of time...already called the dealer and have an appointment to take it back..I see you too have a Niagra- does your frig cool down well...mine seems to not cool down much...I used propane the first time I took it out and this last time I used electric...still didn't get very cool after 12 hours...and actually I lost some meat cause of it...if this is normal then I guess I'll need to carry a cooler just for frig stuff...also are you all local (so. calif.) It looks like there are clubs that folks belong to? How do I get info for future camp trips? I just love my trailer...and my granddaughter and I are looking forward to mastering the POPUP...thanks for you help....
Quote from: nila ferguson...also are you all local (so. calif.) It looks like there are clubs that folks belong to? How do I get info for future camp trips? I just love my trailer...and my granddaughter and I are looking forward to mastering the POPUP...thanks for you help....
Congrats on your new PUP -- hope the kinks get worked out.
If you'll scroll down further on this site you'll notice "SCCampers". That's who most of us are. Call us a club if you want. We're really just a very ecclectic bunch of like-minded, camping-loving folks who have found each other, largely though this forum. No dues required, just lots of enthusiasm. We've got a couple of trips planned -- one with open spots in February (check out the "Flying Flags" thread). We'd love to have you & your granddaughter join us!
I have a 2003 1/2 Fleetwood Monterey that came standard with the electric lift and bunkends. From reading the manual, I see that not only do you have to turn off the power to the electrics to crank manually, but there is also a lever that needs to be thrown that is located by the crank fitting. Don't know if the newer models are the same, but you should check out your owners manual. The information should be in there.
Quote from: nila fergusonit was the connection- the part that plugs into the motor...unfortunately they neglected to also tell me that I needed to disengage (?) the motor -so we had a heck of time...already called the dealer and have an appointment to take it back..
That plug is one part the frustrates me--It's fairly persnickety as to how it is inserted so that the locking collar will engage. Patience and practice I hope will alleviate the frustration. Or I'll wire up something different.
The instructions for the power lift were separate from the owners manual, which only referred to the "...operating instructions furnished in your Owner's Information Package..."
Make sure, obviously, that the dealer shows you switch that disengages the electric brake.
Quote from: nila fergusonI see you too have a Niagra- does your frig cool down well...mine seems to not cool down much...I used propane the first time I took it out and this last time I used electric...still didn't get very cool after 12 hours...and actually I lost some meat cause of it...if this is normal then I guess I'll need to carry a cooler just for frig stuff...
It is winter here, so I can't really compare the "cooling factor" of the reefer---It did make ice in the freezer. I turned the fridge on (propane) several hours before we loaded and switched to 12V for the twenty minute ride to the campground, then went back to propane when we got there for the weekend. Any meat we took along was frozen when we left, and usably thawed when we needed it. Beverages were cold.:!
There are several threads on this list that will describe different strategies for the fridge. It pays to surf around here. Lots of good information from those who have done it already.
Quote from: nila fergusonalso are you all local (so. calif.) It looks like there are clubs that folks belong to? How do I get info for future camp trips?
I am local to Delaware. :) Just a hop, skip and a whole bunch of jumps from SoCal.
Quote from: nila fergusonI just love my trailer...and my granddaughter and I are looking forward to mastering the POPUP...thanks for you help....
Congrats on your popup. We like ours as well. Even the felines got comfortable.
I had an electric top lift installed on our 01 Niagara when we bought it new. It is made by Barker . It has the push button switch on the side of the control box which disengages the brake to make cranking up the top easier. The control box which the up and down switch cord plugged into was mounted to the inside of the rear bumper. This position exposed it to plenty of water when running in wet weather and I had a problem with the switch cord connection. I solved it by moving the control box into a small box that I made that fit into the side of the trailer by the left side of the door. It has a 6X8" white ABS locking door and space enough for the switch cord to remain pluged in and coiled up when the door is closed..The lift had a gear made of fiber which stripped last winter after many many lifts. My Dealer got a metal replacement for me at his cost and I installed it...
Oher than the two above problems the lift continues to give excellent service and I will definitely have one on my next popup.........
Quote from: nila fergusonThe dealer is American Camper and Sales in Stanton, Ca. .....
Hey! That's my dealer too! If you havn't met Danny G. the Service Manager, now you will.
They do excellent work there. Tell Danny that you would like them to show you and demonstrate the work performed on the day you pick up your PU. They will schedule your accordingly and fix it right the first time.
Quote from: beacherHey! That's my dealer too! If you havn't met Danny G. the Service Manager, now you will.
They do excellent work there. Tell Danny that you would like them to show you and demonstrate the work performed on the day you pick up your PU. They will schedule your accordingly and fix it right the first time.
Great I had great service from Danny and Mike when I purchased the trailer so I really am looking forward to them taking care of the problem. They are a good group of guys over there...thanks
Though I didn't buy my PU from American Camper and Sales in Stanton, I have purchased many items from them and they were always extremely nice, professional, and helpful. In fact last May I bought new tires for my PU before driving off to Yosemite with that WILD BUNCH, the SCCampers.
You should not have any problems with this dealer. The other great dealer of PUs; and in my opinion #1 in So. Cal - especially in service, is the world famous - Carl's Acres of Trailers in Ontario. They are the greatest - especially Mark in service!!!! Best of Luck - and let us know if you experience any problems.
Sorry to hear that you had problems with your lift system. Hope it all works out and the dealer gets you in and out quickly.:)
Regarding your fridge question: You really need to plug in the trailer (and turn on the fridge!) 12 to 24 hours before you leave to let cool it down. The mobile refrigerators are easier to use than bags of ice, but they do require a "running start" before you put the perishables inside.
I posted this in August, 2007 Fleetwood Niagra with power lift. Maiden Voyage to Sequoia National Park. Raised the roof approimately 2 ft. with the power lift. Experienced a major failure of the "Whiffle Tree" the roof crashed back down. We were unable to open the trailer, and had to drive back home. The motor still spun just fine, but it would not raise the roof. That weekend will forever be remember as "The Camping Trip To Hell"
Quote from: nila ferguson So what a horrible weekend. I recently purchased a 2007 Fleetwood Niagra and this past weekend took it out for my 2nd trip. I purchased the electrical popup...went to plug it in and the whole darn thing fell apart. So I thought thats ok I'll just manually crank it up...well that took the strength of 4 men...ended up taking 2 1/2 hours to get the darn thing up! So the dealer said to unplug the electrical from its motor and should go up ok....not..............anyone had problems with their electrical plug popup thingy... :yikes: :(
2007 Fleetwood Highlander-Niagra
Tow Vehicle 2007 Honda Pilot 4X Drive..........help I'm a newby!
Quote from: BirdlodgeI posted this in August, 2007 Fleetwood Niagra with power lift. Maiden Voyage to Sequoia National Park. Raised the roof approimately 2 ft. with the power lift. Experienced a major failure of the "Whiffle Tree" the roof crashed back down. We were unable to open the trailer, and had to drive back home. The motor still spun just fine, but it would not raise the roof. That weekend will forever be remember as "The Camping Trip To Hell"
Same thing happened to us when we were in the process of packing up to go home last month...Hit the switch to lower the roof, and BAM! the roof comes crashing down.
Dealer fixed the wiffle tree and advised that the problem comes from using the lift while the trailer is plugged in to 110V. Seems the converter causes the motor to generate too much torque. There is supposed to be a letter from Fleetwood advising to only operate the electric lift on 12V, without plugging the trailer in to 110V.
I haven't seen the letter yet, and the trailer went up in the driveway OK.
I read somewhere about a 'recall' for these models -- it may have been on RV.net in the Folding Trailers forum (sorry I can't remember the details).
You might want to contact Fleetwood to verify this. And, your dealership should have information on the recall. Something about a sheerpin in the power lift (??) (I'm an 06'er with manual crank).
Gee - actually was able to find the thread! (RV.netfoldingtrailers)
The gist of the information is that you are not to be plugged in when operating the power lift ----
one is supposed to use battery power only.
I'm sorry to report but there are other issues with the electical lifts on 2007 /08 Fleetwoods. Tapered pins are falling when you are lowing the roof. A poster (Aaronthegiant) in another confrence shared the following:
"I found a recall notice at NHTSA.gov. In breif: The power lift system can ONLY be operated with the battery---you can't have the pup plugged in while raising or lowering the roof. This was not explained to us by the dealer (they may not have known?), nor do I recall reading about it in the owner's manual (is it in there?)."
Here's the recall in that I downloaded from NHTSA.gov web site.
Fleetwood Folding Trailer is recalling 1,908 MY 2007 Sequoia, Avalon, Cheyene, and MY 2007-2008 Arcadia, Niagara, Saratoga, Williamsburg, Bayside, Utah, Santa Fe, and Sun Valley recreational trailers. The power lift roof system, which consists of a power lift motor and current limiter controller, generates excessive amounts of impact torque if the power lift is operated with the 30A power cord plugged into a 110V AC power source (with or without a battery). This could cause failure in one of the shear pins resulting in damage to the trailer's lift system. This could allow the roof to free-fall from the raised position, possibly resulting in personal injury, vehicle and/or property damage. Owners will be provided with two warning stickers which explains the proper function of the power lift accessory using a battery only. One sticker will be placed at the rear of the trailer next to the current limiter. The second sticker will be placed next to the 30A power cord outlet. In addition, Fleetwood Folding Trailer will send a copy of the operation manual that emphasizes the battery-only operation of this trailer accessory. The recall is expected to begin during November 2007.
Thank you all for the great info. I have yet to receive anything from the dealer or from Fleetwood, but, at least I now know what may have been the cause.