OMG: Another Cable Repair (1995 Jayco)

[Pogo]

Greetings! I bought a 1995 Jayco Eagle 10 ST (front storage; rear crank) with a busted cable for a song. Busted cable turned out to be loose eyebolt. Reinstalled eyebolt, hit the road for 4200-mile adventure, popped up and down total 14 times. While on the road, the cable I had fixed snapped altogether, but near eyebolt, so I spliced in new end section and continued the trip.

Only other hitch was the top refusing to come all the way down several times. Could get front two latches closed, towed with rear sticking up. It was jamming hard, not a bunched-up canvas thing. Jumping up and down on, or violently jiggling, the roof didn't help. Could hear it go 'clunk' when it hit whatever it was jamming on, about three inches shy of all the way down. Quit doing this after I did that cable-splice repair thing. Hmmm.

Now want to overhaul cable system so I can totally trust it again, currently awaiting poop from Jayco to get here. The 4 secondary lift cables are twisted into an impossible braid near the 4-to-1 plate, and are frayed. Other'n that, they're fine. So is it necessary, or even desirable, to replace entire cable lengths (I'm sure Jayco will vote YES)? I'm very much tempted to splice new ends on each, as I did on the snapped one, and call it a day (so I won't have to mess with the push rod ends, brawwwk, bok bok bok).

And how do I keep the cable gang from twisting into a huge, tightly wound mess again, I wonder? Any other hints, tips, or tricks? I plan to prop up the top with 2x2's, or whatever, and release tension on the cables in the 2/3 raised position to make it easiest to get at everything.

I've been researching this forum, and picked up on cool ideas like using marine wire rope, turnbuckles, etc.

Cheers,
Kurt

[flyfisherman]

I have the Goshen lift on my little '99 Starcraft and they recommend that after you drop the roof into the travel mode that it is important to take up the slack in the system. What I do is simply turn the lift fitting by hand and take up all the slack - of course the roof is latched down secure.



Fly