BIG Ooops...SPUT...Broken Cable

[PrincipalHack]

I have done a really BIG SPUT!   I recently purchased a 2005 Niagara and we were using it for the first time Friday night.  It was late and I was in a hurry. (big mistakes on the first time out)  Somehow, I did not completely take off the clip at the front right of the pop-up and yep...busted/broke the cable going to that support.  Needless to say, our weekend was shot and we packed up to come home.
 
I have done some research on the web, including this site, and it looks like it should not be too hard to fix.  My father-in-law, who is really handy with tools etc., is willing to help me.  I am aware of the following website online:
 
http://www.rvworkshop.com/Coleman_Lift_Systems.pdf
 
that has the semantics/plans for the lift system. (Although, for older Coleman PUPs)

Now for the questions...
 
1. Are we thinking correctly about fixing it ourselves, or should we let a shop do this?
 
2. Where would I find the part number of the cord to order a new one?
 
3. Do you know of any questions/thoughts we should address before moving forward?
 
Thank you for any help.  I would appreciate any advice... *Besides the obvious

[tknick]

As with most things in life, they always take twice as long as you planned for.  If you have a full day to devote to the problem and an extra set of hands to help out, you SHOULD be able to fix the problem.  I would make other plans and cancel them if you fix the problem in time.  You can just tell a fleetwood dealer the year and model and they will know the correct cable to order or supply if they have it in stock.  Or, you can remove the broken cable, take it to any hardware store, Lowes, Home Depot, etc and simple buy the same diameter.  You should be able to buy all the end terminators and crimping hardware as well.  From what others have said, this is the cheapest way to go.  Keep in mind that in addition to the parts, most dealers charger anywhere from $100 to $150/hr in labor.  I would also be surprised if they could do that type of job so quickly on such short notice.

If you do it yourself, brace the roof with some 2x4s cut to the the fully open height so the roof doesnt sag and fall.  place the 2x4s between the box and the bottom of the roof.  when making the cable, it must be EXACTLY the same length as the original to work correctly.

Like I said above, you can do it yourself.  However, your timing may not be so good.

travis

[ScouterMom]

Broken cables are pretty common - it's not that bad a SPUT! luckily, your 'lesson' in forcing something wasn't something worse!  Now, you've learned that if something doesn't want to cooperate easily, there's probably a reason.

However, It IS a good idea to keep a few handy tools in your camper, and possibly an extra tent pole or something similar.  Some duct tape and a stick the right length could  have rescued your weekend, at least.

Years of tent camping, trips with Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts have taught me to be ready for all kinds of things to happen.  It would take lots more than a broken pole to send us home! I had spent many years tent camping before we got a 20 yr old pop up.  Since it was a fixer upper, I always had a tool box with me, just in case, along with a few extra tarps, ropes, etc.

Our first experience with a broken cable came on a campout with just me, & my 4th grade son and his friend, Nil.  It was Nil's first campout ever - and he was really dissapointed, as he thought that the drooping roof as we were setting up, meant we had to go back home - but instead, it was a lesson in adaptability, as we simply found a good sized limb, trimmed it to size, and lashed it in place along the broken lift post.  It worked fine and stayed in place for the whole weekend.

When we got home, I called Starcraft, ordered the parts, and replaced not only that cable, but some worn pulleys, the other rear cable and the main cable, too.  Our camper was tiny, and it took all of one sunny weekend day to do the job.  It gave me a great sense of accomplishment, and I learned alot about how the camper works and how it goes together.  

This time around, with an older, larger PUP that needs MUCH more work than our past one, I now know I can rebuild the whole thing if I have too. ( and I may have to!  :yikes: ) Including the entire lift system  - making the cables myself.  It's not real hard - just time consuming!

Good luck on yours -

Laura