4200 Mile Maiden Voyage Completed!

[Pogo]

Greetings, All! I posted here nearly a month ago, telling you that I was about to try out my new-to-me used popup camper for the first time... with a little trip to the East Coast, from the Texas Gulf Coast, and back again.

Well, I have returned, and now issue my report: It was exactly 4,178 miles, took 24 days, the camper was deployed a total of 13 times, and I never missed a single comfortable night's sleep in it. Even endured a drenching couple of days and nights, but stayed perfectly snug and dry. But I had a few days that were interesting...

Backtracking a bit, it's a 1995 Jayco Eagle 10 ST (front storage, rear crank) that I got for a song because one secondary lift cable was busted. Turned out to be a loose eye bolt. I quickly reattached it, attempted to adjust cables, had only a day before blastoff to work on it (long story) so it was a hurried procedure at best. Everything else on the camper is in superb shape -- excellent interior and canvas, great working A/C and heat, splendid shape underneath and in hidden places, the thing even smelled good (and still does).

On the road: The third time I folded 'er up the rear of the roof refused to come down the last three or four inches. Jammed on something hard, wasn't a matter of bunched-up canvas underneath or anything like that. Jiggled it up and down with increasing gusto, jumped up and down on it (I weigh 155, stayed on the edges), nothing helped. So I traveled in dry weather with the front latched down and the back sticking up a little. Oh well, so I'm a hilbilly RV'er, so what? I'm going places, ain't I?

18th day out, a cable -- yes, the one that was loose -- snapped clean in two when lowering the roof. The break occurred near the plate where the four secondarys meet the main cable and winch, so I was able to splice a new section in using $5 worth of crud from Lowe's, and the 3-ton tool kit I wisely brought along for just such fun. But the rear started closing again. Determined that Jayco likes a finely tuned and level roof, otherwise something's going to snag. Better improve my technique at adjusting cables.

The rest of the trip went off without a hitch, although I can't really call it totally worry-free. The camper was just absolutely wonderful in every regard, except I had to sweat whenever it was time to raise or lower the roof. It wasn't due to cranking effort or tugging on canvas to attach it to the door frame, either; I can handle that sort of sweat. Nervous sweat makes me, well, nervous, and if I want to feel edgy I'll just review my bank account.

Had a ton o' fun hauling the 2250-lb thing through the Appalachians of western Virginia and West Virginia with my '04 Tacoma with 5-speed, V-6, factory towing package. Haven't spent so much time with my gas foot mashed firmly into the floorboard since I was a teenager in a VW Bug I looked upon as a hot rod for some vague reason. The standard transmission was a huge blessing, made mountain driving a relative breeze.

Now I need to overhaul the cable system, as I simply cannot trust it entirely any more. The splice repair I made looks great, actually, but the other three secondary cables are tristed into something of a tightly wound braid that's impossible to untwist, even with the roof propped up and the cables slackened. There's some fraying going on in the twist, too, which causes me more than just a little concern of a future snap, crackle and pop session.

So if anyone has any advice to offer, prior experience to share, diagrams found, or whatever else we might think of, could you please let me know asap?

I'm trying my best to do web research in the meantime, but I'm also having to play an almost desperate game of catchup on everything else in my life. As a single guy, I have no help at all, and really want to fix this thing while it's still operable so I won't have to go looking for help raising or lowering it. The camper's set up in the yard now, ready to be propped up with 2x4s. Nasty weather is causing me to wait a bit before starting work on it, but I want to get it fixed pronto. Hey, I'm also anxious to go camping in it some more!

Until I learn a better idea, I'm planning to repeat the splice trick on the other three cables, to effectively give each a brand new winch end. The lift-post ends seems to be fine, so this ought to be easiest way to go, and should work okay. After the cables are straightened out, I'm thinking to fashion wooden spreaders, to place in the cable "gang", to keep 'em from tangling each other into another twisted mess. Then take my time looking the whole thing over, and add guards or whatever's needed to eliminate any other possible snags, hangups, etc.

My splices, by the way, consist of a 6-inch cable end overlap, with two swages, placed one inch off either end, crimped three times each using bolt cutters as a "swaging tool."

Cheers,
Kurt Maurer

[J-Bird]

Hi K;  sounds like you had a great time overall !!!!! Glad your song was sung so well and only a few notes off ....  I just bought a 2006 Jayco 1006 storage up front like yours and its been in the shop waiting for a new power converter.  My was shot from the get go   They also need to make the door shut better when traveling, not a tight fit on the bottom, water/rain is getting in.  My front door side lifter post kept catching on the corner of the roof when folding her down, not all the time just a few, they fixed that for me. One of my decals cracked all over I figured being new it would be fine, guess not...... I hope these are all the bugs in it.  I went with Jayco because of the warranty, it really is the best if you follow the owners manual.  But then again if its in the shop alot I guess its not worth the time and gas.  I have a 1995 jayco brochure if you don't have one, let me know, we can work something out.  J-Bird   p.s.  WELCOME BACK !!!!

[Pogo]

Hi K;  sounds like you had a great time overall !!!!! Glad your song was sung so well and only a few notes off ....  I just bought a 2006 Jayco 1006 storage up front like yours and its been in the shop waiting for a new power converter.  My was shot from the get go   They also need to make the door shut better when traveling, not a tight fit on the bottom, water/rain is getting in.  My front door side lifter post kept catching on the corner of the roof when folding her down, not all the time just a few, they fixed that for me. One of my decals cracked all over I figured being new it would be fine, guess not...... I hope these are all the bugs in it.  I went with Jayco because of the warranty, it really is the best if you follow the owners manual.  But then again if its in the shop alot I guess its not worth the time and gas.  I have a 1995 jayco brochure if you don't have one, let me know, we can work something out.  J-Bird   p.s.  WELCOME BACK !!!!

J-Bird, I like that handle! (I'm a birder too, and love Jays.)

Thanks for the note, very interesting stuff to hear... for instance, I had no clue as to Jayco's warranty, and it's nice to hear it's one of the best.

Boy, I could tell story after wonderful story of my trip, but besides not wanting to bore anyone, I would hardly know where to start anyway. I can even share a cool SPUT or two, such as attempting to tow with the stabilizers still down (no damage, but a real eyebrow-raiser just the same).

I really hope to get a few respondants chiming in with meaty things to feed me regarding the overhaul of my cable system, but rest assured that it WILL get fixed, and by Yours Truly (can't afford - nor totally trust - a shop). And so, after all that has come and gone, this forum ought to have a fairly authoritive Jayco Cable Guy on hand.

Sure wish I had more time to spend scouring this site. I'm particularly interested in hearing about the things you all cook for dinner, and stuff like that. I had packed my propane grill and bottle poorly at the outset, and cooked indoors for the first week or so. But I made up an easy and highly tasty camp stew based on something my mother used to whomp up in a hurry to feed a bunch of hungry kids, and it's a real keeper. After I reorganized, and started using my grill a whole lot more, I started craving another plate or two of that stew...

Anyway, I'm asking for help now, but have every reason to believe that I can contribute much more than I ever asked for before it's all over. I'm handy at posting photos too, and will, whenever I get something that will be of use to y'all. In the meantime, I'll go ahead and add a photo here to see how this site's attachment editor works. Mountain Lake Campground near Summersville, West Virginia, one of the finer spots I set up in. A truly excellent campground store, too!

[J-Bird]

Nice picture Kurt,  you travel light, I like it !!! not alot of "stuff" outside.  Hoppe you find a Jayco guy out there.  I want to visit the Jayco plant in a couple of months. If you call there they may be able to help you with your question. I am sure you have many tails to tell.  Make a check list (level jacks) on things to be done and undone on your trips, like a check list.  Take care, J-Bird (Jerry)