cant get it down

[schmukdup]

Hey there got a 93 Rockwood PU good condition outside and in.  had it for 1 year now and used it twice last season.  Openned it up this year to air out for the 4th of july weekend and it will not crank down.  The clutch system works fine for cranking up but it turns freely when trying to crank down.  The drive shaft does not spin freely but the nut on the shaft seems to un thread and then stop ( due to the tension clip on the end.) There is no where that the cables are exposed.  There is piping to and from the gears and the lifters are enclosed.  Talked to 4 dealers and noone can help unless i can get it into thier shop.  Without using a sawzall...any suggestions.


hal

[wavery]

No comment

[Lab-dog]

Well this just happened to me today too.  I have a 98 Coleman and it cranked up mostly OK, but I noticed I didn't get it high enough to install the door properly, so I went to give it one more crank and I heard a PING.  It sounded to me like something inside fell off the winch system and now it freely cranks in either direction, and the top doesn't go up or down.

I called the dealer where I bought it (after hours) and they are going to have the service department call me in the morning.  Meanwhile, I'm searching the internet for answers.

Let me know if you find anything...

[Lab-dog]

Update from today:

Since this was a used unit with no implied warranty, I decided to tackle this myself.  Talked to both the dealer where I bought it (very helpful, honestly) and the local Coleman dealer (also very helpful), and it sounded like somthing I could do myself.

Tonight I raced home from work and drilled out all the pop rivets on the back plastic cover, and was able to remove the cover with some help from my DW.  The spare needed to be removed first, and I took the bumper with the back cowling, as it was attached to the spare tire cover, and the wiring simply unplugged at 3 points.

Once I got all that off, and got access to the lift system, it became apparent that I broke the Solid Shear Pin.  Through some heroic efforts I was eventually able to get it removed, with some very timely and appreciated "ideas" from DW.

So tomorrow morning I go straight to the Coleman dealer to see what they have in stock, and hopefully they have everything I need.  I was able to download the .pdf elsewhere on the whole lift system, and thus I have all the instructions I think I need.

I'll come back and let you know how it goes.  I'm a little too engrossed in my job when working to take photo's as I go, so if you are interested I'll just have to describe it.  I don't know that I have the skill to post photo's here anyway.

Wish me luck.

[Lab-dog]

It's going slower than expected because we have had a lot of rain here lately.  Unfortunately I got her stuck up outside, and can't get her inside, so I'm dependent on the weather.

My local Coleman dealer had every single part I needed, and was extremely helpful and informative.  Unfortunately when I got home last night it was raining and I really couldn't do much.  I spent the evening cleaning up the rear cowling and caulking a couple cracks.

Tonight I finally got the lower gear off, and had trouble getting the new one on.  Somehow as I was pounding the pin back into place the rear gear (or sprocket) cracked.  Add to that the dealer gave me the wrong nut for the upper section, so again tonight I was stalled.

Tomorrow morning I will go back to the dealer, purchase another lower sprocket, and get the right nut.  I'm going to hopefully get to start working on it a little earlier in the day.  My hope is to get everything put back together, give it a little test, and then button it up tomorrow.

You have to start with a goal right?

[Lab-dog]

Goal Attained!  I almost can't believe it.

I got to the dealership early this morning and they reported to me that I had taken the last of all the parts that were needed, and they would need to order the rest directly from Coleman.  That didn't make me any too happy.

So while they were working, I roamed the store and started poking around in the bins where they originally found the sprockets and nuts I needed.  Alas, I found another set!  They humbly sold them to me and I hightailed it to my next meeting.  Got home soon after lunch and started working on it.

Got the lower sprocket and shear pin in place, which was the one causing so much trouble, so we had a little celebration.  Then I started working on the main upper gear/sprocket and that started to cause me fits.  Eventually the DW suggested we give up this futile quest and just go buy the whole contraption already put together, which they had in stock.

The only trouble is that the RV store is at least 45 minutes away.  So I raced over there during rush hour, returned all the parts I bought earlier in the week, and then raced home.

Got the plate/gizmo/sprockets in place.  Got the top to go up and down reliably.  (However it still doesn't *click* at the top like many websites report).  And by 11PM tonight we had the whole cowling and spare tire and everything back in place.  The only thing to do tomorrow morning when I wake up is bolt the bumper back in place.  We are DONE!

BTW, while we were working in the dark, the dog got spooked and started barking at the back step in our garage at the door that leads into our family room.  My DW went to check it out and let out a blood curdling scream because there was a snake on our door step.  Don't know how it got there, don't know why, but a little stomping, pounding, banging of doors, and a little help from our garden rake, and it slithered out into the woods.  That was a first for our house.  We've seen a snake in the garden area a couple times, but that is way far away from our back step.  Not sure how it got in there, or why, but it was quite the adventure for about 12 minutes.

Good night!

[SteffinMI]

Goal Attained!  I almost can't believe it.

I got to the dealership early this morning and they reported to me that I had taken the last of all the parts that were needed, and they would need to order the rest directly from Coleman.  That didn't make me any too happy.

So while they were working, I roamed the store and started poking around in the bins where they originally found the sprockets and nuts I needed.  Alas, I found another set!  They humbly sold them to me and I hightailed it to my next meeting.  Got home soon after lunch and started working on it.

Got the lower sprocket and shear pin in place, which was the one causing so much trouble, so we had a little celebration.  Then I started working on the main upper gear/sprocket and that started to cause me fits.  Eventually the DW suggested we give up this futile quest and just go buy the whole contraption already put together, which they had in stock.

The only trouble is that the RV store is at least 45 minutes away.  So I raced over there during rush hour, returned all the parts I bought earlier in the week, and then raced home.

Got the plate/gizmo/sprockets in place.  Got the top to go up and down reliably.  (However it still doesn't *click* at the top like many websites report).  And by 11PM tonight we had the whole cowling and spare tire and everything back in place.  The only thing to do tomorrow morning when I wake up is bolt the bumper back in place.  We are DONE!

BTW, while we were working in the dark, the dog got spooked and started barking at the back step in our garage at the door that leads into our family room.  My DW went to check it out and let out a blood curdling scream because there was a snake on our door step.  Don't know how it got there, don't know why, but a little stomping, pounding, banging of doors, and a little help from our garden rake, and it slithered out into the woods.  That was a first for our house.  We've seen a snake in the garden area a couple times, but that is way far away from our back step.  Not sure how it got in there, or why, but it was quite the adventure for about 12 minutes.

Good night!

SOUNDS LIKE AN ADVENTURE KEEP US POSTED
STEFF

[Lab-dog]

It's done.

I did adjust the top height adjustment at the corner pulley's per previous posts here, and also in the manual I downloaded somewhere.  It seemed to help.  I'm supposed to be between 45.5 and 46 inches all around, and I've got it to the following:

Drivers Front: 45.5 - no adjustment
Passenger Front: 45.5 - middle peg
Drivers Rear: 46 - no adjustment
Passenger Rear: 45.5 third peg

I know you can fiddle with the wiffle tree, but after my experience earlier this week, I think I'll hold that one for a dealer visit.

Thanks all!