Cable replacement

[Injected27]

I have a 2002 12fso with a broke cable in right front. Right rear lift. Not seeing alot of info on it. Anybody got anything that could be helpful? Thanks Jason

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by Injected27

I have a 2002 12fso with a broke cable in right front. Right rear lift. Not seeing alot of info on it. Anybody got anything that could be helpful? Thanks Jason

Broke a cable on an older Coleman Popup many years ago. It is not an easy DIY project but very do able if you are half way handy and mechanically inclined. My experience was before the internet was widely available but I got some pretty helpful advice from the RV repair shop where I ordered the replacement cable.

With the help of a friend, I carefully jacked up the top about 1/2 way and then braced the broken corner with a 2x4 strapped to keep it in place. That pretty much gives you access to the telescoping corner legs. The rest of the repair is to open the actual crank box underneath which is where the 4 corner cables are connected. Disconnect the broken cable and then feed the replacement back thru the expandable leg pulleys and terminate it at the top. You then have to got back underneath and connect the new cable to the crank assembly. You have to make sure to taunt the new cable to match the other 3 so that the roof is level when raising. Take a good swing at the first connection and then remove the 2/4 and let the roof settle back against the cables. I would let it set that way for an hour to let the new cable stretch straight. Then raise the top again to the 1/2 mark and reinstall the temporary brace. Then go back under and make the appropriate adjustment in the new cable connection. It may take 2 or 3 times doing this to get the 4 corners level.

When you have removed the broken cable, carefully check the pulleys inside the telescoping leg. A stuck or broken pulley is often what stressed the original cable. I sprayed the pulleys in all 4 legs with a grafite lub just in case. In the end the top seemed to raise easier [mine was a manual crank] with a lot less noise.

A hint to help prevent a future failure is to raise the top before setting the corner leg braces. That allows the unit to sway and helps prevent a cable from getting bound up.

[bankr63]

First, if you are the original owner, your lift mechanism was guaranteed for life. You can probably get this fixed for free at a Jayco dealer.

Also, if you are doing the repair yourself, you will be happy to know that it is now a bit easier than @Bassdogs indicates, but most of that process does apply. The main cables don't go up through the corner lift posts like the older ones. The cable pulls a spring section that pushes up into the corner posts. Do a quick search in this section; there is a link from another member to the maintenance manual and diagram for the Jayco mechanism in a prior post (will post the link in a minute if I can find it).

ETA: Found the thread. Check out the 2nd post by @Sneezer here https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...tem-50323.html for the link to a repair manual from an Australian site. Similar or the same as the US Jayco mechanism.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by bankr63

First, if you are the original owner, your lift mechanism was guaranteed for life. You can probably get this fixed for free at a Jayco dealer.

Also, if you are doing the repair yourself, you will be happy to know that it is now a bit easier than @Bassdogs indicates, but most of that process does apply. The main cables don't go up through the corner lift posts like the older ones. The cable pulls a spring section that pushes up into the corner posts. Do a quick search in this section; there is a link from another member to the maintenance manual and diagram for the Jayco mechanism in a prior post (will post the link in a minute if I can find it).

ETA: Found the thread. Check out the 2nd post by @Sneezer here https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...tem-50323.html for the link to a repair manual from an Australian site. Similar or the same as the US Jayco mechanism.

I suspected that technology might have changed things in the popups since the late 70's. Good to know its still a DIY project.