After taking the protective cover off we were able to insert spike in spring assembly and manually unwrap the vinyl cover to a point it could be pulled free
. Not a simple task but it worked. I think the vinyl was very stiff in the 27 degree morning and did not wind-up smoothly as the slide was pulled in. Will watch it down the road for further problems.
Contact with Carefree of Colorado provided very helpful advice and included having manual emailed. Thanks to Carefree of Colorado support.