Roof Actuator Question

[Brimare57]

Hey there fellow campers. I just took my 2017 Rockwood A213HW out of winter storage. The battery was stored inside during the winter. I set the camper up in the driveway and connected shore power. When I attempted to raise the roof with the power actuator, it would not do a thing. When I retrieved the battery and connected it, the roof went right up.
Is this normal? I would think that with electric connected, the actuator would work. Please advise. Thank you in advance.

[sundancer330]

I think the power actuator is 12v and needs the battery connected.

[Ortep]

Brimare57, If you look at the actuator, the label on the motor states that it is 12V DC. When possible, I have the shore power cord plugged in so the draw on the battery is minimal and there is no slow down during the lift if the battery is low on charge to begin with. When raising the roof I also give the actuator an assist by manually lifting the front roof section slightly to decrease the weight being lifted by the actuator. I feel that the actuator is probably at its weight limit and having to lift the entire weight of the roof strips the gears sooner rather than later. If you look for the thread on "Who Has a Roof Actuator" you'll see that MANY folks have had to replace the actuator at least once since they have purchased their A-Frame camper. Some have had to replace their actuator more than once. There is even one person that had to replace it at their PDI and twice since then within a 12 month period.

[Jaydubya81]

It has to have the battery in to complete the circuit

[Brimare57]

Thank you guys. I appreciate your assistance.