Quote:
Originally Posted by ibordelon
<<snip>> Upon inspection, it looks like there is some of the canvas material caught in the slide mechanism. My question is how to I get this material out of the track without tearing it and how do I prevent the material from getting caught up again? Thanks for your help!
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I confess, I'm confused. I can't imagine how canvass from the top would become entangled in the bed slides if the camper is erected and collapsed as it should be.
- Raise the roof to full extension.
- Install the bed supports.
- Slide out the beds.
- Open the dinette slide.
- Install the safety supports on the columns.
- Lock the bed slides with the slide bolts.
- Lock the dinette slide in position with the clips.
- Zip down the "joints" between the bedside canvass and the main section of the tent. (Some or all of these zippers are marked as "fire escapes.")
- Attach the canvass to the underside of the beds - snap first, then velcro, then bungee.
- Position rain flaps on bed ends.
- Attach velcro on dinette slide to the tub.
- Raise tent hoops on beds and dinette slide.
To close up the camper, reverse the process with one caveat: Close the beds before closing the dinette slide. This prevents the sliding beds from catching on the dinette canvass. And, as you close the slide, you'll need to nurse the slide's canvass up onto the two beds, or it will get pinched between the bed rails and the roof risking some canvass damage as you close and open the roof.
I also invert all the rain flaps...folding them upward to get them away from the joint between the roof and the tub.
My confusion is based on the fact that once the main cabin roof is raised the canvass is under tension and cannot get caught in the bed slides.
I have a hunch that you may not be unzipping the bed ends from the main cabin canvass. This is essential. If so, you are unable to tuck the bedside canvass up out of harm's way on top of the mattress, and that also makes it more difficult to tuck the canvass efficiently enough to make closing the roof easy. Worst case, there is a real risk of catching the bedside canvass in the bed slide.
What I do is unzip the bed ends from the main cabin. Then, while I'm still inside, I grab each freed corner of the bed ends and pull it toward the center of the bed. Then, from the outside, I dress the bed side walls up onto the bed as much as possible before I push the bed in.
One other tip: Do NOT open the zippers too far. I leave about 4 to 6" of the zippers engaged. One time, I unzipped one zipper a bit too far. It came apart, and it was a real bear to get it started again. It took about 10 minutes of patient work to get it started and not risk damaging the zipper, because the space is very tight at the start of the zipper.
At any rate, if you are following this procedure and the canvass still gets hung up in the beds slides, something's not right and you should visit the dealer ASAP. But if you missed any steps in this process, things should work correctly with no risk of damaging the canvass if you follow the steps.
As for untangling caught canvass from the bed slide, there are too many variables to make a recommendation other than to go to the dealer for help. If they tear it, it's their problem. If you tear it, you're SOL.
If you have a minor tear, here's an option. Something snagged one of my rain flaps on the lift posts and created a 3-corner tear. This stuff did a good job of fixing it:
https://smile.amazon.com/Camco-42623...s+repairt+tape
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