repairing rotted bottom glides of top half
 

does anyone have experience repairing rotted out glides
any and all info would be appreciated

Need a picture as not sure what you are asking.

I have changed the plastic glides on mine, but I'm interpreting you question as though you're asking about changing the wood behind the gasket at the bottom of the top half.
That I haven't done but I know that someone has changed the whole side structure of his towlite on this forum.
Or try Home - JR REPAIR

I'm guessing he is talking about the rubber guides at the base of the top half of the camper. They ride over the guide bars on the bottom half.

The Glide Blocks that are fastened to the top half are made of tough plastic and they ride on the Glide Rails that are fastened to the bottom half. Just click on JR repair in one of the previous posts, they come right up.

I HAVE TALKed TO JR REPAIR SO I CAN ORDER THE GLIDE PARTS
i have three missing all together ...
and i guess i should replace the wood while i'm doing it
i love my new 87 22ft fun chaser
but i want to do the repairs right the first time
i'm 60 and ready to hit the road permenetly
thanks
SUSIE
ps
cant find the post on whole side repair ...HELP

this i why i wanta repair it right...OMG
i would just freak out if that kind think happehed to my hilo

my cables all seem good
when you order new glides do the come just the bracket or is the bracket connect to something

tropical lady repair of 1994 towlite
 

Could you give us an update on your repairs? Pictures would be great!!

Only the plastic glide themselves, you will need to buy screws for them. There is no bracket for the glide itself only the screws hold it in.

there's tornado warning here in st louis rigt now
so i get brave and go out to lower the lid
usimg jumper cables....the safey cable thing was hard to pull out
had to get a neighbor stronger than me to help
went down just fine till about 3 inches from be completely down
made lots of noise...scared me...lol
turned out dumby me left the battery cover up
so i raise the top enough to get the battery cover off
looked bad..but was able to straighten the hinge and duct tape the back part that had cracked
put the cover back on
then i wanted to lower the lid all the way down
remember this started with tornado warnings here

i pull on the cable the red light goes on
but when i try and use he toggle switch the light go out and nothing happened
checked the jumper connection....aok
try again....red light go on....try the toggle
again red light goes out and and no work the toggle
geeee...what am i doing wrong
HELP

I don't have the "red light" you have, so I can't comment on it much. Sounds like it's a warning that the system might come down.

If you didn't have the top all the way up, there was no need to pull the cable though. It simply releases the safety bar that slips in place when the top is full up. If the cable is hard to pull out, the top has "settled" on the bar and you first need to push the "up" side of the switch to take the weight off.

Maybe your battery is discharged to the point it won't lower? (Seems far-fetched to me - but you DID say you were using jumper cables.)

Did you try raising the top all the way before trying to lower it again?

Maybe a circuit breaker blown?

Stay safe!

- Jack

FIGURED IT OUT
mine has a red light when you pull the cable
you have to keep the red light on with tension to get the toggle to work....this i knew
but with mine
87 fun chaser
you must ingage the the safety cord and then pull it backout
red light stayed on
and it moved fine

Great work! And, I hope you and yours survived the weather!

Don't feel bad about lowering the top on something. It's just a matter of time for all of us I think. My experience was in Yosemite, when we decided we needed to quickly change campsites. I forgot I had a water pump sitting on top of the battery compartment. Crunch! :eek: Put a nice hole in the plastic panel at the bottom of the top half. :o Fixed it with a plastic sheet from the inside and a lot of silicone caulk, once we got home. Fortunately, it didn't hurt the pump.

- Jack

Carefully, although my wife uses the word "obsessively," adhering to my Navy background and experience :o with "Compartment Rig Bills (lists)," we put together a pre-lowering checklist that gets reviewed EVERY time prior to pushing the down switch.

We've developed a similar list for use prior to getting underway, and so far we've avoided calamity!

(Knocking on wood)

Jim

Love it Jim! I was an Air Force Pilot for 20 years. I have just such a checklist! (laminated in plastic, no less!) *Roll All Over The Floor Laughing Till I Pee"*

Guess what happens when you're in a hurry and don't use the checklist? :eek:

Moral of the story - NEVER be in a "hurry"! ;)

- Jack

Jack,

After retired from the Navy, we started an engraving business. As you can well imagine, many of the switches, valves, etc. in our Hi-Lo are correctly marked with engraved labels. Properly ship-shape, I say... and my wife just rolls her eyes. Go figure.

Attached is a photo of the skirt on one side showing some the labels.

Jim

Nice work Jim! Women - they just don't know what's important, do they? ;)

- Jack

Hi dawn here third hilo. 56 female and retired
I have a 1990 30 ft br and the interior wood frame for seal, blocks has dry rot along the inside seal edge. very common, and the screws rusted, and block feel off. I Purchased an angle bracket for wood joining a 2x4 corner (about 4inch by 4 inch,) took metal grinder with cutting wheel and cut one leg of the 90 degree bracket to the height and width of the slider. Then let the bottom edge point out to even with the outside frame which is steel. removed lower trim. slipped bracket up. drilled holes in outside edge which is steel frame, four screws. mounted the block to bracket by drilling four holes nut bolt and ground the excess screw off . This added under quarter of inch between original frame area and bracket. as the wood was soft bracket actually settled in. Has stayed square runs up and down nicely. did this with two others.
and yes in theory should raise top replace all wood etc. etc. this took about two hours.
cost 5 dollars including screws lol. As side note anti freeze sprayed onto dryrot will stop the process, boat builders use it all the time. I back filled with spray in insulating foam that expands and hardens. not perfect. But keeps water out of area

Hi dawn here third hilo. 56 female and retired
I have a 1990 30 ft br and the interior wood frame for seal, blocks has dry rot along the inside seal edge. very common, and the screws rusted, and block feel off. I Purchased an angle bracket for wood joining a 2x4 corner (about 4inch by 4 inch,) took metal grinder with cutting wheel and cut one leg of the 90 degree bracket to the height and width of the slider. Then let the bottom edge point out to even with the outside frame which is steel. removed lower trim. slipped bracket up. drilled holes in outside edge which is steel frame, four screws. mounted the block to bracket by drilling four holes nut bolt and ground the excess screw off . This added under quarter of inch between original frame area and bracket. as the wood was soft bracket actually settled in. Has stayed square runs up and down nicely. did this with two others.
and yes in theory should raise top replace all wood etc. etc. this took about two hours.
cost 5 dollars including screws lol. As side note anti freeze sprayed onto dryrot will stop the process, boat builders use it all the time. I back filled with spray in insulating foam that expands and hardens. not perfect. But keeps water out of area