I may be doing this all wrong. I've been raising the top all the way up and then lowering it onto the safety bar in order to take pressure off of the hydraulic system. I'm not getting a proper side wall seal, as the top is too low. Should I change my ways?

Yes, change them. Do not lower the top onto the safety bar - it is not meant to be a long-time support. It is just a safety feature. The part about lowering the top onto the bar is simply a check to see that the bar has become engaged. Once you've done that raise the top to the full up position again and leave it that way when camping.

- Jack

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Hi-Lo 1707T - Tire Minder TPMS on Tow Vehicle and Trailer, 300W Solar Battery Charger, Equal-i-zer WDH, Progressive Dynamics Converter, Fan-Tastic Fan, LiFePO4 battery 12V DC Electrical System
2014 F150 Platinum 4x4 3.5L EcoBoost SCrew

Very helpful tip. Makes sense. Thanks.

Thank you Jack? I've ready the manual over and over again and it isn't clear. Experience rules and thank you for reaching out to us on this!

It's possible they revised the manual. I don't know what year yours is, but in the manual for my 2007 trailer, it says to lower the top onto the bar to check that it is engaged, but then to raise it again. I have to admit I just skip that step now. I listen for the metallic clank that tells me the bar has engaged just before the top reaches it's full up position and that's good enough for me. I suspect the test HiLo advises is a CYA since the bar would not deploy if the top did not go all the way up.

- Jack

I did it wrong for ten years.

You're not alone!

- Jack

Those youtube hi-lo instructional "how to" by sting32 made years ago are very good.

As Jack said, just as you reach the top with the hydraulic system, you should hear a soft clank as the spring-loaded bar swings into place under the top. I usually pull the safety release cord and feel it move, then release it again and listen for the bar to lock back again. If the bar is moving freely, you can be sure it is in the proper place to catch the top if the hydraulic system should fail.

Think about the times you drive past a construction site in the evening. You will frequently see their cranes with a heavy generator or other piece of valuable equipment suspended up in the air overnight to prevent someone from stealing it. Hydraulic systems are designed to support this weight and you are not hurting anything with the top in the full up position.