Picked up a Northstar TC800

ripperj

Explorer
I picked up a 2000 Northstar TC 800 over the weekend. It’s in really nice shape for the age, was kept under a roof for much of its life.
The seals need redoing and I ordered a bunch of misc that added up fast.

Spent the day cleaning it, waiting on Geocel and Dicor


It had dually brackets , so i took the jacks off for the trip home. My rear Fastguns weren’t long enough without a ring, so I used a ratchet strap.

The electric jack remote is lost, how can I jumper out to test the jacks without just applying dc to the plug? Can I jumper something inside the control box?

782622619527394164fa4b86ecf783f5.jpg
39d1423de8fb33b72625fd12f3bf7157.jpg
e10b8c9f2bebf52195a5f4280979d00c.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

ripperj

Explorer
I thought Northstars used real wood cabinets? This has some fake wood stuff that looks nice, but scratches easily


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
I thought Northstars used real wood cabinets? This has some fake wood stuff that looks nice, but scratches easily


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
The finish is photographed on. Rough it up and you can paint it. I have a 2000 with the manual lift. I had no idea the electric jacks were even available. Northstar furnished two handles so a friend and I and dismount it. I also didn't know the fiberglass walls were available. I have the tried and true aluminum siding. Looks really nice!
 

ripperj

Explorer
Mine has the manual roof lift. I forgot what a head banger it is when seated in the dinette with the top down
I told the guy I bought it from that I was surprised it had the fiberglass siding, I figured he had the year wrong, must be one of the first years??



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

kerry

Expedition Leader
I’d use Eternabond tape on all the roof seams and over the seam between the bottom extrusion on the roof sides and the aluminum skin on the roof sides. We have a TS1000
 

ripperj

Explorer
I’d use Eternabond tape on all the roof seams and over the seam between the bottom extrusion on the roof sides and the aluminum skin on the roof sides. We have a TS1000

It’s good stuff, I did consider doing the seams and the vents and fans. Maybe I still will. Thanks for the reply
Does your camper have three roof vents/fans?
Mine does, seems overkill on a small camper, maybe someone added the middle one


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

ripperj

Explorer
Quick question. Kind of hard to see, but there are three bolts on each rear roof corner that hold the lifting mechanism(two on each side on the rear and one on each side)

Are these from the factory?
Thanks

ce9b5910dca12378afbffce5c6db3479.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
:)
Mine has the manual roof lift. I forgot what a head banger it is when seated in the dinette with the top down
I told the guy I bought it from that I was surprised it had the fiberglass siding, I figured he had the year wrong, must be one of the first years??



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Is the id tag still there? You can call Northstar with questions. My gut reaction is that it's newer. The fiberglass sides were optional a little after I got mine I think. It's been so long... I appears to be in good shape. Does it have east/west sleeping or north/south. More epics would be welcome.
 

kerry

Expedition Leader
Yes those bolts are original and very common failure points when the wood gets wet—they carry the load of the torsion springs in the lifting mechanism
 

ripperj

Explorer
Yes those bolts are original and very common failure points when the wood gets wet—they carry the load of the torsion springs in the lifting mechanism

Ok thank you
I assume the springs are loaded when the top is down?
I want to pull the bolts and put a reinforcing plate under them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

kerry

Expedition Leader
It's not that easy. There's a significant torsional load on those brackets. If you remove the bolts the brackets will twist out of location. Reinforcing them is a good idea if the wood is at all compromised. It's common to put a piece of flat stock metal all the way across the back side inside the wood to carry the torsional load. If you do it, you need to do it with the roof up as that is when the torsional load is at its weakest. There are instructions on the NorthstarFacebook page from one of the Willets on how to disassemble the Heco bars and work on those back corners. I may have copied and pasted them here in a post.
 

ripperj

Explorer
So I found the instructions for taking the lift apart.

I understand you prop the roof up with 2x4s, the instructions said I could use short ones between the camper and the roof, but I don’t really see how the whole roof won’t just tip off?
Is one torsion bar and the canvas enough to keep it stable?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

ripperj

Explorer
Well I pulled the torsion spring brackets off and put a pc of 1/8” stainless plate on the outside (3x6”)and a 2”x40” pc of carbon steel on the inside. Raises much easier now as the tubes were torqued about 30 degrees
Forgot to take pics


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,527
Messages
2,875,535
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top