Yet Another Skamper Build...

Stereo

Adventurer
How to deal with the torsion bar tension

I think I found why it's so hard to drop my roof. The lifter isn't attached to the gear hardware! I'll provide photos and an explanation when I put together my build thread later today or tomorrow - and hope someone can provide me with a solution.

BUT I also still need to replace my back roof rim board so I've been cogitating on the torque issue for awhile (I may have to take up drinking coffee to speed up that process :)). I DO understand how the torsion bar that runs inside the top rail of the lifter puts stress on the bracket. I DON'T understand how that aides in lifting the roof since - if I understand it right - the torsion bar is rotating freely inside the top rail... and the end of the top rail just slips into the bracket housing. How does that affect the scissor action or gearing? Again, as I'm visualizing it, all the torsion bar is doing is putting tension on the bracket attached to the rim of the roof. Hopefully, someone can explain that to me.

While I'm confused about the function of the torsion bar, I do understand the need to deal with the pressure it's exerting on the L-bracket. I had thought I would just be unbolting the brackets only at the back, removing the weathered plywood rim, replacing it with solid plywood reinforced with angle iron (such as the bed frame iron), and re-bolting the L-bracket to the new back rim board...and maybe I can, now that I believe the torsion bar is not the problem. As long as the bracket is still bolted to the side (where the wood is still solid), the torsion bar should stay housed in the hexagonal seating of the bracket. Right?

If I'm wrong and need to remove the L-bracket completely, I need help understanding how to fully release the tension in the torsion bar before removing the bracket so it won't twist through the good roof as happened to someone else rebuilding their roof. And then when I'm ready to re-install the bracket, how do I create a little tension in the torsion bar with the rest of the roof intact and the canvas still on?

Here's Eugene's rear rebuild using 2x material:

Eugenes rear roof redo.jpg

To deal with the tension, he cut the board in the middle so he could pull each side down and then connect them. He's able to do that 'cause he doesn't have a roof above it. Bill, I'm guessing you did the same with the bed frames, i.e. I'm thinking you pulled your roof forward a bit or lifted it high enough to get it out of the way so you could insert the bed rails at a similar angle, pull them down, and connect them together with the middle frame. Then (again, I'm guessing), you dropped the roof down and bolted it to the brace. (Is this how you did it?)

My hope is that I won't have to unfasten the canvas and unbolt the roof in order to move it out of the way. I want to keep as much as possible intact. However, that means the roof is in the way of installing the back angle irons or boards at an angle before pulling them down to horizontal.

Ideas?
 

Bill_G_62439

Observer
The torsion bar helps "twist" the lifting arms from horizontal to vertical. Before I repaired my roof, it was very difficult to crank the roof up. Once the brackets were reattached to the roof and the bars were properly torsioned, it was like night and day. The roof is now very easy to raise.

I'm guessing you did the same with the bed frames, i.e. I'm thinking you pulled your roof forward a bit or lifted it high enough to get it out of the way so you could insert the bed rails at a similar angle, pull them down, and connect them together with the middle frame. Then (again, I'm guessing), you dropped the roof down and bolted it to the brace. (Is this how you did it?)

Bingo! I actually lifted the roof, slid the brackets back into position with the angle iron attached (similar to Eugene's photo above) and then set the roof back down. I used a ratchet strap attached to the angle iron to load the torsion bar and rotate the bracket into position. I think I just put my foot in the other end of the ratchet strap and pushed down until each one lined up.

My hope is that I won't have to unfasten the canvas and unbolt the roof in order to move it out of the way. I want to keep as much as possible intact. However, that means the roof is in the way of installing the back angle irons or boards at an angle before pulling them down to horizontal.

And I forgot about the canvas being in the way :( You may be able to get the job down by just unscrewing the canvas corners by the bracket, but I doubt it.

Good luck and I'm looking forward to your thread!
 

Bill_G_62439

Observer
A quick update: we had an unusually warm 60 degree February day yesterday, so I backed the truck up next to the Skamper so I could reach the roof easily. It took about 10-15 minutes to apply a layer of latex caulk down the center seam. It rained last night--no leak! Hopefully this will hold until spring when a more permanent solution can be devised.
 

Rbertalotto

Explorer
WOW! You folks are easily the most ambitious folks on planet earth! After looking at the pictures of the camper when you got it, two words came to mind.......gasoline and match!

But good for you......can't wait to see the finished product!
 

Bill_G_62439

Observer
LOL! I look at it in the back yard every day and still think gasoline & match! But like a good friend of mine says, we are suckers for lost causes. Thanks for the laugh! And also the encouragement.
 

Canufixit

Observer
Newbie and a new (to me) vintage Skamper (1984 ??) Hi and Thanks Already to all !!!

Hi all,

As the title says - Newbie here. First I need to Thanks everyone for all their Post - to this Thread and Many others. My 72s Skamper needs some work and I found this site while looking for general info. Learned so much so fast.

Thanks to all

Steve
 

Tacomabaja12

New member
Sorry to revive an old thread is there anyone who still has their camper that I could DM? I’m currently rebuilding a sunlite roof and could really use some help
 

85_Ranger4x4

Well-known member
Sorry to revive an old thread is there anyone who still has their camper that I could DM? I’m currently rebuilding a sunlite roof and could really use some help

I need to replace the frame boards on my 072s roof that I just picked up... but I do have one. Not sure what you need though.
 

indycheez

New member
I bought an 82 SL eagle with the same type of rear roof damage that many here have described. I managed to fix the roof and corner and reinforced the area where the wood was rotted. My problem is getting the roof to raise straight. It now raises a little further to one side than the other. It closes good but when raised, it leans slightly to the right. This is the side that needed repaired. I took the lifting bars apart to do the repair but before I knew anything about the torsion bar. I've researched many threads and this one seemed to offer the most info. Once I finished the repairs and put everything back together I found it hard to raise the roof and it put alot of torque on the gear track so I figured I did something wrong. I learned that I needed to reload the torsion bar. I did that, but just for the side I did the repairs on. I'm now thinking since I took apart and put back together one side only and not the other, this is why it wants to lean to one side more than the other. Anyone think I should just leave it alone or should I re do both sides?
 

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