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Old 06-05-2017, 09:21 AM   #23
HoMiPa
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: White Mountains of New Hampshire
Posts: 431
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larryjb View Post
Holly,

Interesting. It's my rear shell that gets a little difficult to lower for the last 8-12 inches. I've been reading many possible reasons from things blocking the shell on the inside, seals needing lubricating, torsion bars needing adjustment, uneven tension on the torsion bars, etc.

I've been wondering about trying the method that was described in the link to "post 49", the last link I pasted. Many have said to adjust the tension equally on all torsion bars, but this thing is 16 years old and I wouldn't be surprised that the springs are applying uneven tension by now.

Mine isn't impossible to open and close, I don't have to jump on the stirrups, but I doubt my wife would be able to close it. I think I would be struggling if I were 70 now.

I'll be following this to see how yours goes before I consider looking at mine.
I think key to that post is "and I think leveled the shell". I understand that to mean that they leveled the shells, in addition to adjusting the torsion. I haven't touched the torsion on mine. For some reason it scares me, and so I've just struggled with opening/closing for the past several years, using the excuse that it's my age, not the TM. LOL I was absolutely amazed at the difference in opening/closing once I leveled the shells. AMAZED! All these years of struggling - wasted.

Anyway, my opinion, it seems everyone jumps right to the torsion for any issue with the shells/door, but for whatever that is worth, the torsion is only one small link in a chain of things that has to be aligned/level/correct for the shells to open/close, door halves to connect properly, bathroom to set up properly, etc. A couple of those things off just a tad, and they all add up to issues. It's been interesting to read some of the posts about the shells/door and what people have deducted to be the problem.

I have an additional 'problem' in that I no longer have a couch attached to the wall & floor on the curb side near the door. So my lower front wall is a tad 'wobbly'. There are posts, from ages ago, that talk about a triangular piece of metal, bolted to the floor and wall, just to the left of the door (left of door from inside trailer). People make adjustments to this, to ensure the wall was plumb to the floor, and how this adjustment helped with the door function. Then there came a time when TM no longer put this piece of metal there, and comments about how this effects things. I never had that triangle, but I'm pretty sure that the couch bolted to both the floor & wall, made this piece of metal no longer necessary.

I've pondered what to do about my 'wobbly' wall - bolt in a 90 piece of angle iron to the floor & wall prior to laying the laminate floor? But in the end, I think it is all okay. Saying that though, I wonder if the wobbly wall makes it impossible to have the upper shell level, side to side, and still function properly in closing. If this is the case, making it level when up, actually makes the curb side of the upper shell too high (arm too long) for when you start to close it and the weight of the upper shell is no longer making the lower wall bow out slightly. I think if I lower the curb side of the upper shell, slightly out of level (low on curb side) for when the shell is up, it will be correct for when lowering. If I was to stabilize the lower wall, then I probably would still have to lower the curb side of the upper shell, because it would actually be too high as it is now. Does this all make sense?
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Holly
2005 Trailmanor 3023 - 2016 Ford Expedition Limited w/ Eaz-Lift WDH
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