Fine Tuning The Lifting Mechanisim

Saw a topic that mentioned some lifting problems. My 2720sl has become hard to open. Can anyone give me any hints on how to fine tune it. The nearest dealer is 2 1/2 hours away, so hoping to do it myself. ???

[Denny_A]

Saw a topic that mentioned some lifting problems. My 2720sl has become hard to open. Can anyone give me any hints on how to fine tune it. The nearest dealer is 2 1/2 hours away, so hoping to do it myself. ???

CO Cop,

Yes! Here's what I posted about adjustment a while back and ammended for your case:

Look at the underside of the frame. You will see large bolt heads projecting straight down toward the ground. Two front and rear, and 4 in the center. Or, 4 on the left and 4 on the right. Each bolt is on the opposite side of the trailer from the lift bar it assists!

The bolts are cranked in or out, as needed, to adjust the torsion which will develop when the shells are "closing", while being made ready for towing. Adjustments should be made with the shell up (low/no torsion load), and only in small increments.

With the shells raised (min torsion) adjust the bolt "in" to increase torsion and "out" to reduce. The Torsion rods extend all the way across the underside of the frame.

So, let's say the torsion of the aft shell needs to be *increased*. Raise the the rear shell. At the rear most lift bars, look under the trailer and find the 2 bolt heads. Turn the left (or Rt) bolt IN about 1/2 turn. Do the same on the other. Lower the shell and then raise it. Note change, if any to the ease of lifting. If it improved, but still needs more adjustment, then adjust the forward lift torsion bars - of the rear shell. Use the same amount of adjustment - 1/2 turn. Recheck the opening forces.

At this point, all four bolts have been adjusted equally. If further fine tuning is needed, it becomes twist-and-try . Maybe all bolts need another 1/2 turn, or possibly a quarter turn has to be removed from each. Just take it slow, and keep track of how many turns of torsion were added/subtracted to/from each bolt.

If one side of the shell (say center, curb side) becomes cattywampus when closing and is difficult to latch, then the bolt for that one torsion bar should be adjusted individually. When complete, the shell should open easily, as advertised, and when closing, both of the center portions (of each shell) should come to rest so that the shell is level horizontally, ready for final latch engagement.

HTH ==== Denny_A

CO Cop,

My TM came from Boston and traveled in snow and ice some before I brought it down here to Alabama. There is some rusting. I liberally sprayed WD-40 in the movement areas of the torsion bars and lift mechanism and mine opens better. At least now I can open and close it by myself.

HTH

Scott

Great tip! I'm hoping that this will work on my 3326. Maybe it is just heavy because of its size ;D. Any comments from 3326 owners.

Chris B.

Hi,

we just picked up our new 2720sl and tried it for the first time.. but we couldn't get one of the little silver bar to go up and fit on the peg of the back end (i am sorry i don't know what it is called.. there are 4 little bars that lift up to fit into the pegs on all four sides?)

is that because the torsion needs adjusted or something else?

thanks, Teresa

[RockyMtnRay]

The silver bars are, IIRC, called "stabilizers" in the TM manual. And the reason they won't fit is probably not because of the torsion bars being out of adjustment, but rather the "pocket stops" being out of adjustment. The pocket stops determine how far the shells can move when put into the upright position. The forum's expert on pocket stops is HappyTrails...he can give detailed instructions on how to adjust them.

[RockyMtnRay]

Yep, you're right...the manual does say "corner latch". My dealer referred to them as "stabilizer bars".

However the manual (2002 edition) no longer refers to stabilizers...they're now referred to as scissor jacks; and the manual clearly states "use the rear scissor jack on the low side to level the trailer side-to-side" (page 12).

Yeah, I know you are in the "these are only stablizers" camp...and I'm just as strongly in the "these are really leveling jacks" camp. But the manual is clearly instructing owners of newer TMs to use them as leveling jacks, leastwise for side to side leveling. And I'm personally assuming the TM engineers either wrote or approved that section of the newer manuals and if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.

And where the heck is Happy...we need to get the Pocket Stop Expert in here!

hi,

thanks for the info.. corner latches! I didn't have my manual with me earlier... I will be waiting for the pocket stop expert too... I have heard not to use the jacks as levelers too... but with our new trailer we received a little pamplet explaining how to use 'Le-Sure lift' correctly... use for leveling, as long as not raising trailers extreme heights..so who knows.. seems easier than putting blocks under tires : especially since i am just getting used to driving a trailer. teresa

Ray and Texas Camper, just type in "Pocket stops" in the Search Box and you will bring up a lot of messages about pocket stops. ??? ???

Wow, can't leave you guys alone for a minute.....lol, Denny, that's a VERY good, VERY detailed, and VERY clear way to describe how to adjust the torsion bars using the adjustment bolts undeneath. Yes, torque bolts in, with shells up, adds more lift, always add same on both sides unless it callywumphs, then fine tune each individual side. (Hey, guys, I have shims to do the same adjustment.....lol, going to have to retrofit mine to work like yours so it'll be so easy!) Moonshot, very good tip as well, why swat the fly with a tank when ya have a flyswatter right at close hand, good place to start first! Ray, thanks for the compliment, and yes, I know exactly what's going on there with the aluminum dohickies not reaching those pinwhatevers hanging out of the bottom of your clam shells........(hey, might as well have a sense of humor right?) :P Ok, lemmie see if I can put this in terms you guys can understand not having seen a pocket stop....if not, go to my web page to see EXACTLY what is up inside your clam shell where the travel arms, the white dohickies connected to your torsion springs from underneath the camper, that go up inside the clam shells, and what the "L" shape of them meets up inside there. You will see the white pocket stop which is an "E" shaped piece of steel without the middle little stroke that an E has. Inside there, (Picture the E missing the middle stroke, pointing with the two other strokes pointing down as in my pictures). Ok, there is a little rubber bumper in there that the L of your travel arm bumps up against when the trailer is fully up. Ok, here's where ya need to adjust..........You guys with me? (I know, it's really hard to describe this in words, but I'm doing the best I can). If you look at my web site, you will see the black rubber bumpers that are about 3/4"; or so by 2" rectangle. UNDERNEATH this little rubber bumper, is none, or one, or MORE shims 1/8th inch thick. You guys with me so far? (Not trying to insult anyone's intelligence here, just hard to picture for those that haven't seen what I'm talking about, and trying to keep it as simple as I can). Ok, now for every 1/8 inch shim under that little black bumper, it LIMITS forward travel by 1 full inch of the whole top. Hence, if you put one 1/8th" inch shim underneath all 4 of the little rubber black bumpers up in there connected to your pocket stops in the front clam shell, the WHOLE shell will come back one full inch when it comes to getting that pin to go into the aluminum dohicky that traverses up perpendicular to the direction that your clam shell moves to hold it in place at the correct alignment. Ok, now we've got that much down I hope, again, not insulting people's intelligence, just REALLY hard to explain this easily, and those that are having problems I really want them to stay with me. Ok........now, lets suppose on ONE SIDE, when you raise the aluminum tube up, the little pin that goes in that little hole in the aluminum tube, goes about 1 inch past the aluminum towards your hitch, ok, now on that ONE SIDE, you need to add 2 1/8th inch shims, one under both the front, and rear travel arms. If it falls 1 inch short of the pin, you need to REMOVE one 1/8th inch shim from both the front, and rear travel arm bumper stop which is again, up in your pocket stop. OK......lol.....now that we've covered that, let's get down to the very first thought ALL of you have had, and been wanting this whole time to ask. Let me point out what Nicholas Cage says in the movie, The Rock to Sean Connery. "Ok, so ya braved the cysterns, timing them, ya scrambled down the plumbing, ok, now may I ask HOW THE FREAK did you get outta the CELL?", lol, It might be of some use, here, in our current situation! lol (just afterwards Sean opens the cell doors, saying simply, "trade secrets my son, trade secrets" Juuusst kidding, after all that, ya think I'm going to leave ya hanging? Yes, that is on my web site as well, a simple 2x4x8' slipped under the shell will hold it up, (resting on the lower box), will cost a whole 3 bucks or so, 6 if your problem's in the rear shell so's you can raise both of them up at the same time. If it's in the rear clam shell, the front one will have to be raised on a 2x4 to relieve the weight off of the back of the rear clam shell so it can come up as well. Thinking about earlier tonight reading Efelkers post about philosophy, rule #15, application? The part on my web page about raising the roof to make such adjustments, and the new improved pocket stop, and having the wall fall from the ceiling.......lol! (bad judgement? lol), (actually was hoping it really would hold enough to get at least that little thing done!) (Insert your own cheesy smile here). Anyway........I've got diagrams sent to me from TM themselves showing this, but kinda ran outta space where my current web page is located, but Chris, the faithful leader of this board, has offered to give me more space to put my page, so as soon as I can get it all together, I'll be moving my little page to trailmanorowners.com where I can have the room I need to show everyone the other odds and ends I have laying around here that will help everyone out. So everyone, thank Chris, he really does go above and beyond.
Welp, think I got what needed to be said to help CC and Texas out anyway. BTW, if ya ever see me at a TM rally, mine will be the really old TM with all the onion bags floating in the breeze above it connected with small peices of twine tied here and there to the TM! LOL!

Pheew! Can't leave you guys alone for a min can I? (Just pickin) Seriously, I really do hope all this helps, if ya have ANY questions, please, BY ALL MEANS ask me, either in here, or in email at [email protected] Just remember if you go the email route to be sure to put TM, or Trailmanor in the subject, and if ya go email, remember whatever problem you're having, someone else might benifit from your question, and might be more appropriate to ask in here for everyone to see. But yes, I've been contacted by a LOT of people concerning their individual problem via email, and don't mind a bit helping them out, and have called them via phone to help......(In fact going to call a fla couple with an old one tomorrow night to see what I can do for them). Really you guys, I don't mind one bit, ALWAYS willing to help.........

[glow=red,2,300]Happytrails........[/glow]