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Seajay · 10-14-2011, 07:10 PM

THE NEW SLIDE TOPPER … CHAPTER TWO..

I went back out to the coach this afternoon, climbed the ladder and just looked at the roller with the slide topper still on it. Hummmmmm? Gotta be a way to do this. Here is the problem … I need to unroll the roller and get the old slide topper off and then install the new slide topper and still have tension on the roller from the spring inside without killing myself. I took a hard look at the ends of the roller where it attaches to the gray casting with the hexagon shaped hole that attaches to a ''hex'' rod attached to the side of the room. BINGO... I had a brilliant idea. If I can take that gray hex casting off the hex rod that is attached to the side of the room and carefully ''unwind'' the spring tension on the shaft going thru the gray casting thingie, I can easily do this on both ends and then simply unroll the old canvas and install the new canvas and then rewind the spring tension and put the gray casting back on in reverse order that I took everything apart. BINGO. Why the heck haven't I seen this sooner …. It is so simple, all I need to do is put my 14 inch adjustable wrench on the gray casting to hold the tension of the spring and carefully knock the hex rod out of the fitting and then carefully unwind the gray fitting with the 14 inch adjustable wrench. EASY. I went and got my hammer and a screwdriver and my adjustable wrench. I removed the screws from the holder on the hex rod, put some pressure on the gray casting with the adjustable wrench and took the hammer and pecked on the hex rod. GOODNESS, IT MOVED.. this was going to be easy. I got everything in line and going good. I took the hammer and slowly pecked the hex rod out of the gray fitting and it finally went free and I was holding the tension of the spring back with the adjustable wrench. All went well until I tried moving the adjustable wrench in a circle to unwind the spring tension. Half way thru the first ''unwind'' the adjustable wrench slipped out of my hand and the spring took over, spinning the big adjustable wrench at the speed of light and slinging the wrench vertical toward Gods blue sky at the speed of sound. The spring inside the roller was making a noise like a cat with its tail hung in a screen door. The adjustable wrench went skyward hitting the wing of a low flying Cessna. It bounced off and killed a low flying Canadian goose as it tumbled thru a Pin Oak tree and stuck handle first in my utility building's roof. I said SHUX real loud. It was about then that I decided that the roller had a separate spring in each end, not one long spring all the way thru the roller. The ''other end'' of the roller now had all the tension on the one end of the roller and it was trying to crawl over the roof of the camper. In great haste I grabbed the ladder and went down to the other end of the roller that was still attached to the coach. I whipped out my pocket knife and stabbed the canvas and cut a long slit down the canvas as far as I could reach. At this point the spring tension took over ripping the canvas the rest of the way down the side of the coach and the roller flapped rearward throwing the torn canvas back toward me like a buggy whip. The whole mess must have made forty rounds while the second spring unwound finally letting the big roller relax with all the spring tension gone.
I climbed down off the ladder and stood and assessed the progress.
One. My 14 inch adjustable wrench was sticking in the roof of my utility building.
Two. Some guy in a Cessna was circling my house cursing and shaking his fist at me from the airplane window.
Three. I had lost my pocket knife somewhere in the shuffle.
Four …. I had no earthly idea how the heck I was going to get this thing back together so that the ''slide topper canvas'' would roll up like it was suppose to and I am completely out of beer, and there was a dead Canadian Goose on the roof of my house. I said SHUX REAL LOUD and went in the house and watched Judge Judy.

I will get a twelve pack and finish the ''slide topper tomorrow'' (maybe)

Lets all ask someone to bring our troops home now.

LadyFitz... · 10-15-2011, 01:40 AM

You thtill owe me for a thoda thoaked keyboard! And thith time I thpewed my thoda all over the thcreen.

Seajay · 10-15-2011, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyFitz...

You thtill owe me for a thoda thoaked keyboard! And thith time I thpewed my thoda all over the thcreen.

Suggestion to LadyFitz.

consider this my lovely lady. try some of that plastic wrap over your screen and key board as a ''start''. then you might consider NOT DRINKING ANYTHING while you try to read something from me. Or you might check into a ''water proof'' lap top.
luv u girl ....... me ..... (dont tell Willa)

LadyFitz... · 10-15-2011, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seajay

Suggestion to LadyFitz.

consider this my lovely lady. try some of that plastic wrap over your screen and key board as a ''start''. then you might consider NOT DRINKING ANYTHING while you try to read something from me. Or you might check into a ''water proof'' lap top.
luv u girl ....... me ..... (dont tell Willa)

Me? Not drink anything?

For thuch a HORRIBLE thuggestion, I ought to rat you out to Willa!

LadyFitz... · 10-17-2011, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seajay

Lets all ask someone to bring our troops home now.

Amen!

Wizard · 10-17-2011, 05:03 PM

What you're suppose to do is buy a case of beer, put it in a cooler of ice, set it by the drive and wait for help to show up.

Its called a helper magnet.

Good luck on the next attempt.

tims52ford · 10-17-2011, 05:24 PM

Seejay, you went about replacing the slide cover the wrong way. you should have installed a cotter pin in the slot a the end of the tube. that way you do not have to rewind the spring.

Seajay · 10-18-2011, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tims52ford

Seejay, you went about replacing the slide cover the wrong way. you should have installed a cotter pin in the slot a the end of the tube. that way you do not have to rewind the spring.

Good thought. Where the ''hay'' was you when I started this task pls. I shall re supply on beer and go out today and complete the task assigned to me in good Navy fashion. With your advise and other advise gleaned from other postings on here I believe I can accomplish the task in about a six pack if I dont spill another one or fall off the ladder.
be safe my friend ....

Lets all have a big parade when our troops come home real soon ....