Topic: What can I use to grease the cables for easier pop-up cranking on my camper??

[angkarm]

 

[Island Ranger]

I used a silicone based grease product with a spray applicator it worked a treat & will help protect the cables.

[Big_kid]

Avoid grease or oil, dirt will stick like glue. I use house brand silicone spray from NAPA auto, part # 8300. It sprays on wet and dries almost instantly, leaving a dry silicone film.

[awsandlin]

What brand of popup do you have?  Some are lubricated in different ways depending on the type of lift systems used.

[Flyfisherman]

Some lift systems have a grease fitting underneath the camper just for the main cable ~ what kind of a popup do you have?

When it comes to lubricating the exposed lifters themselves, most always a silicone spray is used, making sure you don't spray the canvas, too.

[Island Ranger]

Sorry the stuff I use is not silicone grease but this product http://www.wd40.co.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1936 it worked well on my coleman. I used a piece of cardboard held behind the area of cable I was spraying as any slight breeze you would get it in the face.

[omit]

i grease the cable using the grease fitting underneath the popup each spring.  I spray silicone on the lift arms after each camping trip.

[Mountainbikecop]

Silicone, spray only. grease will draw dirt and dust. Good luck

[Sub1ime14]

I've used grease, but I try not to leave it in any globs or large amounts anywhere for the reason everybody else specified - it would let dirt stick very badly.  In a thin coating, this doesn't seem to be the case too much.

On the interior parts inside the wiffle trees, I spray it with dry lubricant.  I also spray the wiffle trees themselves with dry lubricant (be sure to put cardboard behind before spraying, so you don't get the dry lubricant on the canvas).

Good luck!

[Hazzard]

Silicone Spray for everything, once a year.

[capsfloyd]

Again, Silicone spray.... The WD 40 works well , but it could eat away at your frame if  drips and it has powder coating on it. Thats what the dealer told me???

[Sub1ime14]

I used to use WD40, until several longtime portal members lambasted me for it.     They said that the first time it gets significantly wet, it just runs off, and you're back to a non-lubricated surface.  That's why I started using the dry lubricant ("Super Lube" I think is the name of the product in my garage... has worked VERY well).

[PopNitUPinMN]

What kinda lift system is in my  93 viking sp185 ...and what should I do to up keep it? thanks

[RayT38]

On a viking, your lift cables a under your steps to the berth ends, behind the galley, and behind an access plate by the dinette.  What needs lube are the rollers, and the spring tracks.  A light machine oil on the rollers, and grease in the spring tracks

[Island Ranger]

I always use silicone spray on my coleman.

[Dusty82]

I used silicone spray on the pulleys in the lift arms, but I used white lithium grease on the pulleys under the pup. I then greased the whiffletree with high-temp axle grease. I think I was the first person to open the whiffletree cover since it left the factory 35 years ago. It cranks up and down really easily now.

[Sweet Chariot]

On my Viking (2004, 2170ST) I have a "Goshen" Lift System. For lubrication this is what I do now.

1. Grease the Zerks (1-2x a year) using a grease gun ($25 for grease gun, and $5 for grease) - Underneath the pup just in front of and just behind the axle, attach a grease gun to the two grease zerk fittings located on the main assembly tube: one on the bottom side of the tube, toward the hitch end of the vehicle, and the second is located on the top side of the main tube toward the rear of the vehicle. At the beginning of each season use a grease gun and pump a quarter tube (~ 6 oz.) of general purpose or high temp axle grease (I used a Lithium Complex with Moly (molybdenum disulfide) to each end of the tube (on the zerk fittings) until grease appears around the cable. Mine took an entire tube because it had not been greased in a long time.

Silicone Spray (2-4x a year) ($5-8 for a can) - Spray the pulley underneath near the middle at the very back, spray the cables and spray every other part of the system that can be easily reached. Also, spray the exterior lift posts. CAUTION: Put a piece of cardboard behind the posts when spraying to keep it off the canvas because this will de-waterproof the canvas). After the spray has been applied, wait 10 to 15 minutes then wipe the excess silicone off the tubes.

The goshen web site also suggests lubricating the lift springs (1x every year or two) by cranking roof to up position and at each junction of telescoping post lubricate with 90 weight oil into the opening between two posts.  Wipe off any excess oil on external position of post to avoid tent damage. For this I have just used silicone spray so far.

For me, the underneath pulley was really squeaky, and I also sprayed some white lithium grease onto the side of that.

[99pal]

I have a Palomino and have no idea how the system works or where grease zerks might be located.  I was going to give the cable and crank a good spray but realize I have more work to do.  It does crank hard about half way and make the odd clunk sound....

[bupkis]

grease cables?

[Tomminny]

Should you grease or silicone anything on a 2004 Jayco Qwest?  My lift system is all within the camper box so is not exposed  as some that are underneath.

Thanks!
Tom