9 replies to this topic

[JediahPorter]

I've searched the archives and have an inquiry out to Marty at ATC. Nonetheless, I'm still a little lost on how to proceed. I bet there's some basic knowledge here. 

 

I've got a 1999 Hawk and a brand new sideliner from ATC. I want to join the two. 

 

The camper is in my garage, sitting on the floor, ready for work. I gather from other posts that the top is held on by the roof edge/eave piece and the bottom is held in by screws beneath a plastic half-tube trim/gasket thing. I'll likely learn even more when I disassemble. However, before doing so, I've got a perhaps dumb question... can I stand the roof up on the lift panels (like "normal") and then remove the sideliner? Does the sideliner provide any stability, through tension, to the roof suspension? I can't quite grasp how exactly it would work without the sideliner, nor can I see any specific problem with removing the sideliner. But, I certainly don't want the roof to come crashing down while I'm in the middle of this repair. If the lift panels alone don't suffice for roof support during a sideliner swap, who's got an elegant solution for temporary roof support/stabilization? 

 

Next, other posts suggest that I have to remove one or the other lift panel to get the new sideliner on. I don't understand why that might be? 

 

Finally, it sounds as though "standard" factory construction (at least from my camper's era) includes no sealant/caulk in the sideliner installation. If I wanted to add suspenders to my belt, so to speak, where and what sort of sealant might I employ? 

 

I'm going to get this task done, one way or another. I promise, here and now, that I'll provide some sort of information for the teeming masses, on how it went for me. Whether what my ten thumbs and I learn is applicable to your scenario will be for you to judge... 

[BBZ]

The sideliner provides stability.. you have to fine a way to support the roof up without it or it will fall.. 

 

What I did... Placed very heavy item in middle of camper (big bucket of sand).. Tied rope to bucket and to each lift mechanism so that it could not fall over... simple..now.. I have different lifters (conduit type) so tying to them was easy, standard ones may not be as easy..

[PokyBro]

Jediah,

 

At the bottom, I will include my build thread, but to answer a few of your questions, I’ll see if I can help. When you remove the existing side liner, you will need to have at least one end of the roof down. You can’t have both ends raised, or the roof will want to fall over the edge front or back. The side liner installed on the edge of the roof, keeps it from doing that, even if it’s just hanging from the roof and not yet attached to the camper walls. 
 

I don’t think you need to remove the lift panels, as they actually have to both be attached to install the side liner. So, I think I would recommend taking the trim off of the camper base first, the camper body walls, by removing the screws holding the trim on. Then you can either raise one end, and remove the upper trim ring on the edge of the roof, or leave both ends down, which ever is easier. Take the trim ring off the top edge of the roof. Yours probably has the liner tucked under the sheet metal of the roof, and the sheet metal folded over top the side liner material, with staples holding it on before the trim ring was installed. Staples can be removed fairly easily with a small screw driver to pry them up, and possibly some side cut pliers to pull them out. There may be sealant around the edge of the trim ring you may have to try remove as good as you can first. There will likely be some elastic straps attached midway to lift panels on each end that will have to be detached, so raising each end will probably be best and you’ll have to reach up underneath the side liner to detach those. You can see the three rivets holding them on where the side liner folds when the roof is lowered.

 

When installing the new liner, it’s kind of the reverse. I would get some help if you can to position the sideliner where it needs to be, and with one end up, tuck it up under the sheet metal on the roof with say an inch above the 1”tubing, tucking it under the sheet metal, and then stapling the sideliner to the 1” tube to hold it. I marked off 1”on the top of the sideliner with a sharpie so I knew where to get it even all the way around. Then fold the edge of the roof sheet metal over top of the tucked in side liner, and staple it in place before attaching the trim ring around the top edge. If you’re careful, the screw holes for the top ring should all match up on the re-install. Once it’s all attached you can raise both ends and the roof will stay up with the lift panels on each end extended to upright position, and the side liner will drape down over the camper body. You can then install the trim pieces with screws around the top of the camper walls.

 

Take a look at my install on the attached thread, beginning on page 15, #145. 

I didn’t use any sealant under the the trim ring on the top, but rather applied over the edge of the trim ring once installed on the top, and none on the bottom trim ring at all.

 

Hope some of this makes sense and is helpful, but the thread might give you some visual to help.

As far as sealant, use RV specific sealant, not silicone. I used Geocel Proflex, but many others use 3M, or Sikiflex.

 

Good luck!

 

Poky

 

https://www.wanderth...-a-hawk/page-15

Edited by PokyBro, 24 November 2020 - 03:39 AM.

[JediahPorter]

Thanks, Poky and BBZ. Your responses gave me just the confidence I needed to start the disassembly. I propped a step ladder inside the camper and dropped the roof onto it. Roof load is spread across a few "rafters" with a piece of 2x2 on top of the ladder. It's about 6 inches lower than full height. Seems pretty stable so far. 

 

I've got the lower margin of the sideliner completely disassembled and am picking away at the top. As I do so, I'm looking ahead to reassembly. What sort of staples and staple gun will help me out with this? Hardware store visits and online searching isn't helping me out. I can't figure out what sort of stapler the manufacturer must have used to drive through siding, side-liner, and into the aluminum tube framing. I've seen the same stapled construction elsewhere in the camper, so it seems as though a reasonable investment in the right tool could be worthwhile. But what is that tool? 

[BBZ]

Thanks, Poky and BBZ. Your responses gave me just the confidence I needed to start the disassembly. I propped a step ladder inside the camper and dropped the roof onto it. Roof load is spread across a few "rafters" with a piece of 2x2 on top of the ladder. It's about 6 inches lower than full height. Seems pretty stable so far. 

 

I've got the lower margin of the sideliner completely disassembled and am picking away at the top. As I do so, I'm looking ahead to reassembly. What sort of staples and staple gun will help me out with this? Hardware store visits and online searching isn't helping me out. I can't figure out what sort of stapler the manufacturer must have used to drive through siding, side-liner, and into the aluminum tube framing. I've seen the same stapled construction elsewhere in the camper, so it seems as though a reasonable investment in the right tool could be worthwhile. But what is that tool? 

Lots of ways to do it, your idea seems solid, wish I would have thought of that.. haha

 

I used a staple gun from harbor freight.. cheap and easy.. 

[JediahPorter]

Lots of ways to do it, your idea seems solid, wish I would have thought of that.. haha

 

I used a staple gun from harbor freight.. cheap and easy.. 

Just a regular hand-powered staple gun? Mine isn't cutting it. I dug a little deeper online elsewhere and found that the original work musta been done by a pneumatic stapler. Air powered tools are way badass, but probably overkill for me to own such a thing. 

[BBZ]

Just a regular hand-powered staple gun? Mine isn't cutting it. I dug a little deeper online elsewhere and found that the original work musta been done by a pneumatic stapler. Air powered tools are way badass, but probably overkill for me to own such a thing. 

mine was pneumatic.. you will be surprised how much you might end up using it.. that along with a cheap nail gun.. they get so much use around the house and rebuilding campers.. couldn't imagine life without them...haha

[JediahPorter]

mine was pneumatic.. you will be surprised how much you might end up using it.. that along with a cheap nail gun.. they get so much use around the house and rebuilding campers.. couldn't imagine life without them...haha

Copy that. Say no more. I just bought one at Lowes and my wife will pick it up this afternoon. Good timing: Lowes is an hour and a half away, and she happens to be right there today only. 

[JediahPorter]

Golly, this is a bear of a task... I'm mostly done. The camper is still inside, on the floor. But all the side liner and trim is back on. Getting the liner to the proper tension was a total pain. Three different tries on each end. Too tight, too loose, too tight... Which means there are now multiple holes along the bottom edge of the liner. Dang. Clumsy me. I'll lay in that bed I made, quite literally. 

 

The other thing I'm battling now is that the roof won't come down evenly any longer. It consistently comes down, even while putting some "English" on it as I let it down, offset. There's always been some play and some variation in how it comes down each time. It's always been centered or almost centered. But now, after the sideliner replacement, it is "way off" or off some. No matter how I do it, it doesn't come down centered enough to close the latches on all sides. What the heck? It doesn't seem like the sideliner should affect that. It is under no tension when the roof is down. The lift panels, of course, inform the roof position. But I didn't touch those. 

 

How frustrating... I was wishing that I could post an authoritative, comprehensive guide to diy sideliner installation by now. I just feel more flummoxed than ever right now. I guess, if anything, my experience suggests that having a pro do this is worth every penny and every bit of inconvenience. But, those pros are way busy, it seems. They aren't jumping over themselves to work on this 20 year old camper, that's for sure... 

[BBZ]

Sounds like my install.. haha.. its not easy, but I think in the end you will be happy with it. 

 

Mine also does not always come down centered, I don't find it to be much of a problem, I just push it to center. I believe mine is due to the lifter struts, seems one side might just be a touch stronger (or less worn out?) as it seems to always be off to one side.. literally takes an extra 15 seconds to correct it. 

 

You have a 20 yr old camper, its going to have it quirks, just makes it move lovable..