1991 sunlite popup

[Jamcc85]

I have a 1991 sunlite popup truck camper the roof panels seem to be sagging right down the middle under the seam from one is spongey and wrinkled rest if them Staples seem to be rusting off down the center from front to back only under seam in roof. Can anyone tell me how the roof is constructed before I pull it apart

[joerg68]

How far do you want to go?

Scroll up in this forum to the Truck Camper University sticky thread, open it and scroll down to "Camper Structural: Repairs". Look at some of the threads presented there to get an idea of what may be lurking behind the plywood.

It appears to be always worse than it looks and more time-consuming to repair than anticipated. Repair is fairly simple and doesn't require particularly exoctic tools or materials. But it takes time, during which you will not go camping, and a dry place where you can store the camper while you work on it.

Patch it up with as little effort as possible and make it work for another season or two, or tear into it, knowing that this may snowball into a very involved project.

[Jamcc85]

So what do you think should I do the 1/4 plywood on the interior is starting to delaminate

[joerg68]

There should be little to no tension on the spring when the roof is all up (potentially the canvas needs to be removed to get there). The spring that I have seen was just a piece of steel rod about 1/3" thick with square ends. One end fits into the front scissor arm, the other one into the rear mounting bracket. When the roof is lowered, the spring is loaded by the roughly 1/4 rotation of the scissor arm. Which means that the max. torsion force is permanently applied to the rear brackets when the roof is in the lowered position.

The roof sheetmetal is glued on, at least I think it was with the Palomino. Different manufacturers may have different designs. The project was 10 years ago, so my memory is fading and I was not involved in all steps. The old roof was torn apart and discarded.

I helped to remove the old roof and put on the new one. We built a scaffolding around the camper (from actual aluminum scaffolding elements that my buddy had) and used ratchet straps to keep the roofs in place. It is an awkward position to work in, very tiring.

If you tear into it, you may not like what you find.

[d3500ram]

I cannot address all of the questions in your recent post, but if I recall correctly, I believe (as Joerg alluded) the least tension is in the up position, but there still may be some force even in that up position.

I had to get "into it" because the rear mounting plates were rotating thought the outside skin due to the rot that happened at that location. I did my repairs with the roof in the up position but "shade-treed" temporary fasteners to keep the rear plates in proper position while beefing up other roof structure on which to refasten. I had to reinvent my own way to attempt the repairs without total dis-assembly. Anything with tension is such a system keeps me on my toes and I took any and all overbroad procedures to make reassembly as hassle free as possible.

My repairs were many years ago and do not remember the exact procedure. My advice would bee this: if for any reason you need to remove any of the hardware, mounting plates of the lift mechanism or any other associates stuff, see if there is a way to keep the lift mechanism in current place (even only as a temporary) and them make the repairs to which you can refasten all the "stuff" back in.

I knew from the outset on my repairs that I did not want to be in the position of trying to figure out how to "re-tension" that lift mechanism. There is perhaps a way but I was leaving all of the "force-physics" in place, do my repairs and then batten it all back down.

I am not trying to scare you out of any self repairs, but try ro understand the words in the responses by members here, look at it. Look at it again to visualize what the forces and the physics are doing. Imagine it in your mind as to how it works and what your specific needs dictate in order to achieve a solution. Look at it again. Ask more question. Post pictures. Look some more. Visualize a plan and figure it out. Measure twice, think it our 3 or 4 times.

I might be (most likely) be over-analyzing, but I want for any repair I do to work without screwing it up more than before I start a project. I tend to over think things and while successful, my procedures p!ss off my colleagues in my profession ...LOL

[Jamcc85]

Will the torsion springs have any tension on the when top is all the way up. Is the roof all glued together, or can I removed the roof and replace the interior panels. Their are no ents in middle of roof it is all the way in the right rear corner, iam wondering if the seam is leaking because the roof is frozen solid right under the seam from front to back. Mostly in the front and rear panels

[joerg68]

The spring gets loaded when you lower the roof so it can help with raising. So if you take the lift apart, be sure the roof is supported all the way up.

The central seam is not neccessarily a candidate for a leak. But any vents and the trim pieces along the roof edges are. And if there is some water intrusion inside the roof, you can end up with little pinhole leaks from contact corrosion with the staples that hold the frame together. At 28 years, everything is possible. There is no simple answer, it depends on how much effort and money you want to spend. The guy that restored the old Palomino I mentioned had a complete new roof made from fiberglass. Another friend has patched the roof up as well as he could and covered it with some sort of bed liner.

[d3500ram]

Be careful with those springs when dissembling any of the fasteners relating to it. I have done repairs on an old pop-up and it can be done. Just be sure to understand the physics of the spring loaded system and the mechanical actions it imparts.

Also look at all the fastening points. Below is my response to others that have asked about pop-top repairs.

This is my canned reply about pop- ups:

The one thing that I would keep a close eye on the pop- ups is the mounting plates at the rear of the top portion of the pop- up roof. The easiest way to see what I will describe is to look at it with the roof about 1/2 way raised. Have someone inside to keep in in this position while you inspect so that it does not fall on your head.... Look at it from the outside at the rear. Push in the fabric and look at the underside where the metal plates attach to the ceiling portion that raises. You will see what looks like plates that are attached to the top roof. There are screws that fasten the metal plates to the wood. Keep an eye on these!

I had one where the screws gave out from rotting wood and they rotated up penetrated the metal roof

I ended up fixing this, but it was not an easy shore as the tension of the mechanism was tough to overcome to bring the plates that rotated back into proper position.

[Jamcc85]

Shoot I did not know that top tube has a spring in it IAM glad I asked before taking apar. My interior roof panels are not falling apart yet I think I could just restaple and my roof is not sagging at all structurally. The aluminum roof looks to be 2 peice with a crimp seam right down the middle has anyone ever seen it leak, does not appear to have any splits or damage to roof or seam rest of the roof is solid I have been on it no soft spots or flexing.

[joerg68]

Traditionally, they are made with a wood frame, filled with styrofoam, covered with aluminum sheetmetal inside and out. I don't know if your Sunlite is made that way.

When soaked full of water, they tend to be heavy. On the old Palomino that I helped to work on, you needed at least 4 people to lift and transport the roof.

If you have the scissor type lift, beware of the preloaded torsion spring inside the upper tube. The spring is held by the brackets at the rear of the roof, which tend to become unaligned from the permanent torsion when the rear wood beam has rotted enough.