We have put together our wind up camper tips from our professional service team to help keep your wind up camper working. Some of the tips might seem obvious but you would be surprised at how common cable damage to wind-up campers occurs.

It’s not much fun when you arrive on site ready to set up and the camper roof won’t wind up. Inside a wind-up camper is a cable and winch system that lifts, supports and lowers the roof. Without the correct care, cables can become damaged or break leaving you with a van that is unusable for your holiday.

Winding down

• Make sure all canvas is inside the van.
• Make sure all 12 volt cables inside the van are not interfering with the beds or the roof.
• When winding down the roof, only wind the roof down to the point that it is just meeting the frame. Very important – don’t keep winding as winding further makes the cable un-spool off the winch. Once you have the roof just meeting the frame, secure the latches and then wind the handle in the up direction to put tension on the spool. This prevents slack cables from bouncing around and coming off the winch while you are travelling.

Winding up

• Ensure all the latches are un-latched. Attempting to wind up the roof with one or more latches still hooked will likely damage or break the cable.
• If the camper makes any unusual noises or if it is not winding evenly on all four corners there is a problem. Important – Don’t force the winder handle. In an emergency you can get four people on each corner and prop up the corners of the roof with a stick. Make sure that the props are strong enough to support the roof. For safety, it is not advisable to be inside the camper when the roof is temporarily propped.
  If your van has not wound up evenly, winding down can be dangerous. You would need people on each corner taking it very carefully to lower the roof.

If you experience trouble with your wind-up camper cables or winch or your camper is making unusual noises while winding, give us a call at the RV Service Centre. Our professional service team can diagnose and repair the problem so you can enjoy your camper again.