How to tuck in canvas in pop-ups while lowering roof?

[Rob]

The title pretty much says it all. Does anyone have a mod that makes it easier to tuck in the loose canvas and windows while lowering the roof? My only mod is a stick with a soft wad of rags at the end.

Dodge Ram 2500 diesel shortbed
2018 Palomino Backpack SS-1200

[shellie barnes]

I spent the summer in Alaska with my Palomino ss550. Loved it. For me lowering was super easy n quick. I just turn on the fantastic fan and lower it most of the way. Then go around on a short aluminum ladder and carefully tuck the canvas in and finish lowering. Maybe 10 minutes or less. One must be very positive the canvas is tucked in nice n neatly or it will be pinched n ruined.

[Rob]

Thanks Shellie, I’ll try using the fan next time, that’s something I haven’t done yet. Spending the summer in Alaska is a dream I hope to realize someday.

[shellie barnes]

Rob to be specific…here’s my way. Allvents, Windows door closed tight. Turn fan on high. While inside lower roof 3/4. Leave fan on and go outside and shut door tight. Finish the remaining little bit of tuck in then lower completely. Shut master off which shuts fan off and walla. 10 minutes Easy peasy indeed.

[Rob]

Thanks Shellie, I’ll try this next time.

[Marjorie Geiser]

Rob, we have a Northstar 850SC popup, and I do it a tiny bit differently than Shellie. I also will close all windows and the door. If you have the boot in the truck, make sure all windows and doors are closed in the truck. Then turn the Fantastic fan on high. I like to let it start pulling before I SLOWLY lower, just a little bit at a time, just checking each corner/side. Only when we’ve done it too quickly did we have to raise it back up and do it over. But since that one time, as long as I take my time, it probably takes a full 5 minutes, and then we’re ready to lock it up and hit the road!

Margie

2018 Northstar 850SC
1996 Ford F250 Crew Cab

[Rob]

Sounds good Marjorie, I’ll try this next time. Thanks for responding.

[James Young]

I have an XPCamper, which has a tented section around the bed running along the front side and down each end of the bed.

There are two ‘tubes’ of material along each side of the tent. One tube higher up, one tube lower. In each tube is a single bungee. The bungee runs along each side of the tent and along the back. This forms a U shape.

At each end of the bungee is a hook. Grabbing hold of each hook at either end of the U shape, I stretch the bungee and then hook the hooks together. This completes the bungee ‘loop’ and means I now have an O shape bungee (or square anyway) around the tented area that is trying to pull itself into the centre.

I repeat that for the other bungee. Now I have two loops of bungee pulling into the centre. One higher than the other.

As I lower the roof the tented areas goes slack, the taught bungee ‘O’ shape pulls into the centre taking up the slack and folds the tent in on itself.

The tubes of material hide the bungee, so you only ever see the plastic hooks at each end until you pull them taught and clip them together.

That was a bit harder to describe than I thought!

2007 Dodge 3500
[5.9 Cummins, Stick Shift] + [XPCamper V1E]

[Author]

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