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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback on September 25, 2013, 10:33:17 PM

Title: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback on September 25, 2013, 10:33:17 PM
So after quietly hoping and praying that our month and half old Jayco swift outback seemed to be fault free we unfortualey hit a big hurdle this afternoon.

After returning from a glorious 5 day short break at Moonee Beach I was setting swifty up again to give her a big tidy up and finally show my Dad through her. While slowly winding the roof up nice and slow exactly as I have done every other time it got to about 3/4 of the way up and then the winch went slack and the front right corner began to fall back down and the back left corner was stuck high in the air.

After a having a major panic attack and picturing getting murdered by my SWMBO fiancé I raced inside to break the news and ask for some assistance. I was able to raise the fallen corner up enough to allow the rear corner to lower down and close the roof completely.

Straight on the phone to dealer who were great and steered me towards a couple of repairers on the Gold Coast who I can take it to. Unfortunately every place has a bit of wait to get in to. Hopefully with a couple of more calls tomorrow I can get it looked at during our holidays and not have to drop it off before work one morning.

I know we have been setting it up and packing it away exactly as we have been shown as we are pedantic so it was devastating to have it fail. I'm just having night mares that they will say it's my fault and not fixing it under warranty but SWMBO insists this will not be the case.


Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Steinzy on September 25, 2013, 10:48:29 PM
Bugger....at least it broke at home and not when you were setting up camp on the first night of a weeks holiday.  Best of luck getting it sorted!
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: fishfinder on September 26, 2013, 05:43:16 AM


I know we have been setting it up and packing it away exactly as we have been shown as we are pedantic so it was devastating to have it fail. I'm just having night mares that they will say it's my fault and not fixing it under warranty but SWMBO insists this will not be the case.
unless you had a bit of weight on the roof, it will be no problems with warranty the cables only give way from lack of maintenance sounds like yours is a manufacturing issue.
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Fly Fisher on September 26, 2013, 06:21:07 AM
I think Jayco are very good in regards to any warranty issues, although as already stated there is normally a bit of a wait to get in to see them. How old is your camper? I know Jayco offer a lifetime warranty on the workings of the roof wind up system to the original owner.
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback on September 26, 2013, 08:27:21 AM
I think Jayco are very good in regards to any warranty issues, although as already stated there is normally a bit of a wait to get in to see them. How old is your camper? I know Jayco offer a lifetime warranty on the workings of the roof wind up system to the original owner.


Only a month and a half old
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: chester ver2.0 on September 26, 2013, 10:05:38 AM
There is a Ferrul ( i think that is what it is called) that secures the cable at one end. This is designed that way as a weak spot so if you go to wind it up with the roof clamp on the ferrul will give and you wont snap everything. I would say it has not been crimped correctly and slowly pulled through

5 min job to fix if that is it.

The other area to look at if you still have some tension is pull your cushions up and have a look underneath it may have jumped off a pully this is why they tell you to give it a turn or 2 when you lock the roof down to keep a little tension on the cables
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Fly Fisher on September 26, 2013, 01:29:29 PM

Only a month and a half old

Then it will most certainly be fixed under warranty, and you will have a lifetime warranty on the wind up system
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback on September 26, 2013, 05:19:51 PM
There is a Ferrul ( i think that is what it is called) that secures the cable at one end. This is designed that way as a weak spot so if you go to wind it up with the roof clamp on the ferrul will give and you wont snap everything. I would say it has not been crimped correctly and slowly pulled through

5 min job to fix if that is it.

The other area to look at if you still have some tension is pull your cushions up and have a look underneath it may have jumped off a pully this is why they tell you to give it a turn or 2 when you lock the roof down to keep a little tension on the cables

Booked in for the 14th of October to be fixed. On the phone they said something along these lines. As long as there was no evidence that I had attempted to wind the roof up with the clamps still on which generally results in bent clamps.

Wish it could be fixed tomorrow but we'll just be patient
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback on October 14, 2013, 07:42:49 AM
Dropped Swifty off at Caravan hospital this morning. Hoping he will be back to good health soon and we can use him again.
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: gronk on October 14, 2013, 08:16:36 AM
This is a common problem with these type of campers.....and with the potential to be dangerous !!

Friends had this happen while the wife was 1/2 inside the door.....came down very fast and nearly decapitated her !!

That's why you'll see some oldies put up a piece of timber on all corners so if the cable fails, the roof doesn't fall down..

Wouldn't be hard to design a ratchet system so it locks into place as it goes up ?
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback on October 14, 2013, 11:33:21 AM
This is a common problem with these type of campers.....and with the potential to be dangerous !!

Friends had this happen while the wife was 1/2 inside the door.....came down very fast and nearly decapitated her !!

That's why you'll see some oldies put up a piece of timber on all corners so if the cable fails, the roof doesn't fall down..

Wouldn't be hard to design a ratchet system so it locks into place as it goes up ?

They now come with two steel support poles that you place between the roof and the body at diagonally opposite corners  after it has been fully wound up to so that roof can't collapse on you. You are instructed to put these in before anyone enters the camper to avoid  getting a fair whack on the head.
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback on October 16, 2013, 12:08:53 PM
Picked up Jayco this morning and everything seems to be working fine again. Apparently something not installed correctly from the factory.
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: D4D on October 16, 2013, 01:12:32 PM
Apparently something not installed correctly from the factory.


(http://blkmav.com/stuff/shock.jpg)
Title: Re: My Jayco broke today :-(
Post by: Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback on October 16, 2013, 03:16:52 PM
I know, shocking hey  8)