Powered Lift Back-Up Crank

Update 2014: Flagstaff switched to Carefree of Colorado's new powered lift system (the type with the back-up crank hatch on the side of the winch cover)

For the new powered lift system, a 3/4" socket (or the stabilizing jack socket we provide, or the stabilizing jack hand crank Flagstaff provides) will operate the back-up crank.

Old-style powered lift system (the type with the back-up crank hatch on top of the winch cover)

The power-lift system has a back-up hand crank for emergency purposes (in the event of a dead battery, blown fuse, or broken power-lift motor). You would NEVER want to use this crank--at least by hand--unless all other options were exhausted. Here's why:

The power-lift system is geared such that a relatively modest electric motor can lift a 200-300lb. camper roof. This is perfect for a fast-spinning motor; this is a nightmare for a person using a hand crank. It takes roughly 2000 turns with the back-up crank to lift the camper roof by hand! So, while the electric motor can raise the roof in roughly 30 seconds it would take most of us 30 hours (possible exaggeration) to raise the roof by hand.

The MUCH better solution involves using a cordless drill and a socket that will do the cranking for you. Or, if you prefer, we can take the back-up crank Flagstaff uses and use our band saw to chop it into a fitting for use in your power drill. Also this is a perfectly good reason/excuse to go and get that new cordless drill you've been looking at.

The obvious exception to this would be your power drill running out of battery power. In that case having the hand crank could be a trip-saver (but still not a desirable situation). In some cases driving to a hardware store (even an hour away) for a new cordless drill may still be faster than cranking the roof by hand.

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