Roy stone Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 Hi chaps just picking your brains, since picking up my m home I have found the roof lights very stiff ( hobby edition) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 Please read this thread... You say Hobby Edition but what year and what is the make of the rooflight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 Have you tried silicone spray lubricant? (Try it on an inconspicuous area - its more like polish than oil and should be clear liquid so accidental overspray on to the surrounding area should be invisible) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 I believe Roy's motorhome is a Hobby Optima T65GE model (bought new in June 2023) and the following link is to a longish YouTube video about an "On Tour" version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b_Yz0bbGgo The Hobby's roof-lights may be made either by Dometic-Seitz, Remis or Polyplastic, or be a combination of those makes. (My 2005 Hobby T-600FC had Remis-made roof and side-windows throughout, but my 2015 Rapido's roof-lights and windows were a mixture of Dometic and Polyplastic products, plus a rubbishy Fiamma unit.) I'm guessing that Roy's statement "I have found the roof lights very stiff" relates to a roof-light that is raised and lowered using a 'crank-handle' (eg. a large REMItop Vario II) I agree with John52 that using a non-oily lubricant should generally help (I use WD-40's Dry PTFE product) https://wd40.co.uk/product/anti-friction-dry-ptfe-lubricant-spray/ but roof-lights operated via a crank-handle and a 'gearbox' (like the Vario II) may need more care and attention if winding up and down is very stiff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy stone Posted May 19 Author Share Posted May 19 Apologies chaps the stiffness in question is the pulling across the blind the bug blind is perfect the blackout blind is very stiff.hobby . T65GE 2023 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 Can you identify the manufacturer and model/size of the roof-light you are having trouble with? If it has a concertina-type blackout blind, spraying the 'tracks' that the blind runs in might help: if the blind is the sprung-roller type, there may be a problem with the spring mechanism. As your Hobby should still be under warranty, have you contacted the selling dealership about this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 I have noticed that the "concertina" type black-out blinds tend to become "sticky" when pulling them across to open or close. I have also found this is more of a problem in hot weather, especially if the rooflight is subject to full sun. It seems the plastic "tracks" expand and cause a degree of binding. I found the best, albeit temporary, cure was to spray a bit of paper towel with Thetford "Seal Lubricant", a silicone spray, and then use this to wipe the tracks plus their nylon guide cords. This removes dust etc and coats both tracks and cords with silicone, resulting in much freer movement. It also avoids the risk of "overspray" onto surrounding roof linings etc if spraying tracks etc directly from the can. You'll probably find that this needs to be repeated periodically to keep them moving freely. I think the problem lies in the use of plastics, which tend to be somewhat sticky, as tracks for the blinds since plastics a) expand/contract quite noticeably with changing temperatures, leading to higher friction and consequent dust, and b) generate static electricity which attracts the airborne dust etc which is in plentiful supply with an open rooflight! I suspect this is exacerbated by the need to use close tolerances for fixed and sliding components to suppress rattles and prevent the blinds gradually vibrating open/closed when the vehicle is in motion. The Thetford spray seemed very effective as a temporary remedy, and did not seem to have any detrimental effect on the materials used in the rooflights despite a number of applications over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 The problem with 'sticky' (and then failing) blinds on our Globecar is due to poor design. The cords run in plastic 'guides', after several years of use the cords start to cut into the plastic which can make them stiff, eventually they cut through the plastic. When this happens my solution (on a couple of occasions) is to make a guide using a small keyring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 8 hours ago, Roy stone said: Apologies chaps the stiffness in question is the pulling across the blind the bug blind is perfect the blackout blind is very stiff.hobby . T65GE 2023 👍 Roy, Would you like me to change the thread title to read "Stiff roof light blinds" ? Keith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy stone Posted May 19 Author Share Posted May 19 Good idea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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