Otter set-up/taker down

[Timber]

Just got a new Otter cabin and was wondering what's the best way to set it up and take it down? When setting it up, do you slide out the rear supports first, working forward-----and reverse that to take it down? I have the square tubes and I'm having trouble with them sticking. I just put WD-40 on them to see if that'll help.

Thanks!

[jigginjerk]

I'm not sure about setup and take down but putting wd on the poles isn't a good idea.The oil collects dirt. Use car wax to lube the poles.

[hanson]

Hmmmm....

When I set mine up, I extend the front poles first and then keep working my way to the back of the sled. When I take it down, I reverse it, back poles first and front poles last. When I do fold it down, I try to get the fabric to collect inside the tub.

[ChuckN]

Yep, that's what I do.

[frozen toes]

Same here. I just put the skin back on for fishing this weekend. I took it off last year for storing purposes. Nothing like the smell of the Otter for the first time this season.

[rod bender]

I do the same as the above but you want to try to keep the windows from getting folded too much. Especially over the summer if you don't take it completely off.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Ditto here, except I used deep creep on the poles, Not as oily as wd-40 but alot better I think. Its also a minnesota product.

[HoleHopper]

Timber, A lot of peaple have had the same problem you are haveing. I have had to take steal wool to my poles and a steal brush to the inside of the poles to smooth them back out. I use like a silicon lube. I have not had any good luck with wd40. Do a subject search on this forum- alot has been written about the problem you are haveing! If all else fails or you just dont want to deal with it call otter!

Good luck........

[Lights]

Timber I had the same problem as you with the poles gawling up and sticking. Its not the WD40. The problem is burrs and metal shavings inside of the poles from being cut to length. They need to bee deburred and cleaned before assembly. To bad Otter does not do or tell use to do this before it is a problem.

[klbowe]

LIGHTS, I just bought my first Otter this year.

I did not de-bur mine and you got me nervous. I am wondering if I should take it apart and do some filing ?

are you deburing the "receiver tubes that bolt to the sled ?

There was a plastic plug that I had to hammer into the pole that slides in and out of the receiver tube so I dont think that 1 would need duburring. ?

I will search the threads and see what I can find.

[EBass]

Great, I pick mine up tonight. Sounds like it's going to take a while to put it together with all the smoothing I have to do. But once that's done it's good to go right?

[Jeremy airjer W]

There weren't any burs on mine when I put it together. All the slides were smooth right out of the box. I definetely checked them before I assembled it but I wouldn't get to worried when you put together yours.

[klbowe]

Well I took my new house apart and inspected the frame members.

The receivers that bolt to the sled were rough and did have burs. In fact the frames with the push buttons were already scraped as a result of the burrs.

So I took the all of the frames apart and filed the inner four edges of the receiver tubes to remove the burs.

My wife had a brush for cleaning the coils out under the fridge ( from Home Depot ) that fit perfect into the tubes to remove the fileings. Add a little silicone spray and they now slide much easier.

THANKS FOR THE TIP !!!

[klbowe]

Cleaning the burs out does not take long.

What does take a while is cleaning off the permenant adhesive labels and residue from the stickers Otter applies to the poles and sled to identify them.

Not sure why they apply the stickers to the metal frame and sled, they should stick them to the shrink wrap that secures the tubes together and save the consumer some grief.

No reply to my email sent to Otter 2 weeks ago.

[HoleHopper]

I contacted Otter last year about the problem and they said they would exchange my poles for free. I had the round poles from the previous year. They said they had corrected the problem going to the square poles.

I decided to keep my round poles becouse peaple were still haveing problems with the square poles. I would not give up trying to get ahold of them. I know they are in Minnasota.

I just dont have the NO. handy. Good luck!

Otter is still a great portable house!

[EBass]

Well I got all the frame work installed. I did file off some metal burrs and put some WD40 on there and they now slide well. Tonight the canvas goes on and tomorrow the trial run.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Ebass, did you put on your hy-fax yet. IF you haven't and you plan to, do it before you put the canvas on. I decided to put mine on last and had to take the canvas and poles off (as an assembly).

Some tips for hyfax install

1. Use a razor blade to shave down all the nubs on the back side where the holes are drilled through.

2. Make shure the hyfax is warm. Helps it bend around the contour of the front of the sled.

3. I tightened the nuts until i felt resistance and then another 1/4 to 1/2 turn.

4. If it seems like its taking awhile, you're doing it correctly.

[Animal]

I start from the front and work backward. I guess it really doesn't matter one way or the other. I have a 5 year old Otter with the round poles. I put beeswax on my poles and they slide like they are on black ice. I've had them freeze up and the wax stops that problem.