Wondering if the steps will hold up.

I got the parts to fix the motor-home steps last Friday.  I didn’t feel like crawling under there that day so waited until Saturday late afternoon.  Remember Saturday morning I told you that I couldn’t find my Allen wrenches?  I took the shoulder bolt to the flea market and was having trouble finding any.  I finally asked the regular “tool man” from whom I get a lot of stuff and he said that he didn’t bring his Allen wrenches this weekend but to go ask the guy up at the end table, he may have one.  I did as I was told and handed the guy the bolt and he bent down under his table and searched awhile and finally came up with an Allen wrench that fit it perfectly.  Would you guess what he did?  He gave it to me.  So, when I got home I had no excuse.  I got on the internet and printed out an assembled unit so I would not put things together the wrong way.  Figured I could use it like a road map for putting everything back together.  I worked a few hours on it and failed.  Although I had a picture, I must have put the wrong parts in first.  By that time my back, neck, and arms were hurting so bad that I had to quit.

Sunday afternoon, I tried again.  I was worried if I could get the gears together in the correct orientation so the steps would fully open and fully close.  I was worried over nothing.  Since I didn’t disconnect the linkage to the big gear, it could only be mounted in the correct position.  This time I started by loosely mounting the large gear assembly, shoulder bolt, and one half of the support plate.  Then I figured out where all the spacers went for mounting the gear motor with the small gear.  It was a tight fit and had to be finessed into the correct position, or what I thought to be the correct position.  After I got everything assembled, I tightened up all the bolts.  Now, it was breath holding time.  I went into the RV and turned the ignition key (not quite far enough to start the engine) and to my pleasant surprise, I heard the steps go the whole way out.  I shut the door and they folded up.  I gave myself an “atta boy” and cleaned up the tools and the mess.  One nagging project out of the way, but have a lot more to take its place.

You all have a great day now, you hear?