Help needed to separate stuck telescoping roof top tent poles

[grahamfitter]

Picture this: All of one hollow metal tube is stuck inside another hollow metal tube, the latter flattened closed at one end with a bolt hole though it. The other ends of both tubes are open.

The RTT is an Autohome Overcamp and these poles are designed to collapse telescopically like this. Both poles are about 2' long, steel I think, probably about 1/2" diameter.

Any suggestions for how to separate them would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Hmmm, put heat to it with a blow-dryer on high heat. A picture would help as well.

 

[grahamfitter]

Well its unstuck now. I couldn't do it and I'm out of town this week so Debbie took it to several auto mechanics who couldn't extract the inner pole despite some valiant efforts. Eventually the local welding shop freed it. I don't know how and I haven't seen what it looks like after the succeeded though!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Well its unstuck now. I couldn't do it and I'm out of town this week so Debbie took it to several auto mechanics who couldn't extract the inner pole despite some valiant efforts. Eventually the local welding shop freed it. I don't know how and I haven't seen what it looks like after the succeeded though!

Probably heated it up....

 

[JamesDowning]

How did it get stuck in the first place?

 

[grahamfitter]

Probably heated it up....

It looks like something was welded to the inside of the inner tube to allow it to be pulled out.

How did it get stuck in the first place?

I suspect there was some moisture in there over the winter which allowed some corrosion and subsequent friction. I bought a gun cleaning kit (which has a metal pipe-cleaner like gadget that attaches to the end of a multi-section rod) and gave it a good clean out and there was all sorts of grime in there.

In the hope of preventing this from happening again, I'm going to clean the five other telescoping sections and when I put the tent away at the end of the season I'll wipe some lubricant over the surface of the inner poles.