Getting prepared to do some exterior repairs

[Mainemoosepies]

Just did a walkabout around the traveling home aquisition - a 2008 2720SL. It is still sitting unopened because well, there was no manual crank for the stabilizer jacks and I don't have a drill with enough go-go juice to get the job done. So here I sit like a kid who just had their new toy placed on the shelf out of reach lol!

The other person who actually did the financing for the joint investment is having a huge case of buyers remorse but I am looking at it not so much as a money pit but as an adventure! Though I agree we paid a bit too much money.

As much as I am gearing up for the hunting season I know at a minimum a couple corners need to be repaired before we take it out for a trip. I have read a lot of threads with various approaches on the materials needed to get the job done. From the factory recommended Manus-Bond urethane sealant to seal-tite tape to using endurabond and butyl tape. Since Trailmanor's are a special breed I am curious as to if the repair approach is the same as a it is for an upright trailer corner repair. Are there screws under that trim? I have tried to scour the threads and google for a how-to specifically for replacing the corner trim for a trailmanor and keep finding info on older models with wood.

I do have some pictures but I haven't quite figured that part if the forum out yet. Not a big instagram fan but I am sure they must be hosted

Also, there's alot of green mold in the crevices, molding and on the bags...I think thats the terminology you use. How would I go about the clean up without harming the surface?

Oh and one more question are there any alemite grease points on the frame? We do have the manuals but they are in a drawer of the folded down camper we can't quite get into...its all kinda comical. Such is my nutty life!

[clan_salmons]

Open it up! We do it all the time without the stabilizers. Make sure it's chocked well.

[Larryjb]

You can open it, but you'll want to park it on boards to level it side to side.

[commodor47]

I agree with the previous replies to your post - go ahead and open it up. In a pinch you can use a corded drill with the proper attachment to deploy the stabilizer jacks.

My original TM manual suggested using Soft Scrub with bleach and it has worked fine for cleaning our unit and removing the green mold you describe. I use an RV brush with extension handle to wash my unit.

I am not sure what you mean by ". . . a couple corners need to be repaired . . .", can you be more specific?

Check the technical library for directions on how to add thumbnails to your posts (http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=16117).

Dick

[br2_wdc]

Originally Posted by Mainemoosepies

Just did a walkabout around the traveling home aquisition - a 2008 2720SL. It is still sitting unopened because well, there was no manual crank for the stabilizer jacks and I don't have a drill with enough go-go juice to get the job done. So here I sit like a kid who just had their new toy placed on the shelf out of reach lol!

The other person who actually did the financing for the joint investment is having a huge case of buyers remorse but I am looking at it not so much as a money pit but as an adventure! Though I agree we paid a bit too much money.

I know at a minimum a couple corners need to be repaired before we take it out for a trip. I have tried to scour the threads and google for a how-to specifically for replacing the corner trim for a trailmanor and keep finding info on older models with wood.

Also, there's alot of green mold in the crevices, molding and on the bags...I think thats the terminology you use. How would I go about the clean up without harming the surface?

We do have the manuals but they are in a drawer of the folded down camper we can't quite get into...its all kinda comical. Such is my nutty life!

Wow Michelle ... Good Morning! Congrats and welcome

Quite the number of issues this early in your ownership, but you have come to the right place

To start with, as others have mentioned, please go ahead and OPEN IT UP. No need to wait any longer, because your first priority will be the mold and getting that cleaned up (all of it using the method Dick mentioned) and then your unit aired out to prevent further growth.

The corners issues you'll need to post pictures and/or provide additional details since it's not clear what the issue is: are they leaking, bent, broken, or cracked?

[Mainemoosepies]

Hello! Thanks so much for the replies! I am responding on my cellphone so hopefully I will come across a coherent hehe.

So you think it will be safe to open up without the stabilizer huh, well cool beans! The other issue we were having is it has a power jack at the hitch and the deep cycle battery we purchased isn't fully charged. It is being towed with a 2007 Toyota Tundra can we use the battery power from the truck?

When originally looking at the camper we were so focused on the interior and looking for leaks we didnt pay too close attention to the exterior since it was setup. That's really on us and it is what it is.

It appears to have hail damage though from my observation its not super bad. Just golfball like pitting. It was kept outside and needs a deep cleanup. Looks like I'll be running out afterwork to get some soft scrub.

It there any type of conditioning solution I can use to soften up the material at the top (bags??) between the main camper part and when the rear area is lifted in place?

I am learning a whole new set of lingo with regards to the camper/ trailmanor world but I am a quick study. We have always used a popup but when became the home to a family of rattlesnakes I was done with that!

The corners I am speaking of involve the rear corner trim. It's pull apart lose in some sections. Since we do alot of primative camping while hunting I would prefer not to have any surprises in the middle of nowheresville. So I would like to use the best practices approach in the repair rather than do a quick shoreup with caulk.

At this point I have researched so much I have catapulted myself into a state of over information. I went to my local lowes looking for materials to use and it was slim to non-existent. Mostly plumbing/ window caulk and roofing tape. Do any of you have any advice on a direction to move in? I am eager to get it in shape for our upcoming trip.

Thank you for all your time and advice!

Michelle

[Mainemoosepies]

I thought I would just create a temporary link to my images hopefully they will convey what I can't seem to put into words. Hope I can get this right hehe

https://drive.google.com/folderview?...TdIRXRvMWg2eTg

[Lesherp]

If your corner problems are just cracked corner pieces it looks to me like they might just unscrew and pull off. Get some new ones from TM and replace them. I would clean it up good, re-caulk everything and be on the road. Here is a link to info on bag seals. I got the Formula 303 Aerospace Protectant from Amazon and it has worked great for me.

http://trailmanorowners.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=11437

[Mainemoosepies]

Originally Posted by Lesherp

If your corner problems are just cracked corner pieces it looks to me like they might just unscrew and pull off. Get some new ones from TM and replace them. I would clean it up good, re-caulk everything and be on the road. Here is a link to info on bag seals. I got the Formula 303 Aerospace Protectant from Amazon and it has worked great for me.

http://trailmanorowners.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=11437

Excellent! Thanks for the link for the formula 303!

I was considering getting some seal Tite tape but was concerned about if it would be difficult to remove if something unfortunate was to ever happen.

http://catalog.sealdesignllc.com/pro...ner-seal-tape/

Once I taped the corners then use some butyl tape to re affix the trim. Just don't want to take on something too ambitious. Something needs to be done before it is taken on a trip. Too many loose spots around the trim.

[br2_wdc]

Originally Posted by Mainemoosepies

When originally looking at the camper we were so focused on the interior and looking for leaks we didnt pay too close attention to the exterior since it was setup. That's really on us and it is what it is.

At this point I have researched so much I have catapulted myself into a state of over information. I went to my local lowes looking for materials to use and it was slim to non-existent. Mostly plumbing/ window caulk and roofing tape. Do any of you have any advice on a direction to move in? I am eager to get it in shape for our upcoming trip.

Thank you for all your time and advice!

Michelle

Originally Posted by Lesherp

If your corner problems are just cracked corner pieces it looks to me like they might just unscrew and pull off. Get some new ones from TM and replace them. I would clean it up good, re-caulk everything and be on the road. Here is a link to info on bag seals. I got the Formula 303 Aerospace Protectant from Amazon and it has worked great for me.

http://trailmanorowners.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=11437

The pictures are very helpful Michelle, and it looks better then I expected. There are some exterior concerns (around the A/C and one vent on the roof look a bit worn), but in general it looks like it may have been left outside for an extended period; not ideal, but certainly fixable.

I would concur with Rodger: his course of action for a good cleaning followed by some caulking should do the trick. No over thinking needed here; if you concentrated on the interior and found no leaks, that is an excellent sign you may be OK despite some of the exterior shortcomings.

Next steps for me would be to verify it's road worthy-ness; checking the tire date codes are within the past 4 years, the 7 pin connector connects and turn signals work, etc ...

If possible before your first "big" trip, I would take a short trip to a campsite locally where you can verify the main components are all working.

I recently had some work done to my TM, and to verify everything was good we did a 1 nighter close to us to shake everything out and everything worked.

And if you're lucky on your local trip, maybe a light rain will provide additional verification there are no major interior leaks ...