jferrarello

We have a '98 3124 KS and I just noticed after returning from our most recent weekend trip that on the street-side front panel of the front shell is pulling away from the side panel right at the corner (see attached photos). Needless to say, I'm nervous about the exposure of what's underneath to the elements, given the horror stories I've seen about wood rot, etc. and the fact that this spring/summer has been one of the wettest we've had in Colorado for maybe 10 years. This raises several questions for me.

1. Does anyone have any idea what might have caused this problem to begin with? I can't help but wonder if it's related to the fact that for whatever reason (and irrespective of the fact that I adjust it repeatedly and cinch it down as tightly as I can possibly get it), the latch-down at the front that supposed to hold the shell down tight to the lift arm manages to work itself loose about half the time we tow it, leaving the shell held down on that side only by the release lever.

2. How is the front panel attached to the side panel and what has actually happened underneath to cause it to pull apart like that? As you can see from the close-up, the separation is between 1/2" and 3/4", a not insubstantial amount.

3. Is this a repair that I can undertake myself or am I better off to drop it off at The Car Show and let them have at it? I'm fairly handy and have a relatively well-equipped shop but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew and have to deal with weeks of downtime at the height of the season here in Colorado.

4. We have a 4-day weekend with our whole family planned at Hermit Park in Estes Park this weekend over July 4th and have no intention of letting something like this get in the way. I released the shell and pulled it up as normal and couldn't really feel any give to it. Overall it still feels solid, aside from the space that's now there. So I'm tempted as a stop-gap to run up to Lowes, grab a roll of white duct tape and slap it on to give us some immediate protection from the elements and forge ahead. Given the lack of discernable structural weakness and the fact that we only live about 1-1/2 hours away from the campground (and about a third of that distance is run between 35-45 mph), does this interim fix make sense until a more permanent repair can be affected?

5. If the problem is related to the latch-down clips, is there any other more sure-fire method of clamping the shell down to keep it from happening again?

Any help is most appreciated. I'm posting this in both the Yahoo TM group and the TrailManor Owners Forum in hopes that I'll get some immediate feedback. Any help is most appreciated.

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