Tent camper finally gets a comfy place to sleep.

Originally Posted by LoveToCamp

My 2014 2417KD had a switch plate like bgr123 is describing. I removed it immediately, as I have fluorescents over the bed, and am not concerned about bulbs getting too hot. Just remove the switch and connect the leads, and you won't have to worry about keeping the switch pressure just right.

Not suggesting you do anything unsafe. As long as you have fluorescents or LED bulbs over the rear, nothing will get hot.

Thank you for confirming that I am not out of my mind because no one else so far has seen this switch activation method. I am however hesitant to disable the switch because there are other devices on that switch than IMHO need to be powered down.

[Padgett]

Agree it is a safety switch for a reason.

After some long contemplation related to the rear shell safety switch and L bracket design I have come to the decision that for insurance and liability reasons I am not going to change the design. I however have a simple solution to this problem and will post my results when I am confident that it works.

[Padgett]

BTW just was folding things and notice the actual switch is a button under the wall and the lock just holds it down.

Originally Posted by Padgett

BTW just was folding things and notice the actual switch is a button under the wall and the lock just holds it down.

Thanks for the picture. Now i understand how it was done in the older models. Why they changed this is beyond me.

[mjlaupp]

Originally Posted by BGR123

.....Why they changed this is beyond me......

It was probably changed for use on the models without a bath - no bath wall to activate the switch and then standardized across the folding model lines for cost savings.

I like the idea since it allows lights in the rear of the TM during set up and tear down. Have you ever had to set up after dark? I usually had the isle filled with cabinets and boxes that had to be moved/hung, then set up the wardrobe and finally the bath walls before gaining light on the subject.

The new style switch mount was placed in the corner of the bed where it works well with the latches at both corners of the bed that are installed in models without the bath. It should have been relocated to the center of the bed front in models with a bath where the single latch can hold everything in place.

Originally Posted by mjlaupp

It was probably changed for use on the models without a bath - no bath wall to activate the switch and then standardized across the folding model lines for cost savings.

I like the idea since it allows lights in the rear of the TM during set up and tear down. Have you ever had to set up after dark? I usually had the isle filled with cabinets and boxes that had to be moved/hung, then set up the wardrobe and finally the bath walls before gaining light on the subject.

The new style switch mount was placed in the corner of the bed where it works well with the latches at both corners of the bed that are installed in models without the bath. It should have been relocated to the center of the bed front in models with a bath where the single latch can hold everything in place.

I bet you are right about the reason for the change. Moving the switch and bracket to the center of the bed would likely solve the issue but I think they hid it behind the bathroom wall because the setup looks like cra*^&%$... let my find some kinder words.. "lacks aesthetic grace".

My solution to the problem is to add window sash locks to both corners of the bed to prevent it from rotating away from the switch. As for darkness when setting up, yea that may remain a problem if the bed does not hold the button down, the spring in the switch is a brute.

I think with a bit of TLC I can get mine fixed up and working as intended. I just need to be careful when pulling the bed out so that I don't bend the bracket. How many brackets will get bent by new unaware owners is anyone guess.

I fixed the rear shell power switch today. The sash locks that I was going to install on both sides of the bed to keep it from shifting would have interfered with the bathroom wall so that idea was scrapped.

The rear shell power did not work because the switch was loose and the activation bracket on the bed was bent when the bed was pulled out too far. The easiest way to repair this is to remove the L Bracket from the bed and the switch including the switch mounting plate. To fix the L Bracket I clamped it in a vice and used pliers to carefully bend it back to 90 degrees. The nut on the front of the switch must be screwed in until it stops on the face of the threaded barrel. Then the rear nut must be tightened to keep the switch from rotating. I used Loctite removable thread locker on both nuts to make sure the switch did not come loose again.

After the repair and re-assembly the switch worked better but was still intermittent when the bed is shifted. But once the rear bathroom wall is erected it holds the bed in place against the switch. Because the bed needs the bathroom walls up to keep it from shifting I do not believe that the design was changed to work on TMs with no bathroom. Plus the design is butt ugly and if it were not for the bathroom wall it would be visible for all to see.

Well it has been a few months since I last posted.

We took a couple of trips with the TM, one to Parker with our neighbor who has a nice boat. Thank god for air conditioning as it get to 110F out there. We also took a trip to Columbia California...gold country. We stayed at the 49er Ranch camp ground. The staff and owners are real nice people and made our stay very pleasant. It is a small camp ground but that is what makes it nice. We visited the town of Columbia which is a historic site and the Rail Road Museum in Jamestown. There is a place to Zip Line, climb and Explore a cave. The town of Sonora which is just a few miles from Columbia, it is a nice little town to shop or dine out. No Walmart there, just small town shops and restaurants.

So far the TM has done just OK. It cannot take anything but very smooth road or things inside begin to fall apart. I am not talking about off road but the common rough highway. When we got to Columbia we opened the TM and found the wardrobe cabinet was no longer attached to the rear bed. The wood screws pulled completely out of the cabinet under the rear bed. I suspect this is just the beginning, a few years from now when I have fixed every thing on the trailer it will probably be time to sell it. The next owner will get a decent trailer which we should have gotten from the start. Thank god TM does not make airplanes.

[Redtail Cruiser]

Barry,

I'm surprised to hear about the problems with your TM, especially when it is so new. I can't understand why the quality of these trailers would be declining when it's been so good in the past.

I have pulled mine over 3,500 miles, with over 100 miles of it on dirt mining roads or off-road trails and I haven't had one issue with it

I hope you can resolve the problems easily and start enjoying your camping trips without any more issues.