Roof Latches

Has anyone seen a "best fix" for shot roof latch foundations? My "new" M27 has hinges where the screws holding the latches to the side corners of the roof are literally popping out of their screw holes. The holes are now too large for (tightening) the screws and larger screws would probably make the problem worse. Seems the foundation (roof walls at the latch fixture points) need reinforcement of some kind. Any thoughts, fixes, URLs, etc would be appreciated. Thanks.

Vortex

Vortex, bear in mind, your latches may be upside-down from the newer models. There is a discussion some time ago about that fix. One thing you can do in the meantime is to go to Lowes, and get you one of those 2.5"-3" wide straps with the hooks on the end, and a ratchet. Wallmart has them, but they're actually more expensive. (at least here anyway) Get you around a 20-25 foot one, and you can strap it down for extra protection. The wide straps will not damage the top, and it will hold it very secure, and the hooks fit *perfectly* around the travel arms so they don't cause any undue wear and tear on them either. Once again, a picture is worth a thousand words........Hope this helps!

[glow=red,2,300]Happytrails..........[/glow]

Hi Vortex,

Not sure this is "best fix", but it is what I did. My rear corner latch brackets tore out on our trip to the Jubilee. I attached a piece of .064 inch aluminum with rivets, using Marine Grade Silicon Adhesive. The brackets were then attached with stainless steel screws. Here are some pics:




[img width=300 height=200]http://members.aol.com/Dancrdan/Latch2.jpg[/img]


[img width=300 height=200]http://members.aol.com/Dancrdan/Latch3.jpg[/img]



[img width=300 height=200]http://members.aol.com/Dancrdan/Latch5.jpg[/img]

They have been working out fine so far.

BTW, I used the same procedure to fix my front rock guard attachment points, which had also broke loose.

The plate I bought was 4 inch by 10 inch, & I think the size I used was 4 inch by 3 1/2 inch, but would have to go out a measure to be sure.

This should also work if your brackets are upside down, as this provides a larger surface for the stress to be applied over.

Hope this helps.

Dan

Thanks Dan, that demonstrates exactly what I was talking about his latch being possibly upside-down like mine is from yours.......do ya have a "finished product" pic by any chance? I to have the same problem, just haven't gotten to it yet...........Still looking at the different options for now.......

[glow=red,2,300]Happytrails.......[/glow]

Thanks Happytrails and DancinCampers,

First of all my apologies to the forum community and site administrator. Not only am I a new owner of an old TrailManor but I am also new to this site. Originally, I couldn't find a "Maintenance and Repair" section for posting my Shot Latches question so I posted it to the closest thing I could think of -- the FAQ section. I did see the red-highlighted note about repair stuff being in the site sponsor section but when I clicked on the link it went nowhere.

I believe I've finally figured out that the site sponsors are us -- owners -- not just businesses (I think businesses [and rich people] when I see "sponsors" -- I'm neither). So I'll "sponsor" and research past solutions, or post future questions, to the right forum sections.

Also, not only did the site administrator allow my post to stand, there were no screamers ranting at me for the misdirected post and; to the contrary, all were gracious enough to provide some indispensable ideas. In the mean time thanks for your patience and GREAT community support (a pleasant surprise of being a new owner of an old TrailManor).

As far as my latch problem is concerned, I already have the identical heavy duty strap cited in the photo. It has been sitting in my basement for years waiting for a purpose in life -- thanks, Happytrails! I'll get working on the reinforcement solution this weekend -- thanks, DancinCampers.

Regards,
Vortex

I certainly never thought of myself as a rich corporation....*

Happy,

Here is the as installed pic. You'll notice I had to re-adjust the bracket. I installed the plate with the shells up & made the mistake of assuming the bracket should be where it was originally. Wrong! Recommend the install be done with the shells down for better alignment. I still have to caulk the extra hole and touchup the paint.

Please ignore the rust, I am in process of replacing all the corner latches.

[img width=300 height=200]http://members.aol.com/Dancrdan/Latch6.jpg[/img]

Dan

Vortex, yup, the site sponsers are us, the people of this board, we (the people from this board) all came to the conclusion together that it was worth $12/year for the info and all we had on this board, we felt it was a fair price to keep it running, and does Chris the owner a little good as well for all of his past time, effort, and money he's spent on this site keeping it running all by his self even though he doesn't even own a trailmanor anymore! (Thanks again Chris!) Furthermore, everyone has equal say over it. Lol, unlike most boards, opinions are welcomed here as much as advice! It's a pretty laid back place where you can come and simply talk about camping, ask a question or two, or whatever. The people of this board are nice, and easy going. BTW, before you go on "apologizing" the hold down latch thing *is* a frequently asked question that hasn't been addressed so far in this section, so I guess you didn't do bad at picking where to put it after all!

Dan, thanks for the finished pic of the latch in service, I definately appreciate it! Still mulling over a fix, seems yours would be the one to work for me.........

[glow=red,2,300]Happytrails.........[/glow]

[G-V_Driver]

I watched a dealer repair some of these latch problems last week.

Silicone and large pop rivets were his weapons of choice. Don't know if it works long term, but he said they had good experience with that method. The trailer looked the same after he had finished the modification.

On some trailers, I've noticed that the big shell hold-downs can be released without first releasing the little end latches, with no harm done. On other trailers, the small latches must be released before the shell is released or the added tension of the torsion bars will yank the end latches out of the box.

Another reason to develop and use the check list. Mine starts with 3 "Fours" Four chocks (both tires) Four blocks down (for the jacks) Four latches (at the corners).

I made my jack blocks using an 18" piece of 2" x 6" with one end shaped like a paddle handle. I then nailed a piece of 4"' x 4" X 8" square fence post to the "paddle blade" with the ends of the paddle and the post flush at the end. I know that if I place the paddle handle directly under and flush with the end of the jack screw (where the jack handle attaches) the block will be in the correct place for the jack foot after I extend it, or if it's not, it is easy to move the paddle around without getting my knees in the mud. At 18" long, the entire block is still underneath the trailer, so I can't trip on it, but it's easy to grab and pull when it's time to leave.

I didn't think much about the need for jack blocks until I cranked the jacks out the first time on the unit with the lift kit. It's a long way to the ground. On the other hand, I wouldn't have a trailer of this length without the lift kit, considering the number of curbs and steep grades that we encounter once we leave the interstate highway system. Seems like every small-town service station or restaurance we really want to visit has a steep driveway entrance.