Shell Seal is full of water.

gregdonna · 05-02-2010, 09:28 PM

Hi everybody! I have one camping season under my belt with my TM that was brand new to me last year. I have made an observation with it and I'm looking for some input.

I have a 2009 TM 3023 and I've found the Shell Seal vinyl fabric with the foam inside is full of water, all the way around. I can walk around the camper in the open position and squeeze gallons of water out of the seals. Last summer we only had 7 days that it DIDN'T rain, so we camped in the rain nearly every trip out.

I have several concerns over this...

First; I can feel a hard flat piece of something inside the shell seal material. Is this made of wood, plastic or pressure treated wood? My fear is if it's made of wood and it is sitting in water constantly that it is going to rot out. I'd like to remedy the water logged problem before it damages the camper. Everything seems pretty solid right now.

Second; this trapped water logically adds quite a bit of weight to the entire top shell pieces. Water weighs approximately 8 pounds per gallon and I've easily squeezed 2 gallons, or more, from the shell seals. The weight of the water actually causes the seal to droop down until I get the water squeezed out of it. I'm sure it isn't good for the foam or seal vinyl material to be in constant contact with water, not to mention mold and mildew problems.

This appears to be a design flaw or somebody was in a hurry at the factory as the seal fabric is just looped around the board it's mounted to and widely spaced staples were put in it hold it in place. Rain water runs down the outside of the shell, into the moulding strip that runs across the bottom of the shell and finds it's way into the shell seal. Seems they should have put a roll in the fabric or some kind of sealant BEFORE they stapled it in place.

Do you think it would be a good idea to poke some holes in the bottom of the fabric to let the water drain out? I don't see any other way to keep the water from collecting inside the shell seal unless I pull the staples out, let the material inside dry out, apply a sealant and restaple the fabric in place. I really don't look forward to having to unstaple and re-do the seal as this should have been done right in the first place at the factory.

Any thoughts or suggestions???

Greg

**ShrimpBurrito** · 05-02-2010, 09:42 PM

Ummm...if your TM is under warranty, I wouldn't touch it. And even if it's just a hair out of warranty, it still may be worth a call to the dealer and/or factory. That just isn't right, as it sounds like a defect.

Dave

Wavery · 05-02-2010, 09:50 PM

I certainly agree with Dave and I would do it sooner rather than later.

FWIW, the shell frame is square aluminum tubing but it still should not have water in there.

05-03-2010, 07:18 AM

the shell frame on newer models is aluminum, but they put a strip of wood there also to staple the seal to. This is still being done today on new models per Ed at the factory.

**kempert** · 05-03-2010, 07:39 AM

Call TM and ask for Ed Lytle. He is the best source for an answer to your question.

Joe · 05-03-2010, 09:31 AM

Calling Ed is the best solution. I had the same problem with an older 2720 and determined that the rain on the back shell ran under the seal on the front half to the space where the two shells overlap. It then ran over to the side and down the inside of the front shell to where the bottom seal is stapled. From there it ran into the bottom seal. As a 'stop-gap' measure I used a standard paper punch to make 1/4" holes in the bottom seal about every 6 inches. Pinch the seal at the bottom and slide it into the punch so that you punch a neat hole in the bottom of the seal. For the real fix you will need to get to the place on the seal where the rain comes in and refold and staple it. Then seal it with a good silicon seal.

gregdonna · 05-03-2010, 12:16 PM

I took delivery of my 2009 TM in November 2008 so it is no longer in warranty. I'm going to have to look closer at where the water travels so I can try to find a way to keep it out of the seals. Hopefully they used marine grade plywood so it won't be as badly affected by the constant water logged condition. Will report back on my findings.

I also have a number of modifications I've made to my TM that others may want to see. As I have time, I will post them...

Greg