Revisiting Dusty Roads in 2025

[rich2468]

Hi fellow TrailManor Owners,
I'm checking in to see if anyone has come up for a solution to the long-time problem of dust infiltration into their camper when trailering on dirt roads...

I've had my 2922KB for 4 years now and have only had to deal with a noticeable coating of road dust on interior things once or twice over various trips, but I'm preparing for a substantial Spring/Summer trip to Newfound where I expect that I'll need to consider encountering enough dirt/ gravel roads to consider some type of mitigation.

In digging through old forum posts, the hypothesis was shared that it's possible that the collapsible shell design of TrailManors may be exacerbating dust infiltration via what is commonly called a "bellows effect" created when the trailer moves over a road surface and the shells move up and down creating an internal negative air pressure (which I'd add is probably more aggravated due to the bumpy surface of many gravel roads). In looking at rub marks on the inside of the front shell (from 4 years of use) I view shell movement to be the likely most significant uncontrollable aggravator of the problem.

Yes, it's obvious that driving slower over a dry gravel road will probably kick up less road dust, but you can only go so slow to mitigate the problem....

So does anyone have any other tips/ solutions other than what had been stated in older threads- where I could only find mention of putting painter's/ masking tape across the gap between the shells?

-That seems to be a reasonable immediate short-term solution, but one that's only going to be temporary and definitely going to get old on a longer trip. I'm also questioning how much flex/ spacing that tape would allow before it simply pulls away and the gap is open and the tape face is picking up road gunk.

In assuming that covering the gap between the closed shells is a reasonable way to attempt to mitigate road dust infiltration, I'd like to share an idea with the TM Owner's community for a solution which I'm considering....

I'm investigating the feasibility of fashioning marine grade strips of fabric to fasten to the bottom of the shells to cover the shell gap likely fastened via button snaps.

Depending upon the permeability of the marine fabric; either the fabric will need to include enough slack so that the slack handles the airspace/ negative pressure, or the fabric acts as an external filter. I'm leaning more towards including enough of a gap so that the fabric moves as needed vs. filtering/ capturing the dust on the outside.


-I realize that I'll have to ensure that the button snaps aren't damaged or weathered/ corrode. I also realize that there will need to be enough "give" and slack in the fabric enclosure or this will simply pull away and be left flapping in the wind.

-I'd mulled over whether or not industrial quality velcro might make more sense for holding the strips of fabric in place but think that it is too likely to that the adhesive side pull away from the bottom of the shells or that the part left on the shell when not in use would likely just get caked in mud/ road debris.


Feel free to pipe in with your opinion of "No way! That'll never work" or your "Yea. That might work, but have you considered this...?"

There's a lot of collective wisdom within the Owner's community so I value any and all feedback.

My TrailManor is parked in storage 20 minutes away, so I have yet to crawl under it to see if the whole idea makes functional sense but given that others had used tape in the past, it seems warranted to investigate feasibility and to solicit thoughts from the community.


Thanks,
Rich

 

[Dan3023]

I like the idea. I was considering taking pool noodles and cutting them down to wedge up in there. That way you only need a few straps every few feet to hold them in. I was thinking velcro, but snaps aren't a bad idea either. ��

 

[rickst29]

I have been using 'pool noodles' AND blue painters tape.

The issue with pool noodles alone, especially on dirt roads (they cause a lot more bouncing that paved roads) is their tendency to work loose and fall out. That same "bouncing" can also tend to rip tape loose.

The gaps which allow dirt and dust to and dust to fly up between the the lower fixed sides of the lower box exterior and the inside walls of the upper shells was somewhat addressed at the factory by adding bag seals. But the bag seals might not fit tight enough anymore, they they don't cover uneven spaces near the lift bar attachments and the door.

I use pool noodle segments to fill in those gaps, and then add tape (in vertical strips, tight against the shell and tight going in along the floor - but with a bit of looseness at the joint where I press the tape into the pool noodle with an inch or to of "extra" on both sides (wall and floor) of that noodle pinch-in.

The tape segments are usually re-usable a few times, because the vertical "end" portion (pressed tight tight into the shell) and horizontal "end" portion (tight against the floor) stay clean on the sticky side.

 

[rickst29]

One other thing: If you don't have balanced torsion bars, or if you push the shells down unevenly, the gaps between the lower box "fixed sides" and the sides of the shells will be different from one side to the other (street side versus curb side), and the factory bag seals will leave A LOT of space for intrusion on the side was set down "further out" to the the left or right.

If the spacing isn't equal, let the shells back up a bit and set them down again, while pushing slightly from the side.

 

[Bill]

Perhaps an unlikely thought here, but who knows?

Some TMs have a reversible roof fan. Has anyone tried pressurizing the inside of the TM by running the fan in the reverse direction while traveling on a dusty road? It would reduce the amount of dusty air sucked in by the pumping action as the shells bounce.

Of course it would also help to minimize pumping by ensuring that the shells are tied down pretty tightly. Don't over-tighten the corner latches - but a long ratchet strap or two around the entire camper would be pretty easy.

Bill

 

[rickst29]

Perhaps an unlikely thought here, but who knows?

Some TMs have a reversible roof fan. Has anyone tried pressurizing the inside of the TM by running the fan in the reverse direction while traveling on a dusty road? It would reduce the amount of dusty air sucked in by the pumping action as the shells bounce.

Of course it would also help to minimize pumping by ensuring that the shells are tied down pretty tightly. Don't over-tighten the corner latches - but a long ratchet strap or two around the entire camper would be pretty easy.

Bill

Running the fan in reverse might be helpful if the fan will actually run in 'closed' position.

But most older models of TM (including mine) contain a switch to disable 12 volt power to one or both of the upper shells after the bed-side bathroom wall has been tilted down fro travel.
- - -
Big straps might help to tighten the shell edges against the floor in a general way, but won't address the gaps beside the lift bars and door assemblies.

 

[Bill]

Rick -

The other point I didn't consider is that the exhaust fan isn't really at the right location. It doesn't blow directly inside when the TM is closed. A new fan in a different location would probably be needed. It could be farther forward on the front shell, or near the back wall of the rear shell. Or set into one of the existing front shell vents.

The idea, of course, is that the fan would pull relatively dust-free air from above the roof, force it down into the interior of the closed TM, and push a stream of air out through the lower-level leaks where dust now enters. A stream of outgoing air would prevent dust from getting in. The question in my mind is how much forced air would be needed. As you point out, really big gaps could overwhelm the capacity of any fan. Shell straightening and gap sealing are a good first step, but they will never be perfect. Perhaps a fan should be viewed as an additional step, rather than a replacement.

Bill