Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Here is my trailer:


Yesterday in Moro Oregon, I noticed some light where there was not supposed to be light. It was coming from the bottom of my floor because the trailer body was seperating from the frame. I am more than upset because it looks like the manufacture only used two three inch self tapping screws in the wheel well to secure the structure. Yes, that is right folks no glue, no joints, no bolts.

My thought is drilling three bolts through the diamond plating, trailer body and frame after securing it with some glue. Any thoughts? How would you do it to be safe and secure?[/url]

Are you saying the "whole" td is held on by a couple of bolts or just the area at the wheel well?

I uploaded four pictures in my gallery.


There are only three screws holding the fender on and it looks like they relied on them to keep the sides to the frame. I put on at least 1000 miles in the last couple of days and as you can see they didn't hold. I now need to figure out the best way to fix the problem with out ripping the entire trailer apart.

Is there anyway to remove the dia. plate, and compress it back with some glue and more bolts? It's kinda hard to see the depth of the damage from your pics (atleast for my poor eyes). Either way, I would have some "choice" words for the dudes who built it. If it's what I think, any new bolts would be covered be the dia. plate when reinstalled.

I too am trying to understand what is happening.

Is the wall pulling away from the chassis? Is it bowing out at the bottom, while it's still attached at the top?

Is the wall pulling away from your cabinets too?

Mike...

I'd call the mfgr and talk to them about it, even if just to get an idea of what they might suggest.

The walls appear to be still attached to the cabnets and the supports up top. It is just bowing out from the chasis. At one side the gap is only two feet. The other side I am looking at about four feet of bend. The gap on one side is over a quarter of an inch wide so I think that I will be able to reglue it and hit it with some C clamps.

The diamond plate is on solid i.e. would have to be cut off and rewelded to get to the next level.

Right now I am a little beyond myself to talk to the manufacturor. I didn't expect to go in and fix structure in under ninety days.

Hard to provide the correct fix not being there to see it. I'd think that any "fix" on the loosened portions might only cause it to pop loose somewhere else on the side. Can you push on it and move it back into place? Are the screws just sunk into end grain on ply or is there some sort of a cleat? You could remove the carpeting, make a wooden cleat and epoxy it around the perimeter to the side and floor on the interior. Or some thickened epoxy in the gap and clamp it from side to side for a localized repair. Lay a piece of 2" masking tape on the interior wall at the floor so you don't get the glue on the interior paneling. Are the bottoms of the sides sealed? If not, water may cause the ply to delam.

It's unfortunate this happened, such a nice looking trailer however clearly there wasn't enough fasteners or glue used. You could gently remind the manufacturer that you are a member of the most active teardrop forum with over 7000 members and that bad news travels around the world before good news can get it's shoes on. Doug

Arne is right. Please call the manufacturer before you fix it. They might have a recall on that defect and might fix it for free. If so, you'll be certain it's fixed and you won't have to wonder if you've done enough.

Sadly, manufacturers don't have to call you when there's a defect. They just have to publish it 'somewhere'.

I had a plugged-in battery charger that stopped working. I called the manufacturer and found out that it had been recalled a full year previously. (I used it that whole year.) When I asked why they were recalling them, they told me the rechargers were causing fires! My whole house could've burned down with me in it and they wouldn't have called, emailed, or snail-mailed me to let me know? Yup! That the way things sit and it's legal.

Doug,
When I push on the bottom, it does move back into place. The screws are sunk into the end of the ply which are not sealed on the sides. The manufactor is very aware that I am on this forum.

I think I'd crawl around under it and check out all the edges/ joints especially before you do much driving in wet conditions. An overall repair might save you headaches down the road as opposed to a local fix. Your comment on the 90 day thing indicates it had a 90 day warranty. However I'd think they ought to do something to help take care of you on this. Doug

Nope, no warrenty. I am trying to recruit some car guys to get enough tools to jack it up and put her back together. I dropped a line to the manufacturor (I kept it very well mannered). One of my big problems is that I am running into a time crunch since I will be going back to seven day weeks pretty soon.

dreadcptflint wrote:Doug,
When I push on the bottom, it does move back into place. The screws are sunk into the end of the ply which are not sealed on the sides. The manufactor is very aware that I am on this forum.

If I can ask what make is it ?

What type of wall treatment is inside ?

I have never taken a vehicle back to the dealer.They rate right up there with lawyers , doctors , and undertakers as the type of folks to be avoided if at all possible.

If it were mine I would run 3 or 4 xtra long pipe clamps under the belly of the trailer and block both sides with a 2x4 laid flat to evenly distribute the pressure and glue first. If it were possible to remove the carpet I would use fiberglass and that fiberglass mat and run 3-4 inches up the side wall and on the floor front to rear on both sides. after 2 layers just a final coat of resin to smooth everything out. Grind or beltsand smooth and reinstall the carpet . Use a complimenting trim as "baseboard" to hide the sidewall repair. If there is a chance the side wall treatment will seperate from the wall you may want to remove it to the top of the baseboard to be added.

However in my opinion it is NOT fair to not let them have a chance to make this right.

That is what had happened to my td I once had. Less than 8 months old to boot. The mfr had to rebuild totally. I sold it while it was being rebuilt to a distributor for the mfr. The side panel is separating from the floor.

About how to fix it, I would suggest you remove the frame from underneath to give you better accessibility to the floor area, add 'L' type bracketry to draw the side wall back to the floor and secure it with glue as well as screws. You may have to add an interior 'L' bracket. Make the bracket as long as possible to be able to apply a continuous adhesive surface.
The separation may be induced by the separation of the floor plywood level edges with the size screw the mfr used during mfring.

I hope I am looking at this right! You might get your hands on some long bar clamps. Put a 2x4 along the edge and slowly pull the sides in. Then do like Madjack does his and put an alum angle the length of the inside wall and floor. Add some PL glue to the thing both side and bottom.

You could also add some decorative bolts to the outside.

Good luck and publishing the manufacturers name is a good way to protect other and let the manufacturer understand they have an obligation to put out a quality product.