I had the same thing happen on my curbside rear latch. I saw that the screws were starting to strip out and that the internal wood nailing strip was a little punky and would no longer support the screws. I drilled new screw holes about a half inch above the original holes and remounted latch. However, I reasoned that the wood in the new holes would probably be in the same condition as it was in the original holes, because of the close proximity. So, I drilled all the way through to the white interior nailing strip inside the trailer. I remounted the latch using 2 ˝ or 3 inch screws. Then I removed the screws and ground off the excess length until they were flush with the surface of the interior nailing strip. My plan “B” was to fabricate a 6x6 gusset plate using adhesive and blind rivets spaced at 3/8 of an inch around the entire parameter, or something similar to that configuration. You’ve got to be careful using blind rivets as they will pull out of that thin aluminum skin, then you’ll have a bigger problem than you have now. Here’s another thought, if any of the wood nailing strips have moisture damage, you’ll have to find the leak and fix it. After the leak(s) are repaired and the excess moisture in the wood has dried you can inject some 2 part water thin epoxy into the screw holes and the punky wood will soak it up like a sponge. A boating supply house will carry this epoxy; I got mine at Jamestown Boating Supplies. I hope I’ve given you a few ideas to work with. Also, search this forum as there are a lot of talented individuals who would be more than happy to help you. Good luck, 92cabby
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Top Latch Problems
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