Repair advice...

Ok, so yesterday we found an AWESOME deal on a used TM -- one of those deals that is sort of a no-brainer and despite wanting to wait until next year, you go for it now! So last night we brought our new-to-us TM home. The kids were "camping" in it all day as it was plugged in while it sat in the driveway. They ate their lunch in it while I cleaned it up. During my cleaning I was able to do a more detailed inspection of it. I found a couple things that need fixing.

The vinyl floor has some tears -- I assume from things shifting while being transported. We plan to get some glue, fasten them down and then put the carpet remnant from our new carpet under things while driving.

I found that around one of the wheel wells I can see daylight. I think we can safely by the expanding foam insulation and shoot that in the hole and be done with that.

A piece of trim is loose in the wardrobe. A little wood glue and a clamp... wait a few hours and that will be fixed.

There is a broken bracket thingy on the freezer door. I shoved it back in and it seems to be holding... not sure what to do about that.

Some of the white gaskets have places where they don't 100% touch the mattress... I am assuming this is par for the course... I just hope a bee does not come in because the kids will panic!

Here are the big ones that I have questions (and pictures) for:
On the back bed, the gaskets are baffling me. When I lifted the fabric to wipe down the gaskets, I could see the ground below. I folded the gasket under on one side to fix it but found the other side harder to fold and wondered if they are supposed to be up not down. See my pictures... the first one is the way it came, the second one is how I tried to fold it under...

And finally our biggest concern is in the tub. When I moved the shower curtain to clean the tub I found a decent sized crack in the "surround" where it meets the wall. (see picture) we are planning on caulking it and think that should do, but our concern it whether our weight standing in there will cause the crack to grow. Any opinions on this one?

I have repaired vinyl flooring in the stick house with some success. I hope this helps:

1. Clean out any dust underneath that you can.

2. Push the proper adhesive into the gap. I have used Qtips, broken off Qtips and tooth picks.

3. Use damp rag to push the vinyl down and wipe off any excess adhesive.

4. Place a piece of wax paper over the repair.

5. Place a steel ruler, like from a carpenter's square, over the repair.

6. Weight it down overnight with real heavy stuff. I used cinder blocks.

7. Put seam sealer over the repair.

The steel ruler provides even pressure. The wax paper prevents gluing the ruler to the floor. The wax paper can be cleaned up easily.

The vinyl flooring in my stick house has been three since 1986. It is now curling at the seams enough that I can no longer get the adhesive to stick.

[TexasCamper]

Congrats on your new TM! Your family is going to have a blast in it. My kids treated it like a "playhouse" when we were doing our driveway work too.

Regarding your questions on the bed frame, the bed sides ride on top of a flat runner (not folded down), with the fabric laying above to hide it. When the bed is fully extended (and locked into position), it is pressed against the back shell where a loose gasket (folded down) provides the seal (you can still stick your finger through it and see outside). I can't remember the corner details; but it looks like your corners have a bit more of a gap (actually, your picture 1 of 3 looks fairly OK to me). Should be OK unless you're at a mosquito camp. Seriously, here in TX I haven't had a problem with bugs getting in. And on cold nights (not in TX!), I placed a folded towel on the side seal to minimize any draft near our heads.

John

We use "swim noodles" cut to fit the gap underneath the bed edges on the back bed. This effectively seals the gaps and any holes where bugs can enter. It also provides a bit of extra insulation for those cold Colorado nights in the fall.

Was this a "well used" TM? It seems like a 2009 model would be in a lot better shape.

At any rate I know you will enjoy it.
Happy Campers.

[mcgyver210]

Originally Posted by Al-n-Sue

Was this a "well used" TM? It seems like a 2009 model would be in a lot better shape.

At any rate I know you will enjoy it.
Happy Campers.

WOW I was thinking the same thing but maybe it is a mistake on the year because surely a 2009 doesn't already need repairs like that.

Originally Posted by Al-n-Sue

Was this a "well used" TM? It seems like a 2009 model would be in a lot better shape.

It's interesting actually - on one hand, it looks very clean when you walk in it - no big marks on the walls, the fabric on the windows, couches, and beds is clean, the appliances look fine, etc. The date on it is July 2008 so I am not sure how to tell if is really one of the last 2008's or one of the first 2009's. IT was sold as a 2009 and I am assuming that the VIN will confirm that... the insurance did not say otherwise when we gave them the VIN.

However, then you run into the things enumerated above, and you're like hmmm, I wonder if the place that took the TM in trade did this some of these things (such as the stress fracture on the tub - caused by improper collapse of the bath wall?), or people driving (cabinets bouncing around gouging the floor for instance), or just lack of care... The other thing is that we bought it from a dealer that does not normally sell TM's. That is how we got such a good deal. So, we cringed as they tried to force things down in improper order or just shove things in place. So, the dealer we got it from could have damaged it as well...

Don't get me wrong - it looks really nice inside, which is exactly why some of these things seem so out of place... In fact the dealer told us it was the cleanest used rig they had ever seen. We do know it was traded in by a Canadian couple who decided they wanted a 5th wheel. So, maybe they did use it a lot, not sure. The funny thing is that I have the registration card from the original owner in there. I could e-mail them and ask how it was used if I wanted to.

Ah well... given the major mechanicals all work fine and most of the repairs are to superficial items, and given we saved $19000 off sticker, I'm not going to complain.

Originally Posted by HappyWDWCampers

Ah well... given the major mechanicals all work fine and most of the repairs are to superficial items, and given we saved $19000 off sticker, I'm not going to complain.

$19,000 will take care of some minor repairs, with plenty of money left over.

If I remember correctly, those bed seals kinda set out there in no-man's land on my TM, also. I don't think that is a biggie.

There have been several threads on how to relieve a stress tear in fiiberglas, mainly the front stone guard. That should also work on the tub, then fill the gap in with a fiberglas patch on the back side (if you can get to it from the rear storage compartment), and a little filler and you are good to go. If it continues to give you a problem, you can always replace it a later date.....but that is big job according to a few threads here.

Check out: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=9076

Well we think we figured out part of the reason for the crack in the tub. I was putting hoses in the storage unit and found the bracket for the tub is not screwed in! I am not sure how that happened. The screws are not rolling around in there either. So, we figure we better replace the screws before we caulk it or it will continue to move and make it so the caulk does not hold either...

If you call the factory and talk to them you might get an new tub installed due to it being an 09. It can't hurt to call and ask about it.

To fix the air/bugs coming in the bed area I made some Velcro flaps all the way around the bed and attached them to the bed (putting Velcro on the walls) which works great for me.

Good Luck
Bob

Could you post a picture or send one to me showing the flaps you made?

Thanks, Roger