Installing Heavy-duty Latches

The older TM trailers like my 1999 3124KS came equipped with small, lower holddown latches for both upper and lower shells. These small latches with their spring-loaded hooks are made of 1/16" thick steel. The thin steel parts tend to wear rapidly with use. When they become worn or bent, one has difficulty latching the shells down. The newer TMs are equipped with large, heavy-duty lower latches. When your shells' latches become worn, you can replace them with the large, sturdy-looking latches available from the TM Factory. This is what I did recently. The photo shows the size difference between the old and the new-style lower latches:

This photo shows that the hook of the heavy-duty latch is not only larger but twice as thick as the hook of the old-style latch.

After you install one of these heavy-duty lower latches at the bottom of a lifting arm, however, you may discover that the 1/4" diameter pin of the stirrup (upper half of the latching mechanism) no longer engages the (new) hook properly. The pin won't snap into the recess underneath the hook because the new lower latch is larger than the old one it replaced. Even if you loosen the stirrup's two attaching screws and slide the stirrup as much as possible toward the center of the recess, the pin still may not be close enough to the hook. Faced with this problem while replacing both of the latches of my lower shell, I could have drilled two new mounting holes for each stirrup. This, however, would have caused an even greater weakness in the underdesigned, 1" square tubes that make up the lower edges of both shells (you may recall that the 1" square tubes have a 1/16" thick wall and are already prone to cracking at the locations of holes for mounting screws). What I decided to do instead was to lengthen the slots of each stirrup by approximately 5/8". Since one of the lengthened slots came out through the ends of both stirrups, I had to weld a reinforcing plate of 1/8" thick steel to the bottom of each stirrup. Just this small additional length of the slots allowed the stirrups' pins to snap into the recesses underneath the hooks. The photo shows the modified stirrups.

Larry,
I wish I knew about these latches a couple weeks ago, as I need to leave on a
hunting trip in two days and my latches are in terrible condition. They are truly junk! They also seem to get mis-aligned with the shells very easily making nearly impossible to latch. I am going to so what I can with the torsion bars to aid in closing the trailer. I think they are out of adjustment as it is very difficult to close and it practically opens on its own when the latches are released. Thanks for the info..Bob

[Bill]

BobD posted

I think they are out of adjustment as it is very difficult to close and it practically opens on its own when the latches are released.

Bob -

From what you say, I agree with your conclusion. The problem doesn't sound like bad latches, but rather that the torsion bars are misadjusted. Sounds like they are cranked down too tight. New latches won't help this. Can you back off a quarter turn or a half turn on the torsion bar adjusting bolts, and see if that helps?

Bill

[G-V_Driver]

BobD

See if you can tighten the latches just a little more. Then go to a TM event, and arrive late so everybody will be sure to see you set up. Then release the latches and watch your trailer set up by itself. Then sell an instruction sheet for $100 to everybody who wants theirs to set up by itself. Soon you will be able to buy a new one.

Anyone who still has the old flimsy latches should consider changing out to the new heavy duty ones. I had trouble with the old latches from the time I bought my used 1997 TM3023. If you tried to close the shells and the latches and stirrups were not lined up precisely, the latch hook would bend out of line. I took the latches off several times to straighten the hooks before I discovered the heavy duty latches. They are pretty pricey but definitely worth it in my opinion.

I,too found the stirrups would not match the new latches. I discovered that by loosening the stirrup bolt closest to the latch hook and removing the other bolt, I could swing the stirrup around and drill only one new hole in the aluminum tubing. It's worked fine for 2 years.

Thanks for the input. Where did you get the new ones?

I got mine from my TM dealer. I'm sure you could order them direct from TM

Thank you. When there's no dealer within 350 miles, it's "ruff" to be a TM owner in need of something.