Body Seal Replacement

Hello, I recently purchased my first RV a 2000 Trailmanor 3126 King. I researchrd RVs for several weeks before deciding. I drove 1400 miles to get this RV. I love everything about this RV but it is showing some wear. My main concern is the Body seals which appear to be Vinyl with foam and wood enclosed.. The wood is rotten an the vinyl is torn is some places allowing rain in. I'm hoping that the manufacturer might sell replacements that I can install. Otherwise will have to manufacture myself. Does anyone have any experince with these.
Thanks,
Eddie

[MariaG]

Hi Eddie and welcome to the forum! There is a lot of info available here if you do a search, and for any Trailmanor owner, the paid membership is invaluable. You get a LOT of info and help for that $1 a month! Trailmanor does sell the foam and vinyl to make the bag seal, but you have to put it together yourself, after you've replaced the rotten wood. My husband and I did this repair on our 1986 TM a few summers ago, and there are some pictures on my blog, the link is below in my signature. Good luck!

Thanks Maria,
Not sure how to become a paid member yet but will join as soon as I figure it out. I did look at the pictures and believe they will help. I was kind of hoping that TM might sell a new Seal Kit for my 3126 King that would include seals I could just screw in to replace the old ones.
Also, I need to clean an wax my exterior. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Eddie

[Bill]

Originally Posted by EddieD061

Not sure how to become a paid member yet but will join as soon as I figure it out.

Eddie -

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/trailmanor/sponsor.html

Bill

[MariaG]

Rereading your post, now I'm not sure I understood what part you are talking about. The bag seal is foam encased in vinyl, very soft and compressable and runs all along the edge of the roof on the front shell, and a couple other places. Trailmanor does sell new flaps, which are the part with velcro that connects the top shell to the bottom box when the camper is set up. Those come all ready to staple into place. We bought a new set for our camper - they are pricey but worth it.

[Bill]

Maria -

I had the same question. On this forum we tend to develop some terminology that is understood by everyone who has been here a while, but is not necessarily clear to the new folks.

"Body seal" is not a term that is generally recognized on the forum. But there are two similar terms. As you said, "bag seals" are the long soft foam-filled canvas bags, more-or-less round in cross-section, used on some outside edges of the trailer. And "flaps" refers to the 3-inch wide flat semi-rigid vinyl strips, stiffened with wood slats inside, used inside the trailer and held in place with velcro.

Eddie, can you straighten us out on which one you are asking about?

Bill

Originally Posted by Bill

Maria -

I had the same question. On this forum we tend to develop some terminology that is understood by everyone who has been here a while, but is not necessarily clear to the new folks.

"Body seal" is not a term that is generally on the forum. But there are two similar terms. As you said, "bag seals" are the long soft foam-filled canvas bags, more-or-less round in cross-section, used on some outside edges of the trailer. And "flaps" refers to the 3-inch wide flat semi-rigid vinyl strips, stiffened with wood slats inside, used inside the trailer and held in place with velcro.

Eddie, can you straighten us out on which one you are asking about?

Bill

Thanks for clearing me up on those terms Bill. The Bag Seals appear to be what I need to replace. Some are torn with rotten wood. I called TM and they said I could order the material (minus the wood) from them for $6.00 per foot. Hope to get started on that project next month.

Thanks,
Eddie

Maria, just finally got started on the Bag Seals today. (busy winter). I wished Trailmanor would design or come with a replacement rubberseal that would last longer and be easier to change. I'm sure there are some that would work just don'have time to research right now. I plan to take the old girl about 1800 miles (Colorado Springs-Asheboro NC). Gonna take the wife too. LOL

I am in the process of replacing another bag seal on my 2000 TM. Somehow water gets in even though I resealed the roof seam and the side walls look good.
With an older TM it is not a matter of will it ever leak but when will it leak.
I measured the old wood on the right front bag seal and it was 45.5" long X 2.5" wide and 1" thick. As you know it is difficult to find wood that is 1" thick, aka as four quarter.
Luckily our house had been remodeled recently and there was a piece of plastic wood left over from the exterior window trim that I had specified. It is 1" thick so I cut it down to the dimensions of the old piece. Being plastic it will not rot like the untreated soft wood TM had originally used.
I haven't put it in yet because I am waiting on a pneumatic staple gun and stainless steel staples (yes, TM was too cheap to use rust proof staples) I ordered from Amazon.
As you may know you have to remove the staples on the vinyl first, then pull up the vinyl so you can get at the 3 screws holding the wood to the wall. Or maybe your wood is so rotten that the whole bag seal just pulls right off? I used an old flat screwdriver that I sharpened like a chisel to get under the staples.