Re: Repair advice? 2021 A-Liner. tree branch punctured roof
Hi Gang:
Dan's ideas
are pretty good. I like the sheet foam, I first thought Great
Stuff foam in place.
The things I
might add are a wood frame to re-enforce the damaged area and
provide something to screw patches to. In side could be white
Masonite, outside either aluminum or fiberglass.
I really like
the Eternabond tape, I've used it for the skylight we added and
also for the roof hinges fore and aft. Years have passed and it
looks fine.
Also you only
need small bits of materials, ask around for scrap cut-offs. No
need to buy a 4x8 sheet of form for a patch. Also commercial
roofer have superior foam for roofing. Come to think of it I
have both roofing form and also the scrap that came out where we
put the skylight and side hatch in. Send me dimensions and I
could cut you off a piece. Drive to Charleston, South Carolina
and I'll help you fix it.
E-mail advice
might be all you need.
Take care,
Carl.
On 2/27/2025 5:30 PM, dan smartt via
groups.io wrote:
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Hmmm
Their probably a lot better solutions and some will be posted.?
But just my initial thoughts
1 cut the damaged area square.
2. Get some foam insulation from your local home improvement store
on approx the same thickness of the roof panel.
3. Cut the foam and place in the damaged area. Then cover with
eternabond tape starting? at the bottom sort of like shingles.
Eterna bond tape is some pretty amazing stuff
On Thu, Feb 27, 2025 at 12:41 PM, oboist_smack.7r via
groups.io
Hello,
?
This is my first time
posting messages on this forum.? Would someone advice
me on how to fix this hole?? Attached some
pictures in the attachment.? There is no
water damage yet.
?
Thank you,
Peter
?
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Re: Repair advice? 2021 A-Liner. tree branch punctured roof
Hmmm Their probably a lot better solutions and some will be posted.? But just my initial thoughts 1 cut the damaged area square. 2. Get some foam insulation from your local home improvement store on approx the same thickness of the roof panel. 3. Cut the foam and place in the damaged area. Then cover with eternabond tape starting? at the bottom sort of like shingles. Eterna bond tape is some pretty amazing stuff
On Thu, Feb 27, 2025 at 12:41 PM, oboist_smack.7r via groups.io <oboist_smack.7r@...> wrote:
Hello,
?
This is my first time posting messages on this forum.? Would someone advice me on how to fix this hole?? Attached some pictures in the attachment.? There is no water damage yet.
?
Thank you,
Peter
?
|
Repair advice? 2021 A-Liner. tree branch punctured roof
Hello,
?
This is my first time posting messages on this forum.? Would someone advice me on how to fix this hole?? Attached some pictures in the attachment.? There is no water damage yet.
?
Thank you,
Peter
?
|
Re: Notes on my Aliner Expedition modifications including carrying ebikes on the back
? Steve: ? I¡¯m surprised!? I had no problem finding a frame shop to do the welding.? In fact, after the initial weldment years ago to correct the frame distortion (which was so pronounced that the door ¡°A¡± side would interfere with the apex of the front and rear roof halves because the roof hinges had spread apart due to the deformation), I was involved in a road rage accident two years ago that bent the tongue up about 10¡± as well as tearing up the door side of the camper.? I rebuilt my camper in my garage, except I hired a frame shop to force the tongue back into position and weld a steel reinforcement under it.? They accomplished this with no issues, and there has been no weld failures in either instance. ? Sorry you ran into weld shop issues¡ ? Dave ? ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ? Dave, what I ran into when looking for a repair shop was they could do the welding, but they were concerned about the liability.? They don't want to charge a customer for a repair that they're not sure will work, or worst case have the frame break and cause an accident.? One place said the repair won't work because there's no structure above the door gap.? Another said welding to thin walled steel beams on small trailers was prone to stress cracking. Another place took the trailer for 2 weeks, and asked around through their network of buddies on how to do the repair, and eventually came back and said no they didn't want to fix it.?? The one place that eventually agreed to do the work did not want to do it originally, but finally agreed when I said either I get this work done or I scrap the trailer. ?
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Stormy weather on the way
The storm is coming:
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The weather forecast was not good.? I did get hit with some tremendous gusts, which were scary.? Luckily everything held together.
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Sunrise the following morning was awesome
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..
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Re: Notes on my Aliner Expedition modifications including carrying ebikes on the back
Dave, what I ran into when looking for a repair shop was they could do the welding, but they were concerned about the liability.? They don't want to charge a customer for a repair that they're not sure will work, or worst case have the frame break and cause an accident.? One place said the repair won't work because there's no structure above the door gap.? Another said welding to thin walled steel beams on small trailers was prone to stress cracking. Another place took the trailer for 2 weeks, and asked around through their network of buddies on how to do the repair, and eventually came back and said no they didn't want to fix it.?? The one place that eventually agreed to do the work did not want to do it originally, but finally agreed when I said either I get this work done or I scrap the trailer.
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On Sun, Feb 2, 2025 at 09:19 AM, elegy3983 wrote:
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Alas, been there, done that¡?
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Back in 2013, we noticed the same symptoms of frame distortion (bending) under cantilevered loads mounted on the rear bumper, well aft of the axle. We published two DIY articles on this topic, a discussion of why it occurs and what to do about it. Hopefully, they will help:
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The requisite rebending of the frame and either welding in frame reinforcements and/or installing frame stiffening latches on the roof side extrusions should not be particular daunting for an experienced body shop to accomplish for you if they follow my articles.
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Best of luck,? Dave
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¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡..
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I put 2 regular bikes on the back of my Chalet Alpine (mid sized trailer).? This trailer has 4" beams - what is considered to be "strong". After about 7 years of using it that way, the main longitudinal beams sagged, the door gap became wider, and the top roof contact point when folded started crawling forwards.? That was quite the expensive problem to fix.? I tried getting it fixed at a whole bunch of places, and nobody except one was willing to touch that repair.? The one place that did it would not give any guarantees.?
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So be careful when you start putting weight on the rear bumper.? It's not just the bumper that can break.
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Re: Notes on my Aliner Expedition modifications including carrying ebikes on the back
? Alas, been there, done that¡? ? Back in 2013, we noticed the same symptoms of frame distortion (bending) under cantilevered loads mounted on the rear bumper, well aft of the axle. We published two DIY articles on this topic, a discussion of why it occurs and what to do about it. Hopefully, they will help: ?
? The requisite rebending of the frame and either welding in frame reinforcements and/or installing frame stiffening latches on the roof side extrusions should not be particular daunting for an experienced body shop to accomplish for you if they follow my articles. ? Best of luck,? Dave ? ? ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡.. ? I put 2 regular bikes on the back of my Chalet Alpine (mid sized trailer).? This trailer has 4" beams - what is considered to be "strong". After about 7 years of using it that way, the main longitudinal beams sagged, the door gap became wider, and the top roof contact point when folded started crawling forwards.? That was quite the expensive problem to fix.? I tried getting it fixed at a whole bunch of places, and nobody except one was willing to touch that repair.? The one place that did it would not give any guarantees.? ? So be careful when you start putting weight on the rear bumper.? It's not just the bumper that can break.
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Re: Notes on my Aliner Expedition modifications including carrying ebikes on the back
Good info.? My 2009 had those issues.? When I decided I needed to replace the entire floor, I did a frame off restoration.? I had already fabricated and installed a 2" receiver with two cross bars welded to the 2 x 3 frame.? I also straightened the frame by pinning it's midpoint under my garage beam and jacking up the rear about 7" to remove a 3/8" dip.? I then welded a pair of 6' long, 1-1/2" x 3" channels to the frame over the axle.? I think I'm good for now.? LOL.
On Sat, Feb 1, 2025 at 22:17, Steve T via groups.io <srtimm@...> wrote: I put 2 regular bikes on the back of my Chalet Alpine (mid sized trailer).? This trailer has 4" beams - what is considered to be "strong". After about 7 years of using it that way, the main longitudinal beams sagged, the door gap became wider, and the top roof contact point when folded started crawling forwards.? That was quite the expensive problem to fix.? I tried getting it fixed at a whole bunch of places, and nobody except one was willing to touch that repair.? The one place that did it would not give any guarantees.?
?
So be careful when you start putting weight on the rear bumper.? It's not just the bumper that can break.
--
Don DeRyke
Sunrise, Florida
2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.?
Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine.
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Re: Notes on my Aliner Expedition modifications including carrying ebikes on the back
I put 2 regular bikes on the back of my Chalet Alpine (mid sized trailer).? This trailer has 4" beams - what is considered to be "strong". After about 7 years of using it that way, the main longitudinal beams sagged, the door gap became wider, and the top roof contact point when folded started crawling forwards.? That was quite the expensive problem to fix.? I tried getting it fixed at a whole bunch of places, and nobody except one was willing to touch that repair.? The one place that did it would not give any guarantees.?
?
So be careful when you start putting weight on the rear bumper.? It's not just the bumper that can break.
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Notes on my Aliner Expedition modifications including carrying ebikes on the back
https://alinerexpeditionmods.blogspot.com/
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I had both vent lids snugged down tight, because even with the 15 mph winds predicted the lids would have been flapping a lot.
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The other thought I had about issues with opening a windward side door is that the double wide skylights on Chalets are held on by a 400 psi adhesive, not the 3000 psi stuff that the other manufacturers use.? You can pop off a Chalet skylight pretty easily when you go to replace it.? Makes me wonder if a skylight would pop off on one of the long edges due to wind.? Plus the aftermarket skylights like the ones I put on don't have as good of a bond to the sealant as the original Chalet skylights.? I wish I knew where Chalet got their skylights.
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BTW if you were ever debating whether to get a porta-potty or not, nights like I just had are a good reason to have a potty INSIDE the trailer.?
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On Mon, Jan 13, 2025 at 04:36 AM, elegy3983 wrote:
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Steve:
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You were smart: if you had opened your door or windows, you might have lost your roof, although your wind deterrent straps would have helped prevent it.? Did you have your Fantastic Fan cover open, and did it survive?
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Kudos!
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Dave
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¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡
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Early on Saturday morning, the winds hit me, and were much higher than predicted.? Gusts must have been around 50.? But the nasty part was the leading edge of the gusts hit like a fist and really shook the Aframe.? I couldn't see anything outside because it was pitch black out.? But I could tell that the winds were hitting the door side, because that was getting pelted by sand and pebbles.
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? Steve: ? You were smart: if you had opened your door or windows, you might have lost your roof, although your wind deterrent straps would have helped prevent it.? Did you have your Fantastic Fan cover open, and did it survive? ? Kudos! ? Dave ? ? ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ? Early on Saturday morning, the winds hit me, and were much higher than predicted.? Gusts must have been around 50.? But the nasty part was the leading edge of the gusts hit like a fist and really shook the Aframe.? I couldn't see anything outside because it was pitch black out.? But I could tell that the winds were hitting the door side, because that was getting pelted by sand and pebbles.
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We've been having some Santa Ana winds out here in California, which are the same ones responsible for all the fires.? I had a fly fishing trip over the weekend, and the winds at my destination weren't predicted to be too bad, so I went.? Early on Saturday morning, the winds hit me, and were much higher than predicted.? Gusts must have been around 50.? But the nasty part was the leading edge of the gusts hit like a fist and really shook the Aframe.? I couldn't see anything outside because it was pitch black out.? But I could tell that the winds were hitting the door side, because that was getting pelted by sand and pebbles.? I had the stabilizer jacks down pretty firm, but the gusts hit so hard that I thought the stuff on the A wall shelves was going to fly off.? The wheel chocks I have are those light weight hollow yellow plastic ones, and they blew away from the wheel on the windward side of the trailer. Luckily the trailer still didn't move though.? I guess I've got to get some of those heavy solid rubber ones.
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The winds were predicted to die down at 8 am, then resume at 10 am.? But the prediction for the drive home, if I went the next day, were winds gusting up to 65 mph.? The winds did die as predicted at 8 am.? So I folded up the trailer and got the heck out of there.
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The trailer held up fine.? I have the wind straps to hold the roof halves together.? I also have 2 poles mounted crosswise between the A walls, to keep them from collapsing inwards.? But when the wind is howling, the trailer is shaking, and all the hinges and joints in the roof system are creaking and squeeking, there's no way I could fall asleep.?
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It was quite the adventure.
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Steve
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Hard dormer slide question
I have a 2015 Classic with hard dormers and the front dormer wall connection to the roof section does not slide very well anymore. It seems like something in the slide connector is dragging on the roof channel, there is a black streak in the center of the channel. Is there a mounting bolt that could have loosened up on the wall section and now hitting the roof channel? How do I get access to this area?
JoeS
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Re: Retrofitting hard dormers
That question would be best answered by Aliner, IMHO.? They know the particulars of every model.? I expect it would be quite expensive to purchase the parts needed.? Unless you could somehow locate a damaged unit that you could salvage parts from.? Just my thoughts.
--
Don DeRyke
Sunrise, Florida
2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.?
Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine.
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Retrofitting hard dormers
I have a 2017 Aliner Classic with two soft dormers. The camper stays set up on the driveway between trips. However, the dormer canvas is prone to mildew in Florida's humidity. Keeping it clean has been an ongoing challenge. The canvas is attached to the dormer structure with screws, so it looks like switching to hard dormers shouldn't be too difficult (assuming I can locate some). Any thoughts?
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Re: Thirteen- or 14-inch tires?
Thanks all! You answered my questions perfectly.??
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Re: New to winter camping
? Just a note: It would be good if all of us add at least a portion of the posting to which we¡¯re replying, to the bottom of our reply.? That way, we all can understand the whole conversation.? Review this posting as an example. ? Thanks, and Merry Christmas! ? Dave ? ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ? Let me know if I am understanding your points correctly. ? 1. More weight on the tongue vs farther back in the trailer is better. I have 2 lead acid batteries and 2 - 20lb propane tanks on the tongue and I don¡¯t think I will be using much less traveling with my rear water tank full. ? 2. I have my Bluetooth brake controller tuned low, maybe it should be tuned VERY low? ? Thank you for your detailed thoughts on this. ?
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Re: New to winter camping
Be careful with downshifting. ?I was riding with a friend going down a slippery road. ?He downshifted. ?The rear drive wheels locked up. ?The car spun a 180. ?We crossed through opposing traffic, and hit the far snowbank going backwards. ?Luckily we didn't hit another vehicle and no damage. ?But you should pump the brakes to test traction before you downshift, and be ready to shift into neutral if you skid.
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On Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 09:41 AM, dan smartt wrote:
I don't know what is different other than your normal winter driving is. I've towed my aliner through a few blizzards in mountain roads without issue. Small roads and paved highways. Never an issue
Just drive e slowly and don't make any sudden moves. I also downshift a lot instead of braking (but i do that in good weather too).? But that's true for any winter driving.? The only issue i had is man it makes the trailer dirty
Remember going up the mountain is ez it's going down that extra caution is needed.
Towed using a Tacoma & now a forerunner
On Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 8:46 AM, JoeS via groups.io
<joesears74@...> wrote:
I¡¯ve driven a lot on snow covered roads but never towed anything on snow covered roads. What would be the difference from a snowmobile trailer?
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Re: New to winter camping
Let me know if I am understanding your points correctly.
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1. More weight on the tongue vs farther back in the trailer is better. I have 2 lead acid batteries and 2 - 20lb propane tanks on the tongue and I don¡¯t think I will be using much less traveling with my rear water tank full.
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2. I have my Bluetooth brake controller tuned low, maybe it should be tuned VERY low?
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Thank you for your detailed thoughts on this.
JoeS
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Carl
Don DeRyke