Very Heavy A-Frame Roof Panels

[lagrandeurp]

I have a folding hard-wall a-frame trailer.
It has the front and rear roof panels that rise up, with the torsion bars front and back which are supposed to make the lifting totally easy.
And it was easy, when the trailer was new.
Over the past four years, the roof panels got heavier and heavier.
This spring, I was unable to lift the panels, they were so heavy.
At first I thought it was the torsion bars at the hinges that were fatiguing.
I had the bars replaced this year but it made no difference.
The roof panels are still just as heavy.
I'm hearing now that there may have been water ingress into the roof panels, causing their weight to increase.
And that the solution may be to erect the roof, remove the interior frames around the skylights and roof fan, run the fan continuously to air out the interior, and hope that water will come out of the roof panels.
The composition of the panels is: 3/16" exterior fiberglass sheeting, 1" of popcorn-style closed-cell styrofoam, and 0.5 millimeter thick aluminum sheeting on the inside.
When I look in the exposed cutout around the skylights and roof fan, the layers appear well-bonded/laminated, and there isn't any water!
As well, I tried drilling weep holes in the end walls of the roof panels, into the styrofoam, and no water ran out.
Only a drop or so.
Where is all the water that is supposedly adding all the weight?
Maybe the hinges are seized up but they don't squeak at all.
So, what I'm wondering, has anyone else with an a-frame camper trailer ever had this problem and what they did about it, and is it even possible to dry out the roof panels.

[GoingNoWhereFast]

I have an Aliner whose roof panels got a bit heavier. There was a small amount of water absorption and swelling in the panels, but no more than 10-15 lbs of additional weight. Due to Condensation running down the sides of the roof panel and various water intrusion, the hinges on the roof did seize up and added a considerable more effort in raising the roof. I put a little oil on the hinges (First time in 10yrs) and it improved, but the rivets holding the hinge in place are now popping out.


My Trailer has Air Struts on the outside to help left the roof panels. They really only help after the roof is raised about 2ft off the box. If you are certain your hinges are in good shape, You might discuss adding the Ir struts to the side walls to assist with lifting. There are Youtube videos on various ways to install and use them.

[Heather Kinney]

Could your lift struts need replacing? I had a power lift that failed twice so went to a totally manual option. I’m managing okay with the current pound rating, but it’s an easier swap to a higher pound strut to make lifting easier.

[bikendan]

Moved thread from the Tech and Repair section to the A-frame sub-forum since the OP's questions are specific only to A-frame trailers and not other types of RVs.

[Johns10711]

I tried to order new roof shocks for my T21DMHW FLAGSTAFF Aframe from Forest River. I sent them a picture of the outside shock, surprisingly, they ask for the Brand and manufacture! The camper is a 2016, there isn' a marking on the shock to determine manufacture. I sent back a email, with the length and approx. Diameter. I realizied they had no clue, when they quoted me a price of $ 18,50!. I ask them, aren't there campers outside their properties, that they can look at!. Haven't heard back from them since. Does anyone have information on where I can. Buy these shocks, and pound of lifting required? THANK YOU.

[GoingNoWhereFast]

Try McMaster Carr https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/130/1496/4175T15

[Johns10711]

Originally Posted by GoingNoWhereFast

Try McMaster Carr https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/130/1496/4175T15

Unfortunately saw nothing there,but 'll keep the website for future references

Thanks.

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by Johns10711

I tried to order new roof shocks for my T21DMHW FLAGSTAFF Aframe from Forest River. I sent them a picture of the outside shock, surprisingly, they ask for the Brand and manufacture! The camper is a 2016, there isn' a marking on the shock to determine manufacture. I sent back a email, with the length and approx. Diameter. I realizied they had no clue, when they quoted me a price of $ 18,50!. I ask them, aren't there campers outside their properties, that they can look at!. Haven't heard back from them since. Does anyone have information on where I can. Buy these shocks, and pound of lifting required? THANK YOU.

There are more than a few on-line suppliers of gas struts. A simple search of "gas struts replacement" will bring up a list. There are 3 things that matter - the minimum length (strut compacted), the maximum length (strut extended), and the force (usually in lbs, sometimes in newton-meters). I think I used liftsupportsdepot.com for my first set. I think I used Amazon the 2nd time around. Lift Supports Depot had a very helpful staff - I called them on the phone. They can figure out what you have now if you provide them the stamped numbers. There are also web sites to help you decipher the stamped numbers.

On your existing struts there are some numbers stamped which usually are related to the lifting force and extended length. But you can measure the minimum and maximum extension, and 40lbs force is about the most you want to use on an A-frame. More starts causing bends in the aluminum flanges of the roof panels. Most struts use a common mounting pin.

You want to find/use a strut size that is commonly available to keep cost and ease of replacement reasonable down the road.

When mounting the struts, lower mounts need to be reinforced with bolts or machine screws and a backing plate on the inside. Otherwise the mounts will tear up your side panels with the pressure from the struts. Upper mounts normally screw into the aluminum strips.

When you mount struts, mount the thin arm down so water does not get past the seal and ruin the strut.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2022 Hyundai Palisade

[Johns10711]

Originally Posted by pgandw

There are more than a few on-line suppliers of gas struts. A simple search of "gas struts replacement" will bring up a list. There are 3 things that matter - the minimum length (strut compacted), the maximum length (strut extended), and the force (usually in lbs, sometimes in newton-meters). I think I used liftsupportsdepot.com for my first set. I think I used Amazon the 2nd time around. Lift Supports Depot had a very helpful staff - I called them on the phone. They can figure out what you have now if you provide them the stamped numbers. There are also web sites to help you decipher the stamped numbers.

On your existing struts there are some numbers stamped which usually are related to the lifting force and extended length. But you can measure the minimum and maximum extension, and 40lbs force is about the most you want to use on an A-frame. More starts causing bends in the aluminum flanges of the roof panels. Most struts use a common mounting pin.

You want to find/use a strut size that is commonly available to keep cost and ease of replacement reasonable down the road.

When mounting the struts, lower mounts need to be reinforced with bolts or machine screws and a backing plate on the inside. Otherwise the mounts will tear up your side panels with the pressure from the struts. Upper mounts normally screw into the aluminum strips.

When you mount struts, mount the thin arm down so water does not get past the seal and ruin the strut.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2022 Hyundai Palisade

Thanks for all that good in formation. I'm surprised with a 2019, that you have had to replace the gas struts twice? I guess, I'm over do

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by Johns10711

Thanks for all that good in formation. I'm surprised with a 2019, that you have had to replace the gas struts twice? I guess, I'm over do

Not at all. I replaced the OEM struts on the front of my T12TBHW A-frame in 2019. This was before the gas strut thing was understood, and Flagstaff/Rockwood were still using the failing electric lifts. My A-Frame came with front struts which were not totally parallel (I discovered later on), and were doing nothing that I could see to help the lift motor. Also one of the strut lower mounts was tearing out of the wall. The dormer also came with a small set of gas struts that work well and still do.

In 2018, those of us experimenting with gas struts were applying them to the front roof section, not the rear. Forest River was generally copying our results a year or 2 later, which is why my 2019 had OEM struts on the front roof section.

When I went to replace the struts with something better, I discovered 2 different model numbers - one was a 35lb, 35" strut, and the other was a 36", 40lb strut.

I ordered 60#, 36" struts as replacements, and rebuilt the lower mounts. Left side had a plywood backing plate installed with #10 1.5" machine screws, acorn nuts. The right side remarkably hit the upper part of the piano hinge for the toilet cover - probably why the OEM didn't tear out like the left side did.

The 60# struts helped a lot, but weren't really the final answer. They also cause the aluminum vertical on the roof to bow with the extra pressure on the hinge from the struts. After studying the way the roof went up and down, I concluded front struts probably weren't needed, but struts on the rear roof were. But I was very, very hesitant about drilling new holes to mount rear struts. Finally, my 2nd lift motor was starting to weaken so I had to take action.

At the same time, Big Tex (and others) had come to the same conclusion I had about rear gas struts being essential. So I ordered 35.5", 40# struts and mounts for the rear roof. They worked wonderfully, although mine were a lot more direct than the folding action used by others who mounted their rear strut lower mounts higher up. DW (Princess) did not want to feel any backing board, nuts, screws, etc while sleeping using the narrow twin bed configuration. This drove me to a low lower mount location near the bottom of the mattress, unlike what the others had used. And I ended up with a fairly straight push instead of folding action because the longest conveniently priced 40# struts I could find were 35-36".

Regardless, the rear struts worked like a champ. I did not bother to remove the front struts. I did remove the lift motor as I can push/pull the roof panels with a boat hook and the gas struts much, much faster than the lift motor. And I don't have worry about the lift motor failing and locking the roof in whatever position the motor failed in.

So I replaced the OEM front struts in 2019, and still have the struts I installed in 2021 on the rear.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2022 Hyundai Palisade