Front tent came out!

rgthoma · 06-07-2015, 05:49 PM

I have a 2013 21SS. I live and camp in New Mexico where the wind can be rather harsh this time of year. After a very high-wind day, actually removed my very high wind PUGS because the wind was fierce, I noticed the outer seam of the tent end was no longer in the correct location. Sorry, no pictures but I'll try to explain. There is a small channel on the top and sides that hold the tent seam in place, apparently with no adhesive other than a blob of silicone in the corners. This seam seems to act as a type of strain relief for the remaining material that is tucked and attached to the structure of the tent window opening. Whiteout this seam seated in the correct location, the tent ends have too much material flapping around and actually leaves a large gaping hole in the upper corners. I found a small plastic channel about 3 inches long that apparently is tucked under this material at the corners for some reason. Anyhow, I need to permanently attach these seams to this channel and am considering an adhesive like Gorilla Glue. There is a warning on the package to not use with polypropylene products, not sure if applies to these tent ends or not. I also need to re-seal the corners with maybe a silicone adhesive. Any thoughts or past experiences are appreciated. Thanks! Ron

syogerst · 06-07-2015, 07:51 PM

Just got done duck taping my front tent end to the door frame. After removing the mattress we noticed that no one used a single screw to hold down the cheap plastic molding all along the front of the bunk. I wouldn't of known about the screws, but earlier the cheap molding that held the inside molding on was all bent and loose, so we replaced that piece. Does anyone check these campers over before they send them out?

Yesterday the drawer slide on the sofa bed broke. Sheets and pillowcases aren't very heavy!

This is our first outting of the season and thinking I shouldn't ever go far from home.....

brian19889 · 06-08-2015, 07:20 AM

Build quality in the RV industry is pretty much a joke, especially when dealing with campers in our price range (I'm assuming you have a Roo or a Shamrock, since you're here)...Either way, remember, the factory has to crank these things out and make a profit, and I think they do a little bit of profit maximization....I'm found some stuff on my Shamrock that are just flat out cheap.

Also, as a fellow forum member, both of you guys should put in your signatures that your RV is and what you're towing it with. It will make it much easier when you ask for help for those of us who want to help you! Have a great day!

syogerst · 06-08-2015, 07:40 AM

Brian, I have a 231kss and a 2006 Chevy Silverado. I just think that after you spend 20 something for a camper, you should be able to expect it not to start coming apart after 5 uses. It's been the hood fan, door frame, green trim around slide outs, torn weather strip, fend loosen and very cheap locks. I'm not trying to be fussy but a had a Wildwood Hybrid for 10 years and had it in for a gas line repair once and a canvas repair. I love the layout of the camper. It is perfect for me and my grandchildren. You just should not expect it to spend the short Wi summers in the shop.

brian19889 · 06-08-2015, 08:00 AM

I'm in complete agreement with you. Last summer I had to replace some of my flooring because of some water damage....yeah, 1/4 inch plywood over the aluminum beams, and that was it. I had to tear out the couch, cabinetry, dinette, hot water tank, plumbing in the front end, and electrical. The poor construction of the flooring really ticked me off.

sparty047 · 06-08-2015, 03:05 PM

Ron.....you are right.....a picture would help.

rgthoma · 06-09-2015, 05:16 PM

So any suggestions on which glue/epoxy to use or stay away from?

deartruc · 06-09-2015, 06:01 PM

I had to replace my front bunk tent end on a previous sob htt due to mice damage. The tent end fit into a channel and then was screwed in place. I'd recommend you use screws which would be better than glue. If you ever have to replace the tent, a screw is easier to remove than glue.

rgthoma · 06-09-2015, 06:25 PM

Yes part of it is still screwed into the channel. There is another seam about 2-3 inches away from the screwed channel that has some very slight evidence of being glued in place but is no longer secured. I'm guessing a strong glue should work but am concerned about ruining the fabric if the glue heats up enough to melt whatever the tent ends are made of.

2013 Roo 21SS
Albuquerque,NM

syogerst · 06-10-2015, 03:51 PM

What kind of screws should I buy? How far apart should they be placed? 2015 231kss

deartruc · 06-10-2015, 08:37 PM

Let's hope that someone who may have replaced a tent end is monitoring this vs watching the CMT music awards..lol. The SOB (Some Other Brand) had a plastic strip you screwed threw and then into the tent ad into the wall. There were 12 and were about 3/4" long and were spaced about 3" apart in the corners and about a foot apart along the straight edges. I just took a look at the 23ikss and see where you could use a plastic strip if needed. No pics of where it pulled out on yours so I'm only guessing.

syogerst · 06-10-2015, 08:54 PM

I'll send photo in the morning. Thanks for the info.

rgthoma · 06-15-2015, 05:43 PM

To provide an update...I was able to re-seal the seam using 100% silicone adhesive caulk. We'll see how long the lifetime guarantee will last. On another note. Looking closely and trying to figure out why the poorly-attached tent end came out, I'm convinced the pop-up gizmos are what caused or at least contributed to this issue. I have the very high wind model and strap the bungees to themselves under the bunk. Use the provided clips on the edges. I think the clips provided the "pull" enough to pull out the poorly-attached seam from the attachment point in a 20-30 MPH wind. Again, high wind in New Mexico this time of year and the gizmos did stay on but the tent took a beating because of this I believe. I'll still use them in the fall but never again in the spring and early summer. So you folks thinking about the velcro option along the top, keep an eye open for the seam to pull away from the top attachment point. It will be easy to tell because you'll notice the gaping holes in the top corners of the tent from the inside. Good Luck!

yetavon · 06-16-2015, 10:25 AM

We are getting the front tent end replaced under warranty (someday) and they say they have to replace the whole bunk not just the tent? But I also noticed the plastic strip had popped up and about 6 inches of the tent came lose....

RooVader · 06-16-2015, 12:03 PM

Very interesting if the PUGS contributed to the issue. It does at least give me pause enough that I may not use velcro instead of the first few bungees. That will keep any "pull down" force on the velcro and not on the silicone...i hope.

BeagleIL · 06-17-2015, 08:16 PM

I am having the exact same issue and I've never had PUG's installed.

Here's a picture of the bad side:

Here's how the canvas sags:

A picture of the good side (although it looks like it might be out soon):

There are 2 three inch pieces of plastic U-channel in each corner. Not quite sure what they are supposed to do. I took them out from the outside so that they would get lost. I don't know whether to take it in for repair or try and fix it myself. It is out of warranty so I'll have to pay one way or another.

rgthoma · 06-18-2015, 06:50 AM

Yes, your pictures are just what happened to my unit. I was able to tuck the seam and the plastic channel back into place with silicone as stated in my earlier post. I am headed back to a windy lake again today with rain expected tomorrow. I'll report on my repair and let everyone know if it was successful.

yetavon · 06-18-2015, 08:12 AM

Well I will need to pay attention.....mine came undone were the tent attached to the bed of the bunk.

rgthoma · 06-21-2015, 03:16 PM

My repair seems to have worked! A great weekend at the lake with lots of rain and of course, lots of wind. My tent held up like a champ. I didn't use my PUGS this time but am planning on using them next time we go out. Hopefully this was just FR trying to save a few pennies by not using enough adhesive silicone to secure the seam in place.

syogerst · 06-22-2015, 10:53 AM

So do I just run a bead of caulk and glue the tent to the bunk? Then do I caulk the plastic strip over the tent end? How about screwing it down? Right now it is duck taped on the outside to the frame. One more silly question, are there different types of silicon caulk? Thanks Sue

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