Am replacing cracked end cap on 2705T, anyone replaced it themselves??

OK, got my replacement end cap from the HiLo parts people: $493 for the cap and (gulp!) $355 shipping. Just got the trailer parked today in my newly prepared RV parking at the house - no more storage fees, yay!

Am going to replace the rear end cap this weekend. Has anyone done this themselves (not dealer)?

What I intend to do:

Remove all old parts (window, lights)

Remove screws and take old cap off

Reinforce new cap on inside edges with fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin paint.

Cut window and light holes.

Reinstall cap with RV sealant.

Replace parts, window.

By the way, the replacement caps come without window, light holes, so that's why I'll be cutting a new window hole. Wish me luck!

Front cap is starting to crack. Has a vertical crack 1 foot long. Am going to patch it with fiberglass cloth and epoxy, do the same on the other side to make it look like it was meant to be that way, paint them, and call it good.

I'll take pics as I go if anyone is interested in how to either a) do it the right way, or b) fail miserably: time will tell.

Can't wait to take it on the road soon!

Reno

Yuck! The surface parts of our trailers are things that might get to be in short supply. I'll be looking forward to your pictures.

I managed to back our trailer into a tree branch on one of our trips and it cracked the top of the rear cap a small amount. I simply filled the crack with silicone caulk, since it didn't seem to be "structural" and isn't really under any stress. I probably should have drilled small holes in either end of the crack though (it's horizontal) and will of course if I see it start to spread.

- Jack

Update:

End cap off successfully. Took about 1:45, a bit easier than I thought.

Tomorrow we finish the rear and patch the front cap. Have lots of pics, and step-by-step tips. Will post all at once when finished.

Looks great already.

Reno

PS See you have a 17'. We started with a 1989 Funlite 17' - two kids, had a ball. When they left home we decided we needed a larger trailer - go figure. Had to have a Trailmanor 31'. Got one, went on vacation, and traded it after 5 nights for the 27' HiLo. Talk about dedication! (The Trailmanor was, well, just a couple steps lower on the quality/feature ladder than the HiLo - plus cold, and hit my head on bathroom door frame every nite, and shin on edge of bed, and...well, we like the HiLo a lot better).

Hi Reno - Yes, we have the 17' one. We got it because we like to camp in Forest Service campgrounds or other "small" places where there's no room to maneuver the bigger ones.

In fact, we're leaving for Yosemite next weekend and the campsite we've reserved limits trailers to 18'! I guess that means we'll just fit.

The first time we went to Rocky Mountain National Park, they put us in a "drive-through" site that I almost didn't get it into. It curved sharply and there was a big tree on the inside of the curve and a huge boulder on the outside. I should have backed into it, but, these are the things you learn with experience.

- Jack

Rear End Cap replaced!

Yep, the boss and I were just remarking that with our 17' we could get into most every campsite. Now we have to be carefull and scout ahead.

The project took a wee bit longer than anticipated - turns out we decided to yank the front end cap after finding that the main crack extended all the way down to the top of the window. The front end cap is back on without sealant - we are dry fitting to make sure, but all it needs is sealed and window reinstalled. Sure glad we yanked it - reinforced it all around and it had many small cracks, especially at the corners.

The rear cap is actually finished at this time - looks great. Interestingly, the design of the replacement cap is different than the original 2005 one. It has a pronounced lip at the top that sticks out a couple inches, like they were trying to reinforce it. Nevertheless, we put fiberglass around the edges and in corners. Will post a complete set of pics later - size limits here don't allow good resolution for what I took.

Besides the cost of the rear cap, the whole thing, sealant and all, is less than $100. No we have partial fiberglass!

Sure wish HiLo wouldn't have experimented on the materials!

Reno

We had end cap on our 2207 HiLo replaced by the dealer in July. It cost us twice as much. Congratulations on doing it yourself!
Carol