TowLite Upper Cabinets - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

PopRichie77 · 08-31-2012, 10:01 AM

The wall side of the upper cabinets is dropping down from the ceiling in our 2209T. The wood side near the door is down about a 1/4 inch, pushes right up but has nothing holding it. I can easily find the screws in the front of the cabinet that are screwed to the ceiling but I can't find any place where the wall side is fastened.
Does anyone know where or what is holding the wall side up? It is probably different on the newer TowLites.
Here is a picture of the drop.

garyk52 · 08-31-2012, 11:06 AM

Is there a false bottom in the cabinet?

PopRichie77 · 08-31-2012, 11:43 AM

I think I know what you are getting at, that the fastening places are inside the floor of the cabinet. I suspect this is the case. The bottom side of the cabinet bottom appears to be made of the ceiling material with the bonded on styrofoam and then on the inside they put wood finish paneling on top which is stapled down, and possible glued also, makes it about 1& 1/2 inches thick, hard to remove with out damaging it.The fastening places must be at least 18 inches from the ends, leaving the ends unsupported. I have not found a way yet to find where the metal tubing is in the walls. Tried an electronic stud finder but that doesn't work. My first pic doesn't show the full side of the cabinet, the front part is dropped down to make the cabinet bigger and making it harder to get at the back, here is a full side shot.
Any advice is appreciated. The cabinet is pushed up some in this pic.

garyk52 · 08-31-2012, 12:09 PM

I'm pretty sure your not going to find a horizontal metal tube in the wall for the cabinet. I would bet the only metal tubing is around the perimeter of the wall and possible one side of the window. Is there any light fixtures on the bottom of the cabinet. If there is I seriously doubt they foamed the inside between the bottom and the inside panel. I'm just guessing here as mine is hollow.

retiredcamper47 · 08-31-2012, 01:48 PM

Rich,

You might want to consider using toggle bolts to attach the ends of the cabinets to the wall if you cannot locate any structural studs in the wall. They come in various lengths and diameters. These expand on the backside of the wall when tightened. Just a suggestion...............

Bob

PopRichie77 · 08-31-2012, 01:58 PM

You are right the large bottom part is hollow. I guess the small back part is also but I am having a hard time getting into it. I am removing all screws that look like they may be holding it together, I have to use a small ratchet wrench next to the wall underneath. Slow going, on break now, hot inside there today. I will post back as I am sure the end piece is coming down in other trailers. Cutting corners is one thing but when it results in very poor quality, that is inexcusable. Our trailer also has the cheap Chinese interior paneling that is getting small bumps all over.

Bob, that is sort of an option, but there is no place on the rear of the cabinet to fasten to.

PopRichie77 · 08-31-2012, 03:23 PM

Well removing the screws didn't do anything in the way of getting into the area. Removing as many staples from the back of the panel near the wall and then prying it up and out is the only way into that area, it was stapled in the front behind and under a corner trim piece, but with the back lifted up and pulling forward it came off, only damage was where I dug the staples out, very minor and in the back anyway. Here is a pic. not hard to see the problem. The 3/4 X 1 strips are screwed fast but not fastened to each other, which lets the cabinet side piece drop down in the back. I have to get some 3/4 X 1 strips, will screw one vertical to the side piece and to the wall and maybe fasten the two pieces that are there to each other. The vertical piece will be exposed and the panel will have to be cut out for the strip. It could be fixed easy if the cabinet was out but I can't do that This seems like the next best thing. I will have to fix the other corners also.

retiredcamper47 · 08-31-2012, 05:37 PM

Rich,

Would it be easier to attach a "L" bracket to the top of the inside wall of the cabinet and screw the other side of the bracket to the ceiling? Or use an outside corner moulding instead of a "L" bracket? Might not be pretty but it would be functional and only seen when cabinet door is open.

Bob

PopRichie77 · 08-31-2012, 08:07 PM

Bob, I also thought of that but the ceiling plywood is less than a 1/4 inch thick and I didn't think the straight down pull would hold much. Any way I just got a 1X 2 wood strip which is only 3/4 X 1&1/2, I also got some 90 degree angles that are 5/8 X 2& 1/2, ea side takes 2 screws, I plan on putting them across the corner of the 2 wood strips along with the vertical wood strip. This should be pretty strong, compared to nothing before. Also there is some wrinkles in the side vinyl and the plywood feels slightly soft under them, I know there is no leaks in the roof as I have checked it a lot and just in the last coupled days, unless the AC seal is leaking. I plan on cutting a piece out inside the cabinet to see what is going on. Maybe it is just that crummy paneling.

retiredcamper47 · 08-31-2012, 10:59 PM

Good luck Rich with your project. Just hope it was your finger tips being mushy and not the wall.

Bob

sam · 08-31-2012, 11:29 PM

This poor workmanship is exactly why HiLo is out of business. Can't always blame the workers. The standard comes from the engineers/management. I have seen another members HiLo with the inferior paneling/bumps. The bumps must have showed up after the warranty ran out or HiLo went out of business. Hi Lo always wanted top doller for the trailers. The way I understood the paneling issue is that the vinyl panels were bought in China. sp dollar. Clearly defective. Lack of quality control. We had a light in our trailer that didn't work for 22yrs. The wire was in the wrong bundle inside of the cabinet.

PappaP · 09-01-2012, 11:54 AM

Post a picture of the "after" please when your done. Good luck poprichie, hopefully you don't have a leak also.

jcurtis95 · 09-01-2012, 01:29 PM

PopRichie,

I am watching with great interest as you are trying to get the cabinets out. I will have the same thing confronting me just as soon as it cools down some and I can get into the trailer. Like you, I searched and searched for the cabinet mounting screws and they are just not there! Our problem is/will be compounded for the motor for the tilt-out is located in the center of the cabinet and that will be something else to figure out. As I understand it, there was no advantage gained by removing the bottom? My thought was that the cabinet was somehow bolted to the aluminum wall studding.

When I removed the ceiling inside one end of the cabinets and after tearing away the ¼” ceiling, there was a thick section of Styrofoam between it and the roof decking. Is that the way yours is? If I recall the Styrofoam was about an inch to 1-1/2 “ thick so that it would take a very long screw to penetrate it and get to the roof decking. Just curious to know if you find/have found any screw attachment to the roof decking.

The pictures you have posted are difficult to put into perspective. Once you have the cabinet removed, could you back off a little as the close-ups make it difficult to see where you are removing screws, staples, etc.? When you get some time, I would appreciate a clarification of where the mounting screws are located with pics if possible. Also, did you have to take off the end caps of the cabinets and if so, how are they attached? Ours are covered with cloth and I could feel no screws, nails, or staples through the fabric. Since it is not up against the wall on either end, I am thinking the end cap removal might make the cabinet removal easier [?].

I apologize for all the questions but your experience in removing should benefit a lot of us who will have to do the same removal so we can tear out and replace new ceiling tiles. Please keep us updated with your progress. Thanks and good luck.

Jerry Curtis
2406 T

PopRichie77 · 09-01-2012, 02:01 PM

I planed on repairing the cabinet with it up, looked easy till I got my head in there and then tried to get my arms and hands in, after about 3 hours, I gave up on that idea and realized that to do a proper repair the cabinet had to come out. Was so frustrated because I discover that there is some water damage at the top of the wall door side and I don't know where it is coming from, point is I didn't take any pics of the cabinet removal, as soon as I get settled down, I will take pics of the cabinet and explain how to remove.
On another note I would not try to screw up to the top roof panel as I don't think it is very thick and a slight misjudgement in screw length and it would go thru the roof. I am guessing at 3/8 s panel as I just put a solar panel on the trailer, it originally had one or they marked the holes and the wire hole and then caulked them in. I opened the wire hole up some and the panel wasn't very thick, could have measured it but didn't think too.
Anyway pics coming. Here they are. First pic is of the end of the cabinet, yours is covered with cloth. Second pic is of the inside,showing the back top panel of the hollow bottom.
3rd pic is showing the panel removed, I removed the staples close to the wall and then pulled the panel up, wall side and the staples pulled right out of the front. Last pic shows one the screws that have to be removed from the wall, they are inside the hollow bottom. The screws that are screwed to the roof are inside the top of the doors just open to see.
If I can help more just ask.

sam · 09-01-2012, 03:04 PM

Don't know if this will help. Remove the window under /around your cabinet. With the window removed you will be able to see the layers of your wall. This should help you determine the extent of your wall dammage/delamination. Thanks for sharing your story/problem as it will help others. If you remove your entire cabinet put your sheet/bottom back in before you mount to the wall. Forgot this step when we did our restoration. Gee,how could we forget this five months after the start of our restoration!!

Karmenday · 03-26-2017, 04:22 PM

Hi all, I'm having the same problem that you had years ago in removing the upper cabinets, I haven't gotten to the lower yet and I am unsure how to post pictures on here, tells me to copy my URL but I don't have a URL for a picture. Any input? It's been years since you guys are posted so I don't know if you'll even get this but hopefully you do and you can give advice to a newbie! Thank you in advance, Karmen