Repair damaged (bowed) wall section

Hi all,

I managed to to replace the cables and pulleys on our 2007 23C “Classic” following the excellent guidance posted on this forum. I was so pleased that I failed to do due diligence and walk around the trailer before lowering the top on a 4 by 4 lying horizontally on one of those piers (?) sticking out (front passenger side). The net effect was the lower margin of the wall below the front side window is bowed inward. I included a few pictures here but they do not clearly show the extent of deformation.

I am open to any ideas you care to offer to repair the damage I caused. Would a body shop have the right tools to maybe press the wall back? The exterior siding is one continuous panel that runs the entire trailer length, which presents a challenge. I have read that some HiLo models have metal “studs” and I assume others have wooden studs. BTW, I intend to pull all of the windows and seal with butyl tape and Lexel.

Welcome to the forum.

Glad you got the memo about pulling and resealing your windows. What model do you have? Iis it a Classic or Towlite. I have a big curved window in my 1996 Classic 26ft. I did not pull this window as it is covered by a large rock shield. You Tube has a tutorial on pulling and resealing windows. I have done this on both HiLOS that we have owned.

sam said:

Glad you got the memo about pulling and resealing your windows. What model do you have? Iis it a Classic or Towlite. I have a big curved window in my 1996 Classic 26ft. I did not pull this window as it is covered by a large rock shield. You Tube has a tutorial on pulling and resealing windows. I have done this on both HiLOS that we have owned.

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Thanks, I will check out the video. I found more good advice on this Firun. Ours is a 2007 Classic 23C

I am not sure about your wall repair since I have not arrived to that stage in my rebuilt (but I will soon be there.) I do highly recommend pulling (removing) the windows for inspection and resealing. When I removed the front inside trim/retainer aluminum on side window near the entrance door, I could actually see daylight at the front upper corner! The hole at the factory had actually been cut a little too far forward! (And for some reason, all of the added silicon and caulk over the years hadn’t kept the water out! (Go figure!)
Anyway, that is partially why I am working on a total rebuild, things the previous owners never noticed, until it was a little beyond too late. (Not sure why the first picture turned itself sideways, but the gap is in front of the window.)

I also have the dreaded door sag! So, that should be another fun repair!!

Good luck, and hang in there!! The finished product is priceless!! Literally!!

RahnA said:

I am not sure about your wall repair since I have not arrived to that stage in my rebuilt (but I will soon be there.) I do highly recommend pulling (removing) the windows for inspection and resealing. When I removed the front inside trim/retainer aluminum on side window near the entrance door, I could actually see daylight at the front upper corner! The hole at the factory had actually been cut a little too far forward! (And for some reason, all of the added silicon and caulk over the years hadn’t kept the water out! (Go figure!)
Anyway, that is partially why I am working on a total rebuild, things the previous owners never noticed, until it was a little beyond too late. (Not sure why the first picture turned itself sideways, but the gap is in front of the window.)

I also have the dreaded door sag! So, that should be another fun repair!!

Good luck, and hang in there!! The finished product is priceless!! Literally!!

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Thank you. That looks like a major gap and am glad you found it and are dealing with it. I started the process on the first window yesterday. Thanks to advice on this Forum, I figured out how to remove the window valance and i removed the curtain. Some of the screws are proving stubborn but using a hammer and a old standard screw driver, WD40 and even vice grips. I will need to spot paint before I am done. I accept your kind offer of luck same to you!

Caunteton said:

Thank you. That looks like a major gap and am glad you found it and are dealing with it. I started the process on the first window yesterday. Thanks to advice on this Forum, I figured out how to remove the window valance and i removed the curtain. Some of the screws are proving stubborn but using a hammer and a old standard screw driver, WD40 and even vice grips. I will need to spot paint before I am done. I accept your kind offer of luck same to you!

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Yes! There is more info on this forum than most of us will ever be able to take advantage of. And a wealth of knowledge from of the “old timers” that help answer questions on here. (I won’t name names because I would forget someone, but they all know who they are and we thank them all for sharing their knowledge.

Each task, at times, seem to be daunting once in a while, but I have found that if I take my time, think through each step and spend about as much time on here reading, I have found my stress level is substantially lower. Just remember, it was built one piece at a time (Hmm, sounds like a title to a great song!) And since it was put together once, it will come a part, with a little persuasion, and probably be in better shape than original.

Resealing windows

I am on my second HiLo. First one DH and I had to do major wall rebuilding because no one told us to pull and reseal the window. When we brought the second one home the first thing we did was pull the windows and reseal. One window opening was cut a little too big. DH shimmed it up. The escape window was starting to delaminate. Wood glue and a clamp fixed this. Someone at the factory went crazy with an impact gun when they installed the day and night shade on one window. Best of luck with your repairs.

Thank you. I have now pulled and prepped my first window. Looks like some black mold like stuff has gained a toe hold. I have treated that with ammonia solution and am now gluing together the various components using clamps. At the same time, I have started the process of removing the metal trim where the roof and wall edges meet, cleaning it up and putting in new butyl tape and a bead of caulking. I might even add everlasting tape.

I’ve always been good at taking things apart; it’s putting it all back together without afterwards having extra parts has been the trick! I just removed the metal strip where the top of the side wall meets the roof edge and determined there appear to be no leaks. Now all back together again after cleaning the the surfaces and deploying new butyl tape, caulking and new stainless steel screws (the originals are rusting). I realize now the rust under the bottom of the upper section wall probably is from the side window seal failing. We’ll see when I remove the rest of those side windows once we start having warmer and dry weather.

Caunteton said:

I’ve always been good at taking things apart; it’s putting it all back together without afterwards having extra parts has been the trick! I just removed the metal strip where the top of the side wall meets the roof edge and determined there appear to be no leaks. Now all back together again after cleaning the the surfaces and deploying new butyl tape, caulking and new stainless steel screws (the originals are rusting). I realize now the rust under the bottom of the upper section wall probably is from the side window seal failing. We’ll see when I remove the rest of those side windows once we start having warmer and dry weather.

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Good job, you are probably right. They say water doesn’t run uphill, but it will in a camper! My limited knowledge figures that once the water leaks in around a window and the sun warms up the water, it then raises like steam and affects the paneling above the window and into the ceiling area. (I know I just did a very elementary description of the process, and probably didn’t use the correct terminology, but I was try to keep it down at my level.)

My basis for this is the PO of my camper covered and sealed the roof and all seams with eternabond when he acquired the camper. (And he did a good job of it.) But a number of years later, he had major wall and ceiling edge rot going on. Hence, the water ran up hill. (He figured it couldn’t be from leaking at the windows since there was about tube of silicone around each window.)

Hopefully your repair will be mild and painless.