Question on our 05 24t with the expand-a-room

[elbrinkman]

We are the new owners of a 2005 24Towlite with the expand-a-room. We have been going through it, using the forum as a guide. In adjusting the cables we realized that the full 8 feet? of the underside of the tipout it is exposed to the road. Dirt, dust, rain, whatever can get in. Is it missing a part? Design flaw? We would appreciate any suggestions on how to secure it as we will be traveling in Oregon/Washington and rain is pretty much a certainty.

 

[piperjim]

I'm attaching pics of my Expand-A-Room (or the "tip out" as I usually refer to it). Our Hi-Lo is a 2008 model.

The bottom of the tip out (picture on left) has a fiberglass panel "cover" so the bottom of the sofa isn't exposed. In addition, the tip out has a fiberglass "roof" or "cover" (picture on right). When the tip out is rotated back into the camper, these 2 fiberglass panels pretty much provide protection from the elements.

I would think that yours should look similar. If yours doesn't have a panel covering the bottom of the tip out, it would be easy enough to fabricate something. A sheet metal shop could make up a sheet of aluminum that you could paint and attach to the bottom. Or, Lowes has a 48" x 8' smooth, white fiberglass-reinforced plastic panel for less than $70 that might do the job.


Attaching pics always helps us to help you!

Good luck!

 

[elbrinkman]

Thank you for your reponse! Our issue isn't the panel when it is open.
When the top is down and the tip out is in there is a 6 inch gap the length of the tip-out between the tip out door and the bottom half of the trailer. What covers that space so that it is protected when traveling in the weather?

 

[piperjim]

My Hi-Lo seals that gap at the top of the tip out (when it's folded into the camper) and the top half is in the down position.

When I first got my Hi-Lo, I was working in it getting it loaded for our first camping trip (so the top was "up", but the tip out was "in" and the exterior cover was "down".
I saw that gap and thought, "What idiot designed that?".....because it had a huge gap. But, when I let the top down, that gap is sealed..at the top of the gap. You can still stick your hand into the gap at the bottom, exterior of the camper, but it's sealed at the top.

Good luck!

 

[elbrinkman]

Thank you, that makes much more sense!