Something kind of bad happened
 

We enjoyed our three day shake down cruise in the rain at Nehalam Bay State Park. We learned the trailer is dry and we have some work to do to determine why the furnace works sporadically. All was good until a kind of downer thing happened as we were lowering the trailer to its towing configuration. Since the trailer is new to us we were being very careful to follow all of the rules and advice we had learned through reading and watching videos. We were paying close attention to make sure the trailer was level during the lowering. Very shortly after I pushed the button to lower the trailer, we heard a loud pop. We quickly raised the trailer and noticed the rigid panel between the galley and head on the sink side had buckled. Subsequent attempts to make the panel descend into its slot were unsuccessful. Since the buckled panel had a new "hinge" we were able to remove it from its slot and lower the trailer. When we arrived home we raised the trailer and probed the slot with a yardstick to determine if something had fallen into the slot to obstruct the lowering of the panel. The yardstick encountered a few bumps but nothing that seemed out of place. We are left with the conclusion that, regardless of how cautious we had been with the leveling, the panel became bound up as is descended into the slot and the binding created the buckled panel.

Questions: Has this happened to others? Does binding due to a leveling issue and subsequent buckling make sense as an explanation for what happened? If so, how close is the leveling tolerance? We ask because it is hard for us to think we could have been any more level than we were. Is there another explanation for what happened? Finally, what is the best source for a replacement panel?

Stuff happens! We are looking forward to many enjoyable days with our Hi Lo.

Dave:

Sorry about your problem, I know you hated to have that happen! In my experience, the trailer doesn't have to be perfectly level to lower properly. I would suspect some binding....somehow, but am sure you examined the broken panel for anything that might have caught on the frame (especially the sides of the panel).

You might get a replacement from J&R Repair Home - JR REPAIR
but I would think you can make one for less than the cost of shipping.

You'll get everything sorted out soon!

Yow! Sounds like you were the victim of a bad design. From what you posted, I can't see how you could have been more careful.

My 17' trailer does not have the rigid panel you speak of. It uses a heavy fabric panel between the ceiling and the edge of the sink counter. It is permanently fastened at both the top and bottom and it simply folds when the top is lowered.

At the entry point to the toilet area, there is a swinging lower door attached to the lower half and then there is a sliding curtain (again, fairly heavy cloth) that closes the upper half to afford privacy. We've never found this setup to be wanting, even with grandchildren aboard.

Possibly, you could modify your trailer to have something similar? I could post pictures if you are having trouble visualizing my setup.

- Jack

I, also, have the fabric and not the rigid panel on my 22'. I get people wanting the rigid panel as it gives the illusion of a "real wall" between bathroom and the rest of the trailer but it was something they started to add in later years. Mine has a heavy fabric but in years before mine they used what always looked to me like those old wood slat shades that rolled up---somehow I always thought of Hemingway and Florida when I would see them. Anyway- I've always wanted some and have thought of finding some and replacing the fabric but my wife is not as enamored as I am. At any rate, yes, try to get another one or make your own or switch back to the fabric style which doesn't have the "sliding into a slot" issue. I wonder if the bottom wall could have shifted just a bit for any number of reasons ( including the stabalizer jacks or other leveling issues) and that caused the issue. You might want to attach (tape?) a yard stick there temporarily and try raising and lowering to see if you notice vertical alignment issues. usually when mine doesn't lower its because I have left something out on a counter top or have left the wardrobe lid up. :)

Edit: Here is a link for a post showing a similar issues: https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f31/interior-wall-3741/

Rick