Montana 3813MS

[Willjim]

I was on my way home from a week long camping trip today and stopped at a cracker Barrell for lunch. Parked and did my usual walk around to check my rig and saw the metal wrap on the side was completely separated from the side of trailer. It was coming out of the storage door framing and water heater framing. It looks like it was not secured to the side very well to meet the fiberglass body. Has anyone had any problems with this? I called to see if a dealer could look at it and all I hear is they are booked until October.

[sourdough]

What year? Oh yes, I've dealt with that issue before. You need to watch the other side as well.

Pull that trim strip and you will find that the "installer" in his haste did not fully raise that panel under the transition strip to put the screws through it...he missed. If like my last trailer just pull that strip and look at the sloppiness of the screw insertions vs the intent to go through that panel, J panel or whatever, and secure it. It has pulled out from under that strip for that reason.

The cure can be fairly simple or aggravating. You can pull the entire transition as I did only to find each end is "there". At that point I would have had to start removing vertical trim strips etc. I didn't want to dismantle the trailer so...get a rivet gun. Unless you remove all the end attachments that panel is not going to go "up" as one piece without a nice bow. Pull the strip, manipulate that panel up as far as you can, drill pilot holes and pop rivet it in place. Rivets should be covered under the strip and the panel will never drop again. If not, it will pop out every time you take a long trip...ask me how I know.

[Willjim]

Thanks Sourdough, mine is a 2020 Montana 3813MS. I had to run a screw into it to get me home without it ripping off on the highway. Very disappointed with what we pay for these campers. I had a guy tell me that it doesn’t matter how much they cost you still have problems. Thanks for reply.

[Mikendebbie]

Willjim - I have the exact photo somewhere in my files from summer 2018. Stopped at a Walmart in Arkansas and notice the skirt had popped out. DW and I popped it back into the gasket and I applied a bead of silicone to it, and have had no issues since. Easy fix. Generally the gasket is fine - just the metal skirt comes out.