Forum Discussion

Notakwanon's avatar
Notakwanon
Explorer
Jul 21, 2017

Roof lift problem Outfitter Apex

There is a strip of wood attached to the roof, in line with the rise up to the over-cab bed, which seems to have no purpose other than to hang curtains from. Each end of this wood is curved to fit up and over the 'roof rod' (for lack of a better name) of the HECO roof lift mechanism. I noticed that there was a problem when one end of this wood developed a gap of 1/2 inch, a screw and the adhesive having been pulled out. What I see is that the tip of the wood is resting against the 'roof rod', which has been happening for quite awhile judging from the paint loss. If I smack the wood upward, the 'roof rod' springs back and twangs like the string on a bass fiddle. I am inclined to cut a half inch off the wood so it can't catch the rod, but wanted to ask how others have solved this problem. I suppose that I can re-attach the wood to the roof by using a slightly bigger, but not longer, screw. Better ideas are welcome. Tom McCloud

Truck Campers
  • joerg68's avatar
    joerg68
    Nomad III
    Jul 21, 2017
    Your image does not show for me. But I can imagine the situation well - I had an Apex 2011-2016.

    Have you tried to call Outfittermfg?

    There was always some tension on the roof system, but not all that much.

    Are you sure all attachment points are firmly attached to the roof and camper, and everything is straight? Your description sounds like what you see is only a symptom of something else. In which case it would be important to find the root cause.
  • Jack_Hart's avatar
    Jack_Hart
    Explorer II
    Jul 21, 2017
    I've got an Apex with the same problem. While the wood strip is not structural, the fact that it's coming loose indicates that the roof is sagging. While a little sag is probably to be expected with age (my camper is 15 years old), it's not going to be cured with just a bigger screw or better adhesive. My solution was to remove some of the roof sag by shimming the roof back up with a slice of Starboard between the roof and the "roof rod". Once the sag is removed, a bigger screw and more adhesive will hold the wood piece in place. Hopefully this temporary fix will work for another five or ten years.

About Travel Trailer Group

44,029 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 13, 2025