Northern Lite 10-2 Bulge/Buckling Repair Advice

[Akjoatmon]

I am looking for advice from anyone with experience repairing the bulge on a Northern Lite truck camper. The bulge or buckling has been mentioned in a few posts here and I hoping to hear from someone who has made successful repairs. There is a bulge on each side of the camper (NL 10-2) where the cab over meets the main body of the camper. On the drivers side it is in front and slightly above the fresh water fill and on the passenger side near the upper front corner of the refrigerator access panel.
Thanks

[covered_wagon]

Thanks Clint. one aspect to the mind that's amazing is that you can apply yourself to something unrelated, but because you are in the process of learning and exercising your head, you often find yourself with a better understanding of things related, even unrelated. In this since it helps to learn other repairs done for future needs.

Earlier I described about the overhead beam inside btwn the cabover and the main body. This is the one over your head while climbing into bed. I made the mistake stating that it is a hollow box type beam. It is indeed a solid beam... carries weight of the roof and approx 1/4th of the cabover roof weight. I'm sorry about mistake and wish not to make false statements.

I want everyone to know that I built a wall under this beam to help spread some of the roof load onto the main camper wall below. Its the wall w/ the small front window underneath the cabover and did this to eliminate some of the roof weight coming down on the cabover exterior sidewalls. This is a partial solution with a small benefit to the problem, but is nice to have a little more wall space, privacy and seperation to stop bedding from falling into the kitchen sink.

next will be addressing the full trial solution to the compression bulge issue to the cabover. My camper lasted 14 years w/o having the cabover delamination, but showed itself after a 3 month long winter camping inwhich I think condensation caused this compression bulge from the cabover weight.

Yes, I think a more appropriate term for the delamination in this area is a 'compression bulge'.

[Area13]

Way to own it covered wagon, although I think you answered the original question and also added useful info that pertains to the same unit. I would have appreciated your input if I were the OP.

[covered_wagon]

Sorry Mark the Tittle of the thread got me going. Did not mean to disrespect your original post.

[Akjoatmon]

I respectfully do not understand what fixing a "crushing" basement has to do with this post. I am looking for advice from someone who has actual experience repairing a bulge where the cab over meets the main body of the camper. I am not fishing for social interaction, just first hand knowledge from someone who has actually had this particular issue. If you want to talk about a basement perhaps you could start a separate post.
thanks

[covered_wagon]

Spott wrote:
What did the basement crushing look like? any photos?
anyone have photos of this side bulging?

The pictures where removed from my post on the other forum long before photobucket cancelled their free service.

The first clue to having the basement problem is while the camper is resting on the truck, you will see the camper lower in the rear indicated by a smaller distance above the truck bed rails.

I did the studs on the outside of the basement side in front of the gen box. Then laminated using structural glue and structural plywood to the all basement sides. Work needs to be done when the camper is resting on the jacks not the truck bed.

It is a great life enjoying a good truck camper, doing the travel camping, visitations, but you have to really be willing to do whatever it takes.

Gen box was not connected in anyway to the basement sides so adding that last stud against the gen box is important. Attached not only to the box but the basement side as well.

[GaryT]

Spott, as for basement crushing, had the same problem as Covered Wagon on my 2004 10-2CD. It basically was a side buckling of a plywood truss. Cut some 2x4's to length and wedged and glued them in place to reinforce the bottom of the right hand side truss that was having the problem. This was Keith Donkin's (Northern Lite) recommendation.

As for a picture, have one that looks like the inside of black painted box. Drop me email and will send this to you.

[Spott]

What did the basement crushing look like? any photos?
anyone have photos of this side bulging?

[Gaetan]

It would be very nice if you included pictures of before and after
And how you fixed it
Gaetan

[covered_wagon]

snowcrustracer wrote:
How old is the camper? I would call or e-mail Northern Lite before doing anything.

I already fixed the basement structure crushing under its own weight. Got a call from a building official last week with the same problem asking what I had done to repair it.

Even tho Northern Lite offered to fix it 7 years after ownership I opted to do the repairs myself. I'm glad I did.

Including my unit I now know of 8 structural problems that happened. The cab over issue is the toughest one.

I'm glad I will be doing this repair myself also. Basically installing stainless decorative steel plate on the outside with a backing plate on the inside. It will be thru bolted using both plates to sandwich the wall structure in between. Plates will cover the bulge and run 2.5 feet either side of the bulge. Running up and down whatever size allows in design.

[snowcrustracer]

How old is the camper? I would call or e-mail Northern Lite before doing anything.

[covered_wagon]

That is where mine are also. They showed up after about a month long camp in cold temps that required much venting of condensation during the day. Even though camper was vented during furnace use in cold nights and vented all during the day, the amount of condensation build up quickly deteriorated well cared for camper. The electric jacks circuit board also went out from moisture building. Also the insulation on the ceiling over the cabover has started to become unglued hanging by the escape hatch trim and headliner fabric.