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Thsldo's avatar
Thsldo
Explorer
Jun 24, 2014

Rear Wall

Anyone know how they attach the rear wall to campers? I have a 2001 Coachmen Cadet, and when the rear bed is opened, the rear wall separates from one side of the camper by almost an inch. I can see the aluminum channel or structure of the camper, and I am not sure if it is screwed in from the back, or from inside? Now that this happened, the caulking has been removed, causing a great potential for a water leak. Thanks everyone!
  • The screws should probably be about twice as long as the thickness of the back wall.
  • I tried adding screws through that channel earlier, didn't seem to grab anything, but I am going to try what you suggest, that makes sense. Thanks!
  • There is probably a trim piece on the back wall, a channel with a rubber strip in it. Take the rubber strip out of the channel. Drill a pilot hole through the back wall (in the channel) and into the sidewall. Slightly oversize the hole through the back wall only (slightly larger than the screws your are going to use). Use long screws and screw the back wall to the sidewall. Put the rubber piece back in the channel and your done.

    You are putting screws through the frame piece in the corner of the backwall and screwing into the frame piece in the corner of the sidewall. The frame pieces in the corners may be an aluminium section. They are in mine. Or the could be wood 1"X2"s, 2"X2"s., etc. You have to "slightly" oversize the hole in the back wall so the screws don't bite, and instead slips through the back wall and pulls the two walls together. Otherwise the screws would bite into both wall panels and hold the walls apart instead of pulling them together. Start at the bottom where the walls are already (hopefully) together and work your way up to the top. Use washers behind the screw heads in the channel if need be to get a bigger holding area. But everything has to be able to fit behind the rubber piece when you put it back in.
  • We are still using it. Once the rear door is closed, the gap is gone. I am hoping to get a better look at it this weekend. I have noticed it like this last year as well, but it was towards the end of the season and it spends the winters covered. There is no water damage, or even any water entering the camper.
  • Are you still confidently pulling the trailer with that kind of wall instability? We have a 2001 Aero Cub that has water damage on the nose and much of the floor and in the past week a corner trim piece has popped out of place and the lower portion of the outer wall is separating. We're brand new to campers and haven't pulled it anywhere yet 'cause I'm terrified that once we hit the road the whole thing is gonna collapse. Your wall separation sounds awful and I'm looking forward to hearing responses on how to fix it!
  • A lot of times they are just glued to the studs.

    Thsldo wrote:
    Anyone know how they attach the rear wall to campers? I have a 2001 Coachmen Cadet, and when the rear bed is opened, the rear wall separates from one side of the camper by almost an inch. I can see the aluminum channel or structure of the camper, and I am not sure if it is screwed in from the back, or from inside? Now that this happened, the caulking has been removed, causing a great potential for a water leak. Thanks everyone!