Hello,
My wife and I bought a towable trailer in the year 2000; it was a 2000 Special Edition 29S Mallard Travel Trailer 75th Anniversary. Since buying the trailer we have used it every season at the same park. In the last two years we have not used it as much due to medical issues in the family. Last year we never spent a night and were only able to spend a couple of hours here and there and the end result for me is disability and pain for the rest of my life.
This year we were looking forward to this season and everything was great and everything was going to be easier for me as everything is on one level and close by and I do not have to work to take care of myself with some autonomy. My wife could have a break after going through everything she deserves a break. The trailer would be the perfect place to be for rehabilitation for myself.
How wrong was I! I stood at the trailer and opened the door, stepped up the stairs and put my foot on the floor to go in. With my weight on my right foot pushed down the linoleum on the floor as I heard and felt the floor underneath giving way. I grabbed for the sides of the trailer which was fine for my right hand because the TV stand was there for stability but not for my left hand because the rail / moulding gave way and pulled off the wall. I turned as I was going down to see the moulding / railing had been pulled 10 to 12 inches off the wall as I fell to my knees.
That wasn’t the end, because when I collected myself and got up and away I realised that this was a big hole. I looked at the wall where I had grabbed the moulding and pulled it away from the wall about 10 to 12 inches, that the wall looked funny. I could also see that the small strip moulding around the door on my right had been pulled up about 3 feet, little nails and all. The left side of the wall looked okay. Of course after closer inspection it wasn’t.
I called my wife and she was in shock like I was. After everything was said and done and I started to determine the damage and had a friend come over with some tools and cut the floor open layer by layer;
• 2x4 foot square floor damaged (from under the door into the trailer)
• Linoleum, wood floor and installation no good.
• Black Barrier is fine underneath all the damage.
• Flooring bracing are good except for what is actually under the door.
• Both walls are damaged from the top to bottom. Outwards.
• Damaged is in between the walls and the paper itself dose not look damaged.
• Damage goes from door to over wheel well and dinning seat.
• Damage goes from door to the TV Stand Cupboard.
I think the roof drain drip rail above the door may be the issue. It is not one complete piece and there is actually a break or gap between the back rail to the front rail allowing water to run down the side of the outside trailer to the top of the door. I never noticed this before because there is some caulking there. There is also a stain from where the gap and caulking is going down to the top of the door frame and caulking. From there it looks like the water ran into the door frame and in between the walls and the floor. That’s why we did not see anything until it was too late. If that drip rail or gutter above the door was one piece this probably not happen. Even when you look at the seams around the door and where the original caulking is there is no apparent leak on or around the door. If this is the issue and I had known that caulking was being used to continue the rail from one side to the other side I would have checked the gap and the caulking on a regular basis. I do not know if it would have helped but at least it doing something is much better than doing nothing. Not only that but if I had known that the rail or gutter was not one complete piece I would have addressed it when we were looking at buying it.
1. Has anyone else had this happen to them?
2. If you did, how did you deal with it?
3. Is this a manufacturer defect?
4. Even though my warranty is over would it be reasonable to contact the manufacturer for help in this matter?
5. Does my insurance cover this?
6. Is it worth fixing?
7. Is the trailer worth anything? Trade in for another trailer.
Now that I am disabled there is no way I can even think about trying to fix this. Even if I was able bodied I don’t think I could fix this?
Any and all information, experience is appreciated. Does anyone know a link or have information that I can have to at least contact the manufacturer myself?
Thank You In Advance
My wife and I bought a towable trailer in the year 2000; it was a 2000 Special Edition 29S Mallard Travel Trailer 75th Anniversary. Since buying the trailer we have used it every season at the same park. In the last two years we have not used it as much due to medical issues in the family. Last year we never spent a night and were only able to spend a couple of hours here and there and the end result for me is disability and pain for the rest of my life.
This year we were looking forward to this season and everything was great and everything was going to be easier for me as everything is on one level and close by and I do not have to work to take care of myself with some autonomy. My wife could have a break after going through everything she deserves a break. The trailer would be the perfect place to be for rehabilitation for myself.
How wrong was I! I stood at the trailer and opened the door, stepped up the stairs and put my foot on the floor to go in. With my weight on my right foot pushed down the linoleum on the floor as I heard and felt the floor underneath giving way. I grabbed for the sides of the trailer which was fine for my right hand because the TV stand was there for stability but not for my left hand because the rail / moulding gave way and pulled off the wall. I turned as I was going down to see the moulding / railing had been pulled 10 to 12 inches off the wall as I fell to my knees.
That wasn’t the end, because when I collected myself and got up and away I realised that this was a big hole. I looked at the wall where I had grabbed the moulding and pulled it away from the wall about 10 to 12 inches, that the wall looked funny. I could also see that the small strip moulding around the door on my right had been pulled up about 3 feet, little nails and all. The left side of the wall looked okay. Of course after closer inspection it wasn’t.
I called my wife and she was in shock like I was. After everything was said and done and I started to determine the damage and had a friend come over with some tools and cut the floor open layer by layer;
• 2x4 foot square floor damaged (from under the door into the trailer)
• Linoleum, wood floor and installation no good.
• Black Barrier is fine underneath all the damage.
• Flooring bracing are good except for what is actually under the door.
• Both walls are damaged from the top to bottom. Outwards.
• Damaged is in between the walls and the paper itself dose not look damaged.
• Damage goes from door to over wheel well and dinning seat.
• Damage goes from door to the TV Stand Cupboard.
I think the roof drain drip rail above the door may be the issue. It is not one complete piece and there is actually a break or gap between the back rail to the front rail allowing water to run down the side of the outside trailer to the top of the door. I never noticed this before because there is some caulking there. There is also a stain from where the gap and caulking is going down to the top of the door frame and caulking. From there it looks like the water ran into the door frame and in between the walls and the floor. That’s why we did not see anything until it was too late. If that drip rail or gutter above the door was one piece this probably not happen. Even when you look at the seams around the door and where the original caulking is there is no apparent leak on or around the door. If this is the issue and I had known that caulking was being used to continue the rail from one side to the other side I would have checked the gap and the caulking on a regular basis. I do not know if it would have helped but at least it doing something is much better than doing nothing. Not only that but if I had known that the rail or gutter was not one complete piece I would have addressed it when we were looking at buying it.
1. Has anyone else had this happen to them?
2. If you did, how did you deal with it?
3. Is this a manufacturer defect?
4. Even though my warranty is over would it be reasonable to contact the manufacturer for help in this matter?
5. Does my insurance cover this?
6. Is it worth fixing?
7. Is the trailer worth anything? Trade in for another trailer.
Now that I am disabled there is no way I can even think about trying to fix this. Even if I was able bodied I don’t think I could fix this?
Any and all information, experience is appreciated. Does anyone know a link or have information that I can have to at least contact the manufacturer myself?
Thank You In Advance
