Denali Trim Loose
I have a 2013 Dutchmen Denali 262RLX purchased new in March of 2012. After the first trip or two, I noticed the outside corner trim at the front left and right corners was pulled loose, breaking the caulking joint. This is where the horizontal under-bed area meets the fiberglass front cap. Each side was pulled down about ¼”. I took it back to the dealer and they secured the trim and resealed. After another trip, the trim again pulled down. I removed the corner trim pieces on each side and could see a metal flange that the trim was attached to vertically with self-drilling screws. This flange is welded to the frame. There were about 9 large wood screws per side, 1-1/2” long by about ¼” diameter, through this flange going up into a 1” thick plywood side wall. The fiberglass side wall exterior is bonded to this plywood. All these screws are a stripped out of the plywood. A few were rusty from moisture exposure from the broken seal, but the plywood is not rotted. There is a gap between the metal flange and the bottom of the plywood wall on each side. On one side it is about 3/8”, and about ¼” on the other side of camper. As I cycle between standing on the jack stands and being loaded on the pin box, the frame moves up and down about this 3/8” vertical distance relative to the side wall as measured near the cap. This is what is pulling the trim loose, and with this arrangement, there will never be a way to keep the corner trim sealed unless the frame is secured to the wall. Has anyone else had this problem and been able to find a fix? The dealer does not know what else to do, and my calls and messages to Dutchmen have not resulted in any help since it is out of warranty. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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