We just bought a 1991 Safe Ride 3 horse slant gooseneck that is compact in size. It is mostly Alum but the side walls are fiberglass covered plywood.

PROBLEM!!

The window over the gooseneck leaked and now the plywood is comming apart and is causing a ripple look in the side wall. As a building contractor I am pretty handy with tools and ideas. My idea is to overlay the plywood on the inside and then add a couple of alum strips to the outside to pull the plys back together and then install brand new slightly larger windows to remove any dammaged wood. I will then have plywood in the living area to easily attach pretty panneling to.

Here is what advise I need.

The top rim and bottom rail that is made of heavy alum is bolted to the plywood with some bolts that have a plastic coating on them on the outside and a torx nut on the inside. I need some longer bolts since I will be overlaying the wall with 3/4" plywood. Where can I find these fasteners in a longer length??????? If I can not find these exact bolts, will stainless steel bolts work and where will I find them? Where can I buy replacement windows????????? Where is a good source for buying hardware, (latches, catches, lights, trim, etc.)?

Thank you to anyone in advance who has delt with any of these problems in the past.

Respectfully submitted.

Mike and Darcy in south Georgia

Terri: The way this wall is constructed it has no up and down framing what so ever. The entire wall is plywood that was laid out and sprayed with fiberglass the then truned over and sprayed again with fiberglass. In efect the entire wall is one peice now.  If you did cut out a section you would loose the exterior finish.

I considered removing all the plywood and adding in framing and sheeting it with alum skin. I also considered removing all the plywood and replacing it with new plywood covered by exterior alum skin.  Both of these methods are not going to be cost effective. 

This trailer is well built and it has no structure issues. Just the plywood has seperated and caused the exterior to look like it has loose skin in one place only, (by the window).

This design was actually pretty good if the window leak had been taken care of promptly.  This is a 1991 trailer and the roof does not leak a drop and looks to have bever been touched.  We also have a 2003 model Exiss all alum 4H that has always been kept under a barn and last week it was exposed to rain for the first time and it leaked from one end to the other.

SS hardware...you can get from your local sailing store