Question:
I purchased a 1996 Coleman pop-up camper (Sun valley) about two months
ago and have already taken a couple of trips with it. We've been very
happy overall except for an unusual problem. When the top is closed
down, the rubber seal around it does not seal with the box in the
front side of the camper. It leaves about a 1/8 to 1/2 inch overhang
gap depending on the temprature and whether it is parked in the sun or
in my garage. The other three sides are seated properly with no sign
of misalignment. The roof is made of one piece, ABS (Luran), foam
insulated seamless material. I believe this type roof is new for 1996
models.
Although I had noticed this in the past, after reading the FAQ on
pop-ups in the newsgroup I became aware of the importance of a good
seal when you are driving. I contacted the manufacturer customer
support and as soon as I started to explain the problem, he said go to
the dealer and ask them to order a part called a Double Bulb Seal and
gave me the part number. I asked him if they have seen this problem
before and he kind of glazed over the subject but basically said that
it has happened a few times and that the air on the roof (factory
option) could be part of the problem and that the new seal will fix
it. BTW the weight of the air has produced a slight bowing in the
roof which he said is probably why the front is pushed out.
The dealer says that he has seen this problem only once before on one
other Coleman. I'm also told that Coleman is modifying the design of
the roof in the later models, which to me suggsts that they are well
awre of this problem. I always wondered why the roof is not braced for
the air like they do for other brands.
The manufacture seems to be willing to fix the problem and Coleman has
a good reputation for customer service. The roof has a lifetime
limited warranty. I wonder If I should insist they replace the roof.
Has anyone seen this problem or has any thoughts on the subject? Feel
free to email or post here.
Answer:
-This may have nothing to do with your problem but I often had trouble with the
front seal on our '86 Jayco pop-up. During our last trip before selling it I
noticed that I always pushed the front bed in first, then when I pushed the
back bed in it pushed the front bed back out about 1/2". This made it
difficult to get the front to shut correctly on the seal. By pushing the front
bed back 1/4", to split the difference, it worked very well. Maybe worth
checking?
-I also have a 1996 Coleman Sun Valley with AC on the roof. And I too
have had roof problems. My story is very long, so I will try to hit a
couple of the highlights. Some roof sag is expected -- max. 3/4"
end-to-end according to Coleman. It turns out that mine is sagging
about twice that. Coleman has come up with a new support brace that
was supposed to fix the problem. I saw no improvement, so they agreed
to replace the roof. I haven't gotten the new roof yet, so don't know
how much improvement to expect.
The roof hanging over the end could be due to the trailer being on an
incline when closed, or a bed not pushed all the way in. The top
floats (sort of) and external factors such as these may influence
where it settles on the body when lowered.
