17 replies to this topic

[Bigfoot]

Truck campers are tall, even with a popup. Brushing overhanging branches is par for the course when negotiating forest roads. The roof latches on the camper stick out and tend to catch small branches I don't even notice--please, no comments about my driving! I have had to bend a latch tab back in place several times and fear that one day the latch or the roof will be damaged. Has anyone developed a way to protect the latches? A smooth cover makes sense but I don't find anything for sell. This can't be a problem unique to me. 

 

[SunMan]

I've done my fair share of bushwhacking over the years and have plenty of scratches and dents in my camper to prove it but I have never had that happen once. I've even had my surf rack pads (and rear door ) impaled by branches but that's another story.

[craig333]

I'm surprised I haven't had that happen. Dents and scratches are all part of getting out there. You could stay on pavement and avoid that but who wants to do that? I modified my solar wiring to avoid such a thing happening. Curious to see what you come up with.

[Taku]

Man, when I used to run a log skidder in Montana I wouldn't get that size branch caught up on the machine!

[fish more]

How about duct tape?

[MarkBC]

Yeah, seems like this could happen, but AFAIK, it hasn't happened yet to me.  That is, the roof latch on my camper hasn't been pried open or bent by passing branches.

 

It's true that I haven't spent a lot of time on narrow heavily-forested roads though...plenty of primitive roads but mostly in high desert areas.

 

...I've even had...impaled by branches but that's another story.

 

Yep, me, too. 

So, my story (at the link) shows that I have rubbed against trees (or vice versa), but so far they haven't affected the roof latches.

[Bigfoot]

Sounds like I may be alone with this problem. Figures. Same as when I asked Hallmark what to do about covering up the ugly gap between the bumper and camper where the tailgate used to be, and I was told no one in all their decades of business had ever asked that question. 

 

Frankly, the latches look like a dumb design especially considering where they are mounted. Some campers have the latches front and back which would minimize the problem, although an 8-foot model may need them on the sides. I'll just have to be extra careful. 

 

Thanks for the responses and the stories of other tree-meets-camper incidents. 

[Bad Habit]

I look at the latches on mine and can see that happening all the time (I'm in the PNW too).  It may be more of case of a solution looking for the problem as it doesn't seem to come up as problem on any of the various forums (or at least not mentioned enough to notice).  Personally I think it would be nice to have some kind of cover or  ??? to protect them.  I know I will be doing some foliage trimming and would like to minimize the trail fixes.

[enelson]

There may be a lower profile latch than could be used to replace the current latches.  The factory latches have a lot of throw for the 180 degrees they are flipped and are fairly easy to put on and off.

[Kenny&Sharron]

more than 2 years later, you've likely got it figured...

how about pieces of aluminum, pop riveted on to the outer latch, sloping in to very close to the side of the camper ?

then you can really get into plowing Alders