skin damage question

[retrocar66]

I have a 1967 Tradewind that I've had about 2 weeks. It's been sitting in the driveway while I get it ready to camp. The only time I've moved it, since it was towed to my driveway and dropped off, is to pull it into the street once to do some hitch leveling.

The other morning I noticed this crease in the skin over the starboard side mid-trailer window. The crease is about a foot long and looks like a scratch, like someone took the edge of a 2x4 and dragged it along the skin. It looks like someone folded the aluminum and then tried to straighten it back out.

I am positive I haven't hit the trailer on anything - it has scarcely moved. And this scratch/crease is new, no question. No way I would have missed it when inspecting the trailer before purchasing.

So... any ideas what could cause this? Is this stress related somehow? Should I assume vandalism (seems unlikely given our neighborhood, but anything is possible I suppose.)

I'm posting 2 photos, one is a close-up of the crease, the other is from a few feet away so you can see where it's located along the trailer. It's about 2/3rds of the way back, right over the window.

[Melody Ranch]

A tree or shrubbery branch scratch? What you think is a small minor branch or bush will do that type damage.

[NJtoNC]

it looks awful high to be vandalism. if a vandal wanted to mess up your trailer, why do it there? why not scratch up the side, like when a car gets keyed? i've had our 57 for 3 years and just noticed a scratch i never saw before. you're sure it's new?

[retrocar66]

Yeah I have photos from the delivery last week so I'm sure it's new. This 67 is miraculously free of dents, except for a couple of knee-prints in the rear end-cap, so it's very noticeable when a new one shows up.

[Silverflames]

Does it seem to get better or worse in the direct sun light? The metal can expand and contract as it heats and cools.

[Belegedhel]

Looks like something fell or leaned against your trailer to get a crease like that. Have you put a ladder against it at any point?

[retrocar66]

Definitely have not leaned anything on the trailer.

It doesn't change in the sun/shade. It's been sitting in the same spot for almost two weeks, so it gets sun for part of the day.

I'm mystified by this...

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by retrocar66

Definitely have not leaned anything on the trailer.

It doesn't change in the sun/shade. It's been sitting in the same spot for almost two weeks, so it gets sun for part of the day.

I'm mystified by this...

Obviously, something hit the trailer perhaps like a small board.

That metal is "tempered stress relieved".

Simply expose that area to as much sun as possible. It make take several months, but the daily temperature change most likely will make most of that dent disappear, except for the crease.

The same thing happens when that metal receives hail damage. In time, most of it will disappear.

Andy

[InsideOut]

Is that crease in the same area as the perforation you mention here? If so, it could be caused by a broken frame member or floor rot which has caused separation of the shell to the frame which causes the deflection.

But it looks to me to be more like a awning pole hit it & scraped up the side...deflection crinkles look more like "oil canning" than dents/scrapes and aren't typically directly over a window like that.

Shari

[RM66caravel]

If you decide to look under the belly pan to investigate the tear you need to get some wide flange rivets (easy to replace) vintage trailer supply carries them. Good luck.

[Silverflames]

Did you open and close the awning recently?

[retrocar66]

The awning has been closed since the trailer was delivered. That crease showed up afterward.

This crease is on the opposite side of the trailer from where the skin perforation is (in my other post.) This crease is top right, the perforation is lower left side.

It's sitting in the driveway for now and getting plenty of sun (NC summer) so hopefully that will take some of it out.