"Upper" Rail on 2020 T@B 320CS-S; What is It?

DeanSS007

Hello, All.  I've searched briefly on the Forum, but haven't been able to find any mention of what I would call the "upper rail" on the edge of the roof of our 2020 T@B 320 Clamshell.  The rail has a 5/8" channel with 3/32" deep slots on either side.  It's very shallow, especially when compared to the circular cross-section Keder rail on the walls of the the camper.  This upper rail is fastened to the camper body at approximately 6-inch intervals with sheet metal screws of unknown length. Those screws are covered by a black decorative PVC fillet, not unlike what the Keder rails have when they leave the factory, except that the fillet presents a wider profile as viewed from above.  

And now my questions for anyone who might know (maybe the techs at NuCamp???):

1) Who is the manufacturer of this upper rail?
2) Is there any attachment hardware that can be used with this rail?


The reason for our questions is that we want to attach a rainfly/tarp across the roof just forward of the clamshell hinge so that we have sun/rain protection when using the kitchen (and we'd prefer NOT to make any more holes in the camper roof or walls to do so).  It's easy to attach guy lines on the driver's side to hold the forward edge of the fly/tarp close to the hinge area, but we have a Pahaqua canopy and when that is in place there is no easy way to tie down the fly/tarp on the passenger side of the camper without literally punching a hole in the canopy to lead a guy line down to a convenient anchor point....  

Also, without a fixed anchor point on the top of the camper, a great deal of the "resistance" that keeps the forward edge of the rainfly in place is provided by the raised clamshell hatch; however, at the end of the day we prefer to close up the kitchen so that critters don't climb into the cooking area overnight and make a mess.

Closing the hatch essentially loosens the tension on the rainfly, making it almost a necessity to take the entire thing down so that the loose material doesn't flop around during possibly windy overnight conditions.  This in turn makes it absolutely necessary to re-string/attach/tension the rainfly assembly every morning during a trip.  Naturally, it's a convenience issue....

What we'd like to do (and this is where that upper rail looks to be a solution) is to attach a D-ring or some such anchor to that upper rail (on either side of the clamshell hinge) to create, in effect, a semi-permanent attachment for the forward edge of the rainfly.  Utilizing that upper rail would also allow us to use the canopy without any issues, because there would be no need for a guy line to travel down the side of the camper (avoiding interference with any part of the canopy).  I believe that the stresses on the rail would not be that significant, but I imagine that may be a question in search of an answer, as well.

So, if any of this makes sense to anyone, is there someone out there who knows the name of the manufacturer of that upper rail?  By the way, it seems to be powder-coated aluminum and appears to be separate from the Keder rail on the sidewall of the camper (although the two rails are effectively bonded together thanks to a bead of chalk that blends the two elements together).

Here are a few photos taken this evening to show the area that I'm asking about:

Photo 1: Holding the decorative fillet away from the "upper rail."



Photo 2: Pointing to the channel of the upper rail.



Photo 3: Note the sheet metal fastener(s).



Thanks for your interest and input,
--Dean & Linda

Sharon_is_SAM

@DeanSS007 - I believe the “rail” helps attach the trailer sidewall to the roof and holds the Keder rail in place.  Specific questions regarding drilling into that area can be answered by emailing tech@nuCamprv.com with photos.  NuCamp does not monitor or chime in to forum posts.

Regarding your rainfly - we use very heavy duty suction cups on our CSS roof to attach our sun shelter over the rear galley.  We use it even with a passenger side PaHaQue tent.  We can easily close the hatch and leave the shelter in place.  It is also easy enough to unhook the shelter from the suction cups and lower the shelter to cover items during rain or high winds.  We carry a small, foldable step stool to reach the area.  Perhaps another option for you.

Here is what is under that rail.

DeanSS007

Thank you for sharing, Sharon.  The suction cup idea is appealing, especially from the standpoint of NOT drilling holes (big OR small) in the roof.  I was just hoping that the upper rail has been designed to accept some corresponding attachment hardware (twist-lock anchors, for instance), which would be a very elegant solution to hold a rainfly to the camper.  I hope that the NuCamp technical staff has some specific info on that possibility, so I'll send them a query.  Thanks again!

Marceline

Sailrite sells plastic Keder rail that attaches with 3M UHB tape (no screws). I used this to create an attachment for a rainfly that I made by sewing awning rope onto a tarp shelter.

Sorry I don’t have a photo of the rail.  

DeanSS007

Thanks, Marceline.  That's another interesting idea!  Greatly appreciated  

ScottG

That upper rail looks very similar to what I have seen on aluminum truck caps. I believe it's a structural element and it is designed as it is to accept that black plastic fillet, which is typically sold as "screw cover strip." I've never heard anything else designed to fit in that track for the purpose of attaching something else, though I suppose a clever fabricator might be able to make something that works.

DeanSS007

Thanks @ScottG.  We're now leaning toward anchorage via a suction cup(s).  But we greatly appreciate everyone's input!