Enclosed trailer repair keeps a cargo box sealed and secure: stopping roof leaks, replacing door seals, fixing ramp doors and hinges, replacing rotted floors, and repairing damaged walls and fenders. Keep Them Rolling Trailer Repair does all of it on site, wherever your trailer sits in Morris, Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon counties. For a leak or a door that won’t shut, owner Brad Smith is at (973) 651-1045.
Most enclosed trailer damage starts with water
An enclosed trailer only does its job while the box stays dry. Water gets in at a roof seam, a tired door seal or a fender bolt hole, runs down inside the wall and sits on the plywood floor unseen. By the time the floor feels soft near the door, the wood has been wet for months and the crossmembers beneath it may be rusting too.
So Brad starts most enclosure jobs by tracing the water, not by patching the first stain he sees. Fixing a rotted floor without stopping the leak above it just buys you a second rotted floor.
Signs water is already getting in:
- Stains or ripples on the ceiling liner or wall panels
- A musty smell when you open the doors after rain
- Rust streaks running down from screws on the inside walls
- A puddle in the same corner every time it rains
Enclosed trailer roof repair
Most enclosed cargo trailers have a thin aluminum or galvanized steel roof skin laid over roof bows, the steel members that run side to side and give the roof its shape. The skin is sealed where it meets the front nose and the rear header above the door. Those joints, plus every vent, clearance light and screw that passes through the skin, are where leaks start.
Roof sealant bakes in summer, shrinks in the cold and flexes over every pothole. After a few seasons it cracks and lets go of the metal. A low branch or a garage door header can also dent the roof, and a dent that stretches a seam will open it.
A roof repair usually involves:
- Finding the real entry point, often a foot or more from where the drip shows inside
- Scraping out old sealant and cleaning the metal so fresh sealant bonds
- Resealing the roof seams, vent flanges and light openings
- Patching holes or replacing a damaged section of skin
- Checking the roof bows, since a cracked or loose bow lets the skin sag and hold water
When the work is done, Brad wets the repaired area and checks from inside that it stays dry.
Weather seal replacement and door leaks
Rubber seals around the ramp door and side door flatten from years of compression, tear on cargo sliding in and out, and pull loose from the frame. On a ramp door, the water they let in collects right at the hinge line, where the floor is most exposed.
Here’s a quick test: stand inside with every door closed on a bright day. Any daylight around the edges is a path for water. New seal goes on after the old material is stripped and the flange is cleaned, and the door then has to squeeze it evenly all the way around. A sagging door or a racked frame gets adjusted first, or new rubber alone won’t stop the leak.
Doors, floors, walls and fenders
Ramp doors, barn doors and side doors take a beating from daily loading. Our page on trailer door and ramp door repair covers ramp door springs and cables, hinges, latches and cam bar locks.
A soft spot underfoot is a warning, not a cosmetic issue. Trailer floor repair and replacement explains when a section repair is enough and why the crossmembers get checked first.
Dented skins, crushed corners and cracked fenders all let water behind the walls. Trailer fender, panel and siding repair covers what can be straightened, what gets replaced and how corners are rebuilt.
Where the work happens
Brad has 30+ years working on trailers. His truck and service trailer carry the tools and common parts, so many enclosure repairs are finished on the first visit, though replacement panels or a full deck of flooring may need ordering. He works 7 days a week, 7 AM to 7 PM, from his home base in Randolph across Morris County and beyond.
Enclosure damage often turns up next to structural problems. Rusted crossmembers or a cracked tongue go to trailer welding and structural repair, and marker light wiring that runs through a leaking seam goes to trailer electrical and lighting repair. Everything else is on the trailer repair services page, or you can request enclosed trailer service online.
Common questions
How do I find a leak in an enclosed trailer?
Start on the roof and work down. Look at the front and rear roof seams, vents and clearance lights for cracked or missing sealant. Inside, follow water stains upward, since water often travels along a roof bow or wall post before it drips. On a dry day, have a helper run a garden hose over one area at a time while you watch from inside with a flashlight. Check the door seals by standing inside with the doors shut and looking for daylight.
Can an enclosed trailer roof be repaired or does it need replacing?
Most roofs can be repaired. Failed sealant, a few loose screws, a small puncture or a damaged vent can all be fixed without touching the rest of the skin. Replacement makes sense when the skin is torn along a long run, badly corroded, dented so hard that the seams keep opening, or when several roof bows are broken. Brad checks the whole roof and the bows under it before recommending either, and he prices the job before starting.
Why is water getting into my enclosed trailer?
The usual causes are cracked sealant at the roof seams, worn or loose door seals, a door that no longer closes square against its seal, and holes where screws, lights or fender bolts pass through the skin. Dented panels and crushed corners open gaps too. If the floor is wet but the ceiling is dry, look low: fender mounts, the ramp door hinge line and the bottom edge of the walls are common entry points.