Last fall on a trip from Pa. to Tennessee, we learned a hard lesson when I watched my Brother-in-law’s side panel go skipping across 3 lanes of traffic to it’s ultimate demise. We promptly pulled out the Gorilla tape and secured our remaining panels. Over the winter, I studied how best to prevent losing any more panels. I know others have posted their approach to securing the panels so I wanted to share mine. So long as the top hook is intact on the panel, I believe this is a very discreet method of preventing lost or damaged panels.
After carefully measuring and marking the center point of the push-pin located under the side panel, I drilled a 1/4” hole in the side panel. Remove the push pin. Using a Dremel style tool, I cut a slot in the plastic frame to allow the clip to slide into the frame. You may need to squeeze the clip a little tighter before inserting into the frame. After drilling 1/8” holes in the frame, pop rivets secure the clip. Insert a 19mm D-zus fastener through the hole in the panel and slip a small O-ring on the D-zus from the inside to prevent the fastener from falling out when you remove the panel. Re-install the panel being sure to hook the top of the panel correctly. A slight push along with a 1/4 turn on the D-Zeus fastener will secure the panel.
New take on securing side panels.
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