Splinter guard falling off.

[Packard]

I've been a TS55 user since 2005 and I never once had a splinterguard strip come off. My rails have always been kept outside in the van, and since I'm in the UK, our temperature gradient runs from 100F in the summer (which usually lasts around 10 minutes or so) down to 0F in the worst of our winters. The absolute key is cleanliness - the rail must be totally spotless and free from any contaminants, which means thoroughly cleaning the contact area with copious amounts of acetone. If it's cold and the strip feels stiff and rigid, heat it up with a hairdryer before you peel off the backing  tape and stick it on. No finger contact with the adhesive, please.

Your strip will stay put and the girls will love your cool hairdryer .

But that does not explain why mine failed. See the image I posted in reply #15 above.

The adhesive did not fail between the aluminum and the fabric mesh, the fabric mesh’s bond to the splinter guard failed.  That bond was made at the factory.  The blame for that failure cannot be laid to the prep of the aluminum.

Note: I used to use mineral spirits to clean surfaces for bonding.  Someone told me that there could be residual oil in the mineral spirits.  Nowadays I use either acetone, or rubbing alcohol or (usually) denatured alcohol.  And I always clean the surface twice, using a clean paper towel for each.