On the 03' front storage box, was that the year they went to the new design? I think when you mentioned particle board that was still the old style. I believe the new style of front storage box is all plastic. I had a 99' Coleman with a front box and before the first year I started to get a little water in one corner too. Mostly while driving in the rain. They put some sealant where the aluminum skin butted up to the plastic storage box. That solved the problem. I always kept a close eye on the floor section of the storage box after that. I know that water leaks between the storage box and the trailer was the reason they redesigned the storage trunk in later years to be a seperate unit. The new ones are gray in color. We used our Coleman about 225 nights over 6 years. With any trailer you buy these days, you have to periodiclly keep your eyes open for little thinks that may turn into a bigger mess down the road. Over-all we were very happy with our Coleman.....she served us well....
Just a foot note: Since we camped every year at a State Park about 10 miles from the Coleman factory (Somerset PA.) I stopped in one time with the trailer in tow and asked the warrenty manager a ?'s about the sagging roof problem with the 96's - 98's Coleman had. Hoping that this brace was the fix for that problem I just wanted him to show me exactly what to watch out for if mine should happen to start to sag. And at what point Coleman replaces them. I never had a problem with my roof. The 99' was the first year that they went to the brace inside for the roof. But I remember him telling me that they also were having alot of trouble with a wood support that ran under the piano hinge for that storage trunk. He said that it would start to bow downward causing water to get into the trailer. I just wonder if this support is still not holding up. When you look down the piano hinge from the side is it level, or does it dip in the middle? Mine had a very small amount of dip. I just made sure that during the season I kept junk like leaves and such from collecting there.