I have dealt with two Cobra trailers that have had one strut "blow out". one was spectacular sounding. Closed the lid, then PSSSSSSSTTTT! Thought I had pinched and popped a tire! The other died when I was not there, so don't know how quickly it went. Replacing them one at a time on a metal topped trailer for a 15 meter glider just required a prop to hold it open. Glider was out, no big deal. The one on the ASH25 trailer, well, that was another story!

Most Cobra trailers have a hole drilled through one strut (the port strut for my trailer) so that a pin can be inserted to ensure the top stays fully open. I assume the purpose is safety, to prevent the top crashing down if a strut fails.