The following pictures document the process that I used to replace the sheared off screws that were used to attach the overhead to the cab of our Class C. I am amazed that they would use such small screws; it is no wonder that there were only 2 of the 15 still in place and they were loose.
Thanks to Rick for his suggestion that I use 1/4 inch countersunk bolts with nylon nuts, this worked much better than my original idea. This process required me to drill out the remainder of the broken screws and secure the bolts from above. I can't imagine that there will be any future issues with these bolts being sheared off and I hope that the creaking noise will be gone when I take it for a test drive this weekend!
This afternoon, I will finish up replacing the screws on the pillars that have all come loose. I am not as confident with this repair because the bolts are not catching as I would like them too, so I may have to come up with another solution, because it appears to me that it will only be a matter of time before these bolts work loose.
Apologize for the lengthy post, but knowing how many Class C's are roaming around out there with most likely the same or similar problems, I wanted to document what I did to address the issue. In my searching of the Web, I didn't see this level of information out there and I wish I had before I began this project. By the way, my 45 minute project is now well over 3 hours in length, not counting the multiple trips back and forth to my favorite store - Home Depot. Maybe I am just slow. :)
Daily Quote! “At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train. ” S.L. Parker
You did good increasing the screw diameter on the columns with lag bolts. Any time you read that a job will take "X" amount of time that is estimated time by professionals that do the process over and over again. They also would not have put small bolts but replace the sheared screws so eventually you'd be returning with the same problem.
ReplyDeleteGreat job and a learning process you can now share with other "C" class owners.
It's about time.
Rick: Thanks for the positive reinforcement and for your idea of using the countersunk bolts, I was going to use bolts with washers which would have looked terrible and probably caused a clearance challenge with the sliding portion of the overhead. I am going to give it a good test drive prior to buttoning everything up this weekend and will let everyone know how it goes.
DeleteI always enjoy do it yourself articles, the procedures outlined can always be adapted to another problem and the idea is already there for you use. Thanks for your insight in this , although I don't have a class C I'm sure someplace down the road something will break in my fiver and I can put your idea's to the test. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna...
ReplyDeleteThose nylock buts should do the trick and your work will be more than sufficient to take care of the problem. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteSam and George - Thanks for the positive comments and I will let you know how everything works out after I get it on the road this weekend.
ReplyDelete