stripped holes

07-24-2010, 04:23 PM

I've a 1997 2619. While on a recent trip 2 screws supporting one side of the fiberglass rock screen on the front of the trailer fell out. I took out one from the other side to place on the other side.

It turns out the holes are stripped. My understanding is that this trailer has a wood frame.

Does anyone have a good repair technique? I know so quick short term repairs, but I'm looking for a long term fix. I'd like to think it isn't wood rot.

If it were wood rot, I don't know how to tell if is is.

Michael

Wavery · 07-24-2010, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrosspa

I've a 1997 2619. While on a recent trip 2 screws supporting one side of the fiberglass rock screen on the front of the trailer fell out. I took out one from the other side to place on the other side.

It turns out the holes are stripped. My understanding is that this trailer has a wood frame.

Does anyone have a good repair technique? I know so quick short term repairs, but I'm looking for a long term fix. I'd like to think it isn't wood rot.

If it were wood rot, I don't know how to tell if is is.

Michael

Take the old screw to a H/W store. Ask them for the next size larger screw (buy several) about 1/4- 1/2" longer. If that doesn't hold, you may have wood-rot.

07-24-2010, 05:40 PM

You can also pack the hole with wood match sticks or similar wood slivers and some type of waterproof glue. This will give you a better hold with the standard screw.

**commodor47** · 07-24-2010, 08:24 PM

Michael,

Are both screws on each arm anchor identical? Our unit has two styles; one that requires a square head drive and has a sheet metal thread, the second one requires a blade drive and has a machine thread. The machine thread screw goes into an anchor which has a flange that sticks out 1/16th or 1/8 of an inch from the TM skin. It should be fairly easy to replace a stripped anchor - although I am not sure how the anchor is attached. Perhaps someone else has had to replace one and will post their experience.

Dick

Wavery · 07-24-2010, 08:29 PM

If the larger screw strips out, that's because you have wood-rot. Then, it's best to dill the hole out with a 1/4" or 3/8 " drill and install a wood dowel with wood glue. After the glue dries, cut the remainder of the dowel off with a chisel. Now you have a new surface to put your screw in.

Start with a 1/4" drill and check the hole to be sure the remaining wood looks light colored and new. If you can still see black wood rot, keep drilling the hole bigger until you find all new wood. If you don't find new looking wood, you may have a serious wood-rot problem.

Wavery · 07-24-2010, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by commodor47

Michael,

Are both screws on each arm anchor identical? Our unit has two styles; one that requires a square head drive and has a sheet metal thread, the second one requires a blade drive and has a machine thread. The machine thread screw goes into an anchor which has a flange that sticks out 1/16th or 1/8 of an inch from the TM skin. It should be fairly easy to replace a stripped anchor - although I am not sure how the anchor is attached. Perhaps someone else has had to replace one and will post their experience.

Dick

Your 2003 has an aluminum frame (I hope)...

**ShrimpBurrito** · 07-24-2010, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harveyrv

If the larger screw strips out, that's because you have wood-rot. Then, it's best to dill the hole out with a 1/4" or 3/8 " drill and install a wood dowel with wood glue.

IMHO, if you choose to use this technique, which is an excellent method for repairing wood holes, you'll have better results if, instead of a dowel, you use toothpicks or better yet a wood plug or small diameter bamboo skewers. If you use a dowel, the screw will be parallel with the wood grain. That's akin to screwing into the end of a 2x4. The end of a 2x4 will hold a screw, but not nearly as well as any of its sides. It's hard enough as it is keeping screws in on the TM, so I would stack the odds against you from the start.

If you want to use wood plugs, you can buy them at marine stores, but I would instead buy a set of wood plug cutters from a hardware store. That way you can cut any size you want out of any wood you want.

Wood plug cutters look like this:

Dave

**wbmiller3** · 07-24-2010, 08:47 PM

FWIW, our 2001 has the 2 different fasteners in each arm/body connection. This surprised me when I had to replace an arm. I can only assume the machine screw does the 'heavy lifting' and the other one just keeps it from rotating? Seems like a weird design to have different fasteners here - since it would be a pain for production, there must be a good reason.

07-25-2010, 01:10 PM

Of the two hoes on each side, the upper screw hole is smaller, while the lower holes are obviously wider in diameter- but not by much.

There is no visible anchor in either side, and the one side that still has the screws are both square drive, and 5/8" long.

One of the 4 holes has a good bite while the remaining 3 have no bite. That is one upper hole, and the 2 lower holes have no bite and are stripped.

I'm going to guess it is wood rot, because sticking toothpicks into holes, and driving in the screws offer no additional support.

Now, if I have wood rot, how will I know that drilling out more material will assure me that I've gotten to good wood to glue a wood dowel to?

Michael

07-25-2010, 01:32 PM

Well, now I have some insights.

The screws I still found in the arm were the shorter 5/8" length. The only reason the one screw was held in place was the support of the skin itself.

The other 3 holes have some split in the skin, and the screws wobble in their holes.

I'm not going to discount wood rot, but when I probe around the holes, I get a white-like foam material, no black wood.

Now my question is the construction of the shell. I assumed the shell was wood framed with foam in between the frame members and and outer and inner skin. I assume the screws are driven into the wood frames. Is this correct?

Until I better understand the construction of the frame, I don't want to begin cutting things.

It almost seems that a screw is driven though the outer skin, through foam to what feels like a solid material 1 1/16" beyond the outer skin. I can simply get a longer screw and drive it into the solid material in the back... assuming I don't run it through the inner wall (skin) of the shell.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Michael