10 replies to this topic

[Bsaxman]

Hi there - I've got a 1980 FWC fleet with the eye bolts pulling through the wood despite aluminum plate backing.  Any ideas for a fix short of replacing the wood? Alternative mounting points? I can't mount through the floor because of my truck bed depth. I have some ideas, but thought I'd check here before I did anything. Any advice is appreciated!

[DavidGraves]

Howdy,

 

Sorry for the bad luck.

 

Perhaps you might be able to effect a patch by using a much larger aluminum plate above and below your exisiting eyebolt.

 

Perhaps even a 4" X 12" rectangular 1/8th wall aluminum plate above and below the eyebolt might salvage the strength of the wood.

 

It is hard to know from your image the condition of the wood around the eyebolt.....is it soft or weathered or spongy ?

 

Good luck

 

David Graves   

[PackRat]

On any camper if the eyebolt and the anchor point are too far away from one another there is too much lateral strain being put on the eyebolt. I see you have a flat washer and nut beneath the camper and you stated you had a plate of some dimension mounted inside the camper where I assume you have another washer and hex nut.

 

As noted, if the wood is soft from water intrusion then that is probably going to call for some repairs and/or a relocation of the eyebolt holes on both sides. 

 

However, if that is not the case then I would ask how large the plate inside the camper is and....I would suggest you add another plate between the external surface and the flat washer as seen in your pic. It should spread the sideways torque better....and as I mentioned above, there is a "sweet spot" for mounting things when tying down the camper; too far apart and any axial movement will want to pull the eyebolt sideways. If the mounting point on the truck is straight down, that isn't the most ideal mounting situation either.

 

If you use aluminum plates above and below the floor (inside/outside) be sure to use Pro-Flex or something on the external plate-to-camper. You might have to add an additional bolt/nut/flatwasher/lockwasher to the two plates to help prevent any lateral movement.

 

Just a quick question; are you using FOUR eyebolts and are you using standard turnbuckles or do you have the Happijac system? Can you post a pic of the four eyebolts & turnbuckles from a short distance to see the ANGLE the turnbuckles are on and show us where they are secured to the truck.

[Bsaxman]

Hi David, thanks for the reply. Its not rotten or anything, the horizontal plywood the eyebolt is in is cracking and bowing down from the vertical plywood it is attached to. perhaps the aluminum plates with bracket reinforcements would help. 

[Bsaxman]

Packrat - I am using four mounting points with standard turnbuckles. I ca't post a picture since the camper is off the truck. The eyebolts are almost over top of each other. I was even considering moving them back a few inches. This is something i will definitely research. 

[craig333]

Unfortunately not all that uncommon. I'd link my post on my repairs but its another victim of photobucket. How big are your aluminum plates?

[Vic Harder]

When I got my shell, I ordered the new mounting kit that FWC uses today, which has much bigger mounting plates.  Highly recommended.

[Bsaxman]

My current mounting plates are about 3 X 5. I just talked to a machine shop about cutting some that are 4 x 12.

[badtoytrd]

I have added some aluminum backing plates on the bottom to hopefully keep this from happening. The backing plates are roughly 30" long x 3" wide. It connects the 2 eyebolts together in an effort to strengthen everything even more. My only thought for you would be to add some larger plates on the top (inside the camper) and also add some on the bottom as well. I ordered the aluminum from McMaster-Carr.

 

Here is a picture of the one I added on the bottom. Other side is the same. 

Edited by badtoytrd, 22 May 2018 - 12:04 AM.

[klahanie]

my .02

 

If you're thinking a plate 4" wide, to make it as wide as the step it will lay on, to be over the vertical ply wood portion underneath. (don't ask why it's covered in tuck tape)

 

 

also if the plate had a bend you could also attach to the vertical ply riser.

 

If the wood is fractured consider a top and bottom plate fastened together with bolts. I used something I had around but if the bend was taller I could have also attached to the ply riser as mentioned above (or even thru bolted them together).

 

 

Finally, I don't know what the nut in your pic is for but I'd take out all slack from the bolt by shortening or spacing.