Awning mount came off RT 200

[SteveJ]

I went to deploy the awning while camping and the front bracket came loose from the rivets. My plan is to remove the awning completely, leaving the rear bracket attached to the RT, install new rivets, probably more than factory install, and install a few additional on the rear bracket.

My assumption is that there is a backing plate behind the fiberglass shell that will fall out if all of the rivets are gone. I assume no issues putting the new rivets in different locations on the bracket.

I'm near Mammoth Lakes, CA and can't seem to find a place repair shop close by so it's pretty much an on site repair.

Any thoughts on precautions and/or a different way of attaching? The longest rivets at the store were half inch, long enough?

Thanks. It's all part of owning an older rig, I guess.

[JW]

Originally Posted by SteveJ

I went to deploy the awning while camping and the front bracket came loose from the rivets. My plan is to remove the awning completely, leaving the rear bracket attached to the RT, install new rivets, probably more than factory install, and install a few additional on the rear bracket.

My assumption is that there is a backing plate behind the fiberglass shell that will fall out if all of the rivets are gone. I assume no issues putting the new rivets in different locations on the bracket.

I'm near Mammoth Lakes, CA and can't seem to find a place repair shop close by so it's pretty much an on site repair.

Any thoughts on precautions and/or a different way of attaching? The longest rivets at the store were half inch, long enough?

Thanks. It's all part of owning an older rig, I guess.

. same here has anyone tried this repair

[GeorgeRa]

Not exact example but could be useful. Brackets on my Bigfoot Fiberglass trailer were loose. Bigfoot used sheet metal screws to attach the brackets to fiberglass. I epoxied from inside wood blocks with t-nuts. The picture with threaded struts is for assembly, after epoxy cured, I replace them with bolts.

[GeorgeRa]

more pictures

[JW]

thanks. Hope I don't have to go that route, but may come to that. JW

[SteveJ]

Sorry to have left this hanging.

I could not source rivets that were long enough near my location.

The fix was to install some anchoring screws similar to these:

https://amazon.com/Excellent-Hollow-...7FX541J8&psc=1

The repair was still solid when we sold the Roadtrek last fall.

I can't remember the exact size, though.

The fiberglass did not have a consistent thickness so watch for that.

On TDY near Bemidji, MN.

[JW]

Here's what I found. The front bracket pulled off van and took some fiberglass with it. Center bracket still attached but rivet through back of awning shell failed. Rear bracket still attached. One good bump and all could be lost. The fix: Drilled out rivet in rear shell and removed awning, real mess back there. The brackets are glued and riveted. Seems to be metal backer behind fiberglass on top rivets only. Total thickness is 5/8 inch including bracket. Make sure rivets are long enough. Use a #11 drill. Don't forget to seal rivet heads.