Repairing water damage to sidewall
I guess this qualifies as both a project and an upgrade. Our new to us 1998 Pace Arrow's interior sidewall had suffered obvious water damage. The exterior wall is still well laminated and looks fine. ...
Forum Discussion
Stormy Eyes,
My awning fabric is anchored at the sidewall in a long "C" shaped channel rail. This rail extends beyond the length of the fabric on both ends and continues forward, past the awning brackets, and ends where the roofline begins to slope downward at the front of the coach. I took a hex head bolt that had a shaft diameter about the same size as the gap in the rail (the space between the open ends of the "C"). I then used my bench grinder to shape the hex end of the bolt to slide into the channel, so the bolt pointed out away from the sidewall. I used a small round file (a chainsaw sharpening file) to slightly elongate the "C" space at the top and bottom, being careful not to expand the space at the opening of the "C." When the bolt fit the channel firmly, I tapped it into the channel until it lined up to the awning bracket's original attachment point. I drilled a hole in the center of the awning bracket to accept the bolt and tightened it down with a lock washer and deformed nut. I contemplated grinding off two bolts to use in the two original holes in the awning bracket, but the effort to enlarge the channel sufficiently along its length didn't seem worth it. The one bolt has to hold just as well or better than two rusted lag bolts driven into a rotted sidewall, I figure. Sorry I don't have pictures to show you this, but our coach is parked off site in its garage until we get weather conducive to putting it back together. Hope this helps.
-Notayurt
My awning fabric is anchored at the sidewall in a long "C" shaped channel rail. This rail extends beyond the length of the fabric on both ends and continues forward, past the awning brackets, and ends where the roofline begins to slope downward at the front of the coach. I took a hex head bolt that had a shaft diameter about the same size as the gap in the rail (the space between the open ends of the "C"). I then used my bench grinder to shape the hex end of the bolt to slide into the channel, so the bolt pointed out away from the sidewall. I used a small round file (a chainsaw sharpening file) to slightly elongate the "C" space at the top and bottom, being careful not to expand the space at the opening of the "C." When the bolt fit the channel firmly, I tapped it into the channel until it lined up to the awning bracket's original attachment point. I drilled a hole in the center of the awning bracket to accept the bolt and tightened it down with a lock washer and deformed nut. I contemplated grinding off two bolts to use in the two original holes in the awning bracket, but the effort to enlarge the channel sufficiently along its length didn't seem worth it. The one bolt has to hold just as well or better than two rusted lag bolts driven into a rotted sidewall, I figure. Sorry I don't have pictures to show you this, but our coach is parked off site in its garage until we get weather conducive to putting it back together. Hope this helps.
-Notayurt
