Class C nosecone brackets loose from fiberglass,again.

Well it finally cured, the bracket is secure, I am eager to hit the road to try it out but need to wait a few weeks for the Hot Rod reunion in Bakersfield.

j-d wrote:
I'm pretty sure 5200 will hold it together if you were able to get clean surfaces. Please let us know how it turns out.

One thing is the adhesive takes a week to fully cure, not a problem. One man said that because it reacts to temperature he stores his

un-used in a zip lock bag in the freezer and lets it warm up if he needs to use it.I have a bracket that holds the awning support that comes loose and

I applied some to that as well. The holes are slightly larger than the fasteners so a little dab on those. Having the TV removed it gives me an opportunity

to look at some of the wooden framework that goes into building these coaches. I have found and tightened numerous fasteners and applied some good

old wood glue to certain areas . It all helps to keep the coach less troublesome quiet and dry.

I'm pretty sure 5200 will hold it together if you were able to get clean surfaces. Please let us know how it turns out.

j-d
I appreciate your efforts to help. Yesterday I purchased some 5200 from West Marine and cleaned the area then applied the 5200 and weighed the bracket down .

It looks like the adhesive is going to do the trick. It is hardening nicely and fortunately it is only one bracket that came loose. I had used a product before that once

it hardened it was brittle. During a rainstorm the nosecone would bob enough to allow just a drip of water inside that came down the windshield, well that's been

fixed with some silicone . I am proactive when it comes to repairs. After this 2500 mile trip I came home with a list of things to attend to and almost done.

The biggest pain is removing the TV for access. Thanks

I'm a member of of a boating forum and thought I'd copy your question, post it there, and relay responses to you.

What they generally say about 5200 is be careful NOT to use it on something you may want to take apart again. Other than limitation, a strength (no pun) instead of a weakness, I've never heard of 5200 not working.

My only personal caution would be to be sure the bonding surfaces are not contaminated with something else that's already been used there. As an RVer, you already know how notorious silicone is for rendering a surface un-bondable. I doubt you used silicone there, I'm just making an example.

FYI, 5200 is a one-part product. Usually once opened, the rest of the tube goes solid in a very short period. Pretty much no shelf life. Some of the boating guys have had a little luck packaging their open 5200 (and the less aggressive 4200) using a Seal-A-Meal vacuum packer.

I think I'd try to expand the bonding surface of the fiberglass some way. Hard to say w/out a picture, but something like bond an aluminum strip or plate to the 'glass with the 5200 then attach that to your existing brackets. Old signs are a great source for DIY aluminum!

I'd just looked at the pic of your rig in the FSD thread, and it made me about sick that you were having that cabover issue. Want to help any way I can.

Let me know if you want me to post your question.

Just spoke to the tech dept at Winnebago and they said they used a product called Manus urethane sealant. It appears to have some of the same properties as the 3M. i guess I am

answering my own question.

westend wrote:
3M marine adhesive is very strong as are most two-part epoxies. I would think either would work for holding under 20 lbs.

After researching the 3M it says that it allows for flexibility besides strength. I have used two different epoxies and I think the rigidness is what caused them to break again.

3M marine adhesive is very strong as are most two-part epoxies. I would think either would work for holding under 20 lbs.

I think it's a good possibility. Let me do a little checking. Will get back when I have a PC. I