1990 Winnebago Chieftain - Dropping Basement Storage Bins

[Joatha]

The attachment point where the lower awning anchors are bolted in to the side of my 1990 Winnebago Chieftain has started to fail and the bolts are pulling out (this is not good). So, I need to replace the bolts with something that goes all the way through the wall and has a nut on it (at least I think that is the solution). I measured the point and its below interior floor level. So, doing that would not create an intrusion on the interior of the RV.

The only way to get access to the area where the bolts go through is to drop the basement storage. I don't anticipate that being too difficult. But, I've never done it before. So, I thought I would ask if anyone else had done it and to get some pointers and tips on removing them.

Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

[jhilley]

You need some kind of expansion anchor, not a toggle bolt. I would also start with 1/4".

[Joatha]

Actually, I think I found some really nice toggle bolts that can handle up to 1000lbs or so in concrete (265lbs in drywall) and will take a 3/8" coarse thread bolt. They are good to about 3" of depth. I think they should work well with the fiberglass and assorted materials that are sandwiched together to make up the walls of my Chieftain.

So, I am going to give those a try and see how it goes.

Thanks for the advice. It made me re-think things and I found a better solution (I hope).

[jhilley]

Aluminum is a lot easier to work with and is available in bars at the home improvement stores. It polishes up nicely and you can spray it with clear Krylon spray paint. The anchors are a good idea although I wouldn't use toggle anchors. I would just use appropriate sized plastic anchors.

[Daveinet]

I use toggle anchors behind an aluminum plate that is riveted to the aluminum skin. A variation of what is mentioned above would be to weld nuts onto the back side of the plate. If you use 3M 5200, you can glue the plate to the fiberglass wall. This will disperse the load over the whole plate area, and should make for a secure mounting point. IF you can't find stainless sheeting cheap, rummage through someones junk pile and see if you can find an old stainless steel sink. You can cut the plates from the bottom of the sink. Polish them with a wire wheel and it should look good. Plan ahead as 3M 5200 takes over a week to fully cure.

[jhilley]

I don't think that it is necessary to bolt through the wall. As mentioned, fabricate a plate to fasten awning mounting point. An aluminum plate 1/4" thick and 50% larger than the anchor fastened with screws on all 4 corners should work well. You can drill and tap the plate to mount the anchor with bolts or just use self tapping screws of the right size.

[PastorCharlie]

What about fabricating a stainless steel plate to place behind the awning arm and fasten it to the MH with four lag bolts and fasten the awning arm to the plate.

Duplicate it for both arms and it will look the same.....you could paint them to match the MH color if desired.