Resealing Camper Jack Brackets

joeshmoe wrote:
Appears to be butyl caulking between the camper and brackets. Any tips or tricks that might help?

While I'm at it, I'd like to replace the bolts with better coated fasteners. Recommendations? I saw someone suggest GRK screws? They look like a good, grippy replacement.

I had to do two on my old camper and the wood was just starting to get soft in the holes. I had to redrill them to get new wood and I used a sikaflex product in the holes and under the mounts that goes firm (not rock hard) but its more of an adheasive than a sealant, I put newwer stainless lagscrews in and then used proflex to seal around the bracket.

hopefully I won't regreat it if I ever have to take them off again.

when I did mine I drilled out the holes and epoxied in hardwood dowels, then drilled new holes.

Thanks

What makes you think you need to “re-seal” the bolt holes?
If nothing is wrong, don’t touch it, don’t remove the lag bolts, not like a nut and bolt. Lag screws are Not designed to be removed and reinstalled multiple times.
Will the old holes hold up and catch new bolts sufficiently? Probably, the first time. But I can’t imagine rotting or corrosion problems on your camper and the general environment (so cal) unless it was largely neglected.
If the screw heads are beginning to rust, touch them up with some paint.
Only considering disassembling from the camper if necessary. Or you will be potentially weakening the connection.

Because the sealant is all pushed out. I suspect from flexing due to loading/unloading the camper. I've been told when you no longer see butyl oozing from between the camper and bracket, it's time to reseal.

Northwood claims the bolts go into the aluminum frame, but who knows.

So you're saying let it go? I've had to re tighten them several times over the last 9 years. They all snuggled up fine. None spun or stripped. I'm just concerned about water intrusion

Maybe remove one bolt (in the back since the rear jacks carry a lot less weight) and see what/how it’s attached.
I’ve only removed brackets once and they were for a ladder but similar principle, not as much weight though.
Has to be aluminum stuffed with wood for a lag to hold, or somehow thru bolted if not, imo.

My only aversion to removing them wholesale is if they’re lag bolts, you only get so many righty tighty lefty looseys before you lose the thread strength in (wood).

What may be just as effective is cutting the oozed butyl flush and running a small bead of urethane on the top and side surfaces.
What you’re proposing though could work just fine. And I believe in proper maintenance but this seems closer to a fixing something that isn’t broke with some risk of further damage or rework (IE repairing lag screw holes potentially to get them to grab sufficiently).

Do you notice any water intrusion or corrosion or something that is prompting this? Cause that’s a different set of considerations.

Up until a couple years ago, I had the same camper as you (AF) but 9 years older. I do recall snugging the mounting bolts but no other issues.

All suggestions. Good discussion.