Meridian coming un-glued again

[wagonmaster2]

I spent 30 minutes typing in a problem I'm having with a headlight assembly coming un-glued from the front cowling and even though I was already logged in I was told I wasn't logged in and when I did it again the Forum wouldn't let me Submit my thread. Now I've lost it completely.

In short, has anyone tried to re-glue their headlight assembly, what kind of glue was used, and how where you able to reach it through the hood opening?

Hopefully the front cap doesn't have to be removed.

Wagonmaster2

[mrschwarz]

I had to replace the headlight in mine. The brackets were glued in properly, but it was easy to open the front hatch and reach around to get to that area. I'll let others comment on the gluing part.

[DAN L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wagonmaster2 I spent 30 minutes typing in a problem I'm having with a headlight assembly coming un-glued from the front cowling and even though I was already logged in I was told I wasn't logged in and when I did it again the Forum wouldn't let me Submit my thread. Now I've lost it completely. In short, has anyone tried to re-glue their headlight assembly, what kind of glue was used, and how where you able to reach it through the hood opening? Hopefully the front cap doesn't have to be removed. Wagonmaster2

i have used jb weld successfully to reattach brackets that hold my rf headlight and rf fender.

[RedT]

I re-glued mine using JB-Weld. Headlight removal (as well as fog light) was accomplished by impact with a turkey on the highway at 60 MPH. I cleaned the brackets, removed the paint, and positioned them using the imprint left on the back of the fiberglass cap. The attached photo shows clamp used on one bracket.

The location of one of the mount brackets caused me to use a wooden wedge applying force from the motorhome frame component to the back of the fiberglass cap. This was accomplished in 2006, and is still holding today. The key is CLEAN, and rough-up the bracket surface.

[wagonmaster2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedT I re-glued mine using JB-Weld. Headlight removal (as well as fog light) was accomplished by impact with a turkey on the highway at 60 MPH. I cleaned the brackets, removed the paint, and positioned them using the imprint left on the back of the fiberglass cap. The attached photo shows clamp used on one bracket. The location of one of the mount brackets caused me to use a wooden wedge applying force from the motorhome frame component to the back of the fiberglass cap. This was accomplished in 2006, and is still holding today. The key is CLEAN, and rough-up the bracket surface.

Wow, hope you had fresh turkey for dinner that day. My assembly is still setting in place, just an inch or two back and a little low where it's resting against part of the frame. I can get one arm at a time to it reaching through the front hood to re-position it but haven't tried doing anything from underneath yet. On vacation now so just wedged a rag between the frame and the assembly and attached a small piece of rope from the frame to the assembly to keep from losing the whole thing till we get home.
I didn't know whether JB Weld would hold that weight or how to hold the assembly in place till the JB set up.

Just can't imagine what idiot engineer came up with the idea of gluing parts together on a vehicle that takes the jolts from the road these coaches do. Undoubtedly one of those individuals who has never even been out in an RV.

Thanks for the information, looks like I've got a real nice job waiting for me when I get back from vacation.

Wagonmaster2

[Journey39n]

On my former 2003 Horizon, I had to glue a few fiberglass panel sections back to their mounting points on the steel frame. Sort of the opposite that you have to do.

I went to a Home Depot, got a tube of the highest strength rated construction adhesive that would work with steel and fiberglass. Cleaned both surfaces very well, some 50 grit to score the areas a little, washed with alcohol, dried, glued, clamped for a day, and the parts never separated over the next three years I owned the rig.

But I had a bigger area to glue than you probably do, JB weld is always a good choice, just harder to mix and apply than adhesive in a tube.

[wagonmaster2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Journey39n On my former 2003 Horizon, I had to glue a few fiberglass panel sections back to their mounting points on the steel frame. Sort of the opposite that you have to do. I went to a Home Depot, got a tube of the highest strength rated construction adhesive that would work with steel and fiberglass. Cleaned both surfaces very well, some 50 grit to score the areas a little, washed with alcohol, dried, glued, clamped for a day, and the parts never separated over the next three years I owned the rig. But I had a bigger area to glue than you probably do, JB weld is always a good choice, just harder to mix and apply than adhesive in a tube.

A tube might be easier to reach the area with than trying to smear some JB on with a putty knife. I think my main problem is going to be how to hold everything tightly in place while the adhesive dries.

Wagonmaster2

[OldChief7155]

I used 3M5200 to glue my front and back hoods back onto the metal frames.

[colemole]

Hello

This is a very helpful forum. I also had the driverside headlight assembly supports break away from the factory glue on the fiberglass. All the information gathered here was correct. The supports had paint on the glued surface providing a too smooth a surface for glueing.
I removed the brackets, after marking the nut locations on the supports ,by loosening the side and top adjusting bolts. Ground off the paint and drilled several holes in the surface to be glued, cleaned the old glue surface with acetone, roughed up the old glue surface with 50 grit sand paper, scored the old glue surface with a utility knife, mixed Lepage Gel Epoxy which is good for Fiberglass and metal sets in 5 minutes. Applied generous amount of epoxy on metal support and set in place holding in place for several minutes and then used grey duc tape to keep in place as a saftey measure. Left over night and reinstalled headlight back into place, tightened up the bolts in original locations. Will test if headlight needs adjusting after dark tonight.
On tips from this forum also checked the 4 small lower brackets on the rear panel of the coach below rad grill and found them also broke free. Could not remove brackets to grind so cleaned and roughed old glue surface and reglued with same epoxy. Time will tell if everything was successful. to everyone for the advice.

[wagonmaster2]

The above poster had to grind the paint off the driver's side bracket and drill several holes in it which is just the way mine is. The right hand headlight bracket has 4 slots in it with the glue oozing out so it's still holding. The driver's side bracket doesn't even have any dried glue on it to scrape off, nothing on it at all so I'm wondering how long the headlight has been just setting there on the frame work of the coach. I just noticed it during a walk-around on the first morning leaving a CG starting an 8 week trip. Thankfully it just set there all the time. And thankfully I never drive after dark.

Surely whoever at Winnebago was working on the driver's side as the coaches went through the assembly line must have really either been asleep or goofing off to allow things like this to get through. And that doesn't say much for their quality control even back in 2004.

Wagonmaster2
2004 Meridian 36G

[jimmccreary]

my front and rear grills and rear end cap all came unglued. They were re-glued by a local RV service co. In 9 months they were all coming unglued.

While I dont intend to diminish the better glues reported by others I took a different path. I've worked with fiberglass before so I decided to go this route: I removed all brackets and sanded the old glue from them. I used a grinder to grind old glue down to fiberglass. I used 3 layers of fiberglass strips together with the fiberglass resin (adhesive) and carefully wrapped the brackets in enough fiberglass so that they could not come loose.
It's been 2 years and they are as strong as ever.

It's alot of work to go this route and fiberglass resin will permanently stick to the exterior paint so cleanup is a moderate effort. But, if you go with fiberglass, you will never have to reglue again.

I do agree that the right adhesive is probably less work that fiberglass,
just wanted to share an alternative with you all.
jim & debbie, 04 Journey 34H

[wagonmaster2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Journey39n On my former 2003 Horizon, I had to glue a few fiberglass panel sections back to their mounting points on the steel frame. Sort of the opposite that you have to do. I went to a Home Depot, got a tube of the highest strength rated construction adhesive that would work with steel and fiberglass. Cleaned both surfaces very well, some 50 grit to score the areas a little, washed with alcohol, dried, glued, clamped for a day, and the parts never separated over the next three years I owned the rig. But I had a bigger area to glue than you probably do, JB weld is always a good choice, just harder to mix and apply than adhesive in a tube.

Clamping is one of my biggest concerns, after all the information on getting glue on the areas I don't see any way to clamp back behind the front cap where the headlight brackets are attached. I'd like a glue that sets up faster than JP Weld does but still need a little time to get the brackets in position.

Were other manufacturers as stupid and cheap as Winnebago to use glue to put their coaches together? And above that, to not even clean the paint off of the parts that had glue on them? Even a child putting model toys together knows the parts must be clean before gluing. I burn a little more ever time I think about this sorry arrangement for these heavy headlight brackets.

Wagonmaster2