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Gorlininc · 07-07-2013, 12:05 PM

I have 2001 diplomat 38A. It appears the front cabinets and tv shelf are separating from the ceiling from years of vibration.
Does anyone have a clue how to anchor this to the ceiling? Is the ceiling strong enough to mount a piece of wood to?

Here's some pics

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Thanks
Rick

CoCoDave · 07-08-2013, 09:20 AM

My 2001 Diplomat 38A did exactly the same thing. Here's a thread that addresses it. Wish I'd taken more pictures of the "after". But I basically replaced the wood cleats with steel angle brackets and used larger screws to pull the cabinetry up to the ceiling.

As Rex discovered there is an aluminum plate above the TV cabinet that is fairly substantial. The other possibility is to use plumber's tape (strip of metal with holes down the middle) with one end anchored on the box tube and the other end screwed to the cabinet side panels.

Front TV Cabinet Sagging Repair

FWIW

Gorlininc · 07-08-2013, 02:49 PM

Hi Dave

Thank you for the reply. Rex had surgery last week and will be off the air a few weeks.
I really appreciate the thread. It's exactly what I needed to know.
I hope I can reciprocate.
Rick .

Gorlininc · 07-09-2013, 08:16 AM

Dave

I've been looking at my cabinets. What wooden cleats are you referring to? You said larger screws to pull up the cabinets. Where are they located. I don't see any support screws going to the roof.
Thanks
Rick

CoCoDave · 07-09-2013, 08:40 AM

In the image below the wood strip with the staples in it is one of the two cleats. One each on the side panels of the TV enclosure. From the pix of your cabinet I cannot tell if you have those same wood cleats or not. In any case it does not matter. I took mine off and replaced them with steel right-angle brackets. One leg was screwed into the side panel and a screw was run through the hole on the other leg up into the plate between the headliner and the coach roof. Kind of like the set up in PusherPilot's rig in the second image below.

On edit: You do NOT want to use a screw long enough to penetrate the roof. The screw I replaced is the one dangling from the cleat in the first image.

Click Here For Repair Description

HTH

Gorlininc · 07-09-2013, 08:57 AM

Thanks for the pics. Now I understand what I need to do.
I'm going to find the aluminum plate. I'm thinking of tapping some holes in it to support the angle bracket to the cabinet wall.
I really appreciate your time and help. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Rick.