Broken Lag Bolt in 09 Trailer

[Dan Hen]

I found a broken 5/16 lag bolt at front of the slide on the drivers side and a striped one at the front of the door side at the front. Call my dealer and said to use a 5/16 X 4 inch machine bolt. Got some 4 inch bolts and drilled with a 5 /15 drill and could not find the hole on the back side, got a long 5/16 drill and found that the hole is at the bottom edge of a 2 X 4 that is laid flat in the floor. Measured the hole and I needed a 7 inch bolt.

Fastenal has Grade 5, 5/16 X 7 bolts PN 13077.

Brian maybe it is time for a product improvement and install machine bolts during manufacture rather than the lag bolts.


Dan

[Still Working "NOT"]

Dan
I think Bryan is aware of this. There is a post on this issue last year and I think Workshop included in his infomation. Still good to know.

[Workshop]

Dan, have you already completed the installation of the new bolts?

Under '101'___post #12 was done to cover the repair of the curbside lag on my unit. Post #13 the roadside lag. I used bolts as a repair and replaced all the lags on my unit.

I found it necessary to use a backer between the slide's flange trim and the floor/frame when using the bolt as a replacement as there isn't anything to tighten against without 'pulling' in the trim.

I don't see the lags as being structural, IMO its there to keep the flange trim from moving around and stable. Since there wasn't anything behind my trim other than foam/rubber before entering the floor frame.

I feel it's the movement in the floor, wall and trim either together, on their own and not together that causes movement in the bolt that eventually causes the bolt to break where it enters the floor frame. Hopefully using a bolt and securing it all together eventually doesn't cause other problems down the road. But for me and my total miles per year.....mine might not show up for a long time.

[rockintom]

Workhorse......you and Ms.Debra need to go out and "use" all your improvements and up grades a little!! It would nice to see you "break" something every once a while! ;-) Now that's mean right there! Git R Done!

[ChiefJohn]

Broken lag bolts go back to the 2005 models and maybe earlier -- we've had several replaced and I've noticed another one that appears to be ready to fail. Chris has provided very detailed (as always) instructions on making this repair yourself.

[rockintom]

And me too Chief, I was involved too!!! Workhorse and I worked on this together. IIRC, the bolts are 5/16 lags thru the '04 year model and then they went to 3/8 lags in 05. They broke too. The primary reason is fatigue of the middle of the lag bolt from the shifting/flexing of the vertical aluminum piece that the bolt goes. By supporting that area with piece of wood and installing a 3/8 machine bolt seems to be a viable fix. Hard to believe PI is still installing the lags. Bryan??? Help.

[MakinSmoke]

What would break if the lag bolt were replaced with a grade 8 and it then held? You guys know I am so far from being a structural engineer but I'm wondering if the bolt is designed to shear?

I have one broken lag (that I know of) and am on my way to SC for a fix in September. Brian told me via here to call Jack. I did and Jack didn't seemed too alarmed about our waiting until our scheduled September visit to SC for a fix.

[ChiefJohn]

"And me too Chief, I was involved too!!!"

I apologize to SKIA! How could I have forgotten his contributions to the 'lag bolt' discussion -- my bad!!

I've got two of the new compartment doors (installed at SC) leaking as evidenced by rusty water and stains on the bottom door sill after a rain. The water must be coming from the top area of the door, as I taped around the top door opening and the water leak stopped. It's entering the door interior and coming out the drain holes in the bottom edge of the door -- any suggestions? Plan on applying caulk to all the upper hinge rivets and around the hinge.

[rockintom]

Chief,

From lag bolts to compartment doors! Hmmm, someone has get that big bad blue whip and put it on ya!!!

As you know, the workhorse is the master in this dept. I'm almost sure you have the second design doors on your rig. Don't you? If so an area that I see as a potential problem is the seam at the center and top of the door. I chaulked all mine just for safety sake. I know ol' workhorse will chime in soon. Heck he may be at your door any minute!!!

[Workshop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockintom And me too Chief, I was involved too!!! Workhorse and I worked on this together.

It was Rockin's photos and experience of having it done prior that got me pointed in the right direction. The rest was just doing it as both sides had different solutions.

Chief I thought you had the newer doors and the seam had been moved to the bottom of the frame or at least I thought they were located there?

When I redid my doors....the one thing that was common with all of them was moisture around the latch/handle and it's screws. I still feel that area caused the most damage to the interior of the doors. Even though there was moisture damage at the top....like on the bottom it wasn't consistent amoung all the doors. Almost leads one to believe that the doors that had the most use...had the most damage, go figure. I used one of my popular use items....metal foal tape to cover the seam and also caulked behind the gasket. Now that the Beast has a 'home', it rarely gets wet anymore........

Rockin__this has been a strange year, had hoped to have used the Beast more...With work and some times lack of it in the housing area, have to be creative at times to get it done. But has been a year of families, work/no work, commitments, weather and if it will happen....it will, been that kind of year. Still waiting on the Hope and Change thing to work for most of us. Can't say I like the change I'm seeing.......

[MakinSmoke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Workshop Still waiting on the Hope and Change thing to work for most of us. Can't say I like the change I'm seeing.......

That Workhorse is a very smart guy.

[litespeed]

I just posted a new thread on this...forgot to check for existing. Has PI fixed these on warranty...although I am over the 2 years now? Have they released an official set of instructions that a RV shop can follow? Also...what is the risk if I do nothing...I don't see any other signs of damage or movement...yet?

[MakinSmoke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by litespeed I just posted a new thread on this...forgot to check for existing. Has PI fixed these on warranty...although I am over the 2 years now? Have they released an official set of instructions that a RV shop can follow? Also...what is the risk if I do nothing...I don't see any other signs of damage or movement...yet?

I can not answer for absolute certainly but when I mentioned a broken lag bolt and Brian tells me in this forum to "call Jack, he can help you with that" that to me means they are aware that is is a manufacturing problem and they will cover it if I bring my coach to them. Now, it that warranty work...I don't think so. My warranty expired in April and I won't be there until September. I think it is Excel being Excel and why I'm gonna go back to Excel when we trade again.