Shower rod 2016 AXIS 24.1

[DocMike]

Jamie,

It has been noted that some mounts have 3 holes and some 2 holes (check out earlier entries this thread).

Doc

[JamieGeek]

Doc: Did you have to trim any off? Looks like I have to trim about 8" - 12" off so that it doesn't loop out to the door! LOL

[DocMike]

Jamie, I did not have to shorten the curtain rod. As you can see in the picture posted above it does bow out 6 inches beyond the old track. DocMike

[JamieGeek]

Ok you must have received a shorter one. This one is so long that I probably couldn't close the bathroom door if I don't trim it.

[bevedfelker]

If it's long enough to encircle the coach you could use it for a 360 degree sun curtain!!!!

[JamieGeek]

Ok got the ARC installed.
Here is a test fit of the original length of the ARC:

Clearly too long, I couldn't even open the medicine cabinet in this configuration.

I hacked off 8" off one side to get a more satisfactory, er, arc:


A quick stop at Bed Bath & Beyond:


I ended up having to use the toggle bolts on either side (there was no stud in that spot). I did pick up some 1 1/2" 6-32 screws for the toggle bolts but they turned out to be too short: They didn't go far enough through the wall to allow the bolts to open up (really needed at least 2" screws). So I got out my dremel and trimmed down the 4" screws that came with the mounts to a length that would fit all the way through the wall but no further (measured using the mount and seeing how big of a gap was there between the mount & the wall when I hit the other side of the wall with the bolts).

When I was all done I grabbed a machine novel to the likes of Thor; it made this loud whirring sound and removed all the sawdust...was amazing! Thor should look into a machine like that!

[DocMike]

I just measured it, looks like 52 inches. I will check the bill when I get home.


DocMike

[JamieGeek]

Measuring the packaging for mine I get 62" (camper is put away back in storage).

The Amazon website The ARC says it measures 60".

Thus me hacking off 8" makes some kind of sense...

[Chance]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

...cut....

I ended up having to use the toggle bolts on either side (there was no stud in that spot). I did pick up some 1 1/2" 6-32 screws for the toggle bolts but they turned out to be too short: They didn't go far enough through the wall to allow the bolts to open up (really needed at least 2" screws). So I got out my dremel and trimmed down the 4" screws that came with the mounts to a length that would fit all the way through the wall but no further (measured using the mount and seeing how big of a gap was there between the mount & the wall when I hit the other side of the wall with the bolts).

....cut....

I'm curious how toggle bolts work on outside walls. I was under impression that outside walls are made with insulation between aluminum framing which is then laminated (vacuum bonded????) between the inner and outer wall surfaces.

When you drill through outer wall's inner surface, does the block insulation allow the toggle bolt to open OK? Do you have to open up a hole in insulation?

As I understand various descriptions above, it sounds like shower rod is supported solely off inner-wall surface. This is of interest to me because I thought that material was much thinner than it must be. If it can support a cantilevered shower rod it must then be able to support other items one may want to attach off walls.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Chance

I'm curious how toggle bolts work on outside walls. I was under impression that outside walls are made with insulation between aluminum framing which is then laminated (vacuum bonded????) between the inner and outer wall surfaces.

When you drill through outer wall's inner surface, does the block insulation allow the toggle bolt to open OK? Do you have to open up a hole in insulation?

As I understand various descriptions above, it sounds like shower rod is supported solely off inner-wall surface. This is of interest to me because I thought that material was much thinner than it must be. If it can support a cantilevered shower rod it must then be able to support other items one may want to attach off walls.

There is aluminum framing on the outside walls but that framing simply consists of aluminum studs spaced throughout the walls. If you don't happen to hit one (like I didn't) then you're left dealing with the wall board, insulation, outer wall sandwich.

The insulation is Styrofoam. When I drilled into the wall I pulled out a bunch of insulation. I believe the toggle bolts on the outside wall opened up as I could feel the screws tighten down (my suspicion is that they opened up and compressed a bunch of the foam down against the inside wallboard).

The wallboard is very thin, probably about 3/16" or so. I wouldn't try supporting anything very heavy. The ARC is solid aluminum and not very heavy--the shower curtain we put on it is much heavier than the ARC itself.

Normally when I attach things to the camper wall I use wood screws dipped in wood glue with a small pilot hole drilled in the wall. So far nothing that I have put up in this manner has fallen off the wall but nothing has been as heavy or substantial as a shower rod. I did use this method to hold up some day/night shades and the chord tie downs at the bottom which stayed up for as long as we had that camper (our old 5th wheel).

For the shower rod Doc mentioned that Thor had recommended the toggle bolts which is why I went with that method.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

...cut....

The wallboard is very thin, probably about 3/16" or so. I wouldn't try supporting anything very heavy. The ARC is solid aluminum and not very heavy--the shower curtain we put on it is much heavier than the ARC itself.

....cut....

Thanks Jamie, that helps to understand how they are put together. I'm also curious if the inner surface of the wallboard is an inherent part of the wallboard or if it's applied after the fact like wallpaper. I'd guess it comes that way from wallboard manufacturer. Could you tell the difference?

I've never tried to modify a factory-built camper for fear that if I screw up it may be hard to repair the damage -- however small it may be.


P.S. -- I personally wouldn't worry as much about rod or curtain weight itself as much as a short person (like a child) opening or closing the curtain by pulling at an angle (with downward component to force). I've had similar issue at my parents' house with blinds pulled out of wall.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Chance

Thanks Jamie, that helps to understand how they are put together. I'm also curious if the inner surface of the wallboard is an inherent part of the wallboard or if it's applied after the fact like wallpaper. I'd guess it comes that way from wallboard manufacturer. Could you tell the difference?

I've never tried to modify a factory-built camper for fear that if I screw up it may be hard to repair the damage -- however small it may be.


P.S. -- I personally wouldn't worry as much about rod or curtain weight itself as much as a short person (like a child) opening or closing the curtain by pulling at an angle (with downward component to force). I've had similar issue at my parents' house with blinds pulled out of wall.

"Inner surface"? Inside the coach? From the looks of it the decorative covering is probably applied like wallpaper.

As far as rod/curtain weight: I'm not worried about small children pulling on it (as we have none) but it is subjected to vibrations from going down the road. In our Axis the shower is right above the rear wheels so it isn't subject as much as if it was all the way in the back or at some other moment.

[DocMike]

All,

Back home now. Interesting conversation going on with the curtain rod mounts.

During my install the mounts on the wall between the bathroom and bedroom were not too much of a problem after shortening the toggle bolts as much as I could. I also backed some paper towel into the hole and below it than squirted in a blob of clear silicone caulk before the final assembly...wanted to be sure to make it water tight.

THe outside wall just has little styrofoam particles that exist behind the thin wall board surface. I used the one toggle bolt and two self-tapping metal screws (since I did manage to hit one of the wall studs) also used caulk blobbed in to help secure a sealed fit with the teflon plugs.

It passed the inspection by the DW this weekend but she want a prettier curtain - plain white did not work for her.

The caulking was a little messy and probably not really needed.

Doc

[Stan fowler]

Hey,Doc - am I correct that you used the rod as supplied by Thor parts, as well as the brackets also supplied by Thor? Would you have a part number on the brackets ?

Finally ready to start the mod on my 2015 Vegas - heading off to the dealer to do battle 😡, and need all the info you have !

Just starting on installing Bilstein shocks and Hellwig bars - gunna make a sports car out of this sucker !! 😄

[DocMike]

Stan,

I cheated and ordered the brackets from two different sources. The ones from CW are just waiting for me to go and get them. How soon are you looking at working on the curtain?

With that said, I ordered them straight from Focus (1-866-290-1851) item number HBA00NCID91, "ARC Mounting brackets - brushed finish/pa. Sorry I can not remember the price but they were cheaper and two weeks quicker than CW.

Doc

Doc

[Stan fowler]

It is next in line after the susp. mods - probably a week or so .

[JamieGeek]

You could simply order the whole assembly like I did from Amazon: The ARC Curved Shower Bar. It will be a bit longer so you'll have to trim it, but you can get it overnight (for free if you're Prime). All the parts are included...

[vkb]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Ok you must have received a shorter one. This one is so long that I probably couldn't close the bathroom door if I don't trim it.

Jamie...i went to Amazon...it sez that rod they offer is 60" long and can be shortened if necessary.
We measured the length of our ARC as best as we could.. 46" from where the bracket meets the wall on each end.
Ron thinks..begin at 50 or 48 just to see what you might be able to gain !

I went to FOCUS website, the mfg....they market it as a 5' ARC.

K

[JamieGeek]

Yeah I can verify that the Amazon Arc is 60" and I lopped off 8" making mine as installed at 52" (look at the pics I think it bows out a bit more than the other pictures).

[vkb]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Yeah I can verify that the Amazon Arc is 60" and I lopped off 8" making mine as installed at 52" (look at the pics I think it bows out a bit more than the other pictures).

Oh yeh ... I thought those photos were before you cut it off ! where does your shower curtain hang ? inside the enclosure, I hope !!!