Rear cap screws

[rynosback]

How to install backers so the screws have grip for the rear rail, rear cap and rear fenders.
There is a two step process to securing the back cap. Yesterday, I secured the rails to the rear cap and fender. I still need to secure the rear wall, which I will later post. I believe both fixes are necessary in order to completely secure the back cap. Ruth Finkenbiner posted about securing the rear wall. That really got me thinking about this issue. I had a helper (my wife) at times to complete this modification.

Here’s what I did:
1. Remove spare tire.
2. Clear the spray foam from the rear cap so the spare’s housing can be removed. I removed all of it and am going to spray in new foam.
3. Remove the 7 (3/8) bolts and the 8 (#2) Phillips head screws and drop the spare’s plastic housing down.
4. Remove the rear and side pieces of insulation.

Doing the above gives you “access”. It is tight and at times you will be working by feel.

I used different things as backers - 1.5” x .75” hard wood strips, 5 gallon paint stirrers and a strip of 1.5” aluminum.

What I did on the power cord reel side.
There were three screws that were free spinning. I glued a strip of aluminum to a paint stirrer to use as the shimmed backer. Pushed it up and then drilled a pilot hole then ran the top screw in.
For the two lower screws, I pre-drilled one pilot hole into a hard wood strip. I pushed a wooden skewer through the upper screw hole (on the outside) into the pilot hole of the wood strip (on the inside) to line it up properly. I held it from the inside while my wife (Linda) screwed the screw in. While I was still holding the backer, I had my wife drill a pilot hole for the lower vertical screw and then screwed it in as I continued to hold the backer. I then backed one screw at a time out about a .25” and squeezed some Lexel around the screw and screwed it back in. I had already installed a backer on the bottom of the rail years ago so I didn’t need to address it.

What I did on the door side.
The shimmed backer was way too thick for the top screw on the door side, but a piece of aluminum was a nice snug fit. It held in place while I drilled a pilot hole and screwed in the screw. I did the same procedure for the lower two screws as I did on the power cord reel side. For the screw on the curve, I pre-drilled a hole into a small piece of aluminum and tried to bend it in the same curve. I stuck a wood skewer through the screw hole and lined it up, then my wife screwed the screw in while I held the aluminum backer. Anchoring the screw on the curve pulled the fender back into place. My rail had about a half inch gap prior to the fix. The underside rail backer was done the same way as the vertical backer. I glued a piece of aluminum to a wood strip to make the backer. The holes in the fender appeared to be elongated so I added another screw to the bottom rail.

All of this is part one in keeping the rear cap secure. I will post the next step in a couple of days. Sorry for being long winded, but I wanted to provide you as much detail as I could.

#therearcapfix

[Porthole]

My entire rear cap is shifting as we travel.
Both sides have screws that loosen up or just fall out.
The panel around the cord reel actually ripped after the first repair last year.
After the 2nd repair most of the screws fell out within 600 miles. On a plus, the screws falling out probably kept the panel from ripping again.

I put a 1 foot long piece of blue painters tape stretched tight from the center of the cap down to the trailer hitch.

Just moving the trailer over in my driveway had the tape go out of alignment.

Right at-just above the belt line - the horizontal trim you can see the clearcoat has star cracks or crazing where something on the inside is pushing out.

After any given trip you can feel along the sides in that area on one side or the other and can feel a slightly raised area from something inside pushing out.

[Cummins12V98]

Originally Posted by Porthole

My entire rear cap is shifting as we travel.
Both sides have screws that loosen up or just fall out.
The panel around the cord reel actually ripped after the first repair last year.
After the 2nd repair most of the screws fell out within 600 miles. On a plus, the screws falling out probably kept the panel from ripping again.

I put a 1 foot long piece of blue painters tape stretched tight from the center of the cap down to the trailer hitch.

Just moving the trailer over in my driveway had the tape go out of alignment.

Right at-just above the belt line - the horizontal trim you can see the clearcoat has star cracks or crazing where something on the inside is pushing out.

After any given trip you can feel along the sides in that area on one side or the other and can feel a slightly raised area from something inside pushing out.

YEP!!!

Same SH!TZ going on with mine!!!

Hey Ryan how is the finger doing???

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by Porthole

My entire rear cap is shifting as we travel.
Both sides have screws that loosen up or just fall out.
The panel around the cord reel actually ripped after the first repair last year.
After the 2nd repair most of the screws fell out within 600 miles. On a plus, the screws falling out probably kept the panel from ripping again.

I put a 1 foot long piece of blue painters tape stretched tight from the center of the cap down to the trailer hitch.

Just moving the trailer over in my driveway had the tape go out of alignment.

Right at-just above the belt line - the horizontal trim you can see the clearcoat has star cracks or crazing where something on the inside is pushing out.

After any given trip you can feel along the sides in that area on one side or the other and can feel a slightly raised area from something inside pushing out.

Duane,
This is only half the fix. I think all of this is the effect of the problem. I believe the problem is that the rear framed wall is shifting side to side causing a lot more movement then really designed. If you keep fixing the effect and never address the problem it will just keep happening. There have been two reports now that securing the rear wall stops or minimized the shifting of the rear. I will be posting up a write up on that also.the first guy that ever posted it could not explain his pictures so it was really confusing. Hope this explains my thinking.
Ryan

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by Cummins12V98

YEP!!!

Same SH!TZ going on with mine!!!

Hey Ryan how is the finger doing???

Does not hurt as much but still stiff and swollen. ��

[Walker]

2 Ideas....
1- A couple I know had continuous issues with their rear cap moving. The had the cap removed to see what else was broken and found that most of the screws were missing... only 4-5 screws were holding the rear on. Most of the trim screws missed the rear cap flange.
2nd idea- If the rear cap can be removed and the rear wall braced at the corners or spray-foamed all the areas that can be, it would help eliminate flex. If you have a solid rear wall with no window, Memphis model- you could spray foam the entire wall area.
And then reattach the cap with backing strips all the way around.

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by Walker

2 Ideas....
1- A couple I know had continuous issues with their rear cap moving. The had the cap removed to see what else was broken and found that most of the screws were missing... only 4-5 screws were holding the rear on. Most of the trim screws missed the rear cap flange.
2nd idea- If the rear cap can be removed and the rear wall braced at the corners or spray-foamed all the areas that can be, it would help eliminate flex. If you have a solid rear wall with no window, Memphis model- you could spray foam the entire wall area.
And then reattach the cap with backing strips all the way around.

I’m pretty sure that you have to pull the rear window to remove the rear cap. There have been two guys saying that the rear has been rock solid after they braced the the rear wall. One did a write up but it was confusing and he could not answer the questions I had for him. So I’m going to do it the way that I think it should be done and do a write up on bracing the rear wall in another post. This is only part 1 of the fix.

[Porthole]

Originally Posted by rynosback

Duane,
This is only half the fix. I think all of this is the effect of the problem. I believe the problem is that the rear framed wall is shifting side to side causing a lot more movement then really designed. If you keep fixing the effect and never address the problem it will just keep happening. There have been two reports now that securing the rear wall stops or minimized the shifting of the rear. I will be posting up a write up on that also.the first guy that ever posted it could not explain his pictures so it was really confusing. Hope this explains my thinking.
Ryan

Somewhere I have pictures of our trailer under construction (was out there during build week).

The frame ends where the cap starts.

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by Porthole

Somewhere I have pictures of our trailer under construction (was out there during build week).

The frame ends where the cap starts.

There is nothing between that back framed wall and the cap. But what is interesting is that the rear baseplate is suspended in air.

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by rynosback

There is nothing between that back framed wall and the cap. But what is interesting is that the rear baseplate is suspended in air.

I just finished securing the rear wall and am working on a how to write up now. Should have it posted tomorrow.
Found some interesting things when back there.