Cab to chassis screws

[Pillbox]

Read here about updated cab chassis screws, Judge mentioned.
Anyone know size and length?
New to me 2017 four winds, got home, dropped headliner…..1 screw holding it.
See pic.

[Pillbox]

Ok, just an update,
The screws are 10 x 1 1/2
Found my leak also.
Loose cab= calking overstretched, leak.
Calk choices?
Geo 2500?
Sikaflex?
Help would be very much appreciated.
Terry

[Chateau_Nomad]

Where is that pic taken? Could you move back a little to give perspective of where that's located? I have a Ford cutaway, and it's nice to keep up on potential problems. Thanks!!

[Pillbox]

Over the drivers side, sitting in passenger seat.
Yep, ill take a few more.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Pillbox

Over the drivers side, sitting in passenger seat.
Yep, ill take a few more.

Thanks!!

[Pillbox]

Try this

[Pillbox]

More

[Judge]

Seeing those pics really chaps my backside.....

The metal of the roof of the cab is very thin. Then you have crappy plyood above it. Thinking a few wood screws are going to hold the front cap down and attached to the top of the cab as it virates and bounces as you drive down the road is beyond ridiculous.

There should be a steel or aluminum molding on the under side of the cab roof and then another on above the plywood, Then they should be using nuts and bolts through the metal molding to fasten the front cap to the top of the cab roof. The side walls should be done the same way.

To the OP..... above is how I would fix it to do it the right way. I would not just use bigger screw.

It is this consisently under-engineered design coupled with poor workmanship and lack of quality control that gives Thor a bad name. There is no way a 2017 Super C should look that way.

Thor.... you should be ashamed of yourself letting coaches go out the door assembled this way.

It has to make me wonder how well they repaired mine in Wakarusa and whether it will hold up over the long haul. So far so good but the jury will still be out till I get back from my 7-week 5500 miles trip.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Wow!! Thanks so much for the really detailed pics!

So... this is an E-350/450 class C? Just asking because super C was mentioned above...
Mine's a Ford E-350... so I'm assuming this what I'd find under that headliner? If so, I've got some work to do...

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

Wow!! Thanks so much for the really detailed pics!

So... this is an E-350/450 class C? Just asking because super C was mentioned above...
Mine's a Ford E-350... so I'm assuming this what I'd find under that headliner? If so, I've got some work to do...

This has been a chronic issue for the Super C's and the F-550 chassis..... can't say that I have heard about it on the Class C's at all. I didn't have this issue with my Outlaw 29H.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Econoline vans have steel supports running crosswise between the side walls (in the back storage area) as in this pic. I believe the roof is spot welded to these cross members.

This should be the MINIMUM of support structure used for a cab-over design... both for strength and for something substantial to attach the cab-over shell to.

[Pillbox]

Chateau Nomad,
This is the F 550 chassis

Help, anyone have an idea what calk to use?
Trying to only do this once in my lifetime.
Ideas appreciated
Terry

Ps. Judge, reading all your posts on this I think your idea is the proper way to go.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Pillbox

Chateau Nomad,
This is the F 550 chassis

Help, anyone have an idea what calk to use?
Trying to only do this once in my lifetime.
Ideas appreciated
Terry

Ps. Judge, reading all your posts on this I think your idea is the proper way to go.

This is what the Thor Service Center in Wakarusa used when they fixed my front cap. They gave me a tube of it while I was there. They said it is a heavy duty truck bonding and sealing agent.

Looks like you can get it on eBay.....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/27471128116...xoCilIQAvD_BwE


This is the better deal....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/27451985260...xoCci8QAvD_BwE

[Pillbox]

Question:
Is there supposed to be a little flex in the cabover?
If screwed down tight, will it transfer the energy to the next weakest part?
The top seal, side seals? Anywhere the front cap is seamed?
I’m no way an engineer, but these are questions I have.
Asking for a friend, I’m not smart enough.
Terry

Ps more interesting pics coming of the cab chassis.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Pillbox

Question:
Is there supposed to be a little flex in the cabover?
If screwed down tight, will it transfer the energy to the next weakest part?
The top seal, side seals? Anywhere the front cap is seamed?
I’m no way an engineer, but these are questions I have.
Asking for a friend, I’m not smart enough.
Terry

Ps more interesting pics combing of the cab chassis.

There is going to be some minimal bounce / flexing from normal driving but it can be worse on bad roads.

My issues was not the mount at the cab roof (although they repaired it as well because I told them there were many instances of the screws coming out at the headliner in the older Super C's). My issue was the cap mounting at the sides of the house.

I believe some of these issues are being cause by the use of Auto-Level. Auto-Level tends to over-use the jacks, which can lead to twisting and torquing of the body. I stopped using Auto-Level as a result. I place three small levels on the center of the floor (front, middle and back) and then manually level gently based on what I see.

Because Thor has been using screws that are too small.... not enough screws.... plus the gorillas on the floor have their screw guns set at max torque and often strip the screws.... the twisting and torquing from Auto-Level puts significant strain on the screws. Those screws eventually break or pull free. You will then see the molding on the sides of the coach at the front cap start moving and lifting.... or you will see screw heads trying to push through the molding.

Ultimately, they have made these cab-over front caps too large. The further the cab-over sticks out past the winshield, the more susepctible it is to bouncing and flexing. This ultimately puts more stress and torque on the attachement points.... and if the cap is not secured properly, it is only a matter of time until the crappy screws start to let go.

That's why I suggested using a metal backing plate on each side and bolting things down and using the sealant I mentioned in between all of the layers.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Yes, I realize you are dealing with a super C. The only reason I showed the pic of the Econoline van was to show how that roof is structurally supported... A suggestion to Thor to add cross supports in the F-550 roof to add strength.

[kwplot34]

You guy's are making me nervous about my XG32 Omni super c. I might need to pull mine apart this winter.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by kwplot34

You guy's are making me nervous about my XG32 Omni super c. I might need to pull mine apart this winter.

Keep and eye on the front cap molding running up the sides of the wall on the driver and passenger sides. If you se signs of any screw heads pushing against the modling, that is the first sign of potential problems.

If the molding breaks free of its seal and starts lifting or moving (usually visibile while the coach is being leveled), then you need to get scheduled into the Thor Service Center in Wakarusa.

You can remove the headliner and inspect the screws there as well to see if any that have started to loosen. If you go that far to remove the headliner, I would consider doing something like I mentioned in the previsous post... or at least add more and beefier screws.

[Pillbox]

Do not read……this means you Judge. Not going to want you to worry.
Chateau Nomad, found the steel cross bars on the four winds.
Here are some more pics:
1st one’s are the steel cross bars installed by thor. Feel free to zoom the pics, sad.
The rest are of the passengers side.
Note: daylight in one, massive air flow, big void with NO anything, thats most of the road noise i’m guessing.
Please comment on them,
Terry

[Pillbox]

Last ones.