All the screws in the bottom rear wall are missing or stripped

[gbkims]

I guess the angle strip is for looks if there isn't any aluminum at that area.
Core from a side wall:

[TucsonJim]

I don't have the wall drawing for the 27RL, but when I look at other drawings, there is a metal backer in that location.

Jim

[Yoda]

I don't have the wall drawing for the 27RL, but when I look at other drawings, there is a metal backer in that location.

Jim

So he is screwing into that piece of thin metal with foam behind? If so going up one screw with a dab of glue at the back of the hole should work. Glue would aid in vibration resistance.

[GDRV-Megan]

GDRV-Megan
Hi Megan,

Could you ask whoever is the right person on the Reflection team as to the purpose of this wall/floor connection strip? I doubt that this is structural . . . but, why is it even there?

Thanks
Rob

We use this aluminum corner piece to help with attaching the floor to the rear wall. You are correct, it is not structural as the main attachments for the rear wall are done at the perimeter of the wall. We are not able to run screws through the fiberglass into the floor of the unit as the screw heads would be exposed (because there is no belt rail back there), so we use this aluminum railing in the interior to prevent any gapping.

If the screws are coming out, we would recommend reinstalling wider screws. The maximum length of the screws that we suggest using is 1-1/2".

[Canyonlight]

We use this aluminum corner piece to help with attaching the floor to the rear wall. You are correct, it is not structural as the main attachments for the rear wall are done at the perimeter of the wall. We are not able to run screws through the fiberglass into the floor of the unit as the screw heads would be exposed (because there is no belt rail back there), so we use this aluminum railing in the interior to prevent any gapping.

If the screws are coming out, we would recommend reinstalling wider screws. The maximum length of the screws that we suggest using is 1-1/2".

Megan - thank you for the update ! In my earlier post on this thread and over the years when a number of us saw these screws working themselves out partially or all the way out the questions was why.....what is happening. What can you share about this ?

Thanks, as always Megan !

Dan

[Guest]

Virtually every component or panel that I have removed from my Imagine has had stripped screws. My awning now has daylight behind the rear vertical strut where I found the mounting screws are mostly stripped. Will be looking into rivet nuts at some point.

Jim

[Cate&Rob]

Virtually every component or panel that I have removed from my Imagine has had stripped screws. My awning now has daylight behind the rear vertical strut where I found the mounting screws are mostly stripped. Will be looking into rivet nuts at some point.

Jim

Power drivers running screws into 1/8” luan. Even with the EGS metal backer, the retention is less than one thread of the sheet metal screws. The difference between max holding and over-torqued/stripped is a fraction of a turn. Very difficult to “feel” this with a power driver, even if you use the torque release feature.

Rob

[Yoda]

Virtually every component or panel that I have removed from my Imagine has had stripped screws. My awning now has daylight behind the rear vertical strut where I found the mounting screws are mostly stripped. Will be looking into rivet nuts at some point.

Jim

Jim - look up my bowed awning repair, Hopefully you will find something useful in it.

[Guest]

Thank you Keith. I'll check it out.

Jim

[Dave27]

I got back in behind the sofa bed yesterday. I don't see any backing behind the luan. I tried a larger screw #10, and it would only snug up in three holes, and when I tried to "snug" one a little tighter, it just stripped through the luan. So I decided to try plastic anchors, and that works pretty well. Three holes were so large I used the toothpicks and glue approach. We will see how long this holds, based on the original, I don't have high expectations. Thanks again for all the advise.
Dave

[Canyonlight]

I got back in behind the sofa bed yesterday. I don't see any backing behind the luan. I tried a larger screw #10, and it would only snug up in three holes, and when I tried to "snug" one a little tighter, it just stripped through the luan. So I decided to try plastic anchors, and that works pretty well. Three holes were so large I used the toothpicks and glue approach. We will see how long this holds, based on the original, I don't have high expectations. Thanks again for all the advise.
Dave

Dave, when I checked ours this spring after repairing (my post #9) in August, 2016 as Jim suggested (and you did) no screws had come loose or were laying on the floor like then. So far so good.

Dan

[TheMcLellans]

Well here we are in 2024 back from a summer of travel in our 303RLS and most of our screws on the back wall bracket are just laying on the floor. Repair is straight forward. The bigger question is why does it happen.

[Country Campers]

That angle piece is just really a piece of "trim" to cover the joint between the rear wall and the floor, learned from being at the GD plant. The rear wall is secured to the side walls and roof with rather large screws. The reason it is not attached to the floor is to allow for flex while in motion. If the rear wall was attached to the floor it would probably tear itself apart while traveling on our perfect roads.

Brian

[Reacher]

Perhaps ditching the screws and using a 3M double sided tape adhesive for attaching this metal trim piece would make more sense?

[TheMcLellans]

That angle piece is just really a piece of "trim" to cover the joint between the rear wall and the floor, learned from being at the GD plant. The rear wall is secured to the side walls and roof with rather large screws. The reason it is not attached to the floor is to allow for flex while in motion. If the rear wall was attached to the floor it would probably tear itself apart while traveling on our perfect roads.

Brian

Brian -- really appreciate this. I am thinking to remove all the floor screws on the trim and only leaving the wall screws of the trim connected. This way the trim will float on the floor, hard attached to the wall. Thoughts?