Repair Plastic Roof Support Fittings
We've been using these for several years now and expect they will outlast the trailer....
Repair Plastic Roof Support Fittings |
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| The plastic fittings on the end of the supports that hold up the canvas over the sleeping areas on many tent trailers are very suseptable to breakage. Replacement pieces are expensive and not that easy to come by. The fitting on the Fleetwood Niagara, and probably many other models, can be replaced for less than a buck and a few minutes of your time. Here's how we did it: | |
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One of the sides of the "C" on the cheap factory fitting will break off on you sooner or later. |
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A quick trip to the local hareware store for a couple of 3/4" PVC Tee fittings for slip-fits (glue-together) on the two straight end and 3/4 pipe threads on the tee section (3/4" slip x 3/4" slip x 3/4" FPT). Also pick up a few 1/4-20 x 1/4" set screws. |
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Drill and tap a couple of 1/4-20 holes in the pipe threaded end of the Tee to accomodate the set screws. |
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Cut the straight thru section of the fitting off about half way. Cut the end of the fitting off even with the threaded portion of the tee. Round the corners to avoid sharp edges making contact with the canvas on the trailer. |
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Deburr everything so it looks nice! |
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Leave the remains of the factory fitting in the end of the pipe and just clean it up with a file so that the new piece will fit over it. |
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Slip the new piece onto the end of the pipe, orient the support so that the new fitting will be in the correct position when installed, and tighten the set screws. DO NOT over tighten the setscrews. Use just enough pressure so the fitting won't fall off the end of the pipe and will stay on when you pull it off the end cap support. Too much and you'll break it!
We've been using these for several years now and expect they will outlast the trailer.... |