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Ron 'n Sue

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Hopefully somebody can help us. We have a '92 Winnebago Warrior.

The city water connection is broken and needs replacement. The problem is that the three screws that hold the housing to the motorhome side won't hold. The outside wall of the mh is very thin and is backed by a approx. 2" foam board -( is the whole inside of the wall foam? ) The screws aren't being held in place by the outside wall and obviously the (holes for) the screws in the foam are not holding either.

Can we put something into those holes to hold the screws without melting the foam or compromising it somehow? We tried replacing the #6 screws with #s 8, 10 and 12 with no luck, only making the holes larger with each size. :ranting2:

Any help would be much appreciated.

Ron & Sue

in our Warrior, Tuareg.

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Thought of that, but how to access the inside while installing the fitting on the outside? Ron is thinking of using those plastic drywall inserts that open up when screw is being installed. I am afraid these could damage the foam backing even more than the screws do.

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On my Dolphin, I have to remove the couch. the water tank is under the couch, and the filler neck is just above the tank.

The foam is somewhat structural, but damaging a small amount won't be significant.

The screws probably were secured into the outside skin only, there was no real structure for them to bite into, just a little over tightening and they strip out the skin.

Try the plastic drywall things that spread out a little.

A more complicated fix would be to take the filler off, then clear enough foam between the outer skin and inner skin to slide small pieces of wood into. This would form a frame around the opening. Use spray urethane foam as a filler / adhesive to secure the wood pieces into place. When the foam cures, re-install the filler fitting and this time the screws would then screw into the wood frame that you embedded in the foam core.

As I said, Probably easier to do flat washers and nuts on the inside. Drill the mount holes all the way through to the inside, then you need someone inside to hold the flat washer and nut while the person outside runs the bolt in the hole.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

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On my Dolphin, I have to remove the couch. the water tank is under the couch, and the filler neck is just above the tank.

The foam is somewhat structural, but damaging a small amount won't be significant.

The screws probably were secured into the outside skin only, there was no real structure for them to bite into, just a little over tightening and they strip out the skin.

Try the plastic drywall things that spread out a little.

A more complicated fix would be to take the filler off, then clear enough foam between the outer skin and inner skin to slide small pieces of wood into. This would form a frame around the opening. Use spray urethane foam as a filler / adhesive to secure the wood pieces into place. When the foam cures, re-install the filler fitting and this time the screws would then screw into the wood frame that you embedded in the foam core.

As I said, Probably easier to do flat washers and nuts on the inside. Drill the mount holes all the way through to the inside, then you need someone inside to hold the flat washer and nut while the person outside runs the bolt in the hole.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

Well, the little drywall things that spread out fixed the problem - for now. The actual fixture still needs replacing so hopefully the screws will be easy to take out and then put back in.

Did a search inside to see if it would be easy to fix from inside. The area needed is behind the stove!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

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I just had to replace my city water fill last week. I have learned from doing work on my toy that everytime you take a srew out it will not go back in the same hole and snug up as well. What i have done is put a little liquid nail on the screw and then break off a couple of tooth picks in the hole. Then screw the screws back in with the liquid nail on them. Once that dries it doesnt back out. Seams to work pretty good.

Eddie in Texas

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Removing and replacing the stove is probably a lot simpler than it seems. In my Sunrader, it is just a few wood screws along the perimeter and the gas line. Sure you'll have to remove/replace the silicone, but it means the repair will last a long time.

-andrew

Well, the little drywall things that spread out fixed the problem - for now. The actual fixture still needs replacing so hopefully the screws will be easy to take out and then put back in.

Did a search inside to see if it would be easy to fix from inside. The area needed is behind the stove!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

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How about boring a hole in a piece of wood the size of the water inlet cutting it in half putting it around the fitting inside then drive the screws in from out side. Flatspin's right the stove/oven is quite easy to get out.

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Maineah;

Good idea. If there is some way he can get the pieces up behind the stove, maybe screw a long handle on the wood (yard stick or something) so he can reach up.

Good idea. (I'll have to keep this in my future bag of tricks) :-)

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

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Thanks everybody for the ideas. The problem is solved, for the moment. The new city water fixture is coming and we'll see what happens when we try to install it.

All the answers have been good ones, and it just goes to show how we can help each other out in this community.

Ron 'n Sue

in our Winnebago, Tuareg.

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