Ladder screws backing?

[pago cruiser]

Well, the Captcha monster got me again.
Doesn't this happen to anybody else?
Type a post, hit submit, tell captcha I am not arobot, and then a blank screen?

One more time, but shorter...

Anybody replaced the ladder bracket to rear cap screws?
One of my brackets has a stripped #8 screw.
Put in a #10, and no tightening.
I'm thinking of going out and getting some #12s and trying that.
Or maybe a rivet?
From what I can see, there does not appear any backing - just the screws into the rear cap fiberglass.

Can anybody confirm this?

Worst case, I may have to drill a 3" hole in the cupboard above the bed, make a 2" x3/4" wood backer, and do it the hard way; but then I';; also have to make a cover, etc, etc.

Anybody "been here, done this"?

[pago cruiser]

Problem solved.
Instead of a screw, I tried running a M8 tap through the bracket and into the fiberglass. Turns out that the glass just does not have any structural quality left. I was able to tap the bracket, but the fiberglass refused to rake a thread, and just blew out.

So I tried a 1/4" rivet with a long shank so it could build up a nice button head. Worked great, and not the bracket is on solid. Was sure not looking forward to cutting a hole in the cabinet above the bed.

Now we'll see how long it lasts...

[overlander63]

Next time you can try a large olympic rivet in the hole. Dab some sealant on the bottom of the head, and the rivet will expand to grip more area further away from the hole. Yes, it's usually used for metal, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.


And no, never have even seen the captcha thing...