|
08-21-2009, 09:30 AM
|
#1
|
3 Rivet Member
2012 25' FB International
Evanston
, Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 188
|
Can anyone figure out what happened here?
We can't figure out how the rear awning pole bracket along with the pole ended up like this--sheared in two. We thought both bracket and pole were intact when we left home, but when we got to the campground, this is what we found. We assume that the hook at the bottom of the pole was not secure and the pole whipped around in the wind. Surprisingly, there is no damage to the awning or to the skin of the Airstream.
Not that it matters now--the damage is done--but I would be interested if any of you have ideas about what could have happened.
Caryl
|
|
|
08-21-2009, 09:37 AM
|
#2
|
Rivet Master
1994 30' Excella
alexandria
, Kentucky
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,321
|
My guess is that it may have been a poorly cast piece of aluminum and fatigue eventually found the weak spot. Just a guess.
|
|
|
08-21-2009, 09:40 AM
|
#3
|
Moderator
2015 25' FB Flying Cloud
2012 23' FB Flying Cloud
2005 25' Safari
Santa Rosa Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,159
|
I have never seen that one before. You sure are lucky that the loose pole didn't beat the crap out of the back of the trailer.
Brian
__________________
SuEllyn & Brian McCabe
WBCCI #3628 -- AIR #14872 -- TAC #FL-7
2015 FC 25' FB (Lucy) with ProPride
2020 Silverado 2500 (Vivian)
2023 Rivian R1T (Opal)
|
|
|
08-21-2009, 09:50 AM
|
#4
|
Rivet Master
2011 34' Classic
Westchester Cty.NY
, / Miami FL
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,122
|
could a low hanging branch got caught in the hardware and yanked it?
one other thought would be a sign on a post came out and grabed it snapping the bracket.
__________________
Ricky
2012 F150 Super Crew 5-1/2' bed Ecoboost 4x4 3.73 elec. lock diff. Propride hitch
give life. kidney & pancreas transplant 9/9/06
Ingrid-my unofficial '"World's Oldest Streamer" 1909-2008 R.I.P.
|
|
|
08-21-2009, 11:39 AM
|
#5
|
Rivet Master
1971 25' Tradewind
1993 34' Excella
Currently Looking...
Estancia
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,743
|
Did you loose the rafter arm as well?
__________________
Sail on silver girl. Sail on by. Your time has come to shine.
|
|
|
08-21-2009, 12:29 PM
|
#6
|
4 Rivet Member
2005 22' International CCD
Phoenix
, Arizona
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 309
|
Contact ZipDee
Ours broke also and when we called ZipDee to order a replacement they indicated that the piece had broken on other Airstreams as well. Our awning was relatively new at the time, and the part was replaced free of charge. ZipDee is a great company to deal with, and their awning is also first rate.
|
|
|
08-21-2009, 01:28 PM
|
#7
|
3 Rivet Member
2012 25' FB International
Evanston
, Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 188
|
Yes, we did lose the awning pole. Since we live in the Chicago area, I did take the Airstream over to Zip Dee in Elk Grove Village. And, yes, they are super to deal with. Although they didn't mention any weakness in the metal or mention that they had seen this break before, they did not charge labor to replace the part. They are definitely into great service.
|
|
|
08-21-2009, 05:40 PM
|
#8
|
camper collector
Currently Looking...
Currently Looking...
Americus
, Georgia
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 64
|
Looks like due to the pressure of the support arm on the locking/travel catch caused the pot metal piece that broke--this ie due to Chicago area bad roads ----
|
|
|
08-21-2009, 06:30 PM
|
#9
|
Rivet Master
2006 19' Safari SE
Tucson
, Arizona
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,627
|
That's a weird one...glad there was not more damage.
Just for the heck of it, we lash the two arms of the Zip Dee together when we travel...using a velcro cord wrap... we put one at the upper end at the narrowest point and one at the lower end at the narrowest point...don't know if it would help if something actually broke, but it does stabilize the poles some so they don't vibrate as much.
__________________
TB & Greg and Abbey Schnauzer
AirForums #21900
PastPrez, 4CU/WBCCI
|
|
|
08-31-2009, 02:16 PM
|
#10
|
2 Rivet Member
2007 25' International CCD FB
Dallas
, Texas
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 49
|
Hi Caryl -
Not sure if there's a cause and effect associated but...
During our current trip i was closing the awning during a wind and noticed that the nut holding the rear rafter arm was missing. The bolt had worked it's way about halfway out and was torqued (seemingly from stress during travel). I can imagine that at speed, and not properly secure, the our bracket could've sheared in similar fashion.
Upon further inspection - i found that the corresponding nut/bolt on the forward rafter arm was also very loose...
Would be very interested to see if others are finding the same issues at the connection points.
All the best -
|
|
|
10-20-2009, 08:13 PM
|
#11
|
Rivet Master
1970 27' Overlander
Espanola
, Full Timer
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,753
|
Yeah it looks like poor casting defect to me too, what else is there that it could be?
|
|
|
10-21-2009, 10:33 AM
|
#12
|
2 Rivet Member
1977 21' Globetrotter
Davis
, California
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 33
|
Broken rear awning pole - speculation
My totally speculative response is that the pole popped off its pin at the bottom, and moved away from your trailer, and hooked on some nearby (relatively stationary?) object. The leverage of the bottom section of the pole is about 4:1, given the relative lengths. so it might not take much to snap the bracket. I think you may have lucked out in that it was probably not a vehicle or person that was the stationary object, and of course, did no significant damage to your trailer.
My poles rattle a lot due to age, so I use a couple of velcro straps around each pair to prevent noise and movement while travelling. Hope that helps avoid any future problem.
Mark
|
|
|
10-21-2009, 10:37 AM
|
#13
|
Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
1984 31' Airstream310
Ajo
, Arizona
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 7,649
|
Count yourself lucky, we came south on 95 out of Las Vegas the other day in a windstorm;
saw three coaches on the side of the road with blown-out awnings.
|
|
|
10-21-2009, 02:09 PM
|
#14
|
3 Rivet Member
2012 25' FB International
Evanston
, Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 188
|
We, too, have been using velcro straps on both awning poles to reduce vibration as several suggested on this thread. When we have the repair work done at Zip Dee, the technicians also tightened and adjusted all three awnings. We have noticed that they are all tighter and snugger than before the accident. We are happy campers now and feel like we missed a bullet in this incident.
Caryl
|
|
|
10-21-2009, 02:58 PM
|
#15
|
Rivet Master
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,177
|
In your picture it appears that there is a rivet head under the bracket, and it appears that your bracket broke where a screw goes through it. I would guess that when the screw was tightened down it may have cracked the bottom of the bracket as the rivet head was keeping the bracket from seating properly. It could also be that the screw hole makes the bracket more prone to cracking at that point.
Just my 2 cents
Rich the Viking
|
|
|
10-21-2009, 05:37 PM
|
#16
|
Retired.
Currently Looking...
.
, At Large
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 21,276
|
When I install a new Zip-Dee, I take a wood chisel and lop off the heads of the bucked rivets that will be under that bracket. Those 3 rivets missing their heads are less of a concern than breaking the bracket.
__________________
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.
Terry
|
|
|
10-22-2009, 07:28 AM
|
#17
|
Rivet Master
1984 31' Excella
Broken Arrow
, Oklahoma
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 673
|
Awning Bracket
My awning got caught in a wind storm at a campground a couple of year ago and that same bracket was broken (as well as other parts bent up).
The replacment I noticed didn't sit flat on the skin of the trailer because of some rivet heads. Having an aviation background, I knew that because it was not flat the casting would have pressure points on it. Castings, even aluminum castings are brittle.
I then took a black marksalot (Sharpe) and made the contact side of the bracket blacket.
I put the screws in the bracket and started them in the skin of the trailer finger tight.
I pressed the bracket onto the side of the trailer and wiggled it. This scratched the black magic marker off the bracket where it was touching.
I removed the bracket from the trailer.
I took a Dremel tool with a ball shaped burr and removed metal from where the rivets had scratched the black magic marker off the bracket and re-blackened the bracket.
I inserted the screws into the bracket and started then in the trailer skin...
Be very careful not to remove any more metal than you absolutely have to.
Any good machinist knows what i did. The magic marker was handy, I had no Dykem or Prussian Blue handy.
I repeated this cycle until each rivet has it own little divet into the bracket and the bracket sat flush on the skin.
I applied the recommended gray sealer (I am having a senior moment and cannot remember the name of the recommended stuff) on the entire bottom, installed the screws and tightened the bracket down. I
I then reworked the other bracket.
Beginner
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|