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Ginophiles · 10-04-2020, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatLee

Ginophiles - umm, so where is the wall screw that you removed? Thanks.

Sorry, I think that post was on Friday evening. Had already cleaned up and sat down with an end of the week martini, and the trailer is 350’-400’ away. That’s almost 800’ round trip!!

So here is what our curtain rail mount looks like. The hard to get screw holds the end cap on. The easy to get at screw holds the mount to the wall. Once that screw is removed, the mount slides off the rail, allowing the curtains to be removed or installed. If your worried about stripping the wall screw out be repeatedly doing this, you could loosen the end cap screw once the mount is removed, so that it can be unscrewed in the future.

PatLee · 10-05-2020, 04:26 AM

Ginophiles - thanks for photos - I will be in trailer this week and will check that out.

Bill M. · 10-05-2020, 07:17 AM

You need to be careful with it but a battery powered impact driver and a good fitting tip will do a lot more to loosen a screw than you can by hand. Of course it will also ream out the screw head so that you cannot get it our if things go bad. From Pat's original photo, a small, quality, pair of channel locks will take that screw loose. You can put in a new screw if you scratch it up. I would be tempted to change head types on any screws I removed. Phillips is not the best out there now

bolerama · 10-05-2020, 09:22 AM

I had the same problem. My front living room curtains were easy; however, I couldn't budge the screws on the bedroom end caps -- not one of the four would budge! I ended up taking off the entire rail and then I had better access to the end caps. I backed off each screw so that now I can remove them when needed.

Lisa

PatLee · 10-06-2020, 05:41 AM

Bill M - you mean one of these?
https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-4...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

And what kind of screw head would you switch to?

lsbrodsky · 10-06-2020, 06:33 AM

This thread is a poster child for the value of this forum. Some years ago I thought about taking my curtains off for cleaning but a quick look at the fastenings chased me away. Indeed, even with my right-angle screwdriver the end cap screws were too tight.
After reading this thread, seeing the pictures, and understanding what others had done, I jumped in...yesterday.
I easily removed all of the curtains, after one end of the rail was removed from the wall I removed the caps and took them to a vise for forcible removal of the screws.
I washed the curtains with Woolite and Oxyclean on gentle and air dried on a clothes line. The curtains now look better than when we bought the trailer, except for a couple of June bug stains. Many, many thanks!
Larry

Ultraclassic · 10-06-2020, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatLee

After 3 seasons on the road, the cream-colored, slide-off curtains in my AS need washing. However, I am unable to remove the Phillips screw that allows one to slide the curtains off, because it was screwed in so tightly. I'm afraid that I will strip the screw if I persist. Complicating things is that I have to angle the screwdriver into the screw in order to remove so am unable to get a good grip. (I suspect this is because the AS techs use battery-operated screw drivers). The good news is that the curtains - fore and aft - can slide off the rails from either side - so I only need to get 2 (of the 4) screws out. Any tips on how to do this?
Thanks!

Make sure you have a good quality Phillips screwdriver tip ( they are not all the same) and second, use a power drill ( the torque ) and your pushing force should allow you to "Pop" them to allow them to be removed

Bill M. · 10-06-2020, 07:34 AM

"Bill M - you mean one of these"

Yes. Maybe put some tape around the area of the screw and try not to scratch the trailer molding. Channel locks sorta red necked and tool of last resort. Evaluate whether you think you can pull it off clean or not. You do not want to move it far, Just a nudge so that you can then remove it with a screwdriver, If there are other ways to get the curtains off consider them first

Not sure about screw type. I did not see anything looking at Amazon that I liked. Maybe a trip to an actual Ace hardware to see what they have. I would exhaust the ways to try to get it out with a screwdriver before I did the channel lock thing. My electric impact driver is my most used tool but you have to be able to come straight into the screw for it to work and you cannot. The hex head screws with the flange can be put in from the side with a box end wrench. Torx works better that Phillips if you can find it.

PatLee · 10-07-2020, 05:50 AM

Thanks, Bill M, for the additional info.

kposey · 10-07-2020, 09:33 AM

Try placing a rubber band on the end of the screw driver to to help it get a grip?

Mx468 · 10-07-2020, 09:53 AM

I would use needle nose vise grips.

travelux1969 · 10-07-2020, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatLee

Bill M - you mean one of these?
https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-4...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

And what kind of screw head would you switch to?

i personally would use the best screw invented, which is a Robertson. invented by a Canadian in 1908. they do not "cam out" like a philips, and can be easily removed without destruction of what it is attaching, even if rusted.
uneducated folks call them a square drive.

https://www.robertsonscrew.com/

i believe they are now available in the USA, under the "uneducated" name. (imhu)

Halford1 · 10-07-2020, 10:01 AM

it would help to use nose vise grip wrench like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GR...086407&sr=8-13

use the nose vise grip just to loosen the screw then use screwdriver to do the rest.

graygoose · 10-07-2020, 10:32 AM

We are having this same problem! It’s amazing that they felt the need to death-grip tighten the curtain screws, yet every other screw in the place has fallen off.

nickcrowhurst · 10-07-2020, 10:35 AM

Pozidriv screws and drivers are designed to resist "camming out", a sure recipe for damaging the screw head. I have used these exclusively for years:
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Ha...toreSelection=
These Pozidriv tools work with Pozidriv screws.
Nick

Halford1 · 10-07-2020, 10:59 AM

Ahhhh spray a penetrating spray on the stubborn screw. take care that the spraying penetrating oil not stain the curtain. suggest put a small cardboard between screw and curtain. or even wide paint tape. spray then loosen with vise grip, then do the rest with a screwdriver.

Shacksman · 10-07-2020, 11:15 AM

I have used these for years to remove any stuck, rusted or just stubborn screw.
https://www.amazon.com/VamPLIERS-Pat...%2C169&sr=8-17

lsbrodsky · 10-07-2020, 11:49 AM

Having just done this, be advised that it is not stuck in the sense of corrosion or age. IMHO, Airstream drilled the smallest possible hole for sheet metal screws, then used a power or air tool to drive the screws snug. The screws drives into a hole in the plastic endcap, which is corrosion free. Even after removing and lubricating the screws they are still very tight until you screw and unscrew several times.
Larry

Mollysdad · 10-07-2020, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

May be time to include a manual impact screwdriver to the AS tool kit.👍

Bob
🇺🇸

I agree. Doesn't have to be fancy, but something where a hammer tap translates to rotation.
This one is $8 at Harbor Freight.

Uke player · 10-07-2020, 02:08 PM

We have a bambi 2006 19 ft. If you have trouble taking off the end caps, try the other end cap top or botom and zig zag slide them off. So all you need is to get one end cap on top and one on the bottom off. You don't need to take two off one end. I had trouble with this two so I zig zaged them off opposite ends. Good luck.