2001 Contessa mirror mounting

[LaMonte Monnell]

I have a question about the mirrors on my 2001 Contessa. The right mirror is loose and after checking the mount screws I have found two of them loose and spinning.

 I guess the mount nuts have broken loose on the back side of the front cap. Does anyone know how you would access this area to replace these nuts so the mirrors can be tightened down? The only way I see is possibly to take the headlights out and try to reach from there to access the nuts but even that looks like a long reach to me.......

[LaMonte Monnell]

Well, I didn't get any responses but the wife and I figured out the only way to fix the issue was to get up under the front cap(glad she is tiny) and remove the rusted and badly installed nuts and bolts.

After a trip to Lowes and purchasing all new ss bolts, washers, lock washers and nuts we replaced all 4 on the right side mirror and are tight now.

The left mirror we managed to get three of four bolts tightened down, and one we can't hardly get too...so that will have to wait until later.

At least the mirrors shouldn't fall off going down the highway now!

[Jerry Carr]

Lamonte, I am glad to hear you got the mirror's tighten, I have the same mounting on our 06 thunder, I am just replacing the mounts as the chrome was peeling off, we have very poor quality workmanship from this Monaco supplier(Velvac). You can't fix the old units. Powder coat is to soft and to strip and re-chrome I couldn't find a shop willing to do the job.  BAC does have some parts but none that fit our model.
  

[LaMonte Monnell]

Jerry, the hex screws on our mirrors were 3 1/2 inches long(overkill and had rusted out washers and nylon nuts on them. Threads were super bad and the holes elongated from being a little loose.

We managed to replace all four on the right mirror with stainless hardware(washers, lock washers and nuts and new bolts, and got three of them tightened on the left mirror.

Couldn't reach the one loose nut because of space to get in area but will have that one replaced next time we are up on a lift......

[Jerry Carr]

What I found on our 06 mirror mounting was rather odd, Monaco had used a prong styled "T" nut into the face of the fiberglass cap ( this style nut is designed for wood) then the long mounting screws pass thru the cap and a pile of washers and fiber nuts tighten the assemble from behind the cap. I guess it works but it is really very crude and show's me one more time how the engineering at Monaco is done on the shop floor. The main issue I have with the mirror's is the poor quality finish that Velvac provides my guess is they do the plating in china.  

[LaMonte Monnell]

I agree on the mirror finish...both of mine are bubbled and paint peeling on them. I am still looking for a paint shop that's reasonable and will do my front upper cap, top of rear cap, rear bumper and the side wraps by roof....and the mirrors.....

[Jerald Cate]

LaMonte I can't speak to any shops in Florida but if you happen to be near Little Rock, AR I would highly recommend RV Fog Dr. in Searcy.  I had much of the same work you described done there and I'm very pleased with the results the paint blended perfectly.  They advertise in the Beaver Tales and are very friendly and helpful folks.  I took some pictures and described the work I wanted done and they sent me a quote.  If you're having work done at their facility they let you overnight there but I think the work you want done will take a couple of weeks to complete and you'll have to leave it.  I thought their price was fair for the amount of work I had done.

[LaMonte Monnell]

thanks Bruce for the info!