Reinforcing the slide surround trim

[Bruce Sieloff]

Reengineering the Beav. Long story short, are any of our members familiar with a shop that would take on small projects like this? I want to reinforce the perimeter surround trim around the slideout openings. The individual pieces of the surround trim are pop riveted to the skin but at the rear of the passenger side slide (the kitchen in our coach) the top of the wall is loose and moves about 1/2 inch in and out.  The trim actually appears to be a structural support. The skin does not appear to be able to be tightened up by replacing the screws at the top per the usual fix. I want to tie the vertical trim to the horizonal trim and eliminate the movement.The metal is too thin to weld so I want to use the Beaver approach and overlay all 8 exposed corners around all 3 slides with a reinforcement bracket that is pop riveted to the exterior of the existing frame. I'm looking for someone to make some 90 degree stainless brackets about 3/4" wide and each leg 3" long with 4 holes for rivets and have them powder coated in gloss brown to maintain an OEM look. Any ideas?

[Gerald Farris]

Bruce,
There is a type of lag bolt or rivet under the molding that holds the fiberglass skin to the structural member in the wall, and yours has apparently rusted into. It is a common problem in all teenage or older RVs with slide outs. The trim is just trim for appearance purposes. BCS or any large motorhome body shop should be able to correct your problem in $700 to $1,000 range. 

Gerald

[Bruce Sieloff]

Thanks Gerald, looks like I didn't dodge the bullet on this one.
Unfortunately I continue to build a nice solid used coach for the next guy. I need to BE that guy...

[Gerald Farris]

Bruce,
If I understood you right about the loose wall section, my 2000 Marquis had the same problem about 4 years ago except that mine was the entire length of the wall from top to bottom, and the body shop bill was $700 to repair. The repair included reattaching the edge of the wall and sealing it to prevent water from getting into the wall and causing delamination. It also included reinstalling the trim and touchup on the new rivet heads.

Gerald 

[John Martin]

I have just redone the slide out drivers side frame on our 1999 beaver patriot ticonderoga. There was absolutely no screws in the fiberglass attaching it to the steel frame. It was being held in place by the rivets & the aluminum trim.
I reset it back in place with 2 -11/4" screws between where the rivets were then reinstalled rivets next size up × 1/2" long. Now its solid, just have to touch up the trim & rivets with paint.  It did have some delam along the edge but a good calk/glue under the trim corrected that.
Jack Martin
1999 Beaver patriot ticonderoga.
11 years traveling
6 month each year
Out 5th motorhome