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TrapperK View Drop Down
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Joined: 18 Jun 2018
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: RPod Fender Attachment
    Posted: 18 Jun 2018 at 10:32am
After accidentally hitting a traffic cone on the highway, the fender on the right side of my RPod almost came off. Three of the five screws that held it on broke off. I need to reattach the portion of the fender that came away from the body. The original screws are Robertson (square drive), but other than that I'm not sure if I need a specific type and length. If anyone can give me that information, and/or a company where I can order the screws, I'd really appreciate it.
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6289 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2018 at 10:55am
Why not back out one of the remaining screws to get the size and length? Take it to your local hardware or big-box home store and get something the same size, even if it does not have the square drive.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
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TrapperK View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2018 at 12:30pm
Thank you StephenH. That's a great idea to get the length of the screw. I believe the exterior of the RPod is fiberglass. Do I need a special type of screw for that, or can I just use wood screws?
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2018 at 12:36pm
Go to an RV store and buy some more Robertson screws, unless your local Ace carries them.  You may want to consider going to a slightly thicker screw, since you probably enlarged the original screw holes when you pulled your fender away.  Also, get little tube of bedding compound and fill the screw holes with it before you reattach them.  It gets pretty wet in the wheel well and you don't want water entering the screw holes.
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
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TrapperK View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2018 at 1:42pm
Thank you "lostagain". I will probably have to drive the screws into new territory since the old ones broke off leaving part of the screw embedded in the fiberglass. I like the idea of using the bedding compound.
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JAGMAR View Drop Down
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Posts: 2 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2018 at 9:01pm
I moved one of the fenders (de and then remounted) because the factory mounted fenders were not mounted evenly over the "port side" tire. I put the fender back on with stainless steel screws. The inside area of the fender gets beat up with water, dirt, rocks, salt etc. and needs high quality fasteners and good seals to keep the fenders from failing and damage to the rest of the side and under carriage. The OEM screws showed rust so I used high thread count #10 screws because a course thread can not "bite" on the thin fiberglass. I used high grade SS (MilSpec but easily available), not the HD/Lowes quality, but anything is better than the corroded Cad plated stuff I found. I put sealant in the new hole before I put new screws in (pre-drilled with a pilot hole)and the gave them a good coating of sealant over the screw heads. Make sure your fender-to-camper fiberglass gasket is in good condition and in place. I remounted the other side because I figured it was equally vulnerable to corrosion. I probably went a bit too far, but I won't need to worry about the fenders falling off again.
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TrapperK View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jun 2018 at 1:29pm
Thank you for the great information JAGMAR. I will take your advice.
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jun 2018 at 8:48am
Jagmar, I understand what Milspec [Military Specification] is and that there are fasteners of all sorts that are sold meeting those specifications, but I don't follow you on your reference to SS vs. HD in reference to stainless steel fasteners.  I am aware of the difference, for example, between18-8, 304, and 316 stainless fasteners.  There is a whole number grading system for stainless depending on the composition and metallurgical characteristics, but HD and SS as grades?  Where do you find them?  Just wondering.

Speaking of fasteners, here is a helpful article on "marine fasteners" from West Marine.  Though I wouldn't try to float our Pod, there are some similarities between a boat and a Pod.  Both use cored fiberglass, need corrosion resistance and strength, and both need to be watertight when installed.  
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
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Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6289 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jun 2018 at 8:37pm
HD = Home Depot, not a grade.
StephenH
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Jun 2018 at 11:08am
Originally posted by StephenH

HD = Home Depot, not a grade.
and... HDG = Hot Dip Galvanized. HDG are great when you can't get stainless.
bp
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