Repair help

[Truckie]

Hi,
First post so be nice. Had a trip from you know where. Several small issues from DSI FLT, to 2 vent covers breaking, to my biggest issue. The privacy curtain to the rear bunk in my toy hauler came completely out of the ceiling during travel, screws and all. Not sure how they all came out at once. I do have kids that sleep in the top bunk which may have been the initial culprit. I know the tooth pick and glue truck for screw holes, was thinking of backing it with liquid nails to stick it for good. Worried about pulling the paneling down if the wood fails? Any one repair this before and how so? TIA

[CincyGus]

Welcome to the forums!
You don't say how your vent covers broke but let me suggest a MAXAIR vent cover. https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=maxair+...nb_sb_ss_i_1_6 They protect the vent covers from failing objects like small limbs and nuts from trees along with allowing you to keep the vents open during rain without worry of getting water in the camper. Also big help in preventing UV damage to the vents covers which turns them very brittle very quickly.

I've not repaired a privacy curtain but I hung some new ones in a previous camper. If you want to use the same track, I would look and see if you can fit any bigger screw in along with the already mentioned toothpick and wood glue trick which I have used dozens of times.

Another option is how I hung my new privacy curtain. I bought a new curtain and strung a piece of vinyl covered braided cable from the hardware store across the opening and attached to the walls using these into a wall stud that I found using a stud finder.

https://smile.amazon.com/4-pcs-Stain...5969007&sr=8-7

Curtain was the type you could attach rings to like a shower curtain and it slid along the cable nicely.

Then tell those kids to settle down and be gentle with the camper or there will be no smores at the campfire! ;-)

Good Luck and again, Welcome!

[tomkatb]

We have made several of these, stuff falling off the wall repairs!

The factories do not put screws close enough together often.

Often, they should use a strip of glue and more screws.

And bigger nails. Etc.

The highways are rough. Approaches to bridges are our worst enemies.

Part of ownership. Unless it is big bucks we do our own repairs. Gotta be handy.

[larry2c]

I like using these for thin wall anchors (from Amazon). Not sure if this would be the right idea for your curtain - if you use these and it gets yanked hard enough, it could pull down the paneling...

[TitanMike]

The problem with securing items like a curtain track to the ceiling is that the ceiling isn't all that strong to begin with.

The secret is to spread the load as wide as possible, either with more scews or by adding a strip of wood that is screwed and glued to the ceiling it's full length. Then screw the track to the wood strip.

For more strength a strip of flat aluminum can be used. A good double backed tape can work well to initially secure it and then add screws, ideally into any ceiling support members if they exist.

Without the backing the load is focused on the individual screws through the fragile ceiling panel. Spread it out and it will stand up far better.


BTW, my experience in this area came when my wife opened up a sliding closet door in my old trailer only to find ALL the hanging clothes in a wad at the bottom of the closet. The hanging rail came right off the ceiling where it was secured with only 4 screws into the paneling. What the heck, it was well secured at the factory when the installer pulled on it, right?