I found this last night

[Pinn]

We had to replace the city water inlet and the connection behind it. We cut the hole bigger on the camper to get it all back together. And now it is pulling away from the camper. What's going to be the best way to get it fixed?

[A32Deuce]

They sell one with a bigger diameter. Don't make the hole any bigger then needed, drill small starter holes for the screws and put sealant around the opening before installing the new inlet. Looks like,you made the hole too big and did not get a good grip with the screws into the side, and I don't see any sealant!

[Larry0071]

That white trim ring with 3 screws looks as if the screws are pulling away. The first thing I would think to do would be to remove the screws and apply your sealer to the back side. Then re-install it but drill 3 new holes evenly spaced between the 3 existing screw holes but out closer to the edge to find better material. This way you have 6 holes in total, 3 that are failing and 3 that move outward radially to hopefully find more solid material to anchor in to.


If the problem is what I am thinking, that the screws pulled out of the camper body material due to the cutting that you did, and the holes are damaged, you can go to a larger screw as well assuming that you can actually get a bite into solid wall material outside of that cut edge. But the addition of 3 more will share the load across all 6, and the sealant will work as an adhesive to take some additional load.


If all of that fails, you can make (or get made) a larger diameter aluminum or stainless plate to replicate the job of that one and spread the hole pattern out wider. Depending on the situation, you can make a plate that essentially captures that existing plate and sandwiches it into the wall surface, or you could make a single new larger diameter plate that replaces that factory one and cut it in half to install it and use sealant to close up any seams. You would for sure want to be sure that you use a sealer (even fill the back side with clear RTV silicone) to bond the plate to the surfaces no matter what style you build or have made. Water seepage is not your friend.


That would my first 2 methods of attacking the issue.

[Pinn]

All fixed now. Not factory but it is repaired

[5picker]

Well... that should hold!
Thanks for reporting back with your fix.

[The Evil Twin]

Glad to see you got it repaired. I was going to suggest a sheet of white acrylic about 1/4 inch thick. Cut to size so much like the material you used.

[cboss]

Thanks so much for posting the fix. We often don't get to see the happy or sad endings to issues posted.

[keith52]

Looks good from here!

[TitanMike]

Function is often more important than form.

Looks good from where I sit.[emoji106][emoji106]

[bbbymac]

I had a similar problem and used 3 toggle bolts. They expanded behind the wall and provided enough bite to hold it in place.

[Retired Air Force]

To help eliminating this problem, by removing water hose stress, get a 90 degree hose attachment elbow for attaching FW hose to camper.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by bbbymac

I had a similar problem and used 3 toggle bolts. They expanded behind the wall and provided enough bite to hold it in place.

One can also get "Pop Rivets" that use a threaded mandrel to expand them. Insert, expand, then remove mandrel and use machine screw to secure fixture. Some thick sealer behind it too.

Just another method.

[Ida Ratherbe Camping]

Originally Posted by Retired Air Force

To help eliminating this problem, by removing water hose stress, get a 90 degree hose attachment elbow for attaching FW hose to camper.

You mean like the one posted in pic? Twice?
Or is there something else?

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

One can also get "Pop Rivets" that use a threaded mandrel to expand them. Insert, expand, then remove mandrel and use machine screw to secure fixture. Some thick sealer behind it too.

Just another method.

Those are also called "rivet nuts" or "riv nuts". Available in aluminum or steel.

[Old Willie]

Looks Good!!

[CaptnJohn]

In a wet environment I'd use Starboard. Not cheap but best product. Used on boats. Available at marine supply and Lowes.

[colretired]

Glad you have a fix. For others and future reference there are a couple of solutions that are quite easy. One, if you are handy with wood, make donut out of 1/2 inch plywood where the inside diameter matches your desired hole opening and the outside is at least 1/2inch larger all the way around than the opening. Cut the donut in half, slather it with adhesive poke through the hole and pull it up against the inside of the wall. Do the same with the other half. Wait for the adhesive to set and then you have some backing to screw into. Alternatively you can go to the automotive store and by the clip on fasteners that are designed for either sheetmetal screws or machine screws. Align them with the existing holes. These are designed to slide over sheet metal so you have to find one that is deep enough to accommodate the roughly 1/4 inch thickness of the sidewall.

[MisterVick]

If you still have enough material behind the plate you could try installing well nuts instead of screws. Well nuts (link provided below) require a larger hole for installation but expand behind the mounting material with a rubber sleeve, similar to other expansion-type anchors but not requiring particularly deep mounting space as with mollie bolts or plastic anchors. They will be available at Lowes or Home Depot and some Ace stores in their hardware - specialty fasteners.