Bed Cable brackets….. anyone have bent ones.

ebemis

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Posts
415
Location
Central Florida
Sorry I don’t have pictures just yet but…

I discovered today the “L” shaped brackets that provide the cable hanging point & the ridge pole on our front bed to be ….. yes this sounds weird and a picture will do wonders once I get one….. slightly “dog eared bent up” at the 4 screw point corners. The screw that goes all the way through the bed platform and has a large washer on the outside skin appears sound and secure. This presents as if the actual platform has tried to pull down away from the cable but I know I’m not THAT fat to cause such a thing, ….well at least I hope so!

- Anyone know how much aluminum frame support is sandwiched between the inner and outer skins at that L-bracket point where the screws go into and through the platform?

- Has anyone else suffered similar issues?

- Has anyone added any sort of larger face plate work or support to this mounting areas?

THANKS! ( I promise pictures when I return for closer inspection)
 
SO TRUE!!! Since I posted I got to thinking the issue may have sadly been SELF-INFLICTED! 😭

This presented after I had added a layer of that purple foam board from HD between the door and our mattress….. I have a sneaky suspicion that extra thickness MAY have applied a “push force outward” by my mast frame poles when folding bed up from it not having enough room to nest between that inner upper wall…. THIS is my hoping at least as opposed to some other bad juju like water softening or something. I have NO water intrusion that I am aware of with everything dry and solid but who knows…

For now, until I gat a chance to revisit it hopefully early next week I’m left to keep fretting internally over “WTH did I do” thinking….which as we all know is bad for my Scotch ….errr….. HABIT! YA that’s it, just a habit for sure!😂
 
I have removed the foam board I had added....
IMG_1276.jpeg

it was a 1" nominal addition BUT I now believe it is NOT the reason for my bracket bends... NOW I am thinking sadly I may have possibly suffered an "over-loading" on the bed platform???.... although i have some memory of it being able to support QUITE A LOT of weight.

Here are two photo's showing I don't have any apparent, at least that I can tell, deflection or bends in the bed platform from the outside;
IMG_1271.jpeg
IMG_1270.jpeg


With the bed in the OPEN position, looking from the underside, I still can't see any noticeable distortion in the platform;
IMG_1272.jpeg


HOWEVER... from the inside my feelings of fear and dismay are easily presented... the first shot is the one with the best view of the bracket distortion;
IMG_1274.jpeg

Then here is a view of BOTH the left & ride sides in a similar state :-(
IMG_1273.jpeg
IMG_1275.jpeg


SO... here is;

MY THINKING/GUESS - the cable suspension worked BUT possibly the foam topper (two 2" ones) our bedding and my Scotch filled butt MIGHT have overloaded and created this distortion.

MY RECOVERY IDEA - not yet finalized, I need to find a person at FR I can query about what sort of Aluminum framing is between the outer/inner platform faces in that area. IF each of the 4 corner screws set into aluminum framing, then I was thinking I could cut two smaller flat iron plates for the OUTSIDE of the door and drill to mount ALL FIVE fasteners completely through the door face instead of just the factory supplied single center screw and washer.....

I think if I remove the brackets I can bend them back to normal and then remount with a stronger plate outside. Thinking that metal will be fatigued if I reshape it means I might need to consider purchasing new ones instead from FR but that wont solve/do anything about added support from the outside. The inside platform has that black steel ribbed/A-Frame strap that runs across the platform from bracket to bracket... sure would be nice if it went the ENTIRE way across and enveloped the cable support points is what I first thought.

FINAL THOUGHTS... if anyone out there has experienced the same I would be interested in knowing what your resolution was. It has been quite some time since I talked to a FR person on the phone to buy replacement parts so I will need to refresh that contact point. Also, if anyone happens to know if there is anyway to actually talk with a FR engineer/production person to "learn" about how that bed platform may or may not have aluminum structure between the faces please let me know! :)

IF I get a resolution, even if it takes me quite some time, I will reply to this post with an update on what I ended up doing, until then HAPPY CAMPING!!
 
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Ugh, hate problems like this, friend. But sure-as-shootin you're going to make me go look at my brackets as soon as I'm out at the trailer again.

Thanks for the photos - def worth 1,000 words.

Look like it's the load applied by your scotch-fueled butt coupled with bad geometry, somewhat subpar material choice, and not a great design to begin with. The off-center load being applied to the bracket is why your plates are bending upward in that particular fashion. I can't imagine shock loading being the culprit, way out there at the far ends of the platform... might it be that you sleep outboard, and (pardon the assumption) your DW sleeps inboard? (we reverse this, and the *ahem* heavier one sleeps closer to the hinges). The fact that at least a couple/few of your supporting screws are proud/standing tall of the bent bracket means that those things bend/deform MORE than the position they are in currently (like, when you guys are snoozing, or - worse - up to shennanigans).

Question - have you ever deployed your bunk end, and then stood on it (particularly closer to the outside edge) as a way to access the roof? (tent end NOT deployed and standing THROUGH the unzipped emergency exit, that is). The more weight the further from the coach, and off to either side, the more load those brackets see.

I'd say no matter what your solution (and no matter whether there's Aluminum framing to go through or not), you've got to put a new way to support weight there, and address the force that's pulling the screws on the stress side of the brackets. Most effective is (likely) what you mention. Pull 'em. Flatten 'em, throughbolt the two screws that are closest to the attachment point, and replace the outside backer plates. At the end, you'll have three bolts through a piece of stainless on the outside corner, not one. I don't think you need all five, because the load isn't being seen by the two inboard screws.

I probably wouldn't replace the angles, unless you're feeling frisky about material strength (or lack thereof). With a little better bracket selection, there wouldn't be a 90° L-bend for this piece, there'd be a T-section with bolts on either side of the attachment point, and the closest screws would be as close to the bend as possible... but that's not what FR decided to do. Heck, better still would be a stainless T- tab that was mounted outside, extended THROUGH the door, with a large plate on the outside and the mounting tab coming in through the door, with a small backer plate on the inside to keep the tab sandwiched locally - like a deck-mounted side stay for a small sailboat.

Lastly, consider the weather this repair is going to see (on the front end of your Roo, driving in the rain) - material choice means you want REAL stainless hardware and plating. And get your caulk out, I wouldn't trust silicone to do a great job for this repair.

Sorry, buddy. Let us know what comes of things
 
Amazing what a web search can find in a few seconds. Anyone know this guy, he seems to be knowledgeable? :p Note the dates.
Love seeing traces of Bikendan out there, but not *entirely* sure why this matters or how it's even germain, Chuck - especially considering we're talking about a 2020 roo (and not 2009), but still.... 1,000lbs is what they're rated to, has been for quite some time, and is so stated in the sales literature:

Screenshot 2025-04-07 at 12.37.10 PM.png


In practice, however, that 1000lbs is an *average* distributed load (people-sized, that is). 1,000lbs *point* loaded right next to the far corner (say, right by Ed's bent bracket) would no doubt bend the bracket (witness the issue), if not fail that connection immediately/catastrophically. I mean, I doubt there was half a ton on that bunk end... unless you're somehow implying otherwise.

Long and the short of it is that there's a Roo owner reporting an actual failing attachment point, and is asking for some help and advice. *shrug* If anything, seems like it'd be worth considering what he's asking, answering if you can, and maybe even making a mental note to inspect the same points on all our rigs, too.

Your mileage may vary.
 
HA!! You two are PERFECT and together I think the three of us could provide INCREDIBLE VALUE to FR if they just consulted with us before designing the next generation of ROO's!! ;-)

Hey ChuckS... YUP I had read that thread before I even posted here and it was what I had mentioned when I said "although i have some memory of it being able to support QUITE A LOT of weight." and YES I also miss reading "Bikendan" threads becuase like all the others here who offer thoughts and advice it ALWAYS seems to help! :)

RhumbleFish - ALL of your comments and points are straight on!... I had "stopped short" of commenting about "shennanigans" but the thought HAD crossed my mind!! hahahaha. Yes I have never stood on my bed end to reach the roof. Last year when I replaced the door seal weather stripping, I opened the bed and left the mattress on it with the tent fabric collapsed. I laid towels on the canvas before placing a section of plywood across the bunk on top of those towels... My thought was as I was kneeling on the plywood so that I could work the process across the front top frame section (removing old, cleaning surface and installing new) I would have distributed my weight the best way I could. This was because I don't have access to enough ladders or any sort of scaffolding to erect a work platform above the bed. My thoughts were plywood + me + the fact I was more or less hinge side of center of the bed SHOULD help distribute my weight around enough to not cause a problem. That being said, the process worked because it was months later that I came back to add the purple foam board and I did that standing on the tailgate of my truck working through the front of the opened screen and AT THAT TIME.... my brackets were NOT showing any signs of issues. As soon as I got the visual of these bends, the first thing I thought was EXACTLY your thinking about placement as well.. "I should have had the DW on the outboard side!" but.... we went for our normal "home side selection" and I ended up there! ;-). Since I know the Scotch habit wont die, my BBQ addiction and relative LOVE of food wont go away anytime soon, I think my 214 pound frame SHOULD continue being "ok" outboard BUT I AM GOING to do something to re-enforce these hold/mount points that is for sure!!

I was hoping to be able to talk to a FR rep and be told "Yes there is aluminum plates/framing in ALL screw hole locations which would make me feel better about changing them from single sided securities to "through bolt style" solutions instead. YESSS the "T-Style bracket" with the top outside and the leg coming through the platform would make SO MUCH MORE SENSE!! Part of me would like to see a very stiff bar on the external side of the platform that runs from the Left side to the Right Side AND has the cable bolts going through it. That would look like crap from the outside of course BUT it would hold the heck out of ANY Shennanigans!! ;-)

Now I think instead I might aim for a triangle shaped "plate" that can reach to both the top and side aluminum bed rails while providing an area for the cable support bolts to pass through in place of just that single lone washer on the outside face. I'll be reviewing what I can get my hands on for material availability before actually attempting the recovery/restoration process for sure!

I WILL post back when my "re-configuration" is complete so we will at least have a thread with data for anyone else that may or may not come across this issue.
 
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214? Sheesh. You need to have more scotch. I'm on my way back down to meet you there (and maybe get underneath that), so there's that (which, unfortunately, really IS cutting into my BBQ and scotch consumption).

"I should have had the DW on the outboard side!" but.... we went for our normal "home side selection" and I ended up there!

If you flip your heads to the opposite side (head to toe), you'll be able to keep "home side selection." Of course, downsides include all the usual ones, including that the DW now has to crawl past you for nighttime potty stops, you're be the one who's half-and-half on the "step," and, of course, now there are more lights to bother you if you're in bed and the DW is up (I assume you're head-to-starboard, with the TV providing a little visual break). I do like the little cubby formed in the triangle there, it holds a nighttime welcome device for surprise visitors, and a nice big Yeti of ice water.

We match home side in the trailer, but it's not always like this. I tried to figure out the DW's logic for which side of the bed she takes in hotels and the like, everything from closer to the potty or further from the air conditioner. Turns out, she always picks based on where the single clock radio is!

Sounds weird, but it's 100% accurate.

Good luck, partner, keep us informed
 
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HA!! PERFECT!!! :LOL:

- I interpret between the lines that you have granted me permission to "ramp up" my scotch intake, challenge ACCEPTED! hahahahahaha!!

- Great thoughts on flipping orientation and YES that little cubby on the Starboard side is a nice arrangement! We have been Port Side heads placing me on the outboard so we could keep eyes on the cats and view the TV when slowly lounging to bed. But I LIKE the idea of a little silence/sound isolation with heads tucked into the Starboard side cubby area!

- Funny on DW logic, seems our's think much alike HA!

- On the lighter easing the mind note, new brackets are only $0.83 a piece... more to ship than to purchase most likely. I asked my parts person/contact to help me out and share/connect me with a Service/Engineering side of the business in hopes I can gain some insight onto the inner structure of the platform in that area. I'll share what I learn once I do.

funny side note, my local dealer of course was clueless to all my questions and basically couldn't offer ANY insight to my queries. They quoted me +/- $5.00 for each bracket (NOT the 0.83) and then an intolerable addition for S&H so I simply walked out the door shaking my head. I told my FR parts person this story and she felt my pain sharing they hear that all too often. I THINK (& hope) they, FR im talking about, continue to be nice and communicate with me when I reach out to them, so far they haven't ever let me down!

I'll let ya'll know when my final field change is complete and im back to hopefully a fully supported hanging bunk door!
 
Everything should be thru-bolted for strength. Simple enough to retrofit with plates, spacers, and bolts and nuts. Template for the holes is the existing plate.

Is this your floor plan? Just curious as my 23SS is different with no cubbies in the front bunk and I'm trying to visualize stress on the bed door.

Test_Rockwood-Roo-floorplan.jpg


-- Chuck
 
You are correct Chuck and that process is exactly what I was thinking will be my best course of action!

Yup that’s the 235S floor plan and my pictures of those bent brackets are at the far forward/front of Bed A in the diagram. The “cubby” we are talking about is really just the area of the front bed on passenger (starboard) side that if you are laying on the bed, your pillow/head/shoulders are more or less “hidden” from direct view from the rest of the floor plan once you stand back a foot or two from the bed. RhumbleFish talked about a small area to stash things….its basically the seat cushion area behind that TV cabinet wall…. It IS a nice comfy/cozy location!
 
P.S. on that description Chuck…. The floor plan shows mattress A covering the ENTIRE front seat cushion area. In reality there is about 12-14” worth of that forward seat cushion exposed when the mattress is properly placed. I can’t remember if your floor plan is similar but on ours the front pass through storage area is a row of cabinets against that front reverse sloped face of the trailer…. Sitting atop of that is a seat cushion approx 18-20” or so deep that runs entire width of the rig. When bed is folded up the mattress takes pretty much the whole depth of that seat, when down for sleeping you get that bonus seat and cubby we are talking about.

Funny enough, the rear bed has a similar row of cabinets BUT there is no cushion AND the mattress in sleep mode DOES cover the entire width of the cabinet top so no seating area at all in the rear end!!!….. pun intended hahaha 😂
 
If you had some 1/4" steel plate, you could make a plate with holes that match the bracket and place that atop the bracket (using screws 1/4" longer or through-bolts. That will prevent the bracket from bending and distribute the load on it.
 
Neat that you offered that idea Larry, it was one of the options I had thought about as well.!! :cool: ... just a way to "stiffen" that foot part that bolts up to the bed platform MIGHT be all that is needed. I haven't had a chance to get back to my trailer for more thought time.. but am hoping to derive some sort of repair/reinforcement solution within the next week or two at the most.

I know it would probably look cheesy but a BIG part of me wishes I could get my hands on a metal bar shaped just like the one on the inside of the platform mounted between the foot brackets BUT long enough to mount on the OUTSIDE from Left to Right external trim/frame member... that I could have flat spots in where the foot through bolts go that have the washer on the outside.... IF those bolts instead made direct contact with an external reinforcing bar across the entire width of the bed, I don't think I would EVER have an issue again!! ;-)
 
Ed, I'm thinking the doors have to have an aluminum surround, with wood inside said runs. You could easily run a piece of flat stock across the entire front end of the trailer (it's be a giant stripe), but it wouldn't solve the issue of the bracket bending, unless you through-bolted the two screws closest to the 90° endpoint...

You can already see that the furthest two screws don't bear the stress that is stripping out the two closest ones). Heck, the single throughbolt is actually holding well with the 'washer' on the outerskin, it's really the lack of rigidity/stiffness of the bracket from the throughbolt to the 90° turn that's your issue.

I think you chase your current two bad screws all the way through the outer 'washer' replace for througbolts, flatten out your bracket and bob's your uncle.
 
AGREE 100% and that is exactly where I was at.. I would love to convert the 2 outboard screws on both sides to be "through bolts" just like the center one.

To avoid the "Non-Nascar-Certified" Horizontal Racing Stipe (EVEN IF I paint it a really cool color!!) I am now considering the option that "LESS IS MORE!"

I'm still hoping to hear back from FR technical side on what aluminum structure IS inside the platform in that area just so I don't go bolting up through just a Luan-Foam-Fiberglass area BUT.... I am thinking of instead of a single through bolt and washer, I will fabricate a square metal plate same size as the foot and simply convert the two outboard screws to through bolts as well... giving me a total of three through bolts in the highest stress area. I also think I might add plate steel INSIDE like Larry thought about just to provide a tad more rigidity to that foot area as well.

This should be a fun one when I finally get it done ;-)
Ed
 
I know it would probably look cheesy but a BIG part of me wishes I could get my hands on a metal bar shaped just like the one on the inside of the platform mounted between the foot brackets BUT long enough to mount on the OUTSIDE from Left to Right external trim/frame member... that I could have flat spots in where the foot through bolts go that have the washer on the outside.... IF those bolts instead made direct contact with an external reinforcing bar across the entire width of the bed, I don't think I would EVER have an issue again!! ;-)
Aluminum U-channel, maybe 1x1", 1/8" thick. You could get it in eBay pretty inexpensively.
 
“replace for througbolts, flatten out your bracket and bob's your uncle.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! :ROFLMAO:

I was thinking about Aluminum too Larry, there’s the “great minds…” saying in action! (y)

I can’t wait to come back with a post of my fix so we can all get back to camping!
 
RE: Cubby ....

The aforementioned cubby, here in the 235s is the space between the outer wall, and - in this case - the front TV/storage area. The rear bunk has one, too - a blind corner formed between the outer wall and the back wall of the bathroom (the equivalent area to the left of the Ⓑ), though it's more of a squared up shape (as opposed to the front bunk's angled cubby, caused by the slope of the front wall).
cubby.jpg

With no modifications, this is basically a little cubby to collect any manner of things (sometimes accidentally). In my case, a tall Yeti of icewater for midnight refreshment, and a bump-in-the-night deterrent device with 17+1 chances of highly-effective "go away." Glasses and earbuds end up in the babyhammock, my ipad-for-reading usually ends up somewhere in bed.

Handy and enterprising individuals have capitalized on this dead space, including installing shelves and outlets (shown here in a 21ss):

20200819_165446.jpg
20200819_165838.jpg


Since this is effectively dead space (it is the unused width of the coach that the mattress folds and stores within), these shelves can stay deployed and the outlet remains unmolested.
 
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