Headlight brackets came loose

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
afchap

afchap

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Posts
1,279
Location
...East TX, or on the road...
I found an earlier topic from a year ago on this issue. I noticed a couple of days ago that my driver side headlight is totally loose and flopping ...the metal brackets both above and below have come loose from the great gob of expoxy on the front cap.  The passenger side is still solid, but the passenger side fog lamp is slightly loose. I put a wire tie around the fog lamp to keep it from totally falling, and managed to get a bungee cord around the headlight bracket and secured above to stabilize it a bit.  But there is extremely limited room behind the cap on my coach ...basically a one-arm operation. The is a little better access from the bottom, but it is a bit of a reach. If I am able to get to it, can I use JB Weld, etc to attach the metal to the original epoxy? ...if I remove the epoxy from the fiberglass there is quite a large area to fill (there is a LOT of epoxy there) and getting the light properly aimed would be a serious problem. There is a pic of my light and bungee job ...and some view of the tight access ...on my website at http://www.pjrider.com/HeadlightBracketBungee.jpg

My engine access door has been reglued twice, and I had to put a bolt through the fiberglass on the lower rear corner of the driver side front fender well to secure the fiberglass where it was loose from the metal underneath. The use of glue and double-sided tape is a real problem in holding a vehicle together...
 
There have been sporadic reports of metal to fiberglass bonding failures and I haven't figured out if that applied to certain model years or what.  The only bonding failure I've had was the horizontal grill trim beneath the engine opening hatch, but that was a metal to metal bonding failure.
 
Paul, I understand as I have an 03 also and so does my FIL! He has had to bolt his whole back lower section on as the glue was failing. This winter I have to reglue the engine access door and some other spots that need attention on mine.
I also would like to find an epoxy that works good enough to last. I know 3M makes some trick adhesives but I'd rather not experiment if someone has already found something that works on FG to metal.
Sorry I can't be of any help on the headlight. If you loose the fog light I have that bulb/housing converted to aftermarket if you need the #'s.
 
Paul, I have made several repairs on my '04 Meridian to include both headlamp assemblies. On each case I have used JB Weld with good results. Each of the metal brackets had a glossy black paint on the side adhering to the original Winnebago bond. I roughed up the paint, cleaned it and allpied JB Weld - they're still holding solid!
 
I had the same headlight problem last year in Key West, the night before departure.  I can't remember the glue I selected(from Home Depot) but I left the old epoxy in place, as it provided an excellent jig for aligning the bracket.  I used a swimming noodle to wedge the bracket back in place until the glue set up.  The noodle is still there!  I suspect the other side will break loose someday as well.
 
RedT said:
Paul, I have made several repairs on my '04 Meridian to include both headlamp assemblies. On each case I have used JB Weld with good results. Each of the metal brackets had a glossy black paint on the side adhering to the original Winnebago bond. I roughed up the paint, cleaned it and allpied JB Weld - they're still holding solid!
Click to expand...

Also, been there done all that on my 2004 Meridian.  Rear engine hood was the first to go, then the driver's side headlight (I also did the passenger side headlight while at it), then the hinges on the front hood.  Used JB Quick weld after grinding off the shiny black paint.  After such a goof Winnebago should have been paying for all these repairs.  Surely even a grade school student (let alone someone who must be claiming to be some kind of engineer) would know you can't glue something that has been painted.
 
Generator hood on my Journey has had all the bumpers and latch brackets come loose. After two attempts at gluing the driver side latch, I finally put two machine bolts through the inner edge of the opening through the base of the bracket while on my current trip. I wish I had noticed them while at Forest City a couple months ago, but did not. All are releasing from the painted metal surface.
When you have re-glued them besides cleaning and roughing up the metal are you doing anything to the adhesive on the fiberglass? It seems to be holding on the fiberglass surface well. I left it and glued to it with JB Weld but it still came loose, so I bolted it just this past week while traveling.
Thanks,
 
Yoda2054 asked: "When you have re-glued them besides cleaning and roughing up the metal are you doing anything to the adhesive on the fiberglass? It seems to be holding on the fiberglass surface well. I left it and glued to it with JB Weld but it still came loose, so I bolted it just this past week while traveling.
Thanks,"

In addition to roughing up the painted surfaces on the metal parts, I removed as much as possible of the adhesive remaining on the fiberglass. Then, in order to provide more sealing area, I drilled a couple of holes in each metal part, applied JB Weld, and securely clamped the parts together for at least 12 hours. The adhesive filled the drilled holes, providing more "holding" surface area.

 
I had passenger headlight first come off i tried every epoxy at home depot and nothing held. Then i used gorilla glue and it has held for years. Then came the engine access panel which i screwed on then the generator cover gorilla glue there also. The the last was the drivers headlight this past summer. now it has the gorilla holding it on also. I hope it holds for years.
 
Mike and Pat:

The Gorilla Glue you used is the regular orangy colored Gorilla General Purpose Glue or a special purpose glue they make? What prep did you do to the metal and fiberglass?

Thanks,
 
It was the regular glue. I scraped the old glue off of the fiberglass and sanded the paint off of the brackets. dampen the areas to be glued on both pieces and add the glue and secure it tightly and there you go. I let it cure for 24 hrs and then took the clamps off and it has stayed put.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 697 (members: 25, guests: 672)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,923
Posts
1,387,500
Members
137,673
Latest member
7199michael
Back
Top Bottom