Front window rock shield support arm broken on E19. HALP! - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Problem Solving | Owners helping each other
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 01-08-2019, 11:03 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Acworth, Georgia
Trailer: Escape 21NE (our third Escape)
Posts: 152
Front window rock shield support arm broken on E19. HALP!

The screw that connects he upper arm to the window bracket sheared off and left me with one support arm. I contacted ETI and they didn't have much tech support other than to tell me to extract the screw. They said the brackets come with the window as an assembly and they don't install them.

The problem with that is twofold. The smallest extractor I can find is a #1 and it's too big.
But moreover I can't figure out HOW to reattach it because there is no access to the backside.

Anyone else have this problem? How did you fix it?
(pix #3 is sideways)
Attached Thumbnails
1.jpg   2.jpg   3.jpg  
Richard in Georgia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 11:20 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Greg A's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
Can’t quite see from the pics, but it appears you could carefully drill out the old screw. If there is enough room once that is drilled out, I’d probably rivet the arm back on the bracket with a small washer on each side of the arm to allow the arm to move. Or retrofit once drilled out with a larger screw.
Just kinda throwing out some initial thoughts here from what I can see, you’ll be able to better tell from a close look.
Another kinda third thought just had is you could potentially JB Weld a bolt to the bracket that the arm would then go over and a nut and washer. Probably be my last choice, but I have yet to have JB Weld fail. I re glued a plastic cup holders arm in the car with it and it’s still working through a ton of abuse.
Greg A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 11:33 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Acworth, Georgia
Trailer: Escape 21NE (our third Escape)
Posts: 152
@ Greg A. - The bracket is attached to the window frame in a way that the backside is inaccessible.
However if I can't figure out a way to repair it properly, the only solution will be to drill out the screw and use a pin to hold the guard in place will be about the only patch I can come up with -
LESSON TO ALL - MAKE SURE THESE PIVOTS ARE LITHIUM GREASED UP!
Richard in Georgia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 11:39 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
I just discovered that if you enlarge the last photo and double click on it ( Mac ), it rotates to the correct orientation, which might help with problem solving.
Attached Thumbnails
Screen Shot 2019-01-08 at 9.40.22 AM.jpg  
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 11:51 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Greg A's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
Richard, my first choice then would definitely be the rivet if there ends up being enough room to insert one and pull it. I’m going to look at these arms when I head over to storage, I rarely open the rock guard so really don’t recall much. It sounds like replacing the two arm screws with SS before they shear on me, as well as the grease might be in order for preventative.
Greg A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 11:57 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
PGDriver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Southern Alberta, Alberta
Trailer: 2015 Escape 5.0TA
Posts: 1,734
Drill a new hole slightly above the original one and put in a new screw. This works fine, I’ve done it on a SOB.
__________________
Cheers
Doug
PGDriver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 12:01 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Ron in BC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,743
Guess I was lucky, mine just stripped after a couple of uses at the outer end. I was able to re-thread it.

Tricky location because it's always more difficult to drill out something when the surrounding metal is only aluminum. It the drill doesn't stay perfectly centered then it can drift sideways and make a mess.

If all else fails maybe the current base metal could have a flat piece of aluminum pop riveted to it with a new tapped hole in it. That would depend on how much clearance there is between the edge of the guard to do that.

Good luck

Ron
Ron in BC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 12:04 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Steve Clark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Fremont, California
Trailer: 2016 21. '15 Ford Explorer V-6
Posts: 1,558
It looks like there may be a “little” space behind the face. How about drilling out the screw, then drill a larger hole nearby. Connect the larger hole to the drilled out screw hole, in keyhole fashion. Insert the head of the new screw through the larger hole and slide it down to the original?
__________________
Steve and Debbie
2016 - 21'

“Get out the map and lay your finger anywhere down” -Indigo Girls
Steve Clark is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 01:12 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Ron in BC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,743
Quote:
Originally Posted by PGDriver View Post
Drill a new hole slightly above the original one and put in a new screw. This works fine, I’ve done it on a SOB.
I'm thinking that it's a case of never ignore the obvious simple solution. Yes, I think that a new hole just above the old one would probably work fine. Above is likely better than lower because that might not leave enough room for the arm to full telescope.

Ron
Ron in BC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 01:40 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Acworth, Georgia
Trailer: Escape 21NE (our third Escape)
Posts: 152
All - ETI gave me the window PN.
I've contacted Pelland Enterprises whom I assume is a distributor for the window.

- Pelland Enterprises

Stay tuned.
Richard in Georgia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2019, 02:31 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
arniesea's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Bremerton, Washington
Trailer: 2019 5.0 TA
Posts: 1,141
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard in Georgia View Post
LESSON TO ALL - MAKE SURE THESE PIVOTS ARE LITHIUM GREASED UP!
Thanks for the suggestion! I will put that task on my spring maintenance checklist.
__________________
- Arnie & Paula & Kizzy the rat terrier
https://www.arniesea.com
- 2019 5.0 TA, 2017 Tundra Platinum.
- Bremerton, WA
arniesea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2019, 11:07 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
MyronL's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
Looks like the pop rivet you drill out to remove the bracket for the arm and then easily add a replacement screw.
Attached Thumbnails
window.jpg  
__________________
Myron
"A billion here, a billion there...add it all up and before you know it you're talking real money." Everett Dirkson
MyronL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2019, 11:22 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Ron in BC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,743
Good photo, that makes it much easier to understand the situation.

I agree, I'd rather drill out those rivets and work on the piece when I could put it in a vice to drill out the other hole.

Ron
Ron in BC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2019, 11:31 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Acworth, Georgia
Trailer: Escape 21NE (our third Escape)
Posts: 152
Attached is a closer pix of my current nemesis.
I still haven't heard from manufacturer, but here's the latest (along with better pix.

I tried drilling out the existing screw. I've broken 3 titanium bits. Hmmm. here's a sign. Upon further inspection it appears the nut and the screw shaft "corpse " are in the way. I've been probing behind the bracket (the one on the window and there are some obstructions.

One of my first tinkering rules is that unless fixing something is urgent and critical (which is when I hire it done - yuk yuk) As soon as I start getting frustrated I BACK OFF. This is when I'm at the point I'm a gonna get a bigger hammer and that never has a good outcome.

Next step - PLAN A wait until here from the manufacturer. They should at least offer up a replacement bracket. If they do, then I'm gonna hafta learn how to use my pop rivit tool.

Plan B - drill a hole just above or below, and SOMEHOW add a machine screw which will create a post which I think I can make work.

Plan C - somebody out there mentioned JB Weld - mannnnnn ..... hmmmmm. The funny thing is my wife suggested Super Glue (which IMHO is Satan's snot) I immediately started to explain the 359 reasons I hate Super Glue then I remembered JB Weld -
Richard in Georgia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2019, 11:32 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Acworth, Georgia
Trailer: Escape 21NE (our third Escape)
Posts: 152
Quote:
Originally Posted by MyronL View Post
Looks like the pop rivet you drill out to remove the bracket for the arm and then easily add a replacement screw.
I've never done this before - Just drill in there with a tiny bit and hope the world doesn't implode?
Richard in Georgia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2019, 11:36 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
MyronL's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
Why not try Plan D? (See post number 12.) You'll find it not at all difficult.
__________________
Myron
"A billion here, a billion there...add it all up and before you know it you're talking real money." Everett Dirkson
MyronL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2019, 01:44 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Ron in BC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,743
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard in Georgia View Post
I've never done this before - Just drill in there with a tiny bit and hope the world doesn't implode?
It can be really easy to do that or not so easy. It depends on what the shank of the pop rivet is made from. If it's aluminum and an 1/8" rivet you just use an 1/8th inch drill bit and drill the old one out. Usually works quite well but sometimes the drill bit can skid sideways and create a little more work.

If the shank is steel and it's in aluminum it's more likely that the drill will skid sideways and make some sort of a problem. I usually try and create a center for the drill by using a prick punch.

Ron
Ron in BC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2019, 01:48 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
MyronL's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
And don't press too hard. Let your sharp drill bit do the work.
__________________
Myron
"A billion here, a billion there...add it all up and before you know it you're talking real money." Everett Dirkson
MyronL is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:51 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.