Being in Canada, I am having issues finding someone to repair (or replace part of) my bulkhead. The rear is looking like the metal is crumbling a bit (inside plastic is bowing) near the bolts. It may be just a bolt strengthen process (I have read the bulkhead bolt addition replacement articles) But where I am I am restricted in access to looking at it myself.
In Canada, I have yet to find someone the west part of Canada that even "knows what a bulkhead is" let alone the issues presented with my year Foretravel.
So I am looking across the border into the U.S. and REALLY PREFERABLY the nearest to the border as possible. I do not have the time to make the trip to Texas, which would of course, be the best fix.
Any one that knows of a Coach repair service that would do this, and is familiar with our coaches, in the Northwest??
Peter
Peter,from the pics it looks like you need the whole basement section redone, remove the whole thing and make a new frame,
check the forum there are many examples and pictures of members doing this themselves or having it done,if you have a shop
or a place to work on the coach you could possibly have a welder come to you.If you can take the bottom sheet metal section off
you will get a better look.
Peter, We live in Okanagan, BC though at present in UK till March, but agree that although maybe 10 members in BC the RV market still is unaware of FT. I seriously would look for a small welding shop near you and to help them understand what is involved find a good picture of what the total frame looks like that has been put together by previous repairs (found in old posts you must have seen) and show them how simple it really is. This may tip the scale positively for you.
Johnh
Old bulkhead posts-- should give you/your welder a very good idea of what is needed. And, I agree, you will need to replace at least the box beams below the wet bay. Open up going forward until you find good solid metal and replace all the damaged box beams aft of that:
Bulkhead Repair (Partial Floor Replacement) (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=31694.msg280564#msg280564)
Don starts buttoning her up (split from What did you do to your coach) (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=17450.0)
Don starts buttoning her up (split from What did you do to your coach) (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=17450.0)
Chassis construction photos from Don and welding on your FT (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=14530.25)
Not having done this, it seems the most difficult part would be removing everything on the basement floor including black, grey, and fresh water tanks, aquahot, propane and diesel tanks, and house batteries, depending on the floorplan. That's a ton of work in itself and then you have to put it all back when the structural repair is done. If you're able to do that part of the job yourself you can save a lot of the cost and the actual structural floor repair should be somewhat reasonable and could be done by any decent welder, no RV experience required.
Start with removing the underside fiberglass.
That will allow you to determine exactly how far forward of the wet bay you need to go.
Reasonably rare that you need to go more than into the next compartment forward of the wet bay to reach good, solid box beams.
Chad at truline RV in spokane can do it.
He did mine.
In my case the second bay forward contains the fuel tank, propane tank, the aquahot and 3-8d batteries so anything forward of the wet bay would become a much bigger job. Thinking about the black and grey tanks, since the drain pipes insert into grommets in the top of the tank, does anyone know how to remove them so the tank can be slid out without cutting them off? Obviously the toilet could be pulled but the other drains (and vents) seem rigidly installed. Maybe the only way is to cut them?
Water getting into the basement structure is the killer. The further from sources of water, the less likely there will be damage.
The grey and black tanks sit on stands. Pull the stands first and this allows the tanks to drop enough for the pipes to pull out of the grommets. Pipes stay where they are. I had to apply lube around the pipes to get the grommet to slide down. Here's a photo of one of my stands.
The top of the stands slope toward the drivers side (for tank draining), so the stands will only come out the passengers side.
Black Water Tank Removal (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=32194.msg287245#msg287245)
Thanks for all the suggestions.
First of, I can not do ANY of the job.
Do not have the space etc to do it.
I will have to take the coach somewhere to have it done.
AS I can see, the "warping" seen only goes about 3 -4 feet so perhaps only a partial repair is required.
My AH and tanks etc are two bays forward from that so at best I think the black grey and fresh tanks will have to be taken out....possibly the joey bed in the next bay but I doubt it.
I will check out the repair shop given in spokane thanks!
Peter in Canada I would try to find a welding Fabrication shop take the pictures from the forum I have posted pictures and find a welding shop or they probably will suggest a place. I don't think you'll find an RV place to repair this in Canada a welder and a helper can do this job it's a 3 to 5 days of work you can have the frame of the bulkhead on the ground in a day but all the tanks have to be empty including the fuel tank "pump it out .they can stay in place there is no weight there , they are plastic and the fuel tank is aluminum but the batteries and storage trays and water pump and any reels if you have any and propane tank will have to be removed my U270 did not have the Aqua heater so I don't know about it. The frame is just steel tubing a welder would just have to replace the rotted part which my frame was about 3/4 rotted. But hole bulkhead has to be dropped the cost is in the labour at the time that I did mine the material was under $1000. I reused the plastic underbelly and the foam insulation if the plastic underbelly rips repair it with fibreglass If you have any questions email I'll send you my Phone number.