Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Topic: Major rear bulkhead troubles. (Read 1534 times) previous topic - next topic

Major rear bulkhead troubles.

October 31, 2018, 08:12:48 pm

After replacing one of my airbags, started coach to air the system up. heard this loud pop, went to investigate thinking maybe the airbag blew or something. Airbags holding air as they should, got it level and shut it down. Noticed a lot of rust under coach were bulkhead bolts are located. got down on ground to see were it was coming from and WOW. it has completely separated, all the way across. Guess i got a lot of work ahead of me.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #1 – October 31, 2018, 08:15:51 pm

Tony,

So sorry this has happened to you. Thank God it didn't happen at 70mph or coming off a mountain somewhere.

Good luck on your repairs and keep us posted on how it goes.

Len

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #2 – October 31, 2018, 08:17:18 pm

It has had at least one huck bolt changed out so the problem has been there for awhile.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #3 – October 31, 2018, 08:18:08 pm

Going to do it yourself or farm it out? From where the bolts broke, I'm guessing the damage extends forward a bit.

P

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #4 – October 31, 2018, 08:19:51 pm

Quote from: lenspeiser – October 31, 2018, 08:15:51 pm

Tony,

So sorry this has happened to you. Thank God it didn't happen at 70mph or coming off a mountain somewhere.

Good luck on your repairs and keep us posted on how it goes.

Len

Thats what i told the DW, glad i was in my driveway.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #5 – October 31, 2018, 08:20:52 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – October 31, 2018, 08:18:08 pm

Going to do it yourself or farm it out? From where the bolts broke, I'm guessing the damage extends forward a bit.

P

Guess I'm going to tare into it myself.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #6 – October 31, 2018, 08:41:18 pm

Quote from: craneman – October 31, 2018, 08:17:18 pm

It has had at least one huck bolt changed out so the problem has been there for awhile.

Sorry, don't see any huck bolts ("large rivets").

That bulkhead has been bad for a very long time.

When was the last time you inspected it???

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #7 – October 31, 2018, 09:01:38 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – October 31, 2018, 08:41:18 pm

Sorry, don't see any huck bolts ("large rivets").

That bulkhead has been bad for a very long time.

When was the last time you inspected it???

I was referring to the one bolt in the first picture. Looks like a standard thread bolt and the picture doesn't show a plug where a nut would have been inserted.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #8 – October 31, 2018, 09:06:13 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – October 31, 2018, 08:41:18 pm

Sorry, don't see any huck bolts ("large rivets").

That bulkhead has been bad for a very long time.

When was the last time you inspected it???

I bought the coach in feb of this year. i seen it and had to have it. after i bought it found this forum, new nothing about bulkheads, 6v92 detroit diesels. I new i had issues with the back passenger side bulkhead and was going to work on it after i get all the airbags replaced. Should i have had it inspected before purchasing, probably so. hindsight is 20/20. It is what it is and has to be fixed.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #9 – October 31, 2018, 09:33:14 pm

Go for it Tony, you can do it just take you time and ask alot of questions

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #10 – November 01, 2018, 01:23:42 am

Looks like a lot of rust/corrosion.
I would cut the undercarriage fiberglass back a couple feet or at least up to the next horizontal structure beam so you can make a accurate appraisal as to what the rest of the frame looks like. I would also do the same at the front bulkhead.
It won't do you any good to through bolt the bulkheads if the metal beams are rusted out at the bulkheads or between them.
If you jack up the rear of the coach and allow the rear to hang from the bulkhead you will put a lot of pressure on the bulkhead and if weak it would separate.
Did you use a jack when you changed your air bags or did you raise the coach on the bags and then block the chassis?

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #11 – November 01, 2018, 01:27:51 am

I wonder why the air bag change stressed the chassis to pop it apart.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #12 – November 01, 2018, 08:59:30 am

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – November 01, 2018, 01:27:51 am

I wonder why the air bag change stressed the chassis to pop it apart.

Possibly, raising a side enough to remove/install the new air bags caused the needed stress to be the "final straw" to a severely weakened bulkhead.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #13 – November 01, 2018, 09:34:35 am

Quote from: Tony – October 31, 2018, 08:12:48 pm

Guess i got a lot of work ahead of me.

Yes, you do. There are a lot of factors for you to consider. Do you want to keep the coach? If you keep it, do you want to attempt the bulkhead repair yourself, or take it to a shop? If you hire out the work, do you have a shop nearby that would be qualified to make this repair?

You may have already researched this subject on the Forum, but if not, the four links below will give you a good idea of what you are facing. Don undertook what is arguably the most extensive "Do It Yerself" repair of severely corroded bulkheads ever documented on this Forum (at least to my knowledge). Read these threads, then honestly assess your own physical and mechanical capabilities, and decide what you want to do.

Yet another Bulkhead Separation Story, Chapter 1

Another Bulkhead Separation Story Part II

Before, During, After

Bulkhead Separation

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #14 – November 01, 2018, 09:40:25 am

John Fitz did a pretty extensive repair on his basement also
Bulkhead Repair (Partial Floor Replacement)

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #15 – November 01, 2018, 10:33:10 am

Most of the cost will be labor. Steel is cheap. I used to buy a flat bed load from suppliers like this. Never go to a welding shop as they charge a fortune for the stuff. Check this site and the second box down in structural tubing. Metal Products & Fabrication | Sacramento, CA | Del Paso Pipe and Steel . It comes in 20 foot lengths so you will need a roof rack or trailer to bring it home. Also needed is a HF metal cutting band saw. Just under $200. A wire feed welder does a great job with no slag, just a nice smooth weld and easy to learn how to do. 10x easier that stick welding. Craigslist is a good place to find some of the stuff. A Miller 200 would be outstanding if you can find one reasonable. Mine works as well today as when I purchased it in the late 1970's.

To move your coach, run a chain(s) front to back with a come a long to bring the back (big angle iron) to where it won't really fail when the coach is moved. A couple of HF air jacks will come in handy too.

I used to do lots of DOT (Dept of Transportation) compliance welding but Don started from scratch and did a better than new job. Call him, others who may have done the work or me before you get started. Probably does not seem like it now but it can actually be fun.

Tony, finish filling out your information so we can see the year, model, engine, etc of your coach when you post. One goose has a tough flight by him or herself but when you get a flock together, they can fly anywhere.

Where do you live?

Pierce

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #16 – November 01, 2018, 10:08:51 pm

Quote from: Lon and Cheryl – November 01, 2018, 01:23:42 am

Looks like a lot of rust/corrosion.
I would cut the undercarriage fiberglass back a couple feet or at least up to the next horizontal structure beam so you can make a accurate appraisal as to what the rest of the frame looks like. I would also do the same at the front bulkhead.
It won't do you any good to through bolt the bulkheads if the metal beams are rusted out at the bulkheads or between them.
If you jack up the rear of the coach and allow the rear to hang from the bulkhead you will put a lot of pressure on the bulkhead and if weak it would separate.
Did you use a jack when you changed your air bags or did you raise the coach on the bags and then block the chassis?

I raised and put blocks in before i changed airbag.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #17 – November 01, 2018, 10:19:22 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – November 01, 2018, 10:33:10 am

Most of the cost will be labor. Steel is cheap. I used to buy a flat bed load from suppliers like this. Never go to a welding shop as they charge a fortune for the stuff. Check this site and the second box down in structural tubing. Metal Products & Fabrication | Sacramento, CA | Del Paso Pipe and Steel . It comes in 20 foot lengths so you will need a roof rack or trailer to bring it home. Also needed is a HF metal cutting band saw. Just under $200. A wire feed welder does a great job with no slag, just a nice smooth weld and easy to learn how to do. 10x easier that stick welding. Craigslist is a good place to find some of the stuff. A Miller 200 would be outstanding if you can find one reasonable. Mine works as well today as when I purchased it in the late 1970's.

To move your coach, run a chain(s) front to back with a come a long to bring the back (big angle iron) to where it won't really fail when the coach is moved. A couple of HF air jacks will come in handy too.

I used to do lots of DOT (Dept of Transportation) compliance welding but Don started from scratch and did a better than new job. Call him, others who may have done the work or me before you get started. Probably does not seem like it now but it can actually be fun.

Tony, finish filling out your information so we can see the year, model, engine, etc of your coach when you post. One goose has a tough flight by him or herself but when you get a flock together, they can fly anywhere.

Where do you live?

Pierce

Chester s.c., i thought i had all my info posted, but i will go back and look.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #18 – November 01, 2018, 10:38:39 pm

Tony,

If you go to your Profile Page, you will see a block called "Signature". You can fill in some info there, like your coach year and model, the build number, what engine you have, and (if you wish) some personal data. This info will appear at the bottom of every post you make. Can make it easier for other members to answer your questions.

Re: Major rear bulkhead troubles.

Reply #19 – November 07, 2018, 08:11:16 pm

Welcome to the bulkhead club. I was going through this last year at this time and was very discouraged until the members here saved me through their experiences with this FT coach phenomenon and suggestions for how to deal with it. It IS manageable. Mine was pretty bad—Rolock bolts all rusted and failed, bulkhead separated and corrosion running forward and compromising approximately forty percent of the length of the lower steel tube structure. Thanks to Chris White, a member here, I found a shop locally in Spokane, WA, Truline RV, that was perfectly capable of taking on this exacting project and accomplishing a better-than-new outcome, at a very reasonable price. Like you, I wasn't confident enough of the structural integrity of the coach to make the 1,600 mi. run to MoT in Nagcadoches, and am very happy with the outcome.

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