Roof tent coming away from mounting!!

[Weeduggy]

My roof tent is starting to come away from the mounting point. Tried to push it back into the groove but it doesn't want to go in. It's only at one corner but you can now see daylight through it. I thought I could unscrew the mounting rail but the screws just laughed at me when I went to undo them. I can only assume they have been glued in with something.

Any ideas. Don't really want to damage anything so been a bit wary of forcing the issue.


Cheers

[mountainmummy]

Hi

This happened to ours. As it was still under warranty we took it back to the garage we bought it from. They fixed it for us and told me that you just need to knock the screws back in with a rubber mallet.

Apparently it's designed to come away if any stress is put on the canvas, it being better to come away from the mounting than the canvas to rip.

I don't know if this is true but I'm sure some other members will be able to confirm if it is.

Sara

[mikexgough]

Mine did this...... the 2 which had came out of their "socket" turned out to be 6.
What I did was loosen the 2 screws after and each side of the ones which have "dropped" and then used some small mole grips to hold the insert while you undo the screw.
Once you have got all of the screws and inserts out.....could be like mine the 2 became 6.....

Clean up the inserts, which have a knurled edge to them..... removing all or as much of the epoxy resin used at manufacture......
I used a "metal" epoxy resin for mine as it goes off pretty quick..... Blind fit the inserts ( well try them in the socket first before glueing
Make up a small amount of epoxy resin and working quickly (hence the pre glue fit) and push the glue covered inserts into the socket..... in about 5 mins the resin goes off BUT finally sets in around 2 hrs to enable the roof tent to be offered back up ....
.
One final tip.... if it is a front corner that is loose and needs fixing.... drop the roof to make a little slack before you offer the screws up and then raise to fully tighten....

[Muzorewa]

Ours used to do this, nearside rear corner was worst and if it was left the whole of the rear would be detached. The inserts could be knocked back into place with judicious use of a 2lb hammer and with the roof slightly lowered to give a bit of slack.

After a couple of years of this it no longer worked, so some liberal application of a gap-filling adhesive to the inserts and the mating edges of the roof & tent - held in place overnight with some wooden blocks, and it's been solid ever since.

[mikeonb4c]

Ours used to do this, nearside rear corner was worst and if it was left the whole of the rear would be detached. The inserts could be knocked back into place with judicious use of a 2lb hammer and with the roof slightly lowered to give a bit of slack.

After a couple of years of this it no longer worked, so some liberal application of a gap-filling adhesive to the inserts and the mating edges of the roof & tent - held in place overnight with some wooden blocks, and it's been solid ever since.

Ditto. I could never get the screws to budge, with the tools (not) at my disposal

[seventiesboy]

I couldn't budge the screws either but sorted it with Araldite to hold the inserts back in.

Nearside rear corner for me too.

[Velocette]

Offside corner has been like that on mine ever since I've had it. No daylight though that I've noticed. Should get a round tuit but I need about twenty round tuits, does the Bongo Shop stock them I wonder???

[Weeduggy]

Cheers for the replies,

My tent has only come out of the grooved metal mounting point. I tried shoving it back in but it wouldn't stick hence trying to unscrew the hole metal rail that holds the tent to the roof. I can't undo the screws though and don't particularly want to start drilling things out. Might take it to our local bongo garage and see if they can sort it if it's cheap enough.

[mikexgough]

screws will come out....... allow the frame to come away.... then the insert will come down out of it's hole....then grip the insert with mole grips and unscrew..... simple....

Looks like I need to sell my services for this.....

[Weeduggy]

Right I'm getting it now. I take it I need to prize off the metal rail the tent attaches to then remove the insert from the screw and re glue back in. Then attach tent to rail then screw rail back to roof.

Thank you............I think.

[mikexgough]

Right I'm getting it now. I take it I need to prize off the metal rail the tent attaches to then remove the insert from the screw and re glue back in. Then attach tent to rail then screw rail back to roof.

Thank you............I think.

just EASE the metal rail away gently..... undo the adjacent screws either side..... to give you more room...you may find more that are loose though..... then you can get behind to get small mole grips on the inserts..... then follow the clean up/refit as described.....
I'm sorry I should have done a more involved S O P for the job..... when you work with vehicles and have to re-engineer things,due to the UK's lack of ability to supply parts or services, you get a little "relaxed" when giving advise

[Muzorewa]

Has anyone else noticed that there are more sockets in the plastic roof than there are holes in the clamping strip? - so you could drill the strip and fit additional inserts for presumably more security. The inserts are the kind of thing you can get from a good engineer's merchant