Bumped into jack, rippled siding

[Cas]

First post, been here a little while though quietly gleaning as much info as possible. This is a great resource. Thanks.
Going to look at what will hopefully be my first FWC soon and need a little insight. PO bumped into something tweaking the area where the jack attaches to the camper, it shows as rippling on the siding. What's the best way to check for structural damage? Or if any ones had this same issue, what's the best fix? Thank you.

 

[Alley-Kat]

If you are close to All Terrain Campers in Sacramento, I'd take it over to them. Marty & Jeff used to build FWC's and often do repairs on older FWC's. They will examine the camper and tell you what needs to be done and will most likely do any repair work you authorize them to perform right there and then at a very reasonable cost to you.

If you are not able to take the FWC to them, then take some photos of the exterior damage and if possible interior damage, email the photos to ATC and they MAY be able to give you their OPINION. This will not be the same thing as having them examine the camper in person, however, I'd bet $$$ that they can tell you more than anyone else on the planet what needs to be done (if anything).

 

[PaulT]

When I got my Hawk, the installer advised me to remove the jacks because repairs to a corner due to a parking lot bump to a jack could easily exceed $2000.

Good luck on your search.

Paul

 

[Cas]

Thanks for the info, first thing I'll do is remove the jacks as the camper is gonna live on the truck. I'd figured others must of had this happen...$2,000 to fix, yikes.

 

[Alley-Kat]

Yeah, $2,000 just might have been a scare tactic. I could see it in a worst case scenario, but, what you described could be a lot less. Get in touch with ATC. You'll probably get a couple of options and costs... for doing a little fix, to a medium fix, to a full on complete fix.

 

[shellback]

I'd say grab onto the jack and see if there's any movement, such as the screws pulled out and are loose in the framing. Obviously a loose jack needs repair. If it's tight in the framing, and with the rippled siding, the framing could be bent. You mentioned it's going to stay on the truck. With that in mind and the jack is tight in it's mounting, I might just consider using it as is. Once loaded, all you will see is the rippled siding. I'd use the damage as a negotiating point for a reduced price. If you can buy it at the right price, load it up and enjoy it as is. PS I'd guess $2000 isn't way off. To make it 100%, you would have to remove the exterior skin, interior panels, cut out damaged aluminum framing, weld it new framing, then put it all back together. Somethings are better left alone if they are usable as is.

 

[Ronin]

Shellback is spot on about what it would take and cost to repair possible frame damage. If you pull on the jacks you should be able to see if the screws are loose. If they are there's probably no way to keep them from loosening again. Many shops use self drilling/tapping screws to install the jack brackets and once the screws have been pulled out you won't be able to torque them all the way down again. The other thing to make sure to do is to actually observe the jack brackets when you lift the camper off the truck. If the brackets don't pull out some under load you're probably ok. Also check that the jacks are absolutely perpendicular. If the jack isn't straight up and down this would cause the jack bracket to pull out slightly at the top or bottom depending on which way the frame is bent. If you plan on taking the camper off/on a lot you'll be stressing the frame each time you lift the camper up. There's also the possibilty of water leaking along the corner edges off the camper. Hope this helps and good luck!!

 

[VanGoOutdoors]

If there isnt a ton of structural damage, and just a bit bowed, you could always do this:

Remove the bracket. seal up the holes, drill holes spaced between existing holes, add sealant and reinstall.

This way you wouldnt be using the existing holes that were damaged, and would be into a fresh piece of metal. If it is deformed to the point of the jack being crooked, then id get it professionally fixed.

my 2C

 

[Beach]

Previous owner had a minor bump on the right rear jack causing a slight ripple in the siding on my Hawk. He straightened it out pretty well. It is hardly noticeable, doesn't leak and has not been an issue lifting the camper. I don't see any movement in the area either when it's under load. I have a buddy with an aluminum fab shop, maybe one day I'll dig into it but for now, its not been a problem and I'm not looking to create one.

 

[Cas]

I appreciate all the input, it's a big investment and I wanna have the knowledge to make the right decision. Thanks. I'll see it Monday, hopefully it's a non issue.