drilling into roof question...wierdness?

[breathe deep]

Greetings. I just made alll my connections with my solar setup and the little red light on my controller says Charging! Learned alot here on the forum and just basic electric workings and equipment.

QUESTION:

I am securing the panel to the roof and have my brackets lined up with the strips of screws running front to back on the roof. It is obvious where to attach the panel on the roof. I have it squared up and 3 of the 4 screws went into the framing and are secure. The last screw, which is right in line with the others just kept spinning when drilled through the roof. Why? It makes no sense. Its right in line with all the others in that row. I am confused, please enlighten me!

 

[HERR42]

lets see...

theres a very thin aluminum skin....then aluminum i beams? truss type of things running fore & aft.

a stripped hole? couldnt miss the "beam".

 

[breathe deep]

They're two screws a few inches apart from the one i screw in. One on each side. The fastener i screwed is in the same row. Could the truss drop down, making it unreachable with the fastener?

 

[Ted]

Possibly a gap in the framing for an option that was not installed, like a second vent?

 

[Overland Hadley]

Does this photo help?

Photo from Stan at FWC

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

The aluminum skin and aluminum frame is not really that thick.

I can't tell you for sure without seeing it, but it sounds like it is stripped.

You might need to use a screw that is just slightly wider.

If it is stripped, the wider screw should do the trick.

Just snug it down, probably best not to over tighten it.

Hope this helps.

Happy Camping !



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[breathe deep]

Thanks for all the help guys. When i look down into the hole where i initially screwed the fastener, it looks like the aluminum truss is a couple inches below the top layer of roofing. It is the second row in of screws from the outside row. Not sure of my next move. I'll report back any solutions i can come up with. Thanks again

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

You might be looking at the bottom of the tube (the second side) ?

You could be looking through the top of the frame tube, and the inside of the other side of the tubing ?


I need more info ... I need more pictures of what you are doing to better guide you on what you are up against ...


Attached are some sample pic of a roof frame these days ...

Hope the pictures attached help you with what is happening inside the roof frame.


You will know if you drill too far, because your drill bit will poke through the thin wooden strips on the roof inside the camper.

The wooded strips on the inside of the camper, attached to the roof, are stapled into the aluminum frame members in the roof of the camper.


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Thanks for all the help guys. When i look down into the hole where i initially screwed the fastener, it looks like the aluminum truss is a couple inches below the top layer of roofing. It is the second row in of screws from the outside row. Not sure of my next move. I'll report back any solutions i can come up with. Thanks again



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[breathe deep]

Hey thanks Stan.
That seems to be what probably happened. I am likely looking through the top and at the bottom of the tube. I am going to try and find a fastener a bit bigger and be a bit gentler with it.
The pictures helped me understand what i am working with.
Cheers,
Dave

 

[Overland Hadley]

You will know if you drill too far, because your drill bit will poke through the thin wooden strips on the roof inside the camper.



And some people pay for an extra roof vent.