Author Topic: Fleetwood E3 Filon Roof Failure (Read 9299 times)

KensAuto · « **Reply #50 on:** May 01, 2020, 10:22:27 PM »

What are you guys going on about?

stlaser · « **Reply #51 on:** May 01, 2020, 10:36:09 PM »

If I recall correctly Charles has some grizzly grease left over from a project....

Flyin6 · « **Reply #52 on:** May 02, 2020, 10:19:30 AM »

Quote from: KensAuto on May 01, 2020, 10:22:27 PM

What are you guys going on about?

Proper method for bending high strength aluminum...

I thought you'd know all about it, but then I thought, you're not in aviation

So

Smear "Bend-All" on the area you wish to bend the high strength aluminum. Then aneal as you would normally. Then quickly make your proper bend and just like

that

It's all pretty and done!

KensAuto · « **Reply #53 on:** May 02, 2020, 01:10:16 PM »

Really? Or you pulling my leg?
When I Google that word all sorts of interesting stuff comes up...and they don't have anything to do with metal!

Regardless, I'm past that point. I cut out the warped piece and the rest went back to laying flat. I took the largest trimming, 15" long , and heated the entire piece with a rosebud.

That worked and was easily bent into a 90 like butter.

Here it is after annealing, next to the warped piece.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #54 on:** May 03, 2020, 06:31:04 PM »

Messin' with ya Ken!

KensAuto · « **Reply #55 on:** May 03, 2020, 10:04:27 PM »

Did some drilling, gluing, and riveting.
After about 80 rivets and using highly specialized lead filled weights, the front is almost done.

Maybe Elon will give me a job now...
... probably not.... looks more like a Boeing rivet job.

Bigdave_185 · « **Reply #56 on:** May 03, 2020, 10:26:34 PM »

Looks good, that is a whole mess of deka batteries. What do you have those for

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KensAuto · « **Reply #57 on:** May 03, 2020, 11:22:16 PM »

Quote from: Bigdave_185 on May 03, 2020, 10:26:34 PM

Looks good, that is a whole mess of deka batteries. What do you have those for

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As long as I can clean the adhesive off of them I plan on selling them to customers.

Sammconn · « **Reply #58 on:** May 04, 2020, 10:18:28 AM »

As long as it’s on the bottom Ken, once installed they’ll never know...

KensAuto · « **Reply #59 on:** May 04, 2020, 03:31:07 PM »

KensAuto · « **Reply #60 on:** May 07, 2020, 09:40:07 PM »

The rear was glued, screwed, and tattooed.... without screws actually.

KensAuto · « **Reply #61 on:** May 11, 2020, 09:48:20 PM »

... then after a few days of curing, the front and rear aluminum strips were glued and riveted on. These hold the trim with rubber gaskets on.

JR · « **Reply #62 on:** May 11, 2020, 09:54:55 PM »

Looks better

KensAuto · « **Reply #63 on:** May 16, 2020, 10:32:27 PM »

Got the rear trim screwed into the base trim, then my buddy sanded the aluminum while I fixed his a/c. Decided to spray on 2 quarts of etching primer before gluing down the rails and corner pieces. I'm thinking about having it professionally bed lined and I want it to stick.

Bob Smith · « **Reply #64 on:** May 17, 2020, 12:27:37 AM »

Looks really good Ken

KensAuto · « **Reply #65 on:** May 17, 2020, 01:42:09 AM »

Quote from: Bob/OlallaWa on May 17, 2020, 12:27:37 AM

Looks really good Ken

Thanks Bob, and JR.

TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #66 on:** May 17, 2020, 07:48:40 AM »

Looking good there Ken. Berliner is a great idea

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oklawall · « **Reply #67 on:** May 17, 2020, 05:07:56 PM »

Looks great Ken

KensAuto · « **Reply #68 on:** May 22, 2020, 09:59:19 PM »

Next up was to seal the side panels and corners. I copied what the manufacturer did by using something similar to 2" wide butyl tape. This stuff looks the same, but it's super sticky.... like almost peal your skin sticky.

KensAuto · « **Reply #69 on:** May 22, 2020, 10:01:13 PM »

...and had exactly enough to do everything. (Only had a 2" piece left over)

KensAuto · « **Reply #70 on:** May 22, 2020, 10:06:57 PM »

Now for the chincy parts. ..the corner pieces. They can't be purchased, and they're plastic. The sealant tape does all the work and these are for looks.
I almost made some out of aluminum but honestly I'm just over it with this pos.

KensAuto · « **Reply #71 on:** May 22, 2020, 10:13:15 PM »

I decided that this roof will never be worked on again, by myself anyways, so I bought a few tubes of windshield urethane and started laying it on to strengthen them. Also added a couple extra screws to help out.

KensAuto · « **Reply #72 on:** May 22, 2020, 10:26:22 PM »

Then the final pieces of the project, the aluminum rails. Absolutely horrible engineering to be honest.

They are about 12 feet long, and the only things keeping them in place is that they are glued down with something similar to windshield adhesive, and they kinda "snap" on to the corner pieces.
What's worse is that they're designed to accept roof racks, rated for a couple hundred pounds.

I had one come loose a few years ago and had to redo it, and there's stories on the web of guys losing their cargo, along with the rails, on the highway. Scary if you ask me.

I used 4 tubes of windshield urethane on those rails and some screws on the ends to be safe.

Ta da!

JR · « **Reply #73 on:** May 23, 2020, 02:20:29 PM »

That was a nice detail using those covers.

EL TATE · « **Reply #74 on:** May 26, 2020, 10:55:35 AM »

found a good use for those batteries too!