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Old 05-26-2013, 10:32 AM   #1
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Step Problem

This weekend was our 1st trip of the year. Everything went well except one of the bolts that hold the steps up pulled out of what ever holds it into place. The bolt is right under the door threshold. Has any body had this happen and if it is an easy repair. Just not sure what the plate and bolt head look like. Trailer is still under warranty so I will bring it to the dealer if I have to but would rather repair myself if it is easy. Any ideas? BTW trailer is a 23.5 RBS.
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Old 05-26-2013, 05:28 PM   #2
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We have a similar set up with our steps, which are also bolted by studs vertically coming down from below the door threshold. When replacing the original tri-step with a quadra step, one of the studs began turning when the nut was being threaded back on. I concluded that it is probably a carriage head bolt, with a square collar, and has begun turning in the old wood. Used a vice grip on tip of bolt until nut was tight. If yours has completely pulled out, then probably either the bolt head has broken off, or the hole in the wood has stripped out. Either way, it looks to me that the door sill would have to be removed to get a new bolt in there. Might be a major job - not sure. If still under warranty, I would let the dealer fix it. JMHO.
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Old 05-26-2013, 06:12 PM   #3
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The whole bolt pulled out. Not all the way but about an inch or so. I would think that there would have been a steel plate or at least a very large washer below the bolt head due to the stress from weight of people going up and down the steps. Probably will have to take to dealer but hate dropping it off and not knowing it will be ready in two weeks for our next trip. I already called the closest Jayco dealer and he said I could drop it off and they would "try" to have it ready by then but no promises. The guy I talked to wasn't real sure what would be involved in the repair since he didn't do the work himself.
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Old 05-27-2013, 07:09 AM   #4
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The only suggestion I have for a try at fixing it yourself would be to take up the door sill plate (probably screwed down) and look under it to see if the bolts are accessible from there. Have not done this myself, so not sure if that will give you access. If that doesn't give access, then you probably will have to take up the floor in that area. I would think that the dealer would also have to do that, so up to you if you want to try it yourself and maybe get the job done faster. Sorry that I can't be of more help, but I guess this would have to be an adventure into the unknown. One other thought - how about emailing Jayco and see if they have any better suggestion ?
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Old 05-27-2013, 07:23 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by highlife4me View Post
... I would think that there would have been a steel plate or at least a very large washer below the bolt head due to the stress from weight of people going up and down the steps. ...
My 2001 23b step bolts were just carriage bolt heads against the thin plywood sandwich. Had there been a washer or steel plate then perhaps I wouldn't have needed to remove my sill plate, cut the vinyl to expose the bolt heads and then re-install with a plate for extra support. I presume the design hasn't changed over the years.

All the frame tab fasteners, step bolts, etc. I have come across have been carriage bolts into the thin layer of plywood. After the exposed nut/bolt rusts then the carriage bolt square in the aged plywood can't hold up
to the twisting torque so the head generally spins.

If you are under warranty then maybe use some wood blocks or other temporary support under the step assembly until you can get the step repaired. If out of warranty then I believe you will need to cut the vinyl to access the bolt heads.

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Old 06-07-2013, 01:58 PM   #6
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Well, I just picked up my 5'er after being repaired under "warranty". Lets just say I am not happy. Original design is that the bolt holding the steps is sandwiched into the floor but the bolt pulled through the bottom layer of plywood. Their fix was to remove the door threshold and pound the bolt through the top layer of plywood and peeling up the vinyl flooring. They then put a new bolt with a washer in the same hole and reinstalled the threshold and they had to pound it down with a hammer to get it to fit around the bolt head. They didn't even glue down the vinyl so it looks really loose. I could have done this much damage myself.
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Old 06-08-2013, 06:00 AM   #7
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I decided to email Jayco on this issue, and their response was that, on my unit, I would have to remove the entry door, then cut the vinyl and peel it back to expose and replace the bolts. I responded by asking them why they didn't install a metal plate with square holes to trap the carriage bolt heads in the first place and eliminate the problem. They emailed back that they would pass this suggestion along to their design dept. Who knows - maybe they will do something like this in the future, but we're all stuck with the problem on existing units.
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Old 06-10-2013, 12:46 AM   #8
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I wonder if they had changed the supplier? Our steps are screwed into the frame rail with two Tec screws on each side with the possibility for a third if you wanted it.
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