Stripped bolts for slide motor....help!

[flintsters]

Last year when putting my slide out the whole thing was rocking like crazy. After getting under the couch I was able to see that the 4 lag bolts holding the motor to the wall had come out and the motor was just spinning and occasionally catching something long enough to move the slide a little. I went to the hardware store and got slightly wider bolts hoping that was going to work. Well, 2 held and 2 spun freely but it was good enough to at least function. I went under it this morning to see how it is doing and there was only 1 bolt hanging on by a thread. I am not sure how to fix it. I obviously can't get to the backside because that is the outside wall. Going with larger diameter bolts is obviously not effective. If I fill the holes with epoxy or bondo, let it dry and then reattach the 4 lags would that hold? Other ideas?

[TWP723]

Can you use red Loctite Threadlocker?

[oldmanAZ]

Are the 'lag' screws going in to wood or metal?

If wood, the common process is drilling the stripped holes a bit to fit in wood dowels. Glue the dowels in and then drill the dowels to the correct size for the lag screws you will be using.

Bondo, in my recollection, is too brittle to be considered for anything like this.

[flintsters]

It's mounted to the super thin wood interior wall.

[norty1]

Can you post a couple of pics?

[flintsters]

This is what it looks like on each side. The picture with the 1 lag nut is on the right side of the motor. The Slide is above the bracket which is under the couch.

[norty1]

Any way to get something stronger behind it?

[JohnWedell]

from what I could see if it's possible I would drill through the outside of the trailer make up a stainless steel plate on the outside and put a bolt through to the inside using nylon insert locknuts. it may not be the prettiest option but probably the strongest .

[flintsters]

It looks like there is a thin layer of pressed wood (1/8 to 1/4"), some insulation (1.5"), and then the outside fiberglass. I don't see how I could get something behind there, and I certainly don't see my wife (Mrs. Form over function) going with the idea of drilling to the outside and reinforcing from that way (which would most certainly fix this problem for eternity).

[flintsters]

I went to the hardware store this morning to get a few things and discovered anchors meant for hollow core doors (not too different than the inside construction of a travel trailer). I was able to get them in and so far they seem to be working well. Time will tell if they will hold up. In the meantime, I may just be getting a handful of these to keep on hand for those moments when I need something like this in a pinch.

[norty1]

MacGyver is alive and well in the rv world!