WELL the TURD FAIRY has struck again! On my Breakaway I have a larger compartment on the driver's side. Yesterday when I went to pack equipment I found it was hanging down about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. The pop rivets all along the inside were pulled out and there was a gap there. I first thought that corrosion had gotten them but then as I looked further I found that they had pulled out of the upper attach points.

figuring that I would replace them with larger screws or pop rivets, I counter drilled most of them out. They were placed about every 4 Inches along the outside of the back edge of the compartment. The compartment material is steel and the pop rivets were aluminum.

Pushing the compartment back up into the proper place was done and then I noticed that the pop rivets were only mated to the lower floor skin. There was absolutely NO attachment to the inner floor frame. Further, I found no evidence of corrosion either at the holes or rivets. The rivets had simply pulled thru the upper skin. There is a inner frame rail very close to the rivets but all rivets had completely missed the rails.

YES and without a doubt, I carry very heavy things and have done so for many miles. I have probably over loaded this compartment so I can't completely blame Barth for this problem but-----

I made up 5 brackets that would slide inside the Spartan frame rail. The brackets extend down and under the compartment where they are bolted to the floor of the compartment. I only used 3 of them so far and will put the other 2 in when I return. I made the brackets so that no drilling or welding to the Spartan frame was needed. I will past pictures later when I have the time.

I will be going over the entire attachment issues that I have later this summer but in the mean time at least I will not have the baggage compartment contents falling out over the freeway.

I had a similar experience. Noticed after a long trip that I had what looked like an extra mud flap hanging down. The steel floor had corroded through three corners and was completely riddled with rust holes. Check your floors!

I reinforced the outside corners with 2 x 2 light aluminum angle, pop riveted from inside through the walls and floor. Reinforced the floor with 1/2 plywood epoxied in place. Undercoated the outside.

I've done 2 so far, one more to go. I'll try to find some pictures to post.

One good thing is I have very little corrosion. PO was in S. CO and was first bought in CA. I has very little time on salt roads if any. I don't drive much in the winter months and even if I do there is no snow where I go.

You have probably read about the GREAT CALIFORNIA drought? People still don't accept the idea that CA is really a desert State for the most part. Nothing grows during the summer months unless it is irrigated by man.

Part of my problem is for sure I have over loaded it a lot and also our wonderful smooth Roads here Grrrrr!

OK I will get off the soap box!

When I found the same issue on my '93 Regency I narrowed it down to using pop rivets into the underside aluminum sheet of the floor. The compartments are attached to the underskin at the inside and they rest on 1x1 square tube on the outside, (where the doors are). I don't carry much weight but this one was where the water tank was! The solution was to jack the compartment into position so it was flush against the outside skin and install new rivets into the square tubing on all sides that were vertical or against the outer wall. For the top where it attaches, improperly under any calculation of Strength or Materials or structural analysis of tension and compression, I drilled our each remaining rivet and drilled up through the floor which is under the couch. I installed 2" and 3" fender washers and 1/4" x 2" stainless steel bolts and nuts through the compartment and floor and pulled everything up to flush. I also applied 3M 5200 sealant caulk along the seams before pulling them into place. None of the fasteners are visible under the couch and now I believe can carry whatever I want. After two years there is no separation. This condition also shows up when you check the door frames at the upper piano hinge. many rivet heads are loose when the compartment begins to pull away and once secured you can feel and repair the broken rivets, but use closed head waterproof type. In northern coaches, like my brothers MCC, the corrosion lf the lower tubes holding all the compartments meant he had to replace and reweld everythnig, but that completely restored the coach. Do check those tubes!

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I made up 5 brackets that would slide inside the Spartan frame rail. The brackets extend down and under the compartment where they are bolted to the floor of the compartment. I only used 3 of them so far and will put the other 2 in when I return. I made the brackets so that no drilling or welding to the Spartan frame was needed. I will past pictures later when I have the time.

I will be going over the entire attachment issues that I have later this summer but in the mean time at least I will not have the baggage compartment contents falling out over the freeway.

Hello, do you have any update on your repair? I’m sure it held up well. I have the same issue on several of our Breakaway’s compartments and was considering some way of using the frame for support. I’d love to see pictures of the brackets you made.

Thanks!
Nick