Fiamma awning installed wrong??

[LSNE]

I've just picked up my van from having a Fiamma awning installed and when I got it home to check it out, the installation looks wrong to me.
1) No sikaflex used
2) The bracket that has been RIVNUTTED!!! onto the van is in the wrong position and should sit in the top of the multi-rail, not hanging over.

Can anyone confirm this?

Cheers

 

[spook]

I've just picked up my van from having a Fiamma awning installed and when I got it home to check it out, the installation looks wrong to me.
1) No sikaflex used
2) The bracket that has been RIVNUTTED!!! onto the van is in the wrong position and should sit in the top of the multi-rail, not hanging over.

Can anyone confirm this?

Cheers

View attachment 72658View attachment 72660

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Oh dear! How on earth are they going to rectify that - weld up the holes and position correctly?
I feel your pain.

 

[LSNE]

Spoke to the installer and he has apologised and asked me to take the van back in for him to sort it out.

 

[Insert Coin]

Erm, wow... who did that so we can all avoid them in future?

 

[spook]

Spoke to the installer and he has apologised and asked me to take the van back in for him to sort it out.

oblong gate the holes buddy

 

[LSNE]

Erm, wow... who did that so we can all avoid them in future?

I'd rather give the lad a chance to rectify the mistake before I start splashing details over the internet mate.

 

[LSNE]

oblong gate the holes buddy

Yeah that's what I've been looking at.
I've got a spare set of brackets which I looked at with a view to cutting them down but the hole location doesn't allow it.
I'm back in tomorrow to have a word with the lad.

 

[LSNE]

Update.
Dropped van off this morning and received a phone call a couple of hours later to say it was ready for collection.
All looks good although there is a slight gap between awning and multirail which means i'll probably have to get a rainguard fitted.
Lad couldn't apologise enough for the mistake and all in all I'm happy with the result and the quick turnaround for the repair.

 

[Skyliner33]

Out of interest, how has he repaired the holes that were drilled in the wrong place.

 

[LSNE]

As Spook suggested, he elongated the holes on the bracket then treated and sealed the exposed edges.

 

[Skyliner33]

As Spook suggested, he elongated the holes on the bracket then treated and sealed the exposed edges.

If those photos were taken from the same place looking front to back then something is not right with that explanation. Look at the relative position of the bolt heads going through the bracket. They appear to have swapped round.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Yep. new holes drilled in opposite locations and refastened. They may have used Sikaflex under the bracket to stick and cover the holes though.

 

[LSNE]

You're absolutely correct.
I've just been out and had a look and it appears he has added another rivnut higher up and used Sikaflex to seal the bracket over the hole.

 

[Bargy62]

If those photos were taken from the same place looking front to back then something is not right with that explanation. Look at the relative position of the bolt heads going through the bracket. They appear to have swapped round.

You're absolutely correct.
I've just been out and had a look and it appears he has added another rivnut higher up and used Sikaflex to seal the bracket over the hole.

from experience rivnuting metal fence posts which are thicker than the roof our the van putting 2 rivnuts so close together can cause the metal to split and rivnut to fail ie pull out

 

[LSNE]

But would the opposite rivnut and the Sikaflex not distribute the forces being applied over a wider surface preventing the panel from splitting?

 

[Phil_G]

Another possibility is he may have swapped the front & rear brackets for better alignment with the holes... looks a decent result though.

 

[Bargy62]

i have never fitted one of these brackets so dont know if rivnuts come with it but if the kind above are used and i would suspect so the flange will lift the bracket above the roof slightly and it looks as if they are the only connections to the van other than where it hooks into the multirail any movement over time might cause the metal between the 2 rivnuts to fail

 

[LSNE]

Yeah, that's the rivnuts that are fitted on it.
What the photos don't show is that a couple of mm in from the edge, there's a layer of Sikaflex sandwiched between the bracket and the roof.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

You really need a spreader plate inside to distribute the load IMHO especially with a weakened roof like that. There will be a lot of force transferred to those 4 rivnuts then onto the roof skin. I don't think that the Sikaflex will achieve much with such a small area other than seal the extra holes.