Pop-up Roof Bracket Breaking

[Andrew25]

I hope this is in the right section!
Anyway, the bracket on the driver's side attached to the underside of the pop-up roof is starting to pull through the fabric lining of the roof. The plywood seems to have broken at one end of the bracket and the jagged edge is pressing through. I think this will need a professional to fix it, but I am also keen to understand how it could have happened. Are these brackets sometimes not adequately secured or could we have done something to cause this?

 

[Green Giant]

I hope this is in the right section!
Anyway, the bracket on the driver's side attached to the underside of the pop-up roof is starting to pull through the fabric lining of the roof. The plywood seems to have broken at one end of the bracket and the jagged edge is pressing through. I think this will need a professional to fix it, but I am also keen to understand how it could have happened. Are these brackets sometimes not adequately secured or could we have done something to cause this?

If it’s possible, post a couple of photos up, someone will be able to advise on a fix

 

[Andrew25]

Thanks, will do.

 

[Andrew25]

Here are some photos of the damaged bracket fixing.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

That’s not good or particularly straightforward to sort unfortunately.
That’s the main point that your roof is fixed down by.
You will need to strip the carpet off that part and have a look to see why the bracket is coming away. I’d imagine that they are attached to plates that are inside the fibreglass but might be a plate attached to the plywood.
One way or another these plates that the brackets are attached to need to be fixed securely back in place.
Which may require some fibreglass work.
If you strip the carpet and take more pics we will have a better idea of how it’s fixed and why it failed.

 

[Bargy62]

@Andrew25 does the fixing bolt go through the roof as well what's under the bolt cover

 

[Andrew25]

Thanks both. You have confirmed what I thought. I am pretty certain that the fixing bolt does NOT go through the roof - I can't see any evidence of that, or damage to the exterior.
I am also pretty sure that the bracket is bolted through a plywood sheet (that is covered by the ceiling finishing cloth/carpet) to a plate. The tear is jagged, like broken wood - rather than fibreglass. The plate seems very small to me in relation to the strain it could be put under.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

Thanks both. You have confirmed what I thought. I am pretty certain that the fixing bolt does NOT go through the roof - I can't see any evidence of that, or damage to the exterior.
I am also pretty sure that the bracket is bolted through a plywood sheet (that is covered by the ceiling finishing cloth/carpet) to a plate. The tear is jagged, like broken wood - rather than fibreglass. The plate seems very small to me in relation to the strain it could be put under.

Strip the cloth back and take some pics.
I think you will manage to push the plate back into position, then I would mix up some fibreglass resin or epoxy resin to glue it back in.
Finally I would make a square metal plate maybe 6”x 6” and glue and screw it in place over the bit you have just glued in.
You could draw around the plate and sink it in flush with plywood.
Then refit the carpet. So it’s invisible once covered.
Alternatively you may be able to move the plate with the threaded studs to a solid bit and move the other bracket to suit.
Or even get a new much bigger plate made up with the threaded studs on it.
So pics once the carpet is off would help.
In the meantime I wouldn’t be using the van. I’d be too worried that the wind would catch the roof and rip it open.

 

[Velosaurus]

What make roof please? Is it still under warranty? Looks similar to my Skyline pop top where roof is held down by two straps

Is it possible its been caused by the roof up but the straps not fully loose causing the to pull on the brackets when caught by the wind. Obvs cause makes no odds now, but might stop it getting worse