Best Of
Re: Shelf above window separated from wall. How exactly are these shelves mounted? 2017 Outback.
OP, its a little to hard to tell from photos what was there, not having the same model.
Is the vertical board under your failed shelf just for photo purposes or was it part of the construction? Was the failed board horizontal or vertical? I assume horizontal- can you help us correlate the screw in wall above the ply ledger strip to its location on the maple shelf or other piece, and the screw hole below the ledger strip to its partner?
One hopes these locations correspond with the EGS strip.
In the first photo: was the raw plywood ledger strip visible or hidden? 5-ply is not cabinet grade and is weaker than 9 to 13 ply baltic birch which they should be using for anything in the Tab. They may have screwed the ledger in place from the outside face of the EGS (likely 22 to 28 ga thin galvy sheetmetal strip).
In the second photo: looks like solid maple or pine shelf which they pocket screwed to either the ply ledger strip or through the the composite wall hopefully into the EGS strip. Two issues:
a. they undoubtedly overdrove the pocket screw and split out the shelf during installation, which later split further and failed.
b. The black screw sticking out the shelf looks like a coarse thread drywall screw and could be used into the weak ply edge but is incorrect to hold in the sheetmetal. Any drywall screw in sheetmetal has too coarse and thread and will cam out with vibration or torque.
Dadoing the solid shelf to receive the ledger, and screwing up through the face would have been a stronger connection than end grain. Brackets, dowels, t nuts, or other methods would have made a stronger connection.
In our 2021 Boondoggle we see many failures of cabinet joinery which required fixes. Blowouts and widespread veneer damage from lack of predrilling, blowouts and stripping of overdriven fasteners, stripping of square drive heads by using 100% improper Phillips bits, and more are rampant misconstruction errors.
(edited on desktop since first post.)
Is the vertical board under your failed shelf just for photo purposes or was it part of the construction? Was the failed board horizontal or vertical? I assume horizontal- can you help us correlate the screw in wall above the ply ledger strip to its location on the maple shelf or other piece, and the screw hole below the ledger strip to its partner?
One hopes these locations correspond with the EGS strip.
In the first photo: was the raw plywood ledger strip visible or hidden? 5-ply is not cabinet grade and is weaker than 9 to 13 ply baltic birch which they should be using for anything in the Tab. They may have screwed the ledger in place from the outside face of the EGS (likely 22 to 28 ga thin galvy sheetmetal strip).
In the second photo: looks like solid maple or pine shelf which they pocket screwed to either the ply ledger strip or through the the composite wall hopefully into the EGS strip. Two issues:
a. they undoubtedly overdrove the pocket screw and split out the shelf during installation, which later split further and failed.
b. The black screw sticking out the shelf looks like a coarse thread drywall screw and could be used into the weak ply edge but is incorrect to hold in the sheetmetal. Any drywall screw in sheetmetal has too coarse and thread and will cam out with vibration or torque.
Dadoing the solid shelf to receive the ledger, and screwing up through the face would have been a stronger connection than end grain. Brackets, dowels, t nuts, or other methods would have made a stronger connection.
In our 2021 Boondoggle we see many failures of cabinet joinery which required fixes. Blowouts and widespread veneer damage from lack of predrilling, blowouts and stripping of overdriven fasteners, stripping of square drive heads by using 100% improper Phillips bits, and more are rampant misconstruction errors.
(edited on desktop since first post.)
Re: Cool cat screen cover for the 400.
@lkc001 - check out the above thread.
And this one: https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/12361/outside-cover-for-coolcat-ac-vent-t-b400/p1
And this one: https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/12361/outside-cover-for-coolcat-ac-vent-t-b400/p1
Re: Camping in triple digits a bad idea?
The walls of the trailer are well insulated. The issue is the top (which includes the front and back). The aluminum sheet and aluminum frame underneath will heat the trailer nicely when in the sun. Shade is important on hot days. The 320 will fit under a canopy, but the 400 is too tall for that. Look for campgrounds northwest of 'Vegas, in the Angeles Crest, or south towards Flagstaff & the Grand Canyon. Find a place with trees.
The opposite is true in the winter... The good side is the single piece top from front to back is better for rain and more solid than other RV construction methods.
The opposite is true in the winter... The good side is the single piece top from front to back is better for rain and more solid than other RV construction methods.
Re: Porthole window cover
For anyone in the future, I got a piece of black felt from Hobby Lobby and cut to size of the circle window on the entry door. Then I used some sticky velcro dots on the window to stick the felt on. Works great to keep the light down in the mornings especially.
Re: Some "Out the Window" Views
'Honey Bear By The Sea' -- Gold Beach, Oregon
Re: Tab 400 TV signal source
thank you so much! that makes sense that the tv would be connected to the sound system.
Re: Tab 400 TV signal source
HDMI is connected to the Jensen radio unit which in turn is connected to the speakers in the Tab.
Jacking up a TAB 400 BD
There are quite a few posts that discuss bottle jacks and floor jacks on trailers. As I poke around auto supply stores' websites I note the negative reviews of these devices - mostly products that fail after very few uses. What I haven't yet found are reasons why scissor jacks aren't used. They are mechanically simpler that bottle or floor jacks; as long as they can handle the weight they should be fine. About the only mechanical difference I've seen is that the contact surface of scissor jacks is flat (or notched) and bottle & floor jacks might be "bumpy".
My question, then, is there any reason not to use the scissor jack that came with our TV, a 2020 Toyota Highlander?
My question, then, is there any reason not to use the scissor jack that came with our TV, a 2020 Toyota Highlander?
Re: Leak from Nautilus box and outdoor shower box while driving T@B 320S in heavy rain.
After making the following three changes that all caused leaks, we have not seen any leaks caused by driving in the rain over the last two seasons:
- Foam plug in Nautilus port, plus making inside of Nautilus water-tight from trailer interior as much as possible.
- Adding a larger foam weather seal strip under the door that fits snug with the door frame floor when closed.
- Removing the outside shower plumbing entirely and sealing off the housing's interior with foam so it's water-tight from trailer interior.
