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Fixing to ceiling or wall


candapack

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I want to replace a short shower curtain rail with a longer one. I took the short one off, quite surprised it hadn't fallen down by itself. The screws holding it up didn't go into anything solid, eg a batten above the ceiling panel.

Are there rawl plugs or similar designed for the sort of material used for motorhome partitions, or can you recommend a type of fixing?

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I used to use an adhesive plus the widest fully coarse threaded screw as will fit .

Don't overtighten the screws as that will tear the wood and detract from grip.

 

This sort of thing (cheaper at Screwfix probably) work sometimes but GREAT care is needed as they can make a mess if you get it wrong. - how good is your DIY?

https://www.diy.com/departments/hardware/fixings-plugs/plasterboard-fixings/self-drill-fixings/DIY1496959.cat

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Tracker - 2021-06-19 5:25 PM

 

I used to use an adhesive plus the widest fully coarse threaded screw as will fit .

Don't overtighten the screws as that will tear the wood and detract from grip.

 

This sort of thing (cheaper at Screwfix probably) work sometimes but GREAT care is needed as they can make a mess if you get it wrong. - how good is your DIY?

https://www.diy.com/departments/hardware/fixings-plugs/plasterboard-fixings/self-drill-fixings/DIY1496959.cat

Thanks Tracker. My wife usually looks at my DIY efforts and says something like "well, you never claimed to be any good at that sort of thing" ??

But I might give them a go.

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From what you say, it seems the rail is merely fixed to the internal lining sheet. As the rail is only carrying a shower curtain there is little weight involved, and as the shower rail itself has (apparently!) survived in situ, it seems reasonable to assume that the fixings are adequate to the task.

 

Don't know the Hobby construction, but would suppose that these will be pre laminated panels with inner lining, insulant, and outer skin (presumably aluminium) all adhesive bonded together with minimal framing at edges and around any penetrations (windows, rooflights etc).

 

If that is the case, my reaction would be to carefully fill the existing screw holes with almost any good building sealant (having first removed the almost inevitable upstand burr around them), and then place the new curtain rail on the same alignment as the original to cover the old screw holes and drill fine pilot holes in different positions so that the new screws bite into previously "virgin" material.

 

If concerned about the strength of the fixings I think more fixings would offer greater strength more effectively than bigger fixings, and would also ensure that whatever load there is gets spread over a larger area. I assume you will use stainless steel screws and, in addition to Screwfix, would suggest a branch of Homebase if there is one within reach, as they have quite a wide variety available in small packs whereas Screwfix tend to sell larger packs.

 

That apart, I think I would use the same length, head, and diameter as the originals - which I assume will have been sized taking account of what lies behind the lining material!

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candapack - 2021-06-19 5:16 PM

 

I want to replace a short shower curtain rail with a longer one. I took the short one off, quite surprised it hadn't fallen down by itself. The screws holding it up didn't go into anything solid, eg a batten above the ceiling panel.

Are there rawl plugs or similar designed for the sort of material used for motorhome partitions, or can you recommend a type of fixing?

Chris

 

I’ve looked through your earlier postings and noted that you bought a 2014-registered Hobby motorhome in late-2019. However, I can’t find any details of the model that you own other than it is in Hobby’s “Siesta” range.

 

This link is to a 2014 Hobby “Siesta” catalogue

 

http://www.dicklanemotorhomes.co.uk/pdfs/hobby-siesta-catalogue-2014.pdf

 

It’s evident from this catalogue (and from relevant YouTube videos) that some 2014 Siestas with a side-washroom (eg. the T60 FL model) had a shower curtain instead of a rigid plastic ‘door’, and that the curtain hangs from the ceiling - but it’s not obvious how this arrangement is achieved. If you could say which Siesta model you have, that might help.

 

I owned a Hobby motorhome from 2005 to 2014 and had occasion to clad with plastic the ceiling above the shower enclosure as the ‘wallpaper’ Hobby had used on the ceiling had begun to rot. If I remember correctly, the ceiling was just thin plywood with (as you’ve observed) nothing solid above the plywood except where extra strength was unavoidable.

 

You’d be well advised not to use any sort of ‘house building’ cavity fixings in the ceiling, and just follow Brian's advice to use the same approach that Hobby employed, adding extra screws where appropriate. If the curtain ‘rail’ attaches directly to the ceiling’s under-surface (with no gap), for exra strength you might consider gluing the rail to the ceiling as well as using screws - but then you wouldn’t be able to remove the rail without causing damage...

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When a model in the 2014 Hobby catalogue had a shower curtain in the bathroom, the curtain seemed to be suspended from a ’track’ fixed directly to the ceiling - so I did wonder exactly what you were planning to do.

 

The bathroom layout of the Autoquest 115 (image attached below) resembles that of my 1996-built Herald Templar. The Templar’s bathroom had a shower curtain that provided inadequate water-splashing protection, but - rather than modify the rail that carried the curtain - my wife made a much wider curtain with loops on the top corners that hooked over ceiling-height hooks when a shower was to be taken. Part of the curtain stayed on the rail, while the curtain’s new ‘side wings’ hung from the hooks. Although ‘mopping up’ after showering was still needed, the process was much less time-consuming than before.

New-elddis-autoquest-115-plan.jpg.97bad7649ec034c3fe203a97038395b0.jpg

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Thanks Derek, sounds like a plan. The Elddis rail is just a straight piece hanging down in front of the loo, no protection for wall or door. The curtain provided is wide enough to protect both. Was thinking of installing a flexible rail in U shape, but your wife's solution sounds easier.
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