laimeduck Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 I need to re-mount my 3.5 Metre Thule omnistore 5002 awning to the side of my Benimar Perseo 710 CCX. A brief explanation follows:- The roofline of the Benimar slopes from front to back with a fibreglass casting as the top of the sidewall. This casting stands proud of the wall by about 10mm. The clowns who did the original mounting for the first owner, 15 years ago, fixed the awning parallel to the ground, not the roofline so the rear mounting is half over this join! They packed out the gap with a thin - only about 4mm plastic plate, but also drilled into the fibregalss casting to fix the awning mounting plate with 4 self tapping screws! (They did put 2 bolts lower in this mounting plate) The mounting plate was therefore not solid (But coould not be inspected unless the awning was removed) Total Cowboys! There should also have been a central small mounting plate, which they fixed with one self tapping screw and sikaflex! There is an internal mirror stuck to the wall here so they could not install the spreader plate or bolt fixingon the inside! Total chocolate teapots! The result is that the 4 self tapping screws have, unsurprisingly, pulled out, which has put undue strain on the 2 mounting bolts and the plate - so the awning has become more or less detached at the rear end. The picture shows the the position the awning was in and the sloping roof. (and all the 15 years of muck that has accumulated!) I want to re-affix the awning plates with a 10mm packing sheet between the sidewall and the plate to give a solid mount, with larger internal plates to spread the load.. I can't find any suitable awning adaptors online for the Omnistore 5002 awning, so need a 10mm thick plastic? plate about 150 x 130mm for both front and rear mounting positions. I intend to remount the awning following the slope of the roof. Can anyone suggest a suitable plate and a source/supplier please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninian Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 Hi, Could you not just buy a piece of 10mm perspex and then cut it to size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 I'd be trying a building "plastics" (upvc) supplier, for soffit board type stuff? (local if possible) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 Go to any food or kitchen accessory shop with a means of measuring 10mm and search for kitchen work boards or cutting boards The one I'm using today measures 9.82mm thick, I have two others slightly thinner, if the 9.82mm is not quite enough then look for plastic trays or boxes to cut for packing pieces Your 150 x130mm piece can be cut with a hacksaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 Jeremy, the 5002 was later replaced with the 5003, which looks very similar. Would I be right in deducing that your 5002 is 4 metres long? (I've been looking at the fixing instructions for the 5003, here: http://tinyurl.com/y2nebqv5 and the arrangement of the fixing plates suggests a 4.0 metre awning.) For spacers, I think I'd favour 10mm aluminium plate, as this will be more rigid than plastic, but above all not prone to stress deformation, as plastics are. Have a look at Aluminium Warehouse here: http://tinyurl.com/yyoex3gm Flat bars cut to length: 10 mm x 120/150 both available (haven't looked at prices! :-)). Or, do you have an aluminium stockist on the marsh? I also think my first preference would be to put the awning back exactly where it came from, as you'll otherwise have to drill new holes, as well as trying to seal the existing ones. There is a good range of stainless steel fixings available from the likes of Screwfix, so replacing the original screws with larger stainless steel screws (or coach bolts, which I think are available in stainless) into the original holes would at least eliminate that as a risk. You could use the existing mounting plates as templates to drill the fixing holes in the new packers. (This assumes that the screws actually penetrated into something adequately solid that can be reused with longer/thicker screws/bolts.) If not, I guess you'll have to do as you propose and fit the awning to the roof line. I assume the existing holes in the grp can be filled with Isopon or similar to leave a reasonably unobtrusive repair, albeit only a giraffe will see it! But, assuming the sidewalls are aluminium sheet, which will probably be less than 1.0mm thick, getting a suitable seal on that will be difficult unless you can position the new plates to completely cover the old holes, so that bedding the packers on a suitable adhesive sealant bed would keep out the wet. One thing that bugs me in your picture is that there is a cover strip over the two lengths of roof to side wall cover moulding, that looks a bit as though it may have been cut short to clear the awning casing, or is it intentionally like that? It seems leave a hole between the two cover mouldings lengths just above the trailing edge of the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted August 24, 2020 Author Share Posted August 24, 2020 Brian - thanks for your input. The awning is 3.5 metres. The problem with putting it back in the same holes is that the 2 rear bolts are at the bottom of the mounting plate which is not ideal. I believe the installers cut the cover strip to make the awning fit! It is not that short on the offside. This cannot be seen when the awning is in situ - I will fill the gap with sealant. I will look at Ali plate but think that may be overkill? All the existing screw/ bolt holes will be hidden from view by the awning body which is why I am not too concerned about repositioning the awning to parallel the roofline. There will be no cosmetic impact and I can flood the existing holes effectively with sealant. I have considered chopping board material but was not sure what it is made of? Nylon? There are many different types of plastic sheet available in 10 or 12 mm thickness - I wonder which may be the toughest? I will make the internal spreader plates oversize so that the load spreading (sandwich effect) will be enhanced. So I think a suitable "plastic" sheet will be the preferred option and easier to work with. The work of the original installers was really criminal - how the awning has stayed up I have no idea! Jeremy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Plastic chopping / cutting boards are a white nylon material, they are tough and hard for chopping on, The one I use is 5 years old at least and apart from cutting marks is used daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
23addy46 Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Hi Jeremy - Re the 'packing plates' you require - Strongly suggest you use Brian's suggestion of 'Ali plates' or at the very least As Will86 suggests, the Nylon food cutting boards - NOT uPVC Facia / Barge or Cappit Boards that are of the expanded foam - as these will compress at the bolting up stage AND again during further use ! They are not designed for compression useage... Good Luck with it.. Dave Adams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 23addy46 - 2020-08-25 11:34 AM Hi Jeremy - Re the 'packing plates' you require - Strongly suggest you use Brian's suggestion of 'Ali plates' or at the very least As Will86 suggests, the Nylon food cutting boards - NOT uPVC Facia / Barge or Cappit Boards that are of the expanded foam - as these will compress at the bolting up stage AND again during further use ! They are not designed for compression useage... Good Luck with it.. Dave Adams Hi.. I stand corrected for my use of the word "soffit board"... But some years ago I did manage to get some off cuts of very "solid" upvc strip (approx 6"-8" wide?) from a local building plastics supplier. So it may have not have been for "soffit boards", as I incorrectly thought, as it wasn't "foam". The duarble chopping board idea, seems a cheap and easy to source option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Jeremy, Search eBay for acrylic perspex plastic cut to size, or similar. Acres of suppliers out there, and though they list standard sizes, many also state that they will bespoke cut. 10mm is a pretty standard offering amongst the thicknesses available. You could even go for an outrageous colour. (White is generally available :-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted August 25, 2020 Author Share Posted August 25, 2020 I have found a 12mm thick polyethylene solid board 230 x 305mm for under a £tenner which should do the job for both mountings. It is actually a commercial cutting board, so if it's not up to the job of mounting my awning, I'll chop onions on it! (I have used this sort of material before to repair the worn heels on my ski boots which get scuffed when walking, so know it is pretty tough.) Having looked up the details of the fixing of the awning, I find that the original owners had the Omnistore fitted from new in April 2005 - fitted by the supplying dealer RDH Motorhomes, Nottingham. Surprise ...surprise... they went bust in May 2005! as reported on this forum https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/RDH-Motorhomes-Nottingham-have-gone-bust-/2128/ I'll keep you posted as to the fitting. Thanks to all who have replied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 I'm mildly surprised really. I had a Benimar from RDH in 2002. They're up the top of the list of motorhome companies I've dealt with over the years. Their workshop staff were pretty good, and the foreman excellent, though I think he moved on before they wound up, which would have been about the time of your van. Technically, I don't think RDH went bust; aiui they wound the company up and ceased trading leaving no creditors. Originally an HGV driver agency, they branched out into hire abroad in Spain, and they were instrumental in introducing the Benimar brand to the UK to satisfy demand from ex-hire customers. They had built a good reputation for both themselves and the brand, but (and though I was in touch with various of the staff afterwards) no one would elucidate other than a breakdown in relations between themselves and Benimar on the ceasing of trading. The name was resurrected briefly trading out of North Notts and Derbyshire for a while under different ownership, and the service staff created an independent service and repair workshop in North Notts for a while (they had access to Benimar parts, and I used them for some repairs). The method of securing your awning, however, seems substandard, to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted August 25, 2020 Author Share Posted August 25, 2020 Robinhood - 2020-08-25 3:41 PM I'm mildly surprised really. I had a Benimar from RDH in 2002. They're up the top of the list of motorhome companies I've dealt with over the years. Their workshop staff were pretty good, and the foreman excellent, though I think he moved on before they wound up, which would have been about the time of your van. Technically, I don't think RDH went bust; aiui they wound the company up and ceased trading leaving no creditors. Originally an HGV driver agency, they branched out into hire abroad in Spain, and they were instrumental in introducing the Benimar brand to the UK to satisfy demand from ex-hire customers. They had built a good reputation for both themselves and the brand, but (and though I was in touch with various of the staff afterwards) no one would elucidate other than a breakdown in relations between themselves and Benimar on the ceasing of trading. The name was resurrected briefly trading out of North Notts and Derbyshire for a while under different ownership, and the service staff created an independent service and repair workshop in North Notts for a while (they had access to Benimar parts, and I used them for some repairs). The method of securing your awning, however, seems substandard, to say the least. Robin I bought the Benimar in 2010 from the original owners so know nothing of the Nottingham RDH other than what is written on this forum. I did buy some bits in 2012 from the RDH operation in Calow, Chesterfield, who were very helpful (Chris Parnill?) I think they were still the Benimar agents then? Maybe they subcontracted out the awning fitting? ...... whatever - it was a total bodge which has lain undetected for 15 years! I only discovered it because the rubber sealing strip from awning to roof was letting water through - except it wasn't - there was a big gap between the mounting plate and wall (and hence the sealing rubber) where the 4 self tappers had come adrift. The Benimar is very well built and we are very happy with it still after 10 years. Quirky in places, rather like it's current owner! Jeremy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted September 9, 2020 Author Share Posted September 9, 2020 An update The awning mountings are now re-engineered and the awning is re-installed following the sloping roofline. I used a 12mm plastic chopping board from ebay (under £10) cut to size & drilled as a packing piece with M5 stainless hex head countersunk bolts. I used 6 bolts per mounting (original fitting had 2 per mounting!) and made new larger "spreader" plates from aluminium plate on the inside walls to distribute the load. Clear Sika (Everbuild) Stixall was used to seal and bond the plastic plate and seal the old mounting holes. The original domed square head bolts were discarded and the holes in the mounting plate were countersunk to accept the countersunk bolts - thus giving a "flush" mounting plate. The awning slots onto the plate, then slides down the mounting to sit in a u shaped "cradle". The domed bolts interfered with the awning sliding. The awning is secured in the cradle with 2 self tapping stainless screws per plate. The flush plate makes fitting much simpler - The whole awning weighs about 20-30Kg and is about 2.5 metres above ground level - not easy to manoeuvre onto the mounts while on a ladder with the awning above head height but the re-designed flush fitting mounts made this relatively simple. This was one of those excercises which should not have been necessary had the awning been fitted correctly in the first place, but I am very satisfied with the result. Beware the Cowboys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 Proper job! Well done that man. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 Excellent job :D ......... Reminds me of the fun and games I had making perspex windows for Horaces overcab 8-) ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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