Sliding hatch on H23.5: driling new holes

[Rick Macdonald]

I've been searching through the forum and found mentions of this issue, but not enough to give me the confidence to proceed.

I removed, cleaned and re-bedded the wood strip on the forward top end of the sliding hatch on my 1995 H23.5. When I did that, I didn't have the time to deal with the fact that all 4 screws up through the hatch are stripped and just keep turning in the wood. The repair was successful in that I didn't get a drop of water inside when it rained the next night. I have a new sunbrella cover being shipped form this site. The original was 12 years old, deteriorated, shrunk, and got shredded in two hailstorms recently.

I don't know if the hatch is lexan or acrylic/plexiglass, cast or extruded. At one of the screws, a V-shaped piece broke off the edge, leaving the threads of the screw showing. Another screw location has a lengthy crack running through it. Does this indicate it's not lexan? I'm sure this damage is from pulling too hard when sliding the hatch closed. The CLUNK you hear is that strip of wood hitting the fiberglass lip of the upper fiberglass hinged portion of the hatch.

The easiest thing to do would be to drill new holes for additional screws between the existing locations, but I'm afraid to do so without advice about how to drill. What kind of bit, speed, technique, etc, or if it's even a problem. I'm worried about chipping and cracking.

The drilling will have to be done from inside. I'm not removing the wood strip and silicon again!

An alternative (or in addition) would be to put something up into the screw holes, into the wood. Epoxy, or sawdust mixed with wood glue, or something? Then re-drill the wood, or just insert the screws.

I know now to be GENTLE when pulling the hatch closed, and I'm pretty sure it won't ever fail, but I might as well add a few more screws if it can be done without further cracking the plastic piece.

 

[Rick Webb]

Simpler Solution

Stick some toothpicks, matchstick my personal favorite split pieces of chopsticks in the hole and forget about it for several more years.

 

[BrianW]

I like Rick's solution! BrianW

 

[Rick Macdonald]

Rick, yes, that will do it. Thanks!

 

[Rick Macdonald]

It took 2 of those round serving toothpicks in each hole to make them snug up nicely.

Thanks again!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Generally, the slider hatch is lexan. In a sense, think of drilling into plastic. If ever drilling, I generally put a piece of tape over where I was going to drill and make sure the drill bit is sharp... Go slow and do not push hard up when drilling or you will cause the other side to fragmentate off. Never use acetone.

Good advice from Rick on the toothpicks. Hello Brain, hope all is well.

as for that clunk, you probably can also see the lexan with scrape marks on it. Two ways to take care of that and without being there, you will have to figure which if not both will work. If the slider hatch fiberglass lip against the lexan is not straight, then maybe sanding smooth or straight but that entails taking off the hatch from the cover itself. Screws are on the side of the fiberglass cover but I would suggest two people for that. However, if you can rasie that hatch up with the use of rubber bumper pads when it comes down to give you vertical separation, that may be all you have to do. Keep me posted on what you find.