Closet Clothes Rod Failure due to Overloading

jbeletti

Well-known member
We recently experienced a failure of the closet clothes rod in our Landmark. I believe we overloaded it. We had it completely full and it included coats, jeans, robes and lighter clothing items (shirts, sweathshirts, sweaters, etc.).

I will attach pictures later showing the failure point but I'll describe it and the fix now.

After a lot of vertical bouncing on our trek to South Carolina, the weight we put on the clothes rod pulled the underside of the overhead storage compartment down.

More specifically, at the mid-point of the rod, there is a bracket. This bracket is secured to the underside of the overhead storage compartment with 2 screws. The screws go through the paneling and into a pine framing member that goes from the front edge of the cabinet to the back (under the paneling).

The screws held but the huge staple that fastened the framing member to the front edge of the compartment failed. It pulled out. This caused the rod to bend/sag at the middle. It also pulled a couple feet of the underside paneling down.

To fix this, I removed the clothes, the rod, the 2 rod end brackets, the middle support bracket, the loose staples from the paneling and the large failed staples from the center framing member.

I pushed the framing member and paneling back into place. Wile holding it all together, using a counter-sink bit, I drilled 2 holes about an inch apart into the face frame of the compartment and into the framing member. As soon as I can get to a hardware store, I plan to use two 2" x #8 deck screws (or similar) to resecure the face frame to the framing member (in place of the large staples).

Using 3/4" brads, I re-fastened the paneling (crown staples would have been better). From Lowes, I purchase a very heavy duty 6 foot long clothes rod and end brackets. I hack-sawed the rod to length, used heavier/longer screws than what came with the brackets and installed the new rod.

The mid-bracket that held the old rod up is too small to use with the new rod. I am also not too hip on reattaching the rod to the upper storage compartment. My plan is to measure the flex of the rod after we reload it (lighter loading though). I may elect to install some sort of helper - vertical support rod from the floor up to the rod.

Pic to come later this week.

Jim
 

Attachments

  • DSC00768.JPG
    DSC00768.JPG
    69.4 KB · Views: 228
  • DSC00769.JPG
    DSC00769.JPG
    53.3 KB · Views: 197
Last edited:

BigBlue

BigBlue
Jim
I had the same thing happen to me. I also removed the brackets, paneling and staple. I wasn't to impressed with the design as even with your solution the weight is pulling accross the screws at a right angle.

I installed a piece of 1" x 2" on the top of the shelf from front to back. I ran screws up from the bottom member into the new member. This spreads the weight of the rod somewhat. So far so good.
I have also thought about some sort of vertical support but haven't seen anything that work well yet.
Jim
 

Phil Smith

Retired South Carolina Chapter Leader
The Bighorns are not immune to this problem either. I know mine as well as at least one other that have had the same problem. On my Bighorn however, the center support was only screwed into the paneling. I guess you guys with the Landmarks got the "heavy duty" designNone I made the dealer install additional supports in the shelf and have not had any further problems. My belief is that if I have the dealer make the repairs, it will be fed back to Heartland and perhaps the design issues will be corrected. I have mine scheduled to go back again for issues including no 12v power to the slide light fixtures, the rocker recliners having the arms fall off and occaisionally the AC blows its circuit breaker. (Three times in a week during our trip to the Outer Banks of NC) Be on the look out for your table coming unattached from the floor too. It is basically fastened to the floor with long screws however they barely perforate the flooring. I reattached mine for the 2nd time. You may also want to check the ceiling light fixtures as they are only screwed intro the 1/8" ceiling material. The light fixure over the table has pulled out of the ceiling and I have had to make new holes.


Basically they make a good camper but some of the engineering leave a bit to be desired. Maybe they need some good old Perdue engineers!
Phil
 

elwaller39

Evans & Lana
We Too had our clothes rod pull out from the center holding bracket in the closet. We put a 11/4 inch wooden dolley to the floor and fasent the dolley to the bracket.This works great, so we can put all the clothes back on the rod again with no problem. I did, however tell my wife that maybe she was taking too much clothes along, but that didnot go very far. Evans & Lana
 

Dusty

Well-known member
Well, guys,

I think the shelf just sucks, I sure as heck aint gonna mention to my darlin bride that she might be over packing, that dog will bite you. I have had 3 other trailers, 2 TTs and another 5ver and none of them had this problem. Being as most of them I had the same bride, I dont think its her fault that this shelf isnt strong enough. mine pulled loose at one end, I will take pics of my fixes and try to remember how to post the darn things.

Dusty
 

mike

Mike
I agree the shelf is a bad design on our Big Horn 3655RD I know it might have been a bit heavy with clothes but ours pulled out just setting still the unit has not moved to shack lose..


Mike
 
closet clothes rod

The closet rod problem makes no sense. That the rod will see hard duty should be a given for the engineers. My closet started pulling apart on the first trip. Looking at the construction I could only shake my head that Heartland would pawn this type of cheap and cheesy work off on what is supposedly an upper level coach. So far my Mt Rushmore has a stereo system that doesn't function, and peeling fascia. I can only guess what suprizes are waiting for me on the second twenty five mile trip.
 

morganm12

George
After about 500 miles on my new 05 Grand Canyon the clothes rod in the main closet pulled down from the weight of the clothes. I hope Heartland has addressed this problem. If they would have moved the hook brace out 1/4" and used a little longer screw this would not be as likely to have happened. I'm still considering just exactly how I am going to fix mine. It looks just like in Jim's pictures. My wife isn't keen on the way I am considering doing the repair. Drilling a small hole through the face board into the 1X2 support that extends to the rear of the closet. The hole is to prevent splitting when I put in a 3" screw. I also plan to replace all of the staples that came out with screws. Ones with the large heads for additional strength. My wife wants to add the rod from the hook to the floor also. I haven't ruled out taking it back to the dealer.

It sure seems like its one thing after the other.
 
Last edited:

slaytop

Well-known member
If this is a likely problem, a simple fix at home is easier than waiting for it to fail while travelling. I don't mind a supporting post if it is stained and matches the woodwork.

I used a poplar 1 1/2" dowel cut to reach from the bottom of the shelf at the bracket to the carpeted floor. I took off the bracket and drilled a hole in the dimple and then flattened that area with a hammer. Then, I cut a slot (saw kerf) in the end of the dowel for the bracket to slip into and drilled a hole through the dowel to match the hole in the bracket for a fastener. For the bottom end I used a hole saw to open a 1 1/2" hole in a small two-piece block. The top of the dowel is fastened to the bracket under the shelf and the bottom is held in place on the floor in the block (which is fastened to the floor with wood screws). All the pieces are stained with maple and clear coated.

This fix transfers the support of the clothes rod to the floor and should prevent shelf damage.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Well, as of February 2006 production the closet rod problem has not been resolved and to make sure that it will fail, the rod itself is too short so that it won't stay secured into both end brackets. Putting two #6 screws into 5mm plywood to secure the center bracket doesn't do much to help support the rod. I went to Lowes and bought a new (heavier) rod, two new end brackets and two center support brackets and secured them completely through the shelves with #10, 1 1/2 inch bolts and nuts. So far, it has held just fine.
 

jaawalke

Member
closet rod failure

Sounds like a common problem. My first trip out I had the shelf come apart. I had the problem that they screwed into the panelling only and miss the pine. I made the repair and screwed into the pine with some bigger screws.It is holding but I want tomake it better at some time
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Hope this gets remedied soon as mine should be on the line shortly!
Along with the a/c flow and a couple of other irritating things that have been posted.
 

Wild Wind

Active Member
Clothes rod

The clothes rod lasted about 2 hours on our first trip and jamed the closet doors so that we had to stay in a motel for two nights on our trip to Floridia. This was only the being of 3 months of problems and head aches.
It is a good thing that I am a carpenter/cabinet maker and had my tools with us on the trip.
It is interesting to listen to all the fixes. I always carry a case with various screws (especially drywall screws), fender washers, etc. I also carry a good caulk gun, polyureathane construction adhesve, silicone caulk, good ureathane caulk, and good duck tape. I never leave home without mu battery drill with good asortment of bits and drill bits. On longer trips I take my sawsall, good bars clamps, and some small blocks of wood.
The factory would have used wider cross suppoorts, face screwed and glued everything (including the side brackets for the poles) and less staples, the shelve should have held a couple hounred pounds of weight for ever. But it appears Heartland doesnot know how to glue & screw.
 
J

jjjelm

Guest
Wow reading all these threads is making us nervous about the 2006 Big Horn 3055RL we ordered on April13.......we have a 1991 Toyota Dolphin 22' motorhome and nothing ever falls apart? It is just small! Wonderful Wyoming
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Wild Wind said:
The clothes rod lasted about 2 hours on our first trip and jamed the closet doors so that we had to stay in a motel for two nights on our trip to Floridia. This was only the being of 3 months of problems and head aches.
It is a good thing that I am a carpenter/cabinet maker and had my tools with us on the trip.
It is interesting to listen to all the fixes. I always carry a case with various screws (especially drywall screws), fender washers, etc. I also carry a good caulk gun, polyureathane construction adhesve, silicone caulk, good ureathane caulk, and good duck tape. I never leave home without mu battery drill with good asortment of bits and drill bits. On longer trips I take my sawsall, good bars clamps, and some small blocks of wood.
The factory would have used wider cross suppoorts, face screwed and glued everything (including the side brackets for the poles) and less staples, the shelve should have held a couple hounred pounds of weight for ever. But it appears Heartland doesnot know how to glue & screw.

Trying to figure out why you had to stay in a motel for 2 nights because of a closet rod :confused:
 

svd

Well-known member
There really isn't any reason these rods/shelves should be failing, but I try to keep it in perspective (of course I am also invested as an owner). I have friends with other brands that don't seem to have the benefit of owner forums, that are perused by the manufacturer. The friends still have problems that are inexcusable, but don't have the benefit of all the shared knowledge we all get here.

I have fixed a number of little things, some even before they fail, like hinges on the wire supports under the slides. This is our 4th trailer, and it seems to be the nature of the beast, always something that needs some repair or adjustment. We are pulling a house down the road at highway speeds! So far, I am not unhappy with our purchase.
 

SmokeyBare

Well-known member
Closet Rod Failed

Just minutes after we left the dealer the rod came crashing down!!

I agree, my first thought was the load was too heavy. When I looked a little closer I realized the rod was only held in place by two brackets and one end cup attached to the paneling. Four Screws held the two brackets in Place. Three of the four Screws used to secure the brackets were one inch long and the other was two inches long. I feel it would have failed eventually, even with half the load.

I bought a White steel Closet bar from a home building center. Because I wanted it to go from wall to wall, I had to buy one that telescoped...(the single rod was an inch or so short) this one has two rods, with one sliding inside the other. It had two plastic end pieces that slid into the rods ends and fastened to the wall. I also bought two 3/8 inch by 6 inches long Eye Bolts, Large Fender washers, and nylon locking nuts.

I drilled two 7/16 inch holes through the Shelf above. I then expanded the Opening of the two Eye Bolts so they were large enough to accept the new Closet rod to slide through the center of the Eye. Placing the Eye Bolts on the new Rod I then pushed both Eye Bolt shafts through the holed in the shelf with nuts and Fender washer below the shelf... using another fender washer above the shelf and the Nylon Locking Nut... I tightened the upper nuts until the bolt was level with the top of the nut. I then tightened the nut below the shelf.

I've attach photos below... Hope they show.

SmokeyBare.... Marv
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1149.JPG
    IMG_1149.JPG
    416.4 KB · Views: 70
  • IMG_1150.JPG
    IMG_1150.JPG
    557.4 KB · Views: 73
  • IMG_1151.JPG
    IMG_1151.JPG
    410.7 KB · Views: 71

jbeletti

Well-known member
Looks good Marv and great thinking by coming up with a solid, yet simple bracket design. Hopefully there's enough support within the shelf to support the weight on your bracket.

Your closet design is different than mine. After seeing what was inside my shelf for wood structure/support, I decided to not reattach a bracket to mine. My new pole (very heavy duty single piece) is pretty solidly attached at both ends. Loaded up, I still get slight defelection at the center of the pole but it held all season long.

Larry (slaytop) did a nice center support on his that comes up from the floor.

I think there are nearly as many varied closet rod fixes by users as there are closet rod failures. And it's nice to see many of them documented here as it gives others the confidence to make their own repair should they choose to do so.

Thanks for the contribution Marv.

Jim
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
We had the same issue with our 3400 built in June 06. I resolved it using the same brackets and doing what jpmorgan did with the stove bolts and fender washers. In addition I predrilled into new locations on the original bracing so I wouldnt split the soft pine. We've been over some pretty rough roads after Branson and it has held up well.
 

Dusty

Well-known member
I did sort of the same thing, but finally the shelf on the street side pulled loose and sagged. I wound up building a 1 X 2 frame work under that end to support the shelf. works ok, I also built a support rod from the floor to the rod and put it in the center to relieve the strain in the center of the rod, without adding more strain to the shelf. My DW has a tendency to way over pack.
Dusty
 
Top