Something to check on your ceiling fan

Big-B

Well-known member
Hi Campers,

My wife and I were traveling from Michigan to Arizona for the winter several months ago. When we stopped for the night in Texas I noticed that a blade was broken on our ceiling fan. Did a little looking and couldn't find one locally so I just took what was left of the broken one off and the opposing fan blade too. That way it was a two bladed fan that could still be run if we wanted to run it, although we rarely use it.

I was trying to figure out how it broke. The slides clear it by a few inches so it didn't appear to be that. We did travel over some pretty crappy roads on the toll road in Oklahoma and paid $32 for the privilege of doing that and I thought maybe it was just he bumpy roads.

We made it to Arizona and spent a couple of months there. When we went to leave and I was closing the slides I heard a noise that sounded like something breaking but didn't see anything broken. Later that evening we stopped and when I opened the slides there was another piece of a fan blade laying on the floor.

When I went to take the blade off it was loose. It appears that the screws came loose and that let the blade droop enough that when I went to close the slides the slide caught the blade and broke it.

You don't need to climb on anything to check them for tightness. Just take something and push lightly upward on the blades. You will feel it if they are loose.

Now the search for new blades continues. My wife ordered some blades from Amazon but they were too dark so we sent them back.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
We've actually had screws bounce out of the blades! Now it's on my checklist -- look for missing and loose screws before we run the fan after travel.


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GK2018

Well-known member
You might be able to put some loc-tite on the screws that should keep them from backing out, they make different colors for the different strengths. I usually use blue loc-tite for everything.

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Jim Posz

Well-known member
Once we arrived at our destination to find the globe in pieces on the floor- except for the base of the globe which was still in place. All we could figure is that the pull chains swing about and broke it. We have found the pull chains wrapped around the base of the blades before. I have never had the blades themselves work loose, but have had the screws holding the globe start to work loose. Must be pretty active back there.
 

Big-B

Well-known member
Once we arrived at our destination to find the globe in pieces on the floor- except for the base of the globe which was still in place. All we could figure is that the pull chains swing about and broke it. We have found the pull chains wrapped around the base of the blades before. I have never had the blades themselves work loose, but have had the screws holding the globe start to work loose. Must be pretty active back there.

We returned home from a trip to find the globe on the floor in one piece but the bulb was broken. Pretty sure that the screws came loose that hold the globe on. I didn't put the globe back on right away because I wanted to put a new bulb in first. Left the globe laying on the sofa and forgot about it. Went to move the fifth wheel and the globe fell on the floor and broke. Fortunately new ones are readily available.
 

aatauses

Well-known member
The suggestion of blue loc tight is a rally good one. We also have on on "check list" to check fan blades and we move them before putting in slides. We move them so that there is no "blade" directly in line with the slide.
al
currently in AZ

- - - Updated - - -

You can also order replacement blades directly form Heartland (which we did and they matched the originals)
al
currently in AZ
 
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GK2018

Well-known member
Ours doesnt have a ceiling fan, I sure wish it did but theres been a few things I've used loc-tite on in there. It's one one of those miracle workers like duct tape and super glue lol

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