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Old 06-27-2016, 05:06 PM   #1
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27N Engine Hood Latches falling off!

There are two metal brackets inside the engine compartment that are used to latch and secure the engine hood on my 2015 27N. These brackets are glued to the front cap. I had recently read that these brackets can come off, so i checked mine. I noticed that the passenger side bracket appeared loose so I wired a "safety line" to it just in case. Half way home to Alaska, I heard a strange noise coming from the front of the rig. I discovered that the passenger side bracket was swinging back and forth attached only by my "safety line". In addition, the driver's side bracket is loose.

These brackets are about a foot long u-channel painted/coated steel. The u-channel bracket has several "slots" in the side that was glued. When Winnebago installed these brackets, they used a fair amount of glue, but little of it worked it's way thru the slots, so the brackets are simply held by the glue against the flat side of the bracket. I'm guessing that the glue just can't stick to the painted/coated steel, it's too smooth!

I finished my trip in the typical Alaskan manner, I used duct tape to secure the hood until I arrived home. Nothing like having spent big bucks on a new motorhome, then using duct tape to keep things attached. It is certainly disappointing that after only 24,000 miles, the glue failed on this part. Makes you worry about all the other things that could fall off!

The fix doesn't appear to be hard, clean, sand/rough up the metal bracket, fiberglass cap, and glue. After reading some of the discussions on this forum, I decided to use 3M's 5200 adhesive. As a boater, I have had good luck with this product. Time will tell if my choice was better than Winnebago's!

So, if you own a 27N you might want to check your own latches. Gluing the bracket is not hard, but replacing a lost one could be. Both of mine now have "safety lines" to prevent complete loss of the brackets.

Terry, currently in Alaska
2015 27N Vista
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Old 06-27-2016, 10:39 PM   #2
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Thanks for the heads up!
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Old 06-28-2016, 08:15 AM   #3
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It's a well known problem that has existed for years. Winnebago has failed to address the problem.
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Old 06-30-2016, 06:15 AM   #4
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Ditto. The driver's side of ours is detached right now. We're going to GNR & have it on our service list to be repaired. Ours is a 2004, so this issue has been around for a while now.
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Old 07-01-2016, 06:26 PM   #5
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Funny I was just thinking of how I would word a post asking if it was possible that the loose hinge on my 2004 was just glued to the body/frame. I couldn't believe it but I could not feel any place for a missing bolt.... Now I know why
Thanks
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Old 07-02-2016, 06:42 AM   #6
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Welcome to the group of hundreds (probably thousands) of Winnebago/Itasca owners who have brackets falling off. There are many suggestions for reattaching these brackets. JB Weld has worked for me so far.
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Old 07-02-2016, 01:16 PM   #7
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Had the same problem. I think I solved it by lowering the hood gently, and then snapping it closed, not slamming it. Probably a temporary fix but seemed to work.
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Old 07-03-2016, 04:32 AM   #8
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My hinges fell off my Sunova 27C years ago and I just through bolted them back on with small stainless steel dome headed bolts from Ace Hardware. Sure you can see the bolt heads but they don't look out of place.

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Old 07-03-2016, 05:42 AM   #9
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G/FLEX EPOXY from Aircraft Spruce

I used this on the landing gear of the airplane I built. Clean the area and rough it up. You can even add a material called Flox which is basically powdered fiberglass matt to thicken it up like peanut butter if you have anything else you need to fix that needs a filled in area.
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Old 07-05-2016, 07:00 PM   #10
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Ditto to bolting them on. I also thru bolted mine with SS bolts. Beats the h@#$ out of glue.
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Old 07-05-2016, 07:18 PM   #11
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I riveted my hood brackets to the area they had been glued to. The rivet heads fit down in the indentation that the hood fits in so they are hidden from view when the hood is closed. I also coated the edges of the brackets with a commercial grade two part epoxy for added security. The hood is now mounted very securely.
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Old 07-05-2016, 10:49 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChasA View Post
It's a well known problem that has existed for years. Winnebago has failed to address the problem.

Actually they did, by NOT doing anything unless you find it under warranty and have them fix it.


OK bad joke, I had the same issue on mine, I got lucky to find it at the place I park the MH the next time I went to park it. That was only because I don't like running over stuff if I can prevent it.
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Old 07-07-2016, 05:44 AM   #13
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The hood is not the only thing glued on my 2000 Adventurer. I also had to repair the grill/headlight assembly. The brackets for it are also glued to the fiberglass. Also note the headlight assembly's are also glued on. PS: My wheel well fenders were attached with pressure sensitive tape before I screwed them on with drill screws.
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Old 07-07-2016, 10:01 AM   #14
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2015 Winnebago Brave Hood Latches

Just returned from a trip to Columbus, OH and while on the road the hood came loose from hinge/mounting brackets. Traveling at 65 mph in a cross wind and having a semi tractor/trailer passing caused a vacuum inside the engine compartment. The glue holding the brackets let loose and the hood slammed into the grill. I was able to secure the hood temporarily until returning home. Took MH to dealer service department and was advised that they have seen this previously and that Winnebago does not use a strong enough glue. I questioned why the hinges are not screwed in place and was advised due to fiberglass screws would likely pull through causing greater damage.

Reading other comments with similar issues, Winnebago needs to pay attention to their customers
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Old 08-24-2016, 05:54 PM   #15
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As a follow up to my June post, the driver's side hood bracket has fallen off. Thanks to my "safety line" I didn't lose the bracket, just found it swinging back and forth in the engine compartment. I fixed it in the same manor as I did the passenger side bracket. The 3M 5200 adhesive seems to be a good product for this use. Both brackets are now attached rock solid! Time will tell.

I have attached a couple of pictures to illustrate the problem. The first is a picture of the inside of the front cap showing the glue Winnebago used. As you can see the glue has molded around the metal bracket leaving a clear outline of the bracket.

The second picture shows just the metal bracket. You can see the original glue did oozed through a couple of the slots in the metal, but only a couple. The glue Winnebago used is very hard and I believe somewhat brittle. With the bracket only attached in a couple of spots, the engine/road vibrations finally snapped the hard glue. Hopefully, the 3M 5200 will be able to handle these conditions better.

Terry
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Currently in Alaska
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Old 08-31-2016, 05:53 PM   #16
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[QUOTE=twjacks;3224143]As a follow up to my June post, the driver's side hood bracket has fallen off. Thanks to my "safety line" I didn't lose the bracket, just found it swinging back and forth in the engine compartment. I fixed it in the same manor as I did the passenger side bracket. The 3M 5200 adhesive seems to be a good product for this use. Both brackets are now attached rock solid! Time will tell.

Just finished using the 3M 5200 on my passenger side headlight bracket. Seemed really solid when I bolted it back together. Like you said, only time will tell but it really gets good reviews. Only problem is the cure time of 7 days
Rich
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Old 09-04-2016, 04:40 PM   #17
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Gluing Hood Latches

3M 5200 comes in two styles, the 7 day slow cure, and a 24 hour fast cure tube. I have been using the 24 hour one and it seems to work great.
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Old 09-04-2016, 10:00 PM   #18
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Yea I saw that but decided longer is better LOL. Sure was a long wait to finish the project tho.
Rich
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