Broken Ladder

[Blue~Go]

A few thoughts:

1) Thanks so much for posting this detail! Will be very useful for fellow Chinookers.

2) I see what the welder is saying. On boats there is frequently tubing used for biminis, dodgers, and other "framework." Aluminum is used either for a cost saving, or if weight is really important and duty will be light. Otherwise stainless tubing and fittings are used.

3) I would consider doing a bit of work to the mount holes in the Chinook body, since you have the ladder off.

a) There are very likely plywood "inserts" where the attachment points are (I have roof drawings, but not rear wall drawings). If water gets in past the fittings (more likely in fittings that are strained) then you can get rot and etc. in the wood which is bad. If this were a boat what I would do is enlarge the hole in the plywood (but not the hole in the fiberglass, or at least as little as possible), then put in some neat epoxy, then some thickened epoxy (colloidal silica or other structural filler). Then you drill into that new "protective collar" for the fasteners. At that point you have the option to tap for machine screws (better) or go back in with pointy screws.

b) If you put a slight chamfer on the hole in the gelcoat before putting the fastener in, you will minimize or eliminate the tendency for those radiating spider cracks in the gelcoat. Yeah, since Chinook didn't do it the horse is kind of out of the barn, but I still would. That chamfer also gives the sealant a nice "o-ring" sort of effect in that spot.

c) Even better would be backing blocks inside the rig, but you probably aren't going to do that (not sure I would either).

[1998chinook]

I am going to Dremel and grind the JB Weld from the old patch work, to see what is under it and apply a Fiberglass repair if needed.

On the bottom mount points, I am going to Dremel the stress cracks in the gelcoat to see if there is any fiberglass damage and repair if needed.

One thing I noticed when removing the ladder was the mount point on top with the poor JB Weld job used rivets instead of screws.

[Blue~Go]

One thing I noticed when removing the ladder was the mount point on top with the poor JB Weld job used rivets instead of screws.

I'd guess then that that was a repair - I say that because I am almost positive mine has screws on top.

[1998chinook]

Update:

Got the ladder back yesterday from a guy I found on CraigsList who does aluminum welding.



I ordered a step from factoryrvsurplus.com (http://www.factoryrvsurplus.com/product ... ct_id=2013)



Besides having him weld the original ladder, I had him add an additional step towards the top for added support.


Sanded the old JB Weld off.
Ground out the old holes.
Added 3M Glass Bondo to the holes.
Added three new layers of Fiberglass.

[Blue~Go]

Looking great! Thanks for the update and pics.