tightening bolts on camper shell

[Beap52 2,340]

The back of the my camper shell was ever so lightly loose so I decided to tighten the bolts a bit. 

 

I decided to check the other five bolts and below is what one of them looked like.   One failing isn't much of an issue but if the majority of the others had rusted, this could have lead  to a disaster

 

Easy to miss some important maintenance. 

[ri702bill 12,399]

Looks familar - we have Bridge supports that look like that here in RI !! 

[JCM 11,252]

I have had many caps on many trucks since 1978. On the aluminum one's I used 4 clamps on the short beds and 6 on the long beds. On my commercial caps always bolted down.Always good to check them. Good find    

[ebinmaine 79,518]

21 minutes ago, JCM said:

Good find

 

 

 

 

 

[ri702bill 12,399]

We had a Dodge Dakota at work for pickups & deliveries that had a cap... one day it came back minus the cap - it flew off on Rt 95!

[953 nut 67,240]

11 hours ago, JCM said:

On the aluminum one's I used 4 clamps on the short beds and 6 on the long beds

Aluminum is very susceptible to galvanic corrosion when in contact with a dissimilar metal. Stainless steel fasteners should have been used.

[ebinmaine 79,518]

21 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

Aluminum is very susceptible to galvanic corrosion when in contact with a dissimilar metal. Stainless steel fasteners should have been used.

 

On the few I've seen the clamps are also aluminum.  

[JCM 11,252]

4 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

On the few I've seen the clamps are also aluminum.  

Yes they are.

[adsm08 4,749]

12 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Aluminum is very susceptible to galvanic corrosion when in contact with a dissimilar metal. Stainless steel fasteners should have been used.

 

Every cap clamp I have ever used, going back to 1988, was an aluminum body with a stainless bolt.

Edited 2 hours ago by adsm08