U Haul & Alaskan Gold Pospecting Adventure

[Chick Rives]

I just bought an '85 U Haul 13.

I plan to take it to Alaska a later this summer. I am going to the Chicken Gold Camp to spend a couple of weeks prospecting for gold. It's Almost 4000 miles with about 2000 of very rough paved road and 300-400 of dirt road. There are a lot repairs that need to be made before I leave. I need help on most of them, but this is the first one I have decided to tackle.

What is the name of the exterior box on the driver's side that contains the 110v cord and the water fill ports? I need to replace mine, it is all cracked up and leaking water. I have goggled 'utility box' and all I get is a tool box mounted to the tongue or else where. So what's it called?

The exterior wall that the box is mounted on is extremely flexible. I can easily push it in three to four inches, and it will quickly spring back. I believe that this flexibility caused the box to crack. How do I stiffen it as it is not easily accessibly. I am pretty sure that I need to remove the fridge and stove to get to the wall, then what?

[Matt in SV]

Check the Document Center here for the U-haul Parts Manual

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/manuals.html?pageid=596

Keywords like "Shore Power and City Water Inlet" would help on a Google search. I am not sure if it's the panel or the connectors that are broken, bit if you can find the parts in the linked manual, we can get you pointed in the right direction. I have a VT myself, and the water and power are separate inlets on mine.

There's a lot of good info at uhaulcamper.com, bit much of it is in the historical pats section that requires a nominal ~$20 forum donation to access. Somewhere there was a yahoo U-Haul forum group, and the content may still exist, but I don't know anyone with a password.

Regards,

Matt

[Matt in SV]

The exterior wall that the box is mounted on is extremely flexible. I can easily push it in three to four inches, and it will quickly spring back. I believe that this flexibility caused the box to crack. How do I stiffen it as it is not easily accessibly. I am pretty sure that I need to remove the fridge and stove to get to the wall, then what?

I have a similar spot on the wall opposite the door. Most areas are pretty solid but there some areas of unsupported panel. I can think of a couple options, but if the area has a void between two fiberglass panels, some kind of durable polyurethane foam might be a good choice to fill the gap. You want to avoid the stuff that expands aggressively, because it can damage the walls with pressure.

If it's the hatch itself that's flexing you can frame the inside opening to stiffen it, with some marine plywood or a frame of 1x lumber.

Once I have rewired mine I am actually looking for someone to blow foam the whole thing. It should insulate and increase the structural integrity. The only downside I can see is that fishing wires and tubing becomes very difficult, so I would not want to go within 12 inches of the floor with it. Manufacturers that use expanding foam will install some kind of conduit as a cable raceway.

The other options would be spacer blocks glued in place, or you could 'glass in some kind of buttressing to span the unsupported area.

Just my thoughts, not yet put into practice!

Matt