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07-02-2018, 02:30 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Name: Sylvio
Trailer: 1975 Boler
Quebec
Posts: 220
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Broken chain on roof vent - Boler 1975
Hey guys! Thanks for still talking to me after my absence of 2 years...
My roof vent's chain has broken. You know those little beady chains? To close the vent tight, we need to bring in the second bead inside the little stopper. Guess where it broke? Right between bead #1 and bead #2!
I got one of those little "bead unions" and finally manage to put it in. But now the roof vent doesn't close tight. I'm fairly sure that driving in the rain would bring water in.
Bead #1 is set in some contraption in the vent. I would have to cut the little aluminum protection or undo the rivets, but it seems to be soldered there.
I really don't know what to do.
Taking off in 24 hours.
Thank you beforehand for those of you who are about to work your magic!
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07-02-2018, 02:37 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Name: Alexander
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1300
New Hampshire
Posts: 1,140
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Just guessing here that the bead union is before where you clip the bead to shut the vent. After putting in the bead union does it look like you are 1/2 a bead off? If so you could put another bead union in and then you should line up. If you are 1/3 a bead off then put in 2 bead unions, etc.
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07-02-2018, 02:53 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Name: Sylvio
Trailer: 1975 Boler
Quebec
Posts: 220
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Alex, to close the vent tight, bead #1 needs to be outside and bead #2 needs to be inside. The union is making it impossible to put bead #1 and bead #2 on each side of the stopper. So the vent is now partially closed: beads #1 and #2 (united by the union) are outside and bead #3 is inside...
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07-02-2018, 02:58 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Name: Alexander
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1300
New Hampshire
Posts: 1,140
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Ah, I get it now. The PO on my Boler replaced the original chain vent. I don't see a way out of your predicament. If you can, post some pictures showing the attachment point of bead #1 and what the lid looks like when closed. The only other possibility I can think of would be to put some sort of seal on the lip of the vent lid to close the gap.
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07-02-2018, 03:31 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: Sylvio
Trailer: 1975 Boler
Quebec
Posts: 220
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Here are a few pics. One from the inside, two from the outside. I think I might have to cut a slot in that little metal "box" and, somehow, fasten a bead above the "box".
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07-02-2018, 05:08 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,941
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above that bracket, I see the chain goes through a small tapered spring, and then is anchored by a sort of cupped washer. I bet the cupped washer has a slot the top ball of the chain is secured through....
I think I would take a pair of long skinny needlenose pliers, compress that spring, and try and fish the washer and chain out from the top... then put a new chain on the washer and feed it back through...
this might be easier to do if you can remove the hinge pin and take the whole top off the trailer so you can work with it on a table while seated
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07-02-2018, 05:22 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: Sylvio
Trailer: 1975 Boler
Quebec
Posts: 220
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OK, John in Santa Cruz, I'm going to give it a shot right now! But FORGET about taking it off!
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07-02-2018, 08:38 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Name: Rob
Trailer: Bigfoot
Alberta
Posts: 13
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add a string and lace lock in place of chain
My Trillium 13' has the same vent, chain was broken however previous owner used a string in place of the chain from a hooded sweat shirt I add the plastic spring loaded lace lock found at outdoor stores or on your shoes or jacket draw string. Gently pull the string down to close the vent then push the lace lock toggle in slide it up tight to hold the vent and release.
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09-02-2018, 01:57 PM
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#9
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Junior Member
Name: Ed
Trailer: Boler
British Columbia
Posts: 14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
above that bracket, I see the chain goes through a small tapered spring, and then is anchored by a sort of cupped washer. I bet the cupped washer has a slot the top ball of the chain is secured through....
I think I would take a pair of long skinny needlenose pliers, compress that spring, and try and fish the washer and chain out from the top... then put a new chain on the washer and feed it back through...
this might be easier to do if you can remove the hinge pin and take the whole top off the trailer so you can work with it on a table while seated
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I had this break on me a couple times and this is exactly how I fixed it. The chain is attached to a bell shaped fitting on the end. this is the part that fits in the spring. I had to use the needle nose pliers to pry open the bell end to get the ball out. I had to deform the metal of the bell slightly to get it open far enough, so there will be a limit to how many times you can do this before the metal fatigues. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a replacement for the bell part, so I'm still using the original. The ball size on the chain is 3/8", I believe, which is the size that is used on window covering chains.
Once I get the old ball out of the bell end, I pop the new chain in and pinch it back together. Then I feed the chain back through the spring and into the trailer.
Try doing that in the middle of a downpour!
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