Swift plastic bed runner supports replacements.

[barryd]

So the inevitable happened on our Christmas trip and I broke one of the rear lounge bed runner supports. It happened a few times on our old Kontiki but it seems even on the newer models they are still prone to giving up the ghost. I used to keep a few lengths in the garage on the old van but I dont have any for this one. I have found some lengths from The Leisure warehouse but the length I want which is 168cm is an eye watering £125 and I reckon I should get a spare for the other side also. Anyone got any spare or know where I might find them a bit cheaper? It is what it is I guess but I wonder if they can be improved upon and maybe supported better.

I can get the 1 meter cuts a lot cheaper and I wondered about buying two or three of them and if having them in two sections would improve on the strain on the supports or make it worse. Any thoughts?

This is the runner

 

[Purrfecttune]

Two years from new, one side on ours broke two thirds of the way down so I shortened it and repositioned it.
Then the other side broke three years in, two thirds of the way down.

Obviously a very poor design fault.

I ‘bit the bullet’ and bought a long length, I used a full length one side and the remainder the other side adding to what was left of the original. At the join, I sandpapered the edges to make them meet the best I could then applied a small piece of Duck Tape over the join.
After attaching them, I got two lengths of wood and used a saw to chamfer the correct angle along each length and attached them tight underneath for support.

Consequently, if you support them (as above) you shouldn’t need spares?

I contacted Swift to express my disappointment with the original quality and was irritated to receive a reply that said that they would have replaced them under a four year warranty (Do’h!)
They also said that they do not fit that design any more.

 

[barryd]

Two years from new, one side on ours broke two thirds of the way down so I shortened it and repositioned it.
Then the other side broke three years in, two thirds of the way down.

Obviously a very poor design fault.

I ‘bit the bullet’ and bought a long length, I used a full length one side and the remainder the other side adding to what was left of the original. At the join, I sandpapered the edges to make them meet the best I could then applied a small piece of Duck Tape over the join.
After attaching them, I got two lengths of wood and used a saw to chamfer the correct angle along each length and attached them tight underneath for support.

Consequently, if you support them (as above) you shouldn’t need spares?

I contacted Swift to express my disappointment with the original quality and was irritated to receive a reply that said that they would have replaced them under a four year warranty (Do’h!)
They also said that they do not fit that design any more.

Thanks. This design looks even weaker than the original on my previous 1996 Kontiki. I like your idea of strengthening them though. Our van gets a lot of use. Up to six months of the year so what I dont want to find is mid trip one breaks and I dont have a backup. The good thing about this van is if necessary the rear lounge seats are long enough to sleep on as singles which I had to do at Christmas. Pretty grim though. Ok for an emergency or a couple of days.

 

[Purrfecttune]

What gave me the idea is that when it broke the second time we were halfway through our trip around Scotland (Isle of Mull, Outer Hebrides, NC 500, Orkney).

We were at Dunnet Head and I popped into the Spa shop to see if there was any way of propping it up, such as long, sticky out screws. The guy from the garage opposite was in there (all a family business) and went out the back and found two short lengths of wood that were perfect. Not only that, they still had screws in them! So I used both, one to prop up the broken side and one to support the other before it could break again.

So, tried and tested in an emergency, likely to be even better now it’s ’custom made’.

 

[SVMC15]

I bought the 1m lengths in the end. I made a squarish dowel for the joint. I ended up buying 3 of them ready for the other side failing and it was still cheaper than the 1.6m length

Before the runner section failed and it was just the inner edge the seat rests on broken, I was using a piece of wood which worked really well. I was thinking of coming up with a plan to replace the whole lot but I got sidetracked on other things.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[meanders]

One of ours broke on the old van. I used some beech strip I already had, routed out the L shape and waxed them. I then replaced the plastic completely. I glued and bolted them into place as the board they were fixed to did not seems particularly strong for holding screws. I must have taken a whole half kilogram of my payload, but were not going anywhere. When you think of the weight exerted on them by an adult on top, hollow plastic was never going to be up to job.

 

[The Coops]

I would try a length of Dexion shelving support and if it can be fitted then cover it, its supposed to take 200Kgs +

 

[lorger]

I have no knowledge of 3D printers so possibly talking nonsense, could you get it printed. PaulandChrissy might be able to answer this.

 

[headlight]

Two years from new, one side on ours broke two thirds of the way down so I shortened it and repositioned it.
Then the other side broke three years in, two thirds of the way down.

Obviously a very poor design fault.

I ‘bit the bullet’ and bought a long length, I used a full length one side and the remainder the other side adding to what was left of the original. At the join, I sandpapered the edges to make them meet the best I could then applied a small piece of Duck Tape over the join.
After attaching them, I got two lengths of wood and used a saw to chamfer the correct angle along each length and attached them tight underneath for support.

Consequently, if you support them (as above) you shouldn’t need spares?

I contacted Swift to express my disappointment with the original quality and was irritated to receive a reply that said that they would have replaced them under a four year warranty (Do’h!)
They also said that they do not fit that design any more.

Likewise on my Swift the runner on one side cracked.
I couldn't get the same shape runner anywhere.
So where it had cracked I put a small nut and bolt either side of the break, through the wood it was attached to to hold it in place, then screwd a length of batten tight underneath it.
Not noticeable unless you get on your hands and knees and much stronger now.
All I had done was sit on the bed, all 11 stone of me so not a great load I wouldn't have thought.

 

[Puddleduck]

I have no knowledge of 3D printers so possibly talking nonsense, could you get it printed. PaulandChrissy might be able to answer this.

It would depend on the material used (PLA not strong enough), size of the printer (Max print size of ours is 20cm cube) but would take hours to print.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[lorger]

It would depend on the material used (PLA not strong enough), size of the printer (Max print size of ours is 20cm cube) but would take hours to print.

Told you I know nothing about 3D printing

 

[PaulandChrissy]

The length you need is the problem. My biggest printer can only do 360mm cubed. I can print in carbon fibre nylon so that would be super strong, but the length is still the issue. Also as Puddledock mentioned before, large items like that can take days to print.

 

[Sleeveless]

I made my own from aluminum profiles , not because the plastic runner failed, but because Bailey thought it acceptable for the centre sliding section to be an inch lower than the sides, causing a dip in the bed. If you don't want to go that far , just reinforce the underside of the plastic runner with angle profile where it bears the weight.

 

[PaulandChrissy]

I made my own from aluminum profiles , not because the plastic runner failed, but because Bailey thought it acceptable for the centre sliding section to be an inch lower than the sides, causing a dip in the bed.View attachment 1001406

Now that’s a much stronger solution.

 

[Puddleduck]

large items like that can take days to print.

And always go wrong when you take your eye off it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[barryd]

I made my own from aluminum profiles , not because the plastic runner failed, but because Bailey thought it acceptable for the centre sliding section to be an inch lower than the sides, causing a dip in the bed. If you don't want to go that far , just reinforce the underside of the plastic runner with angle profile where it bears the weight. View attachment 1001406

That looks really good. I have a biker pal down in Birmingham who can design and build anything who has offered to help but he is 180 miles away. He would build something like that out of steel or aluminium I guess. My thoughts were to buy the proper runners and try and re-enforce them. My next door neighbour is pretty handy. Trouble is Im absolutely useless unless it has strings or a screen.

That might be the answer though. Some angle profile steel or aluminium under the proper runners. Not sure how strong the supporting wood is though of the seat.

Thanks for all the help so far everyone.

 

[Purrfecttune]

Providing you use enough (and long enough) screws in the support underneath, the side wall should be fine.

It will be primarily supporting the entire length from the top, so the underneath support will only be an addition that isn’t taking the full weight.

 

[barryd]

Providing you use enough (and long enough) screws in the support underneath, the side wall should be fine.

It will be primarily supporting the entire length from the top, so the underneath support will only be an addition that isn’t taking the full weight.

Thanks. A friend has suggested Sikaflex for the support baton. Maybe both screws and sikaflex? Out of my comfort zone. I am going to take it to my neighbour this morning and show him the problem. See what he comes up with.

 

[Purrfecttune]

Thanks. A friend has suggested Sikaflex for the support baton. Maybe both screws and sikaflex? Out of my comfort zone. I am going to take it to my neighbour this morning and show him the problem. See what he comes up with.

I never thought of that at the time. If I had, I would have sikafkexed it as well