Thule Omnistor leg tightening knob - how to fix?

[GeeCee]

I just wound out my Omnistor awning this afternoon and the knob for the leg height adjustment on the l.h. leg fell on the floor. I tried screwing it back in to the bracket that sits inside the leg again but it just turned and turned as though the bracket had no thread left. Looking at the right hand leg I could see that this contained 3 parts: the knob itself, an outer circular washer, and a rectangular washer the sits inside leg just proud of the bracket - See picture. . At this point I was able to tighten and loosen the knob into and out of the bracket. I thought I'd try undoing the right hand leg knob completely to see if that would work with the left hand leg. It didn't and what's more when I tried screwing back into the r.h. leg it too just turned and turned. Any ideas on how to fix please? First picture shows the three parts. Second picture shows l.h. leg which is missing the outer, circular washer, and the 3rd picture shows the right hand leg including the outer circular washer.

 

[donkey]

My guess is that there is a threaded plate inside the leg and by removing the bolt it has allowed the nut to drop away. Is there any way to look inside the tube? Possibly by removing whatever is pushed into the end.

Geoff

 

[pappajohn]

There's a good chance the nut is also rectangular and is probably at the bottom of the leg.
Also check in the awning front rail, it may have fallen out while the leg was stored.
Extremely poor design.

 

[GeeCee]

Sorted it, your ideas have helped, thanks. Having found this advert for spares - https://www.hillviewawnings.co.uk/product/knob-support-arm-oval-2pcs-4900/ - it was obvious that there was a hexagon nut involved in the mechanism. So I managed to remove the end of the leg and sure enough on the other side of the bracket inside the leg was a hexagon shaped recessed slot and inside it a hexagon nut. It seems when you're trying to screw the bolt in it pushes the hexagon nut away from you and it never catches the thread. So i deduced by holding the leg at right angles to the ground, such that the nut end was pointing towards the sky, thus being forced down by gravity, the bolt would catch the thread. All fixed now both the right hand and the left hand, for which I found a spare circular washer of the right size.