Last year I noticed the shelf area on our Cougar fifth wheel’s passenger side storage bay was sagging a bit. On closer inspection, I discovered the particle bottom sunken on one end. The long staples that held it in place had come loose. I do carry a tool box in that location. I guessed that it’s weight along with rough roads led to the failure.
The first repair I tried was to replace the staples with long wood screws. The screws solved the problem for a while. However, when I return from this last snowbird season, the sag and gap were back. The screws had pulled out as well. Time to spend a little money and beef up the shelf.
Some may say why not only carry light weight items there or move the tools during travel. Well, I just love the location, being so handy and moving them every time is a pain. I decided to split the difference and strengthen the shelf but also pare down the tools I store there to the most used.
RV Storage Bay Shelf Mods
This time to repair the shelf I added five 6″ steel L-brackets. Three along the back wall and one on either end. Each L-bracket is bolted in place complete with lock washers. I also added lock tight to each nut.
Along the top of the shelf where it joins the main storage bay floor, I added about a dozen particle board screws and added a metal corner bead. Finally, I picked up some rubber matting and prettied things up covering the shelf with it. I betting the mods will be the end of my saggy storage bay tray problem. It looks pretty sweet and can easily support a 20 lb beagle too!
Video Detailing the Storage Bay Shelf Repair Mods
See more Love Your RV! Mods, Repairs, and Upgrades
