View Full Version : Repair for cracked roof top cargo box?
UnkaJesse
03-09-2009, 10:18
First off, I'm an idiot. I confess.
I drove my SUV into my garage with my Thule cargo box on the roof! :eek:......So, what did we learn? anyone, anyone? ...... leave something in the garage when I put the box on the roof....
So here's where I'm at. I don't have the coin to just replace it and you can't buy just the top of the box. The bottom is undamaged. There are cracks down both sides of the top about twelve inches long. One side has a hole about one square inch. My first thought was a fiberglass repair kit, but I see these things are made of ABS plastic. Is that going to cause some sort of caustic reaction and melt what's left of my poor old box or burn my house down?
Yakima's website suggested ABS piping cement from a plumbing supply store. I don't even know where to start.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. Laugh if you want, too. At some point during every day, you've got you head up your butt. You should consider yourself lucky if no one gets hurt.
kayak karl
03-09-2009, 10:25
look into kayak repair kits for poly kayaks. the ones with the tape and glue. there are places that will do it for you.
4eyedbuzzard
03-09-2009, 10:31
If its mostly just cracked you could try welding it(melt it back together) with a small soldering iron, but this is time comsuming, painstaking and not always successful. You could also try using JB Weld (Wally World, Big Box, or auto parts store should have it), from what I remember it is compatible with ABS.
gravityman
03-09-2009, 10:43
Just a hint - We always move our garage door opener to the glove box when we put our bikes on the car. That way, when it isn't where it normally is, you ask yourself 'Why did I do that? Oh, yeah!"
Kayak repair kit should work well. I think the fiberglass will probably crack with the flexing.
Gravity
Do you really want to make this repair? It will involve quite a bit of time on your part and you will not have a new looking top, no matter how you go about it. A kayak repair kit might cost around $70, so there has to be a cheaper fix. If it were my mess to clean up, here is what I would do without spending much $, especially considering the ABS plastic material to which almost NOTHING will adhere:
I would get some metal strips to cover the cracks and hole. You can use aluminum sheet and cut it with tinsnips. Use thin cardboard or thick paper to make a pattern first and tape the pattern on to make sure it fits. Make the metal strips (and hole cover) wide enough to accept rivets to hold them in place.
Before rivetting the metal to the ABS top, get some automotive windshield sealant. I've bought it in long rolls about 3/8" diameter and it comes in a pack with enough to do a single windshield. Clean both surfaces and apply the strip all around the cracks and hole, smush it down to make a good seal, then rivet in place. This sealant won't dry and will provide a good waterproof barrier if you do it right. If you want, you can spray paint the repaired parts or just leave it as is.
This procedure might sound barbaric, and the results won't be pretty. But it will work, and it will be cheap. You can simply apply some "glue" of your choice to the cracks, but I don't know that it would hold on the ABS.
Any questions or comments? Alternately, I guess I could say, "Sarcasm from cynics is always expected on whiteblaze".
Keep us posted on whatever repair method you use. It will be interesting to see how it works out.
mister krabs
03-09-2009, 11:11
you must have the silver one, eh? My wife did the same thing with the black one and it just deformed and popped back out.
http://www.ridoutplastics.com/adandcem.html that or "plastic cement" might work. Make a big ugly patch and put a bumper sticker over it!
UnkaJesse
03-09-2009, 11:18
you must have the silver one, eh? My wife did the same thing with the black one and it just deformed and popped back out.
No, I've got the black one. I suppose it might have just folded in, but there was a large duffel in the nose of the box, so a harmless folding in wasn't possible. I'm really thankful that it didn't tear up the rack or worse warp the rain gutters where the rack is attached. And I'd have cried on the spot if my mountain bike had been up there!
warraghiyagey
03-09-2009, 11:19
Plastic JB Weld - duct tape the length of the inside cracks while drying and apply downward force on fractures, just enough to keep fracture lines intact - and install a 'curb feeler' on the roof.:):p
warraghiyagey
03-09-2009, 11:20
http://images.loqu.com/contents/998/585/image/w/garage_accident.jpg
warraghiyagey
03-09-2009, 11:24
You got lucky in a way . . .
http://download.101com.com/wa-mcv/ohs/images/dec5/o125Door1%5B1%5D.jpg
warraghiyagey
03-09-2009, 11:27
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1960-1969/1969-Dodge-Charger-General-Lee-DOH-Jump-Police-Cars-1600x1200.jpg
4eyedbuzzard
03-09-2009, 11:32
The General Lee! God I love that car
and um, er, yeah...
http://www.thegenerallee.com/images/The-General-Lee-Jessica-Simpson.jpg
EDIT: Er, what was it we were talking about again?
Desert Reprobate
03-09-2009, 21:23
Before you try to fix it yourself try a nice letter to Thule. They may help you out.
RedneckRye
03-10-2009, 00:13
I'm surprised that no one has suggested returning it to REI.
As all thru hikers know, they will take anything back.
For a very quick fix, which will also last a year at least.
Wrestling Matt Tape, from most Sporting Goods Stores.
http://www.matsmatsmats.com/wrestling/mats_tape.html
What's really great about this stuff is you can stick it on, peel it off, stick it on again, even a year later you can peel it off, but it seems to last forever. I've used it on my kayak.
It's good for hiking gear repairs also, or even building stuff, but its rather heavy.
take-a-knee
03-10-2009, 08:30
look into kayak repair kits for poly kayaks. the ones with the tape and glue. there are places that will do it for you.
Exactly, research G-flex epoxy, IIRC, it is designed to repair polyethelene kayaks. It is made by West Systems. You can buy your fiberglass matt at any auto parts store. You may be able to do most of your patch on the inside.
UnkaJesse
03-10-2009, 08:42
Exactly, research G-flex epoxy, IIRC, it is designed to repair polyethelene kayaks. It is made by West Systems. You can buy your fiberglass matt at any auto parts store. You may be able to do most of your patch on the inside.
Wassup down in Sonny's neck of the woods? I grew up in Perry.
Thanks everyone for the help. I feel sure I can fix it and save a few hundred bucks. You can bet I'll block the garage next time I put anything on my roof.
At least I didn't booger things up as bad as the fellow with the F150 on his Ferrari!
Thanks for the tip on that G-flex epoxy by West System. I've been thinking about taking the deck off my fibreglass kayak and making a sort of decked canoe out of it, and that might be just the stuff to epoxy something like polyethelene to fibreglass. I'm not doing it just to save weight. I'm doing it mostly because the hatches and cockpit combing are crap. Looks like this...
http://www.seaknife.com/sk17.htm
I agree with the reccomendation on the Yakima site regarding the ABS cement. I have the same kind of box, and it is in fact made of ABS. The cement they are refering to is similar to modeling cement and will actually dissolve and "weld" the ABS back together. After the fact the area where the crack is will still be a weak point, so you may want to reinforce it with fiberglass cloth and some resin to give it some strength.
The cement can be procured in the plumbing department of any Home Depot type store, just ask the people for ABS cement. Be sure they do not give you PVC cement.
As far as the Fiberglass, many hardware stores carry the cloth and the 2-part resin. I would lightly sand down the area of the crack extending 6"-8" all around, and apply 2 layers of fiberglass, the 2nd slightly larger than the first. To lay the glass, put some resin on the surface, lay the glass down, then brush more resin in until it is saturated. Repeat with a slightly larger patch. Depending on the resin mix you get the stuff may set up VERY fast. Get the glass cut and ready to go in advance, and be ready for the lay-up to take no more than 10 min from start to finnish.
Did you contact Thule to see if they'd just sell you the lid?
atraildreamer
03-10-2009, 13:48
Exactly, research G-flex epoxy, IIRC, it is designed to repair polyethelene kayaks. It is made by West Systems. You can buy your fiberglass matt at any auto parts store. You may be able to do most of your patch on the inside.
I once bought some epoxy coated auto body patching material that set-up when exposed to UV light from a lamp or sunlight. Haven't seen it in a while, but it might work for your repair. :-?
the ABS suggestion is a good one.
Motorcycle panels are made of ABS
The Motorcycle forums suggest the extra thick version of the glue. My area didn't carry any.
An alternate is to buy the regular glue for ABS and add shaving of your material into the glue. They will disolve in a day or two. This thick mixture will fill holes and dries to the same consistency as the original material.
So: 1 can of glue ( $3 or 4 IIRC) and a piece or ABS plastic (Maybe a short length of pipe from the same store you got the glue.
Repainting will also be required. Depending on how anal you are, this can run into big money also. To do it right you need to repaint the whole piece.
UnkaJesse
03-10-2009, 16:19
Did you contact Thule to see if they'd just sell you the lid?
They don't sell just the tops. That would have been an ideal solution.
To repair ABS plastic you need a good reinforcement on the underside before you can do any repair at all. Once you have that in place youll want to use a flexible filler for the crack because the plastic will need to flex a bit. Once that filler dries you can add texture and paint it. Ive done this many many time and it works better than anything available on the market. I now sell kits for repairing ABS plastics. Ive used it for my own vehicles and for clients. Check it out at ebay. Type in "ABS plastic repair kit" in the ebay search bar and youll be directed right to it. The Kit comes with patch material, heat gun, heat roller and directions. I will be posting a video on Youtube very soon.
swjohnsey
03-25-2012, 15:16
Motorcycle fairings are also ABS. The ABS cement mentioned above works on cracks. You can also make a "putty" to fill voids and cracks by desolving bits of ABS pipe (also available at Lowes, Home Depot) in the solvent/cement. You can reinforce repairs on the back side with conventional fiberglass mat using polyester or epoxy resin.
atraildreamer
03-25-2012, 18:10
I would get some metal strips to cover the cracks and hole.
This procedure might sound barbaric, and the results won't be pretty. But it will work, and it will be cheap. You can simply apply some "glue" of your choice to the cracks, but I don't know that it would hold on the ABS.
You can buy rolls of adhesive aluminum tape that is used for sealing the joints on stovepipes and duct work, eliminating the need for rivets on minor cracked areas. You might be able to seal the cracks with a hot glue gun. There are different glue gun sticks for different applications. Both products can be found in any hardware supply store, WallyWorld, etc., and probably would cost about $20 for everything.
rocketsocks
03-25-2012, 20:09
Don't try "Tuna Helper" and "duck tape",it didn't work on a canoe trip back in 83' P.S. Now does that fall under homeowners or Automobile Insurance.
kayak karl
03-25-2012, 20:13
this is a three year old thread. think he's got it fixed :) or he trashed it by now.
rocketsocks
03-25-2012, 20:14
Having welded some plastic before it is important that the filler material be the same composition as the base piece.Can you cut off a strip,say on inside flange?Buy or rent a Hot Air Gun,made for plastic welding,This is a very tricky proposition,but can be done.PM if you need help.
rocketsocks
03-25-2012, 20:20
this is a three year old thread. think he's got it fixed :) or he trashed it by now.Ooh "It's" I hate when that happens.did the #2 guy check before he posted?;)
the worst part is not knowing how it turned out.:D
rocketsocks
03-25-2012, 20:22
look into kayak repair kits for poly kayaks. the ones with the tape and glue. there are places that will do it for you.It was yoooou:eek:,you little stinker.:)
rocketsocks
03-25-2012, 20:46
It was yoooou:eek:,you little stinker.:)Oooups #25
rocketsocks
03-25-2012, 20:52
Idiot:o,to short,take that:oand that:o:cool:Im good now!