Chinook RV

Well, first time ever to hit a deer and had to be with my 1998 concourse. About 100 miles into a 1,000 mile trip last week a small fawn ran in front of me. It still had spots so only the size of a dog. felt it roll under at 65 MPH on major hiway so I didn't even stop. Kept a close look at all my gauges and everything kept going smooth. When I stopped I realized it had knocked off my below the bumper fog light and bent the bracket way back so that it had the lower plastic valance twisted back real bad. Took me awhile to notice that it broke off the plastic license plate bracket that held on with 3 triangular patterned screws and I had lost my front plate!! When I got home I removed the foglight bracket and it allowed the plastic valance to snap back in to place Yaaay! Now I removed the other fog light to make things look nice. "never used them anyway" have the wiring tucked under in case I do later. Question...where to I find a license plate holder bracket that will match that hole pattern? Or should I just mount my new plate on the center flip down step bracket? If so it leaves 3 kinda ugly holes in the plastic valance! Thinking of at least putting 3 shiny chrome screws in the holes for looks. What is everyone else doing? Any suggestions? In the bumpy Ozark Mountain roads I lost my metal hot water heater cover also! I found just the door at a wrecking yard for free but I need to straighten it a little and repaint. How are ya'll "locking" those so they never fall off again? I don't even use propane or that heater but BOY was it ugly without that cover!!

Geez, sounds like a heck of a trip. Sounds like the deer situation could have been worst, glad to hear the damage is mostly superficial. My concourse looks like it has always the front plate mounted on the fold-a-step so when I got CALI plates for it I just re-installed on the step bracket. As for the hot water heater cover, I have never lost one on the road but I do check things like that before hitting the highway. I think as long as the door itself is solid and rigid, the hinge is good and the turn-buckle gets tight when you pull it through and lock it in, it should stay put. However is any of those areas seemed weak I would investigate.

rich, I believe the little turn latch is kind of weak. My lid sits on 2 pegs at the bottom and the "hasp" looking spring loaded latch is what holds it in. There is a hole in it for maybe a padlock or something. I believe I might just get a quick snap hook in that hole to prevent any further problems. I did install the plate on the bumper step (as instructed by the wife) she said it looks a lot better there. She is thinking adding ANYTHING to the 3 holes left in the plastic lower valence would just DRAW attention to them. Sooo, we may leave well enough alone. Rich, does yours HAVE the other plate bracket on your valance and your just not using it or do you just have 3 holes there? Or maybe yours doesn't have holes at all?

Flame wrote: July 15th, 2021, 3:33 am How are ya'll "locking" those so they never fall off again?

Flame, I posted this a few years ago. It's much more secure than that plastic spring latch.

Try one of these:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=608&p=4635&hilit=heater#p4635

Yikes. First off, glad you are ok and the Chinook was not too banged up. I was under the impression that the the drop down step in the front was where to mount a front plate. Kansas does not require a front plate but that was where I intend to put my either a Thin Blue Line plate or a Kansas City Chiefs plate. I am actually still debating either of them since no sense in creating possible issues when we travel. But, back to the point, I think putting the plate on the front of the drop down step will work easiest. Then plug the old holes.

I would do what other suggested and mount the plate in the step. If your really want the plate holder, you can look at the junk yard, or post a WTB post in the classified forum, and I am sure someone will be able to sell or give you one.

Flame wrote: July 15th, 2021, 7:42 am rich, I believe the little turn latch is kind of weak. My lid sits on 2 pegs at the bottom and the "hasp" looking spring loaded latch is what holds it in. There is a hole in it for maybe a padlock or something. I believe I might just get a quick snap hook in that hole to prevent any further problems. I did install the plate on the bumper step (as instructed by the wife) she said it looks a lot better there. She is thinking adding ANYTHING to the 3 holes left in the plastic lower valence would just DRAW attention to them. Sooo, we may leave well enough alone. Rich, does yours HAVE the other plate bracket on your valance and your just not using it or do you just have 3 holes there? Or maybe yours doesn't have holes at all?

Flame, My front bumper does not have three holes anywhere on it for mounting a plate holder. Your wife is probably right, doing anything with those holes now will most likely grab the eyes. Most people will most often never notice such things anyway. Kinda like how nobody notices your shoes usually. I wonder maybe though if there are white colored plastic panel poppers that could push into the holes if you wanted to cover them, white ones would blend in.

Thanks Rich and Scott that's a great idea about the clip and I have some in my shop!! Rich I have a gray lower valance but the poppers you speak of is what I was thinking. Local auto parts has them in stock cheap enough. Might try them and remove them if they don't look good. I will be painting my replacement "junkyard" cover probably today. I already mounted the new plate on the flip down step and it looks nice!