Suggestions on RV cover modification

[ColinR]

Hey guys, I'm looking for suggestions on a decent way to modify the lean to on the side of my shop for my 5th wheel.

We got the new 5th wheel home and unfortunately its a little taller than the last one we had and the AC in the front bedroom won't clear the I beam support on the lean to by about an inch. I'm hoping I can simply notch out the bottom of the I beam. Yes I know that will drastically weaken the beam but all its holding up is tin. I'm thinking if I box in the two cut ends of the I beam and then cut a reinforcing plate to weld up under what is remaining of the top of the I beam that will extend past the cuts I should be plenty good. What do you think. Or do you have any other suggestions?

1st picture is of the lean to.
2nd picture is of the Ibeam marked where I would cut it.
3rd picture is of the reinforcing plate I would fit up under the top top of the Ibeam to try to add back a little support.

[sideways]

6 inch channel? Or I beam?


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[Low Fence]

On a slab?

I don’t see this option being a good idea in my opinion

[sideways]

I’m sure it will work if you weld it up good. The heaviest part of it is the I beam.


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[sideways]

Might be easier to bolt a piece of 2x2 heavy square tubing the length of the beam before you cut it.


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[Texastaxi]

Why don't you lower the hitch on your truck, for parking purposes?

[CabezaBlanca]

Let the air out of the tires.

[kingranch]

that I beam looks thin
Id weld another piece of thicker beam to the top an you can cut like you describe but that might look ghetto.

my first option would be take a skidsteer and grind out a few inches of dirt to lower the ground level..

If its got slab then not an option..

[RWB]

I don't know how tight it is but is that really gonna give you enough room to get the weight off the truck? Do you happen to have a tractor? You could use FIL or 3 pt to park the trailer dropping the front down to clear. Just a thought hate to cut the beam then still not have enough height to get it off the truck.

[bboswell]

as flat as that roof is that beam carries a lot of load during a heavy rain even and cutting that much of the section out will kill near all of its strength.

About the only way I see to make this work is to put another like channel on top of the tim and then bolt through flange to flange through the tin and then sealing the bolt holes with caulk. Do this before you cut the notch.

Otherwise I like the idea of using a tractor to park and pull out the camper

[Mike Fangman]

If it has a lot of fall on it, could you maybe raise the 3 support legs, up a few inches ?

[SaltwaterSlick]

I'd put the heaviest angle iron I could fit on the inside of the I beam to replace the web material you will be removing. If possible run it full length drilling/bolting it to the beam before you cut... But if it is NOT on a slab, I'd remove enough material off the ground to make it work. If you do intend on cutting it, as long as you replace the removed material with equivalent amount material in the same general load bearing characteristics as the uncut beam, it should work OK.

[Cooper]

I would not cut the red iron perlins.....Raise everything up to the actual height of your shop. Add to the height of your post and place a short piece of sheeting from your shop onto the lean-to., go under existing tin on shop and overlap on the lean-to.
It would be structurally sound for sure.

[ramrod]

Deflating the tires, or taking an inch of gravel would be my first options.

[ColinR]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I do have a small tractor (35 HP) but it won't pick it up. Tounge weight is over $2K. I have thought about digging it out but would take a rock mill to get much. There is only an inch of gravel on top of solid rock. So yes the 1" would probably make it clear but I don't want to be that close. Same thing with airing down the tires I would really prefer to have it dummy proof as my luck I would forget to air down and smash the AC. I'm waiting for a call back from a guy to see what it would cost to just re-do the lean to. In a perfect world I would like it wider anyway so I can put all the slides out while its under there anyway. Thanks again for all the help.