Bumps on side wall under paint

[Tony Jones]

Has anyone experienced the problem of the fiberglass seperating from the gelcoat? It apears as small hard bumps under the paint. These are small air pockets that expand when exposed to heat. I own a 2006 Monaco Signature and have just been informed by Monaco that they will not cover my problem calling it an acceptable industry standard??? The coach looks like it has mumps! They are also calling this "checkering" but I think that is a different defect in the paint only.

[Tony Jones]

Has anyone experienced the problem of the fiberglass seperating from the gelcoat? It apears as small hard bumps under the paint. These are small air pockets that expand when exposed to heat. I own a 2006 Monaco Signature and have just been informed by Monaco that they will not cover my problem calling it an acceptable industry standard??? The coach looks like it has mumps! They are also calling this "checkering" but I think that is a different defect in the paint only.

[Pusherpilot]

I suspect that there are hundreds of coaches out there with this problem. Did a Monaco rep actually look at it or was the diagnosis made thru a dealer? We have what they call checking on our coach in the black paint area. Incidentally on the side that gets the sun most often.
The original problem was a result of the fiberglas gassing off (or something like it) when heated. From what I heard Monaco got a settlement from the fiberglas mfgr but has stopped passing the benefit on to their owners. The only real fix for the problem is to reskin the coach, repainting has proven to be ineffective.

[Pusherpilot]

Check here.
Navigator paint problem

[Tony Jones]

Checking is differnt than what I have, right? I was told that the way to fix the problem was to grind down the lumps of fibergalss and fill them in and then repaint.

[Duffy's Dad]

This is the post I sent to "Stretch" a few days ago. <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> </div></BLOCKQUOTE> This is not just a Monaco problem. All major coach manufacturers have had similar problems with dark colored paint areas for some years. I was shown a letter by a 2006 Country Coach owner that was from the factory denying a claim of responsibility for his paint problem, it went something like this: All major manufacturers have experienced problems with fiberglass supplied by Owens-Corning wherein the fiberglass is releasing a gas when subject to heat. This causes "checking" (angular bubble like bumps) in the paint as well as cracking. We along with the other manufacturers have a lawsuit against Owens-Corning and we will apprise you of any settlement. Needless to say he was not very happy with Country Coach as he had paid over $400,000 for his coach 2 years earlier. I know this does not solve your problem, but may offer some insight into the issue. I would suggest you search the IRV2 website for paint problems to gain additional insight. As for me personally, I hope Monaco or Owens-Corning was able to correct the manufacturing process for I have a 2009 Camelot with a large area of the coach painted black.

[Tony Jones]

To: Duffy's Dad
Thanks for the response. I would think that Monaco or any other manufacturer would have to disclose the potential problem to a purchaser of a new coach. It's like selling a house without disclosing the known problems. In California the seller would be liable. They go ahead and sell them knowing that the problem does not show up till after the warranty expires. My coach does not have any cracks, it it shows as a lump under the paint.

[Duffy's Dad]

Tony,

What you are describing is the exact thing I saw on the Country Coach. Sort of angular bubbles in the paint that you could feel when you ran your hand over the area.