Delaminated skin

[oet2]

Has anyone had any luck replacing filon fiberglass siding ? Local shop wants 10 grand to replace a 3x 5x 8 foot area on one side and 5x5x 8on the otherside ?

[roady]

Sorry to hear about your predicamint. Large areas are hard to fix. Most likely it will require removing whole sections of wall, including the interior fixtures. Any wood framing, or underlying luann plywood, is probably bad. That's why it is expensive.

I have seen small sections (maybe 2' x 2') repaired by injecting or pouring epoxy into the area and clamping the side of the coach. This type of repair might be successful under a window or other opening that has leaked.

This a company makes a delamination repair kit. They might have some ideas.

www.delamrepair.com

[Wizard]

From the size of the walls your talking about, that sounds like a really good price. I doubt they would be able to purchase the panels and would have to hand layup. That could be very labor and time intensive.

Best option would be to let them do it or trade.

Before doing the work, be sure you know why it delaminated and that problem has been corrected.

I have done some small delam repairs and its not a real easy task. First everything has to be stabilized, areas has to be built back up and paint has to be matched and applied.

Good Luck, Jerry

[Steve N Sal]

Wow, sorry to hear about that. It's good to ask questions though and get some input from different folks. Hope all works out for the best.

[ahicks]

This is a nightmare I would prefer to avoid, but if that's not possible and I were forced into this, I would want some assurance that the repair was going to hold up for a while - in the form of a WRITTEN guarantee of some sort, signed by somebody in a position to honor it if necessary?

I would also want some assurance that the repaired area isn't going to stick out like a sore thumb when completed...

[ga traveler]

Our dealership tried for years to repair sidewalls. We tried every way possible to repaid delamanation. The only way to repair it is wall section replacement or tearing out the inside all the way to the fiberglass and installing a new backerboard. The fiberglass sidewall on a motorhome is only the thickness of a dime. To get strength, they glue Luan plywood to the back of the fiberglass. When water gets into the wall, It seperates the luan and when you inject glue it just keeps pulling apart. They wall must be replaced, where it is bad and that is labor intenseive.

[Steve N Sal]

I should have mentioned as well if this can make feel any better, to re-skin and paint our coach is $30K. We don't have the delamination problem but checking in the paint which is due to faulty fiberglass skin. I guess we'll live with it as I've seen a lot of coaches that are far worse then ours and are a later model as well.

[GPW]

like the Wizard said : “ Before doing the work, be sure you know why it delaminated and that problem has been corrected. “ ...

I’m faced with a delam repair under a front window , caused by a “dry fit” window the factory so unwisely installed ... Done this type of glass work in the past (grrr!!!) ... not easy , but not rocket science either .... The dealer quoted me $5K to replace the front cap ... A job I will be doing myself for the price of the adhesive ... This being my “Hobby” , my labor rate is MUCH cheaper ... and I know it will be done Right the first time !!!


OET2 , if you are unsure of the price , shop around , see where you’ll get the Best quality job for the buck ... You might even ask to see examples of their repair work before you decide ...

[Greger]

All I have to say is " you get what you pay for" remember if you go around looking for a cheaper price... You get cheaper work the "cheaper shop " could be using A cheaper glue or not cleaning the products properly or paint or any supplies and then you will be back. A warranty is a warranty but in my eyes I would rather pay more and know I won't have to come back and use that warranty. This process is very labour intensive and not a do in your drive way job.

[glarnold]

Let me begin by saying that we took a $20,000 hit on the trade, because the manufacturer wanted $14,000 per side to repair the delamination that came from originally faulty sidewalls.

I learned a couple of things. Delamination will not stop, once begun. The source of the problem must be stopped. Any action you have done will cost a bundle. Trading will also cost you a bundle.

If I were doing it again, I would take whatever action I could to keep the walls from separating further.

This would probably mean putting strips or washers on the outside and inside with bolts between them, to hold them together. Essentially bolting the walls together again. With a little creativity, this could be made to look halfway decent, maybe even starting a whole new trend in outside appearance.

I say this only partly in jest. But I think it would be better than losing $20K again.

[roady]

As mentioned above, sometimes it makes sense to tighten up the ship to prevent further deterioration and enjoy the coach the way it is. Tearing out sidewalls is a big deal, and the results don't always come out good.
Stopping further water intrusion is the first step. Then bond, brace, and bolster the composite wall assembly to restore structural intergrity.
When hiring a shop to do repairs, a lot depends on the individual tasked with getting the work done. It takes a real craftsman with years of experience to come up with a cost-effective repair. Shop around until you find the right person. Talk to 4-5 shops and the solution will be evident. Then have them contact www.delamrepair.com for further advice.

[ksg5000]

I have come across posts showing people putting new filon on their rigs - looked like a project that would require lot of working room - dry area or good weather - and at least one extra pair of hands. Filon itself is fairly expensive. Worth a google. Like most things depends on your skill level, bank account, space available etc.

[oet2]

Hey gang,
I had Apalchee RV in Alburn , Ga do the work. It took them about 30 days and it looks brand new. It was well worth the money to have it done right. They painted the stripes and blended the paint to match. Previous owner did not take care of anything.
2001 Jayco 283 g.