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tmw188 · 01-30-2016, 07:52 PM

Delamination how many of you have it, where do you have it, and have you tried to repair any of it. I have it at the bottom of the slides and a few other places. I plan to pull the trim off in the spring and just see if it's a possible repair. I have some ideas but just wondering if any of you tried it?

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Ted Lambert · 01-30-2016, 08:08 PM

I have some around my furnace vent. The fellow who owned it left the flashing around the vent loose. I believe he drove it hard in rain and water entered the side. I took the vent completely off and dried out behind the fridge for a few days. I resealed the vent and have not had a problem since. In certain light conditions I can see the area of de lamination. I thought of doing the same thing as you,however I was advised against it.
Do your research before you take this on. There is lots of info out there!

Davdeb1 · 01-30-2016, 08:41 PM

I had none when I bought it. I did have floor rot underneath passenger and drivers window. The next year in hot sun I noticed a bulge from top to bottom near the fridge. I sealed all the suspect areas on the edges at roof, and pulled and resealed all windows.
I've also noticed several other areas all over.
My solution if it gets worse, will be to put 2 rows of moldings the length of the vehicle, spaced below and above the windows. This should pull in the siding.

tmw188 · 01-31-2016, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davdeb1

I had none when I bought it. I did have floor rot underneath passenger and drivers window. The next year in hot sun I noticed a bulge from top to bottom near the fridge. I sealed all the suspect areas on the edges at roof, and pulled and resealed all windows.
I've also noticed several other areas all over.
My solution if it gets worse, will be to put 2 rows of moldings the length of the vehicle, spaced below and above the windows. This should pull in the siding.

It appears that mine is not actually the the layer of finish painted surface pilling away from the substructure for it is solid and has no space between them, but seams to be the substructure (plywood) separating because when you push on it it is solid, but just bulging out. The miters on the slide trim are separating and the trim needs to be resealed. I plan on making some miter cap to go over the the the joints when I reseal. I will probably pull off the trim and see what is exactly happening behind there as well.

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tom77hmstd · 01-31-2016, 06:44 AM

Mine is bulging over the LR tire at the slide it was cracking so I drilled a small hole and it stopped the crack from going to the wheel well. It gets real ugly looking when the rear jacks are holding the coach level on uneven ground. I have looked into a repair kit but I am hesitant to try it.
My body shop guy said to fix it right we would have to grind out the fiberglass make sure plywood is intact and replace fiberglass then paint to match. Yikes.

Ted Lambert · 01-31-2016, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom77hmstd

Mine is bulging over the LR tire at the slide it was cracking so I drilled a small hole and it stopped the crack from going to the wheel well. It gets real ugly looking when the rear jacks are holding the coach level on uneven ground. I have looked into a repair kit but I am hesitant to try it.
My body shop guy said to fix it right we would have to grind out the fiberglass make sure plywood is intact and replace fibreglass then paint to match. Yikes.

Yes Yikes!
What you describe is big bucks. Would he guarantee the work?

tom77hmstd · 02-01-2016, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by narampa

Yes Yikes!
What you describe is big bucks. Would he guarantee the work?

Oh yea he lives in his 40 footer.

trode · 02-02-2016, 05:51 AM

I have some issues on mine as well, but I would not describe it as 'Delaminating" mine is more likely swelling of the wood structure. I have it mostly at the bottom of side panels, my thinking is likely cause is screws into panel for the piano hinge on the compartment doors. I think water is wicked up into this area, considered removing screws and sealing with dicor or other product. I have a couple of other spots that I would describe same way, no loose laminate, just swelling of wood underneath. All of them are near windows, seams or panel ends.
True delamination usually effects large areas once it begins, I see it on many "low end" trailers and motorhomes effecting large areas or entire panels.

Open to ideas on how to "fix" what I describe, other than the obvious, like resealing windows, joints and seams....

tmw188 · 02-02-2016, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trode

I have some issues on mine as well, but I would not describe it as 'Delaminating" mine is more likely swelling of the wood structure. I have it mostly at the bottom of side panels, my thinking is likely cause is screws into panel for the piano hinge on the compartment doors. I think water is wicked up into this area, considered removing screws and sealing with dicor or other product. I have a couple of other spots that I would describe same way, no loose laminate, just swelling of wood underneath. All of them are near windows, seams or panel ends. True delamination usually effects large areas once it begins, I see it on many "low end" trailers and motorhomes effecting large areas or entire panels. Open to ideas on how to "fix" what I describe, other than the obvious, like resealing windows, joints and seams....

That's it exactly. Not really a delam but kinda the only way to title it on the post. I have some ideas I'll PM you later with my phone no. and we can bounce some ideas off each other.

tropically · 03-05-2016, 09:24 PM

Hi, I'm new to this site & just purchased a tropical T351 which has some delam issues, I carefully removed the painted aluminum trim from the bottom of the bedroom slide (some of the screws will break when you do this) then I pulled the fiberglass slightly away with a putty knife & probed the delam area. I found that when water enters usually through cracked gel coat & rusts the metal frame of the wall panel which then looses the bond. I scraped the loose rust off on the under side of the frame (where water naturally goes) with the putty knife & treated the metal with lock tight rust stabilizer & after that dried over night I used lock tight flashing seal (really good tough stuff) to reseal the fiberglass to the metal frame & used a heat gun which helped with the bond & allowed the fiberglass to relax & then bedded & replaced the aluminum slide trim with non sagging caulk Camping world stuff so that it could be removed again if it ever needed to & screwed it back in place & placed a 4"X4" post under the trim horizontally & lifted the slide up with a floor jack at each end & left it over night, when I removed the 4" post whala job done & looks like I was never there! One down & one to go! I also found that the refrigerator defrost hose was incorrectly installed causing water to leak inside the outer wall & at some point I intend to use the same method to repair it By removing the side wall rub strip & aluminum channel. I hope this helps some of the less technically challenged of you, not a beginners project however do able. Good luck

tmw188 · 03-06-2016, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tropically

Hi, I'm new to this site & just purchased a tropical T351 which has some delam issues, I carefully removed the painted aluminum trim from the bottom of the bedroom slide (some of the screws will break when you do this) then I pulled the fiberglass slightly away with a putty knife & probed the delam area. I found that when water enters usually through cracked gel coat & rusts the metal frame of the wall panel which then looses the bond. I scraped the loose rust off on the under side of the frame (where water naturally goes) with the putty knife & treated the metal with lock tight rust stabilizer & after that dried over night I used lock tight flashing seal (really good tough stuff) to reseal the fiberglass to the metal frame & used a heat gun which helped with the bond & allowed the fiberglass to relax & then bedded & replaced the aluminum slide trim with non sagging caulk Camping world stuff so that it could be removed again if it ever needed to & screwed it back in place & placed a 4"X4" post under the trim horizontally & lifted the slide up with a floor jack at each end & left it over night, when I removed the 4" post whala job done & looks like I was never there! One down & one to go! I also found that the refrigerator defrost hose was incorrectly installed causing water to leak inside the outer wall & at some point I intend to use the same method to repair it By removing the side wall rub strip & aluminum channel. I hope this helps some of the less technically challenged of you, not a beginners project however do able. Good luck

Great to hear, that is an approach I thought of doing as well. Depending on what it all looks like I thought of using some no rot 2 part wood treatment and maybe clamp a 4x4 or something similar horizontally on the front side to pull the bulged out area back in. Really glad to hear your approach to this. Can you post some pictures?

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tropically · 03-06-2016, 08:23 PM

I found that the plywood luan does not decay & the swelling was caused by rusting frame metal & the subsequent loss of the bond between frame & panel, it will have to be dried out before it can be repaired, I suggest using a heat gun to speed this process up aim the gun under the panel while holding the panel away slightly with a putty knife. once the aluminum trim is caulked & placed back on & screwed in place it will look like you were never there.

tropically · 03-06-2016, 08:33 PM

I didn't take pictures while I was doing the work as I was figuring it out as I went along & the coach is wrapped up snug for the Pineapple Express that we are in the middle of at the moment however I need to duplicate the process in other areas as well so I can document the procedure when i do. I found that any & all metal framing that water gets to rusts & will continue as long as water is present.

tmw188 · 03-07-2016, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tropically

I found that the plywood luan does not decay & the swelling was caused by rusting frame metal & the subsequent loss of the bond between frame & panel, it will have to be dried out before it can be repaired, I suggest using a heat gun to speed this process up aim the gun under the panel while holding the panel away slightly with a putty knife. once the aluminum trim is caulked & placed back on & screwed in place it will look like you were never there.

If it's just the metal it's right up my alley. Did you have to get new metal formed up to replace or just scraped out the rust?

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