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neo102470 · 12-09-2010, 09:19 AM

Greetings,
I have a 2002 Fleetwood Storm (30' class A) and it has some wrinkled wallpaper near some of the windows. It almost appears that the wallpaper was pulled or stretched when the windows were put in as most all of the wrinkles extend from the edge of the window.
We have had the unit in heavy rain and the windows don't leak.

What could have caused these wrinkles? Is there any way to remove them - other than redoing the wallpaper?

Thanks.

burfurd · 12-09-2010, 09:44 AM

I have noticed the same on a previous motor home we had. No leaks but looks like the window openings were precut and stretched to fit. Don't see any reasonable advantage to doing this, just an idea. We never let it bother us too much, too much to look at outside and with reading to keep busy.

burfurd

Neumann · 12-13-2010, 02:53 PM

On our Southwing the same thing. It was there when we bought it. The MH did sit on the sales lot for a year before we go it. Turns out the wall movement caused this wrinkle. It was the hot sun expantion & contraction. Took me a while to see this. Watch the wall very close when the sun beats on it. Mine moves up to 1/2 inch outward in the daytime and comes back in a night.
Nothing I could do to stop this but it does not seem to be a structural problem either.
Good luck.

neo102470 · 12-14-2010, 12:55 PM

Thanks for the replies. It's sounding like this is pretty natural and not something the previous owner did or didn't do to make it happen.

Thanks!

RickO · 12-14-2010, 01:18 PM

I bought my coach new and this problem has developed over the first few years I owned it. I don't have the wrinkles near the windows but rather around the slides and rear closet door.

No idea as to the cause.

Rick

Bbasso · 12-15-2010, 12:48 PM

Could it be condensation causing the wrinkles?

Revodoc · 12-15-2010, 02:33 PM

I noticed this about a month ago and have been distracted on other projects and had forgot about it till reading this thread. I will take a look asap. Thanks for the reminder!

neo102470 · 12-16-2010, 11:10 AM

bbasso,
No, I don't think it's condensation causing it. If you can picture this - you apply wallpaper and then don't wait for it to dry before pushing on it - the resulting bunched up 'wrinkled' paper is what you'd end up with.... it's as if the paper was pushed while still wet/tacky.
I assume it's the slight flexing of the window - the paper will move one way (bunch up) but doesn't come back as the window moves in the opening.
I'm wondering if I can heat it up with a heat gun and pull it back where it is supposed to be... either that or soak it with water. I'm not sure if the adhesive is water soluable or if it's like contact paper - with solvent based adhesive.
If water based, a steam iron would loosen it. If it's solvent based (my guess), a heat gun might heat up the adhesive enough for it to get sticky and relase the wrinkles.
Either way, I'll probably score the paper at the edge of the window so the wrinkles don't come back after I fix them.

If anyone has a good repair method, please post it here.

THANKS

bdpreece · 12-16-2010, 11:30 AM

I had the same problem in my 04 National Tropi Cal. I just assumed the wall flexed around the widow and since the paper went under the frame it was being stretched. I was always going to take a razor blade and trim it back, remove the excess and re glue but sold the coach before trying that.

Revodoc · 12-17-2010, 09:57 AM

I checked mine yesterday and it seems as though where the wallpaper is bunched that the wall/wood behind it "feels" like it is weak... Like if I wanted to I could poke a hole it with my finger (cause I'm just that strong). The wall area where there is no wallpaper bunching not so much

I'm certainly going to keep an eye on it and checking out the rest of the walls when I've got nothing else to do...