Fiberglass body panel cracking |
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PilotPodder
Senior Member Joined: 04 May 2016 Location: Portage, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 305 |
Topic: Fiberglass body panel cracking Posted: 22 Feb 2018 at 7:16pm |
Hey guys, I’d appreciate the collective feedback from my fellow Podders on this one. Doing a winter escape in FL just now and this morning I noticed hairline cracking in the fiberglass in the lower corner just behind the solar panel connector. The Pod has never been hit or hit anything. It’s been very warm lately in the mid 80s each day. Pictures at the links below. I’m open to suggestions and comments.
https://instagram.com/p/BfhSa9SFuJb/ |
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Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — My RPod YouTube Videos
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Leo B
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4508 |
Posted: 22 Feb 2018 at 7:37pm |
Haven't seen that before
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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
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furpod
Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128 |
Posted: 22 Feb 2018 at 7:41pm |
I have seen some cracks in the fiberglass gel coat, but not that extensive. I am sending you a PM..
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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3220 |
Posted: 22 Feb 2018 at 8:13pm |
Will be interesting to hear what FR says as to the cause of this. That is extreme!
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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mjlrpod
Senior Member Joined: 27 Sep 2016 Location: Massachusetts Online Status: Offline Posts: 1214 |
Posted: 23 Feb 2018 at 7:36am |
That looks to me to be an impact. You of course might not be aware of when, how it happened, but I would say it got hit. Maybe an extreme corner? A really tight back-in? The cracks all seem to eminate from a central point. I would look really good at that area and see if there is a mark. It's hard for me to tell from the photo but i think i can see a slight depression in the trim about where the center of the stress cracks come from. Thats my opinion
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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
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mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419 |
Posted: 23 Feb 2018 at 8:09am |
Looks like stress or "spider" cracks to me, have seen boats do this, not so much RVs. My 72 Vette gets these at stress points.
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Mike Carter
2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2629 |
Posted: 23 Feb 2018 at 10:39am |
That is for sure gel coat cracking, and it does look like it was from an impact. I'm going to speculate that it's not a structural issue, but I would keep an eye on it.
Attempting to repair it will be almost impossible to match the color up. |
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587 |
Posted: 23 Feb 2018 at 1:10pm |
Something has stressed the fiberglass, probably an impact. A good boat shop or a body shop that does a lot of fiberglass work should be able to match the gelcoat for a repair. You might also be able to get some gelcoat or epoxy paint of this color from Forest River if they make the panels in house. GlueGuy is right that matching the color will be your biggest problem.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3220 |
Posted: 24 Feb 2018 at 8:52pm |
mcarter. You remind me when i had my '69 vette, did not suffer any cracks like that but the '68 (first year with the mako shark body) were notorious for those around the rear wheels. Fortunately GM did something right as I never experienced that with mine.
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419 |
Posted: 25 Feb 2018 at 2:07am |
Definitely some improvements, with mine I think has something to do with age of the car and paint. I've seen Vettes crack if you jack them wrong.
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Mike Carter
2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
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