sidewall demaination
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Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14638
Printed Date: 06 Jun 2025 at 1:22pm
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Topic: sidewall demaination
Posted By: dcool1
Subject: sidewall demaination
Date Posted: 18 May 2021 at 3:13pm
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Hi All. Our 2017 RPod 180 is coming apart on the sidewalls. Don't let them fool you into thinking the windows don't need to be chalked. Somehow water got behind the window, or the fiberglass siding install was faulty from the factory. We have no evidence of a hole in the butyl tape around the window, but the entire area under the window is delaminating now. Total nightmare! Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has experience with covering an rpod or similar with corrugated siding. The repair shops want $10k to re-skin one side of the trailer and $4K to paint and re-decal. We only paid $16k for the trailer in 2018, so this cost is absolutely absurd. I was thinking about covering it with corrugated alum., but im not sure about how to fasten the siding with such a limited amount of framing. Maybe remove the lauan and install 1/4 plywood, and then staple to that? Any thoughts? Thx
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Replies:
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 18 May 2021 at 6:12pm
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Lauan is plywood. If it's intact and not wet then you shouldn't need to add another layer, if it is wet then step one is to get it dried out, you don't want to put new plywood over wet material.
If you aren't sure, buy a wood moisture meter and test it. Can you peel back the fiberglass in the delaminated areas without damaging it so you can get behind there and dry it out if needed?. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: dcool1
Date Posted: 19 May 2021 at 12:47pm
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A couple shops used a meter to test the areas. Some areas showed moisture and others not. I'm not sure about the peeling back question. I suppose the fiberglass skin should peel off fairly easily?? Our intentions were to peel that off. remove the lauan and add a piece of cdx 1/4 plywood to the entire face. Then install alum. corrugated over that. I suppose the same roof corner trim can be used? Or is there different trim used for corrugated material? I'll have to go look at a metal trailer on a lot some where to see how its trimmed out. Ugh!. What a nightmare. We thought we would be relaxing and enjoying life in our rpod and now we gotta deal with this. Forrest River has replied and been nice, but they want nothing to do with it. They shouldn't tell you in their video that the window seals are some special design that do not need maintenance or caulk around them. Total BS!! |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 19 May 2021 at 1:30pm
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Having been an owner of a 177 for 10 years now I will be the first to admit that outside of using some MeGuiar's ultimate wax on the window seals (1x/year) I have done no 'maintenance' to the seals or have I ever used caulk around them either. And . . . . no leaks . . . . no issues. ------------- 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." |
Posted By: dcool1
Date Posted: 19 May 2021 at 2:19pm
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Yes, I really think something wasn't right from the factory on ours. There is no evidence of a hole, crack, etc at the window seal. The bubbling didn't start at the window, its started about a foot below the window and slowly got bigger and bigger, so it has to be some sort of failure with the adhesive. All along the wide pin strip decal area is loose now too, which is no where near an opening. Nothing we can do now but take the financial hit and fix it. I do appreciate any advise y'all have with the corrugated alum covering.
------------- 2021 RAM 1500 TRX 4x4 2019 TOYOTA RAV4 AWD 2017 RPOD 180 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA 4x4 Dan & Marie |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 19 May 2021 at 6:53pm
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If the fiberglass is still attached to most of the area then the adhesive is still good there. Can you lift the fiberglass a bit so it dries out in there and then drill a some small holes, inject some adhesive and press and hold the fiberglass down until the adhesive cures?
If you do have to remove the whole wall, why not replace it with a new layer of flat fiberglass rather than a corrugated surface which will be harder to trim out around the edges? ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: dcool1
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 3:37pm
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Hi All, We met with a few people who do RV body work. $15k to replace the whole side of our 180. We pulled a window out and looked down into the delam area, no water damage. The filon is just falling off the plywood. You can see bubbles all over the wall from the middle of the windows down. Its definitely a factory defect, but FR wants nothing to do with it. Thought about hiring an attorney, but we'd probably just be throwing good money after bad. FR probably has an army of attorneys fending off this sort of stuff. We've decided to cut out a section from mid window to the top of the storage compartments and replace it with new filon. Then add a flat trim seam at top and bottom of that new piece. Trying to pull it back and adhere again or add epoxy, etc would not be easy, so we made this choice. Hopefully it looks ok. I removed all of the decals on the opposite side this past weekend. We're going to add a brown vinyl piece down that side too to try to make it look the same. ??? We'll see how that works out. What a freaking nightmare this RV has turned out to be. I will NEVER buy another fiberglass RV. Who would design such a thing that is so hard to work on. Live and learn.  ------------- 2021 RAM 1500 TRX 4x4 2019 TOYOTA RAV4 AWD 2017 RPOD 180 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA 4x4 Dan & Marie |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 3:51pm
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My next RV: https://olivertraveltrailers.com - https://olivertraveltrailers.com Fiberglass done right. ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: dcool1
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 4:11pm
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looks like its built like a boat. no delaming, easy to patch, etc. i like it ------------- 2021 RAM 1500 TRX 4x4 2019 TOYOTA RAV4 AWD 2017 RPOD 180 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA 4x4 Dan & Marie |
Posted By: dcool1
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2021 at 2:49pm
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Has anyone else used products other than Stabond to to adhere filon. I need one product to glue the plywood to the foam and another for the filon to plywood. Both are about $225 per gallon. All to do approx 24 square feet. There's got to be something else.
------------- 2021 RAM 1500 TRX 4x4 2019 TOYOTA RAV4 AWD 2017 RPOD 180 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA 4x4 Dan & Marie |
Posted By: pedwards2932
Date Posted: 04 Jul 2021 at 3:20pm
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I have a 2017 r189 that is having similar delaminations.....absolutely a factory screw up. I built a frame for clamping and am using MAX GPE -General Purpose Grade Epoxy Resin System it was $83 for 3/4 gal. I'd like to say it is working perfectly but it isn't.....I have never seen fiberglass stay bonded to luan. I have injected epoxy and used a veneer roller to try to spread it. Then clamped it....it fixes alot but there is still bubbling. I think my repair will hold but it aint perfect. http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14743&title=trip-damage-and-delamination - http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14743&title=trip-damage-and-delamination
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Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 04 Jul 2021 at 10:16pm
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If you're having problems getting the MAX-GPE resin to bond to luan, you may want to give West Systems Epoxy folks a call to see what they would suggest. They are famous for bonding wood laminations for beautifully crafted laminated wood boats. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: pedwards2932
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2021 at 7:19am
| I think the epoxy is holding fine.....it is difficult to get the clamping precise. I am a perfectionist so what I am saying the repair isn't perfect but I would say about 90%. |