Sidewall Delamination of 2006 36 ft Journey

jabass · 10-07-2021, 06:46 PM

I found that I have a 2 ft vertical section of fiberglass that is delaminating on the passenger side immediately to the rear of the refig vent opening. I believe it might have been caused from a very small area where my caulking came loose that was holding the roof. I have recalled.

would like to postpone a fix for the problem until I return from Florida this coming spring.
Will postponing a fix and traveling 2,000 miles (round trip down I-95) make this delimination a lot worse??

BobC · 10-08-2021, 06:55 AM

Can you post a photo?

**creativepart** · 10-08-2021, 07:13 AM

I’ve seen Az Expert fix this kind of thing on his YouTube channel and it was caused by water leaks in the area directly above the effected wall.

If the leak isn’t fixed or only partially fixed that could certainly make this problem worse. That would be my only concern

jabass · 10-10-2021, 06:45 PM

Bob C managed to get to RV for pics but am having a hard time trying to upload them!!

**creativepart** · 10-10-2021, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabass

Bob C managed to get to RV for pics but am having a hard time trying to upload them!!

How to add photos to a post

Click scroll down to bottom of thread to the "Quick Reply" box.

Click "go advanced" under the text box then add your message to text window and then scroll down.
Click "Manage attachments" A separate window will pop up.
Click "browse" Then select the file to be uploaded. You may select several photos to upload at the same time by repeating the last step.
Click "Upload" After pics have loaded close the pop-up window
Click "submit reply" to mount the text of your message - photos will automatically appear at the bottom of your post.

jabass · 10-10-2021, 07:00 PM

Here is a pic of delimination.

jabass · 10-10-2021, 07:03 PM

A better pic. I can push in on the denomination within that 2 ft or so area...

BobC · 10-10-2021, 08:16 PM

It's hard to tell what's going on in your photos with all the reflections but here's my two cents based on my experience.

I have a couple of bulging areas about 1' +/- or so in diameter from old leaks that were repaired before I bought my MH. They've been stable since I bought it in 2017 and haven't been a problem. They're less noticeable in cold weather than hot, I presume due to the Filon shrinking with the temperature. Mine are on the driver side and aren't too noticeable and repairing them is pretty low down on my priority list.

If they're in the "middle" area of the panel (ie. surrounded by solidly laminated areas) and you don't have loose edges, I think you'll be OK for your trip, but that's only based on my experience. If there's a loose edge that can be caught by the wind, then I'd have some concern, although Gorilla tape might be a temporary solution.

Professional repair of sidewall delamination can be pretty involved and expensive depending on the extent of the damage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l0JMVbBetA

I've also seen some DIY posts and videos.

09 harley · 10-13-2021, 06:30 PM

Typical crappy construction and shoddy engineering. If we are relying on caulking as the final answer to leaks we will always have these problems. The problem is the flashing is nonexistent. Since these are houses on wheels they need to be constructed similarly to avoid problems. I wonder if the engineers have ever heard of Forti Flash membrane? I’m sure they’ve all heard “we need to cut costs and your job depends on it”.
I’m not surprised at these posts because they are never ending. We get what we pay for. If a manufacturer did a good job they would go out of business because the majority would go for the lowest price, and then complain about quality.
An example.
Buy any mass produced 5th wheel. You get what you pay for.
Buy a New Horizons or Spacecraft. Custom builders who build to order. Cost twice as much and are what we all want but either can’t or don’t want to pay for. This example is true of just about any product we buy. Why do you think everything is made in China? That’s right! We’re cheap. I go out of my way to buy quality products that won’t disappoint me.
Let’s stop these posts because we are bringing these problems on ourselves. Just accept the fact that we are buying subpar products and be willing to pay the continuing repair costs. We live in a disposable society.

BobC · 10-13-2021, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabass

I believe it might have been caused from a very small area where my caulking came loose that was holding the roof. I have recalled.

I doubt this was the source of the leak. The roof edge is inserted into an extruded aluminum channel with drain holes in the bottom. If you look at the diagram below I think you'll see that it would be very difficult for water to leak from the channel to behind the side panel. As you can see, the side panel is covered and sealed by the aluminum extrusion. To find the leak, I'd look on the roof for a poorly sealed or cracked skylight, roof vent, etc. It's likely that it's already been fixed.

BobC · 10-13-2021, 08:27 PM

I should have specified that it was unlikely for the leak to have been the result of missing cai
Ulking. If the roof edge had actually pulled out for several inches, it could have been the source.

09 harley · 10-14-2021, 10:43 AM

I will state again. Caulking should not be the primary defense of water intrusion. This is EXACTLY why the companies tell us to check our caulking every 6 months. If they do a poor job they shift the blame to the end users. How many people do you know that inspect their caulking that often? I don’t know anyone. Especially the retired individual who has never seen the goof top, nor should they need to.