Rv siding

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Jgschwend

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Oct 3, 2017
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Ok, here's my story. I'm new ro rv's and forums. But, here goes. I recently purchased a 1986 c class honey. The air, heat, and fridge all work.  All the tires are new and best of all, it was dirt cheap! There's some pretty extensive water damage. I'm not too worried about the interior remodel. The problem lies in the siding. I'm fully prepared to rebuild the cab over but the fiberglass siding has buckled and in a couple of places split. I'm a contractor by trade so my thought immediately went to the materials I know. So, here's my question. Is there any reason I couldn't replace the fiberglass exterior with 26 GA metal siding that is used on metal roofs? Any thoughts, suggestions, and opinions will be greatly appreciated. I'm not trying to win a beauty contest. I just want it to be functional and make it the 50 miles to deer camp in the fall and the trip home in the spring.
Thanks in advance,
Josh
 
Welcome to the forum. They say be handy or have a lot of money. Well, it sounds like you are very handy so one way or the other you will figure it out. I have noticed that they do make a very small version of metal roofing. It's a much smaller profile than the regular stuff. I have notice in a post somewhere that the people doing a rebuild found the flat white filon type siding on line with free shipping.
 
I helped a friend rebuild a TT a few years ago, also for hunting camp use. We replaced one entire side using white FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) 4'x8' sheets from Home Depot. The sheets on the outside were attached smooth side out for painting, and more FRP was used for the ceiling with the pebbled side showing.
 
The more common metal siding for RVs is corrugated aluminum, with the corrugations running horizontally. However, Holiday Rambler and a few others have used flat sheet aluminum, riveted to a metal frame.

Here are some sources:
https://www.hemetvalleyrv.net/
https://www.rvpartsnation.com/rv-exterior/rv-siding/
 
Thanks for the information. I understand that these are proper ways of doing the job. I'm still curious if there is any reason that steel wouldn't work.
 
Jgschwend said:
Thanks for the information. I understand that these are proper ways of doing the job. I'm still curious if there is any reason that steel wouldn't work.
Click to expand...
Of course steel siding will work, but it's heavier than needed and tends to rust if not maintained.
 
Heck, clapboards will work. It's all a matter of proper installation.  Anything you can keep on at speeds of 65+ mph could be used.  Just remember that all the seams "work" a lot as the RV travels down the highway and that water is driven in sideways or even upwards, not the convenient downward direction that typical house construction assumes. Flying debris on highways is also common, so expect dents.

I see no reason why metal roof panels could not be used, but they assume a sturdy substrate that they are screwed onto. I don't think I would try to attach them to studs only, so you would want sheathing plus the metal. The combination might be fairly heavy.
 
Thank you all very much. I never considered how much it might flex or the additional weight of having to use sheathing. Looks like I'll be trying my hand at fiberglass repair.
Josh
 
The existing fiberglass is a thin glass skin bonded to a luan backing, which in turn is bonded to the wall struts. The only molded fiberglass will be the front & rear caps. The repair techniques are much different between the two. Caulking seams and openings is critical, on both roof and sidewalls.

Quality roof or sidewall metal panels are typically guaranteed rust-proof for 20 years, so I don't see rust as much of an issue. I would use the sealer (caulk) strips where the metal panels overlap, so make sure the joints don't leak. You could probably get by with 1/2" sheathing. The part that would worry me is the end joints. The ones made for roofing assume gravity flow of the water and a good pitch to carry it off. They are not designed to seal tight - just to channel the water away. You need something better for and RV seam, so heavy duty caulk and a tight molding to cover it.
 
Quality roof or sidewall steel panels are guaranteed IF they are properly installed and maintained. That includes coating cut edges, sealing attachment penetrations, and promptly repairing surface scratches or other damage.
 
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