Baby is showing her age :(

pheasant16

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2023
Posts
103
Location
ND
97 class C. Had a water spot in closet when we bought it 5 years ago. Sealed roof and forgot about it. After years of travel, last fall noticed the fiberglass had pulled away about 6" into the wall from the corner trim for maybe 18-20 inches. Caulked it before storing last winter. Went to get it and noticed flexing caused it to separate. Short of pulling the trim, and DAP contact cement to reattach it, any ideas on limping it through the season until next fall. Have a former RV tech who likes projects like this, but not over the summer. Don't want to create a mess for him by gluing it, white duct tape come to mind.:ROFLMAO:
 

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It appears that the fiberglass has bowed outward as though it was being stressed by pressure at the top and bottom edges. It's like the wall was giving way allowing the roof to settle downward an inch or so. Since it has been sitting still since you applied the caulking, I would be very concerned about what may happen when you begin to drive it from place to place. If it is a problem with the structure in the wall that supports the roof, there might not be a temporary fix that will last.
 
Your best bet is Eternabond tape. If properly applied it remains waterproof and flexible forever. It won't come off unless you use acetone to remove the glue. But as Kirk said it's likely the problem will get worse, and maybe much worse.

Another solution I used on several places years ago on a Class A was to use non-expandable foam. It lasted for years until I traded it off. I pushed the tube/straw as far as possible under the delaminated fiberglass and worked it around trying to get the best coverage possible. In some places the only access was to drill a small hole just big enough to get the straw thru then worked it around in a spiral as deep as possible to just a couple inches from the hole. Then I propped up a small piece of plywood over the area with a 2x4 angled down to the ground to keep the patch flat while it cured. Then sealed the open edges with Eternabond and the drilled holes with caulk.

Just make sure you press the fiberglass down as you go so you don't get too much foam under it. It will make a horrible sticky mess if you use too much. And wear gloves, It doesn't come off easy.
 
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At 28 years old, your rig is showing diminishing signs of age. Caulking, sealing, and taping aren't going to hide what seems to be water intrusion, causing the wall separation. Kirk makes a great point. If that is happening while the RV is sitting, what happens going down the highway at 60 mph?

I think your RV tech friend may be in for a bigger project than you seem to realize.
 
Delamination is usually caused by water intrusion but sometimes its just a lack of glue from the factory or on really old RVs the glue loses its bond over time.
 
I'd thought about foam but was thinking that would make a bigger mess when getting it repaired. I figure we'll most likely sell her in another 4-5 years, so if that will hold me that long will visit with friend to see what they think. He did say get some of the rubberized repair tape to assure a lasting repair instead of duct tape. There has to be some rotted wood, no stains other than the one in closet that was there when we bought her, so it's been stable all the time we've had her. Not a big area, and since someone who has done foam with good results spoke up I feel I've got some good home brewed fixes to work with. Thanks Bar!!
 

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