I entertained pouring resin into the wall to fix my delamination on my RV but I have enough boat building experience to worry that I would be trying to glue fiberglass to rotten ply.... So I will be attempting to spring the delaminated section of my wall enough to remove the rotting plywood and then epoxy new core material back into it properly.
Yes, rotten plywood must be replaced. In many cases the plywood in RV walls delaminates because the glue holding the plies together dissolves because of moisture. If the plies dry out (are not moldy, wet, or rotted) they can be glued back together. As a side note, we ralry see the fiberglass delaminating from the outer ply of the plywood.
It’s a good idea for a “quick fix”, but, anyone who’s got knowledge of how these vehicles are built knows how absolutely CHEAPLY they are built. And that goes for ALL manufacturers. They use the thinnest lightest materials they can get away with and then slap them together without paying the slightest attention to build quality. You’d also know delamination is caused by water intrusion, so just gluing these layers back together will not fix the original problem to begin with. The leaks remain and will continue to leak, and even if the resin filled area is now somewhat “water proof” or “water resistant”, that water proofed area will just send that water that continues to intrude to other areas of the wall that are not proofed. The only real way to repair delamination is to disassemble, rebuild and SEAL against further water intrusion.
Do you know of any videos that show the process you're talking about. I've been looking for a while and can't find any, I have a basic idea but would like to see the process.
The fastest way is to cut the bubble get a brush and brush in resin or adhesive smash flat add fiberglass to your cut and sand. That wood be hind there is probably dry rotted away so spray foam first...
Same problem, Vortex toy hauler. I'm going to cut the filon in sections, replace the luan cardboard junk with new, re-glue Filon to new substrate. then attach to foam inner wall. Since I don't have the means to do the complete side. Then at the joints I will find flat aluminum trim to cover the cut. Then, screw and glue into place. yes it wont be as pretty but it will be sound. really pisses a guy off to spend big bucks and have them come apart in a few years.. Any advice doing this will be well received as long as it is positive.
Yeah it really makes you wonder how much something constructed from plywood cost in the day before the delamination occured. It seems to usually happen to older RVs. Are they not using marine plywood I wonder? Or perhaps it's just that plywood in general is doomed to this fate. Maybe a better construction method would just be a thin metal outer shell that's been filled inside with insulation.
Had an RV burn beside mine. There is a large section of the fiberglass sheeting (over steel tube frame) that melted/burned. Is it possible to buy this sheeting to rebuild the one side? How it is attached to the frame? Im thinking adhesive as there is no fasteners showing.
We sell the Filon fiberglass siding. www.delamrepair.com. Typically, the walls are constructed in a factory. The framing, inner and outer sheeting, insulation, and fiberglass siding are bonded together using adhesives. When rebuilding a part of the wall Composet SLV(tm) epoxy, Composet CompoBond(tm) epoxy, or Stabond(tm) hi-temo contact cement can be used. Look up our panel bonding videos.
Fix the rotten wood so what's the purpose the wood that's inside is 1/8 thick you should just take it apart chip off the wood to the foam and replace the wood I did it
Rebuilding/replacing a badly deteriorated wall is the best way to get back to factory original condition. However, if the damaged area is limited to a small spot under a window, our process might be the better answer.
Vacuum infusion has potential though the wall may too many air leaks to achieve consistent vacuum. The only way to get moisture out of the wall is through evaporation. Air movement and heat will help.
I have some delam on my Raptor. While I get the putter layer can't get any bigger, I feel that if I just glued it back on, I would have ripples. Can you elaborate on delam bubbles and where that little extra of material goes?
There are situations where the fiberglass skin has deformed or stretched and will never sit flat. The deformation will still show through after the injection process, even though the area may be solid. There are also times when too much resin is injected into the repair and has no place to go. This will result in a bubble or bulge remaining in the wall, even though it may now be solid. These are some of the less that desirable outcomes that can happen, if these are concerns then the a complete teardown and rebuild may be the right solution.
What did you do about the area where the outer skin stopped short of the edge trim? I have the same problem on my 2004 Coachman and once I do the delimitation repair I'll still need to have something to cover that gap.
Eli, Thanks for the comment- Sometimes a quick fix is reasonable approach, especially if it has the potential as a long-term solution at a reasonable cost. Most of the delam we see has to do with the plywood, not the FRP fiberglass skin.
There is no fiberglass involved. The problem is a gap between the rear vertical edge of the sidewall and the edge trim that is supposed to cover that seam.
Matt, I don't have a solid answer on this. Most RV shops prefer to remove the wall, or a section of the wall. This is costly, but in many cases could be the right answer. We have some shops using our products to make repairs with our system. I'm guessing a small delam repair would take 10-12 labor hours and use $200 in materials.
Yikes only 6 years old? Is it really bad? I'd be furious at that company and let people know. I have a very old mallard from 1988 and while it does have delam it's not frightfully bad.
I am not convinced. When water migrated into the particle wood, it swells up and will not go back to the original flat state. And the moisture will not evaporate unless you take off the exterior sheeting and that can be a very long time. Purchasing an new wall is about the only way to really deal with the problem.
I agree with your comments when talking about particle board. However, 99% of the time we see Luann plywood backing up the fiberglass. The pies in the plywood delaminate because moisture dissolves the glue used to make the plywood. If the plies are sound, dry, and accessible, they can usually be glued back together, basically restoring the plywood with a waterproof epoxy adhesive.
Okay, safe to say that the panels are not laid with water proof glue and I wonder where the panel material originated from? With all the cost cutting these days, I am happy that I own a stick and tin trailer (2006 Adventurer) build in British Columbia Canada and our plywood does not show the delamination that you have shown. I have been told that most units built to today's standards have a typical lifespan of less than 10 years. Our trailer had little use before our ownership and perhaps was kept under cover but I still do the annual walk around. Early in our ownership, my wife was complaining about a vague sewer smell and when I did a modification to accommodate a bigger battery bank, I discovered that the black tank vent had not been extended through the roof! I was less than impressed and decided to look more closely, but there was not any defect more serious than the sewer vent. Keep the joints sealed and no problems.
Yes, mold can be a serious issue requiring replacement of the wall. Delamination typically occurs because the inside of the wall gets wet and the moisture dissolves the glue inside the plywood. Continued exposure to moisture can result in rotted wood, mold, and extensive damage. However, in many cases the wall and underlying plywood dries out and no mold is present, and the plies in the plywood can be re-bonded.
Fiberglass resin (polyester) and epoxy are very different chemicals. And within the choices of epoxy there are very different formulations. The comparison is similar to fiberglass verses carbon fiber.
No joke at all! We've supplied thousands of kits across the US, Canada, and the UK. If used within the limitations of the product, and with reasonable expectations, our products have the potential to provide a cost effective and long term solution for RV delamination issues.
Crap product...who ever fills his silver containers does not know that they are TWO Different liquids. An Epoxy and a hardener....they are different colors btw. I bought kits...1st set was correct and bonded great...second set was not. They put same liquid in both or mislabeled. I purchased a marine epoxy set and had to rerepair the section I could....totally pissed
Hi EW, very sorry to hear you were not satisfied with the 2nd kit. We manufacturer the products under strict protocols and are not aware of any other issues like you describe. Please reach out with an email, call, via the website, or through Paypal with your order name and order numbers and I'll personally track the batch numbers.
This is a Mickey mouse repair. De lamination almost always occurs because water leaked into the panels. If you don't dis assemble the panels and completely dry and replace any damaged materials you are wasting your time and money.
jerkyturkey007 thanks for the comment. We always say our Delam repair Kits are not always the answer, however in cases where the damage is minimal and the plywood is only delaminated, not wet, missing, or disintegrated, our product works great. We have been selling the kits for over 10-years and have 1000's of happy RV'ers who were able to fix the problem without a total rebuild.
