Forum Discussion

fulltimecanada's avatar
fulltimecanada
Explorer
Nov 26, 2016

Delamination Near Hitch

Hi everyone,

I just discovered that the front area of my fifth wheel, near the hitch & under the bedroom has some significant delamination. When I pushed on the delamination I could hear what I believed to be water sloshing around. Not good. I looked around to see where the water would be getting in but couldn't find in cracks in the seams. My girlfriend wondered if it may be a build up of condensation since we're in a very humid/wet area.

My temporary solution was to drill some small holes where the delamination is sagging the most to drain the water. This seems to be helping right now but there's still quite a bit of water in there though. A couple of questions...

-because the holes are in the lowest point of the sagging, I dont think more water will get in there, so I'm thinking that maybe I should leave the holes unsealed as a constant drainage source while I investigate a longterm fix...

-speaking of longterm fixes, have you had an issue like this before? What is the fix? I'm guessing that the entire fiberglass section will have to be pulled off, inspected for damage and then replace or reapplied?

-how is the area under the bedroom/near the hitch constructed? I've read that it's mostly metal and no wood, but not sure if that's correct. If it's wood, I'm worried about significant rot becoming an issue - one that I didn't want to deal with 6 months into full-time RVing

Any help/guidance/assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
  • fulltimecanada's avatar
    fulltimecanada
    Explorer
    Nov 27, 2016
    Dayle1 wrote:
    On most units, the skin under the bedroom is not laminated construction and therefore nothing to delaminate. Instead the skin is attached along the edges and a few extra screws. It attaches directly to steel, only wood is the plywood bedroom floor which is several inches above the skin.

    Also the forward bedroom wall is not attached to the fiberglass front cap and insulation behind the front wall may be minimal or shifted. I live in a hotter/drier climate but it seems that in cold weather, moisture will condense on the inside of the fiberglas front cap and then run down. In my case it drips out the low point of the trim between the cap and the underbelly skin. You could have a similar problem. But you could also have rain water leaks around the edge of the cap or at the clearance lights that would also collect under the bedroom.


    Thanks for this informative response. This somewhat puts my mind at ease. Now I just have to find out how the water is getting in there. We're in Tofino, BC where it rains A LOT so this is likely this issue but I just dont know where the leak is coming from.
  • Aridon's avatar
    Aridon
    Explorer
    Nov 27, 2016
    Water intrusion is always a big issue that needs to be taken care of ASAP regardless if it is an RV or a house.

    If you have a washer dryer in the closet I'd look closely there to see if you have a loose fitting / slow leak. If not, I'd suggest checking the windows in the master bedroom and see if perhaps some rain is getting in there and traveling via the frame to a collection point forward and below. Many units have sealant on the tops but it tends to not be all the way down the sides or bottom. Perhaps wind driven rain as well near the hitch if you've been in some storms or driving in the raid.
  • Dayle1's avatar
    Dayle1
    Explorer II
    Nov 27, 2016
    On most units, the skin under the bedroom is not laminated construction and therefore nothing to delaminate. Instead the skin is attached along the edges and a few extra screws. It attaches directly to steel, only wood is the plywood bedroom floor which is several inches above the skin.

    Also the forward bedroom wall is not attached to the fiberglass front cap and insulation behind the front wall may be minimal or shifted. I live in a hotter/drier climate but it seems that in cold weather, moisture will condense on the inside of the fiberglas front cap and then run down. In my case it drips out the low point of the trim between the cap and the underbelly skin. You could have a similar problem. But you could also have rain water leaks around the edge of the cap or at the clearance lights that would also collect under the bedroom.
  • fulltimecanada's avatar
    fulltimecanada
    Explorer
    Nov 26, 2016
    blofgren wrote:
    What year, make and model is your trailer? Can you post any pics of the area that is damaged?
    We have a 2008 Heartland Sundance. I took some pictures but it didn't really show the issue unfortunately.
  • blofgren's avatar
    blofgren
    Explorer
    Nov 26, 2016
    What year, make and model is your trailer? Can you post any pics of the area that is damaged?
  • fulltimecanada's avatar
    fulltimecanada
    Explorer
    Nov 26, 2016
    agesilaus wrote:
    I'd be concerned about the frame flexing in that high stress area and that causing the fiberglass problem. Possibly a bad weld or crack.


    Yeah its hard to know whats going on in there without taking the fiberglass off which I definitely shouldnt do. Theres an RV company coming out on Wednesday to look at some warranty related stuff. Hopefully they can provide a solution too...one that doesnt cost an arm and a leg.
  • agesilaus's avatar
    agesilaus
    Explorer III
    Nov 26, 2016
    I'd be concerned about the frame flexing in that high stress area and that causing the fiberglass problem. Possibly a bad weld or crack.

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