Bounder Construction

1. ANY glued panel can delaminate. Wood backing or Styrofoam.
2. Usual cause is water intrusion and sometimes lack of adhesive(missed area) at build.
3. Wood backed Lamination can use most adhesives
4. Styrofoam backed MUST use a water based adhesive. If NOT, then the wrong adhesive will "melt" the styrofoam., Then you have a much bigger problem. MORE problems happen with Styrofoam than wood backing.
5. Lamination and warranties, they usually state, that IF ANYTHING is added or modified to the exterior walls(cuts holes or added screws) will VOID the warranty. Reason is, these are possible egress points for water intrusion. This is why, when you or the dealer want to add or modify the exterior walls of a RV under warranty, you need to get the OEM to sign off and allow this type modification and will then warranty for the warranty term.
6. Most common problem I have seen is when a dealer or customer wants the Over the Range Microwave/Convection Oven vented to the outside and the OEM vented to the inside. Because the hole cut and sealing of the outside vent was not done correctly the wall delaminated from the water intrusion. WHICH the OEM denied warranty.
7. SO, wood backed or Styrofoam, BOTH are good and most problems happen because of water intrusion. Doug

MountainAir05 wrote:

rz wrote:
Mountainair05 thank you for your in-site on this type of construction

Did not imply on the construction, just that you seem to think that Fiberglass will not delaminate. No matter who makes it if water get in there it will have an issue. I will try to be clearer next time.

so what is the way to save it?

I didn't get it either. I guess nick is meant to mean nickname. Thanks for asking, I would never have put that all together.

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
The nick is well known,---- blunder....

Can someone translate this for me?? :h

It's a put down, Fleetwood Blunder. Another one is the name says it all ____Fleet Wood.

rz wrote:
I understand anything that is laminated can delaminate. I grew up around boats and have had my share of fiberglass delamination and osmosis issues. What I wanted to know is if this construction held up better then the conventional wood on Filon laminated walls. Has anyone had to repair this type of wall and is there a visual difference then the conventional design. I would think that the non wood variants of laminated walls would hold up better to moisture though.

I know someone who had maybe but not sure of what type of delamination and what they did for warranty was drill a hole and push in resin where it was bubbled and fix it that way. I could still see it but that is all warranty was doing and insurance would not do anything since it was in warranty. Doug is more current this stuff since he working. We luck out on our several RVs and never had it.

I too grew up in boats and cabinets. Dad with both for a while and uncle boats. Learned a lot back in those young years.

I understand anything that is laminated can delaminate. I grew up around boats and have had my share of fiberglass deamination and osmosis issues. What I wanted to know is if this construction held up better then the conventional wood on Filon laminated walls. Has anyone had to repair this type of wall and is there a visual difference then the conventional design. I would think that the non wood variants of laminated walls would hold up better to moisture though.

rz wrote:
Mountainair05 thank you for your in-site on this type of construction

Did not imply on the construction, just that you seem to think that Fiberglass will not delaminate. No matter who makes it if water get in there it will have an issue. I will try to be clearer next time.

There seems to be a lot of bashing on Fleetwood. When we were looking for a MH, we looked at all of the manufacture's, and their construction. At the time, Newmar was though to be the best. Well, being a retired Journeyman Carpenter for 13 years, I was acquainted with construction, and construction practices. The owner of the dealership was showing the MHs and bragging that they were the best made, constructed MH on the market. My wife looked at me, and I shook my head no, as I was looking at construction of walls, and closets, and shelving, and cabinets. The owner said to my wife that this is the best MH made, and she said, my husband is not impressed. He flinched and asked why. I opened the bedroom closet door and showed him the shelving the was flimsy, and one shelf that was not even attached. Then I pointed out the bedroom separator wall was wedged in so tight it had deform the ceiling, I said this was going to be trouble down the road with the celling. He then left in a huff. A salesman extended the living room slide, which was not a flat floor, and pulled it back in, I went outside and it did not fit flush with the side on the front and rear of the slide. I said OK, lets go look at the Diesels, same problems with the main slide, and construction shortcomings. We went back to the Fleetwood dealer and made a order from the factory. The Vacuum formed wall construction, with aluminum structural members in the walls and celling were great. The worst MHs at the time were Georgetown. Any RV can have delaminates, sometimes its because of the construction, sometimes it is lack of maintained, mainly on the roof.

Mountainair05 thank you for your in-site on this type of construction

rz wrote:
The spec sheet shows the walls are built with Vetrosina Fiberglass. After dealing with delamination with the last two RV's I would really like to stay away from the wood panels if possible.

You seem to think that Fiberglass will not delaminate.