Small crack in fiberglass - how serious?
I just purchased a new HTT, and discovered a small crack in the fiberglass shell. Unfortunately, I didn't discover the crack during the final walk-through, I found it after I brought the camper home. ...
Forum Discussion
The OP has a Hybrid. This is in a sidewall or end wall below a bunk door as it has no front or rear cap, nor a fiberglass roof. There is no "removing panels" as it's laminated one piece construction. It also is almost certainly a screw driven too deep, as I have seen that condition on more than a couple of new trailers. All the OP has to do is look inside and find the screw. Probably in a cabinet or dinette bench rail. Whether discovered at the PDI or not, that should not be an issue, but expect the manufacturer to make it one so load your guns.
The floor panel is put on the frame, then the sidewalls. Everything inside is then attached into sheet metal backers that were laminated in behind the inner plywood of the wall panel. At least you hope they used metal backers, because its not unheard of for cabinets and other items to only be attached into 1/8" thick luan plywood so they can come off later. It may take removing some access panels in the cabinetry, but the guilty screw should be easily found, then take a bunch of pictures inside and out. Try to do so with with a tape measure in them from a point of reference, to prove its the guilty screw. Depending on the manufacturer they may attempt every trick play they have in the book to get out of it.....especially if it's Forest River.
I would never accept that on a new trailer and sending it off to some body shop is a Mickey Mouse shoemaker type of fix. The way that is properly repaired is to send it back to the factory and they replace the entire sidewall. It's done more often than people realize. Now if it was 10 years old then having some nose picker grinding and sanding away on it down at Earl Schieb might be the correct course of action, but on a new trailer?
The floor panel is put on the frame, then the sidewalls. Everything inside is then attached into sheet metal backers that were laminated in behind the inner plywood of the wall panel. At least you hope they used metal backers, because its not unheard of for cabinets and other items to only be attached into 1/8" thick luan plywood so they can come off later. It may take removing some access panels in the cabinetry, but the guilty screw should be easily found, then take a bunch of pictures inside and out. Try to do so with with a tape measure in them from a point of reference, to prove its the guilty screw. Depending on the manufacturer they may attempt every trick play they have in the book to get out of it.....especially if it's Forest River.
I would never accept that on a new trailer and sending it off to some body shop is a Mickey Mouse shoemaker type of fix. The way that is properly repaired is to send it back to the factory and they replace the entire sidewall. It's done more often than people realize. Now if it was 10 years old then having some nose picker grinding and sanding away on it down at Earl Schieb might be the correct course of action, but on a new trailer?
