How big of a deal is gelcoat repair?

Question

Today I noticed about a 5 inch long hairline crack in the gelcoat on the side of my NL camper. It is still under warranty until July 2014 so I'm sure NL will take care of the cost. However I'm not sure how much downtime I would need to expect for the repair though. I am using my camper everyday so I can't take it back to the dealer and leave it there to be repaired right now. In the mean time I have just covered the crack to prevent moisture intrusion until repairs can be made.

If anyone has had this repair done I would appreciate comments on how long it takes once the tech starts working on it? I understand that my travel schedule & the workload at the place of repair will be the biggest factor for how long it will take to get it fixed. Good thing I still have 6 months left on my warranty.

Does anyone have any idea of the cost for future repairs like this once my warranty runs out?

I'd also appreciate if anyone can recommend a good RV or boat repair facility anywhere from the Bend, OR area to the Boise, ID area that handles this type of repair. The dealer is going to contact NL next week to find out if I can take it somewhere closer to me so I don't have to take it all the way back to Idaho Falls, ID.

Thanks

wnjj · Answer

I had a dime-sized chunk in my SeaDoo hull from someone hitting a bolt on the dock. There was also a surface scrape fairly wide and a few inches long on the bow. I had both repaired including matching color for under $300. Granted, this was 10-15 years ago but it didn't take long and wasn't a big deal.

Also, when I bought the thing brand new there were several surface cracks where your feet go. The dealer said (and I read online too) that they are only cosmetic. They look the same 18 years later. In other words, your scratch may not matter structurally. If you don't like the way it looks you certainly are entitled to get it fixed. Either way it's good to have an expert check it out.

Some decent reading here.

kerry4951 · Answer

Just another idea possibly.....I had some very fine hairline cracks in my filon. I actually ordered a few extra matching vinyl decals from a vendor off Ebay and applied them over the areas. I was able to correlate the new decal colors with the factory decals. Since the AF uses a fair amount of exterior decals, a few more in the right areas goes right along with the rest. Atleast the vinyl covering over the cracks will keep the elements out.

bobndot · Answer

I know you are under warranty and you may or may not want to try this .
Someone at the boatyard told he used clear nail polish to fill the crack and covered it with tape to even it out, then removed the tape. That was surface on cracks.

I researched this a little to try to confirm it. I found a few links like the one below where people have done it.

If its just a surface crack in the gelcoat, something like this might be an option for you , if not now maybe in the future.

read 'ratherwhalering'....http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/010706.html

mich_f · Answer

There is a possibility this might not be covered under warranty. It sounds like a stress crack and often, (at least with boats)they are not covered under warranty.

super_dave · Answer

Without mentioning whether the crack was a result of some other frame failure or just doing something stupid, it's hard to comment.  My initial thought was that the crack would have to be the result of a much more serious problem and that is what really needs to be fixed rather than just a cosmetic fix.

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How big of a deal is gelcoat repair?

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